Geometry recommendations

[woolery81]

Hello! I'd love some advice for geometry next year. We had planned to use the Jurgensen text (McDougal Littell) that MP used to use, but now I'm starting to consider VideoText. Can anyone give me your experience or recommendations for either of these? Or if you have a different geometry text you love, I'm open to suggestions!

My husband is a math teacher, so I'm not too concerned about the instruction/grading. However, he's pretty busy and sometimes doesn't get around to teaching when I need him to, so I thought Video Text might be a good idea. We did Prentice Hall for Algebra I/II, which we've been happy with. I've never been drawn to Video Text, but I'm starting to reconsider.

Also, one more follow-up question, if we do the Jurgensen text, does anyone know how much the different editions matter? I've been looking around at used texts, and it's hard to find the student book, teacher book, and solution key in the same year, so I'm wondering if they'd still line up.

Thanks!
Pam

[Mom2mthj]

I have never used video text, but I can speak a bit to Jurgensen. My daughter basically did it on her own and I graded things. I think if you have someone in the house to answer questions even if he is busy, then you should probably be just fine. Especially if he is available to check homework at night. I think by the time your child is in high school you can task your child to schedule an appointment with your husband the following day to review homework/new lesson material. In an online class a student is only going to get a day or two per week of instruction, so they don’t even have to meet together every day. As for editions the book hasn’t changed...just buy whichever one you find. My only problem was finding one where people hadn’t written in the student book - I think it took five tries. I highly recommend not buying used-acceptable or good for the student book. The solution manual is a must have. The teacher edition is really only useful for the tests at the beginning that are scheduled in the lesson plans, especially since your husband is a math teacher. Handy to have if you find it at the right price.

[woolery81]

Mom2mthj Thank you! That is helpful. My son has basically done Pre-algebra through Algebra 2 independently, although he's required much more help with Algebra 2, so I'm guessing that would work fine for us.

[Mrs Bee]

I've also bought them used on eBay, going by the ISBN recommended by MP. You've got to ask precise questions, and ask for real photos, too, not stock. I feel like there are a lot of laconic eBay sellers these days, it seems to cost them to describe things well, but it can be done!
MP has by far the best price for the Solution Key.

[Nikkirxd]

Tacking onto this post. I'm looking at these different editions as well. MP doesn't list the publication year of the solutions manual on their website. When I google that ISBN, I get a year of 1994 from one used bookstore and a publication year of 2004 from a different store, with the same ISBN listed. The Teacher book that MP sells seems to be from 2000 and very pricey. (It's not that much cheaper at online used stores.) Wondering if someone who purchased the solutions manual from MP (or staff) could look at the book to see what year it was published.

It has been mentioned that any year student book goes with these. I'm seeing a student book online from 1996 and another one from 1999. Do you think these publication years are the same? One website with the 1999 edition listed it as 2000-2009. Therefore, I'm thinking the 1999 student edition probably goes with the 2000 teacher edition. I'm also thinking that the solutions manual that MP sells is probably 2004, and that it also goes with these editions.

Why is this so difficult? I feel like the hardest part of geometry is figuring out the publisher issue!

Thanks!

[Mrs Bee]

Nikkirxd, I bought the Solution Key from MP in 02/2021. It says "2004 Impression", with a copyright list of 1990, 1992, 1994. ISBN is 9780395677667. I bought the textbooks used: my son's copy has the same ISBN as Dorinda gave you in the other thread (9780395977279): it says "2011 Impression" and lists copyright years of 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, and 2000. My daughter's copy has the same ISBN but it says "2004 Impression", but with an identical list of copyright years. The Teacher's Edition I have says "2008 Impression" with an identical list of copyright years as the textbooks, but the ISBN is 9780395977286. We have not used this Teacher's Edition, but the cover is identical to the textbooks, so I expect it would work. I don't know what use the kids have done of the Solution Key, I'm not sure they've needed it at all.

[Nikkirxd]

Nikkirxd, I bought the Solution Key from MP in 02/2021. It says "2004 Impression", with a copyright list of 1990, 1992, 1994. ISBN is 9780395677667. I bought the textbooks used: my son's copy has the same ISBN as Dorinda gave you in the other thread (9780395977279): it says "2011 Impression" and lists copyright years of 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, and 2000. My daughter's copy has the same ISBN but it says "2004 Impression", but with an identical list of copyright years. The Teacher's Edition I have says "2008 Impression" with an identical list of copyright years as the textbooks, but the ISBN is 9780395977286. We have not used this Teacher's Edition, but the cover is identical to the textbooks, so I expect it would work. I don't know what use the kids have done of the Solution Key, I'm not sure they've needed it at all.

