We are SO stuck!! Not just with one student, but with TWO!! I'm ready to yank my hair out...

First of all...A is planning to attend college, so this is what makes this a BIG issue. He doesn't want to just ditch it...he wants to do it, and move on to the next book.

A is doing Saxon Alg. 1/2 this year. He is *technically* in the 9th grade. I'm really not sure what the problem is. We noticed a few weeks ago that he was *failing* (I do not USE this word in my home...you do not *understand* something, you do not *get* something, but you are not FAILING). So, we decided that he would take a few days to look over his work and decide where he wanted to start reviewing. And so we did, we went over every lesson and all the ones that he missed...and some were common errors and he corrected them, some were misunderstandings that he fixed, but then we came to those that he just did NOT GET.

We tried to go back and find out where the problem was, review the lesson with the Dive CD, sit down and figure it out. The issue with that is *I* don't know how to do it to help him...and the DIVE discs are ONLY for the practice set (which is simple...and silly, says A). The practice set has the simple problems, and therefore he doesn't GET how to do the harder ones.

Ok, so we ditch it...and try to figure out what to do.

I asked A what he thought of Saxon (which he has used for years and always LOVED...til now), and he said, "I think it's for the Saxons...and the Anglos...and not for me) Har Dee Har Har...

I'm looking at Video Text Algebra, but I am not seeing GREAT reviews of it. A lot to invest in a *guess it might work*.

I'm looking at Math U See...but again, I'm not seeing great reviews of the upper grade math.

We do know of a few certain concepts that he is not getting, and have considered buying the *Key to.....* for those...but I'm not sure that it will help completely.

I thought of just buying the Saxon alg 1/2 solutions manual and trying to work through those problems that he doesn't understand...and I guess that will be our first step. If that doesn't work I'm not sure what we will do...

Now on to Older J...

He is in 5th *technically* and at the end of a third grade math text. *sigh*

He just does NOT get math at all. He has not been able, thus far, to memorize facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division). He can do the problems, but it takes him tremendous amounts of time to do small amounts of work AND in the end, he still just DOES NOT GET IT. *sigh* (can you tell we had a bad day yesterday?)

Anyway...I have been pushing forward (pressing is not a strong enough word) with his math at the request of Daddy L. He is not happy that older J is still doing 3rd math, and feels he must just move forward.

Umm...I am trying, but...does anyone else see a catostrophic math train crash in the not so near future??

I am considering starting over with him. Ordering Math U See (he is very much a *wiggly willy*) and having him and younger J do the same stuff. I'm not sure how this would make him feel, though we have basically no discussion of *grade levels* in our home and I'm not sure he wouldn't just see it as fun...with his brother...like history and science are.

I'm just really at a loss. I'm open to any and all suggestions...because I sure don't have any of it figured out. I'd just like for math lessons to stop ending in my being sweaty, exhausted, and hoarse.

A sidenote...most subjects do not stress me, but math does. I'm all for relaxed learning, except when it comes to math...I will admit it is probably just a hangup of mine, but Daddy L also does not want me to *relax* math.