My daughter plans to take the SAT exam this summer. However, she feels that she is rusty and needs to brush up on her math skills. We thereby wanted to an SAT prep course to freshen her memory on concepts taught in algebra and pre-calculus.
As most of my readers know, my kids are dual enrolled at the local community college. I thereby spend more time in the role of chauffeur than as teacher. In fact, I do very little direct instruction with either of them anymore.
My daughter has been taking courses full time at the college for two years now and has just completed the first year calculus course. She has done very well and this fall, she will begin tutoring.
It was thereby a surprise when her first SAT scores came back last year. She took the exam twice (once in the fall and again in spring) and yet her math score remained the same. Though she surpassed the benchmark, she didn’t feel it was a true reflection of her ability. After all, math is her favorite subject (next to foreign languages) and she excels in the classroom.
She has thereby challenged herself to take the SAT a third time at the end of the summer. In order to brush up on the skills tested on the SAT, she wanted an SAT prep online program she could use at her pace – to set her own schedule and course plan to help her review and practice. Teaching Textbooks is a math curriculum designed for independent learners – perfect for her! Best of all, the first 15 lessons of any level are free. Try one level or every level with no obligation with this link, Teaching Textbooks.
I received access to this product in exchange for a review. I was compensated for my time and was not required to make a positive review.
Homeschool SAT Prep
One of the main features of Teaching Textbooks is that it provides step-by-step explanations for every single problem in a multimedia form. The lessons are written directly to the student and do not assume the presence of a teacher.
Students can thereby work through the material independently in just three easy steps: watch the video tutorial, do the practice problems, and if you error, an audio tutor explanations the solutions. The explanations are clear and complete and plenty of practical examples are provided throughout the curricula.
The program is very easy to use. Teaching Textbooks is a particularly good choice for the student who might have struggled with other math programs and needs a less pressured pace and style of delivery. While my daughter does not struggle, she likes that she can move along at her own pace and even skip sections when she is comfortable with the material.
Though it is not considered a specific SAT prep course aimed at testing strategies and SAT question format, it provides practice with the content of high school level coursework. We opted for Pre-Calculus but the high school courses also include Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry.
Her test isn’t until the end of August so we do not yet know her newest score. However, she is enjoying the program and has expressed that she feels more confident.
At the college, she has alternated between two professors and had become accustomed to their word choice and approach. She states that the vocabulary and the specific wording of the problems in Teaching Textbooks has challenged her to more carefully analyze each question. It has also given her practice with another approach to solving each problem.
Regardless of what her score may reflect, her comfort with the material is what is important. As a tutor, this flexibility and confidence will serve her well.
Online Learning Improved
Teaching Textbooks now works a little differently than previous 2.0 versions. The academic content is the same as always but the course is now delivered online as a 12-month subscription. Also, physical books have been replaced by eBooks. No more discs!
The 3.0 version of Teaching Textbooks course material is easy to access from computers, tablets, or phones. This makes it easy to access from anywhere! If you prefer a more traditional textbook, an electronic textbook is available and includes a printing option.
Because all of the content in 3.0 is available online, the price is significantly lower. With 3.0, you purchase a yearly (12-month) subscription for one child and one course. Large-family discounts (for families with four to eight students) are also available.
You can find placement tests on the publisher’s website to guide you in selecting the appropriate course. The series is a college prep curriculum though it is not as rigorous as some other courses.
NOTE: The Free trial does not require a credit card and does work for the first 15 lessons with no time limit. You may try any level or all of the levels.
Because we were using the course to review for the SAT exam, we were not concerned with the grading options. However, I was intrigued to discover that grades can be accessed anytime from anywhere (even after a subscription has ended).
For additional study materials organized by exam type, visit Exam Prep Books, over 20 exams types from which to choose.
Life of Fred Math Curricula for Middle School 