This is so helpful! Thank you!
The Teacher book is horribly expensive, and right now I can only find one copy on the online used book stores. I won't need it until probably January, so I'm going to buy the rest and check back this summer when former homeschoolers start off-loading their stuff!

[bean]

For that series, If the covers match, you are probably okay. It was published for a very long time with very view changes.

[Mom2mthj]

I agree with bean that if the covers match that it is good. It took me at least three tries (and paying about 65 for a new text on Amazon) to find a student book that didn’t have excessive writing and it really doesn’t appear that anything changed between editions. People seem to make notes on the figures in geometry books. I have stated before in other math threads and I think it is especially true with geometry that if I had to pick one expensive book it would be the solutions manual instead of the teacher’s guide. The teacher manual has the chapter tests that were referred to in the lesson plans - MP never wrote their own plans or made any teaching videos. I would not spend hundreds of dollars on the teachers edition for just that (I think the teachers edition was in the range of 150 new when MP was selling it - I purchased it for about 100 on eBay back in 2017 bundled with a student book that turned out to be trash). You could pick a few problems and create some of your own tests or just not give tests depending on your philosophy. You might also try kathywarmantutoring.com for help. She uses the same book for geometry and gives assignments and grading and has some online help. She is making some changes for fall due to some other teaching she is doing so I don’t know what the format will exactly be like, but my son did like the trial we did for algebra 2 and she was very responsive to emails even though her website is a bit out of date on pricing.

[Mom2mthj]

Nikkirxd, I bought the Solution Key from MP in 02/2021. It says "2004 Impression", with a copyright list of 1990, 1992, 1994. ISBN is 9780395677667. I bought the textbooks used: my son's copy has the same ISBN as Dorinda gave you in the other thread (9780395977279): it says "2011 Impression" and lists copyright years of 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, and 2000. My daughter's copy has the same ISBN but it says "2004 Impression", but with an identical list of copyright years. The Teacher's Edition I have says "2008 Impression" with an identical list of copyright years as the textbooks, but the ISBN is 9780395977286. We have not used this Teacher's Edition, but the cover is identical to the textbooks, so I expect it would work. I don't know what use the kids have done of the Solution Key, I'm not sure they've needed it at all.

I primarily used the solution manual for grading proofs in homework assignments. I found it very handy to have, but I was very hands off with my daughter on teaching so I wanted to check her work myself. If I had just given it one of my sons, he likely would have never opened it to check anything.

[Mrs Bee]

I primarily used the solution manual for grading proofs in homework assignments. I found it very handy to have, but I was very hands off with my daughter on teaching so I wanted to check her work myself. If I had just given it one of my sons, he likely would have never opened it to check anything.

Yes, maybe my answer sounded strange... I went back and forth a lot debating between doing Geometry at home or with MPOA. In the end we went with the class, even though I bought all the books. I have another child who might use these books years from now - though Mr. Maycock is not a fan, and who knows, he may end up writing his own geometry textbook after he's done writing his algebra one!

[Mom2mthj]

Yes, maybe my answer sounded strange... I went back and forth a lot debating between doing Geometry at home or with MPOA. In the end we went with the class, even though I bought all the books. I have another child who might use these books years from now - though Mr. Maycock is not a fan, and who knows, he may end up writing his own geometry textbook after he's done writing his algebra one!

I would certainly buy whatever book Mr. Maycock writes. We are groupies over here 😀. I can’t say that I am a fan of the books either, but I don’t have great other options. My only real point is I wouldn’t spend enormous amounts on the TM as it rarely was used. My oldest son did Thinkwell because he disliked the book and I didn’t love the book well enough to fight. It was ok, but not fantastic. He did think the video instructor was sort of funny.

[Mom2mthj]

Actually I wish he would write a geometry book before algebra. There are more good algebra options than geometry options.

[tanya]

Here are the ISBNs for the Geometry we are using. Sorry for the delay. I have been at the Kansas homeschool convention and out of the office. These books are out of print now, so we can't get any more. You will need to buy them used while they are available.

Geometry Teacher 9780395977286
Geometry Student 9780395977279
Geometry Solution Key 9780395677667
Geometry Answer Key to Tests 9780395470718

Tanya

[jenniferjb]

Here are the ISBNs for the Geometry we are using. Sorry for the delay. I have been at the Kansas homeschool convention and out of the office. These books are out of print now, so we can't get any more. You will need to buy them used while they are available.

Geometry Teacher 9780395977286
Geometry Student 9780395977279
Geometry Solution Key 9780395677667
Geometry Answer Key to Tests 9780395470718

Tanya

I bought the Answer Key to Tests several years ago, and have never been able to figure out where the tests are located. I assumed they were in one of the many teacher resources that went with the book that I did not purchase. Did I miss them somewhere?