Lial's Math

Someone posted a question in my comments section about why I like Lial's math. The question was asked this past week on a post from 2004, so I suspect they found it through a Google search.

The question:

Hey....what is your big deal with the Lial texts? why do you like them for homeschooling? I have heard other homeschoolers go on about the Lial texts. Are her texts really better for HSing? why?

My answer:

I can't say if Lial texts are better for homeschooling, but what I can say is that they are the best I have found for our homeschooling.

I like that they start at the beginning, assuming no previous math knowledge. Seriously - Lesson 1.1 in BCM is Reading and writing whole numbers as in:

The decimal system of writing numbers uses ten digits

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

to write any number. For example, these digits can be used to write the whole numbers:

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

and so on.

This math-phobic mom loves that the book teaches to the kid. It doesn't expect me to teach it to them. For the kids that need a teacher, there are also DVT's (Digital Video Tutors) that walk them through a lesson, with a teacher standing at a white board working out the problems.

Older editions of the books are available used for very little. (I think I spent $3 for BCM.) The DVT's can often be found used, but even new are only $35.

We use the Student text, solutions manual and DVT. (I told you I was math-phobic!) We rarely pulled the DVT's out for BCM, but as we progress through the series we have used them more and more.

The only complaint I have about Lial's is that it glosses over long division. That was easily solved with extra practice using worksheets. For other times that we have needed extra practice we have used worksheets or the Key To series.