Homeschool Crew Review~ No-Nonsense Algebra from Math Essentials

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Michael has been working on his Algebra skills with No-Nonsense Algebra from Math Essentials. So far he is enjoying the book and is learning a lot to help him master Algebra!

For this review, we received a physical copy of the No-Nonsense Algebra book. The book is a paperback text book. It's not a workbook. Students read through the lesson and then copy the problems into a notebook to work on. The textbook is sold for $28.95. No-Nonsense Algebra is part of the Mastering Essential Math Skills series. The goal of the book is to present Algebra in a clear and precise way. There's no fluff. It just contains lessons presented in a way for students to master the concept of Algebra!
The book is a complete Algebra program. In addition to the book, students will be able to view free  online video lessons by Richard W. Fisher. Yes, that's right...free lessons for each lesson in the book taught by this award-winning author! Even though this is a complete Algebra program, it can still be used as a supplement or if your student has the PSAT, SAT, of ACT test coming up this book would be a great way to review Algebra and to prepare for the test. The book contains 10 chapters. Chapter 1~ Necessary Tools for Algebra Chapter 2~ Solving Equations Chapter 3~ Graphing and Analyzing Linear Equations  Chapter 4~ Solving and Graphing Inequalities  Chapter 5~ Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities  Chapter 6~ Polynomials  Chapter 7~ Rational Expressions Chapter 8~ Radical Expressions and Geometry  Chapter 9~ Quadratic Equations Chapter 10~ Algebra Word Problems 
Each chapter is broken up into 4 sections.
Introduction, Examples, Exercises, and Review
The Introduction section begins each new lesson. It is filled with all the important information about the new topic being taught in that lesson. Students should be sure to read this section carefully. If they don't understand the new concept they can reread the lesson or head on over to watch the online video lesson provided for free. Some helpful hints are given in this section too! Students will learn some important tips and shortcuts. For example in lesson 1, students are given the hint...The sum of two negatives is a negative.
After the Introduction section, students will be shown a few examples. This section gives them a step by step guide on how to complete each problem.
After the students read through the introduction and the samples, they will move onto completing the written exercises. They will work through 10 to 20 problems. 
To finish out the lesson, the students will then work on some review problems. Here they will get practice on topics covered in previous lessons. This section ensures that the students don't learn the skills they have already learned. At the end of the chapter there is a review section. This can be used as a review worksheet or parents can use it as a test.  Once the students have complete the book, they than take the final exam. Since Michael was already working with another math curriculum, we used No-Nonsense Algebra as a supplement to his current Pre-Algebra course. I knew the first few lesson in the book would be a great addition to his Pre-Algebra lessons he was already completing. It;s always great to review concepts that you just learned. The more we practice, the more we retain. As he progresses through the book, I am hoping it will be a great way to introduce new algebraic terms and problems to him. My goal for Michael with this book is to help give him a strong foundation in Algebra. 

Want to hear the other crew members thoughts about No-Nonsense Algebra from Math Essentials? Just click on the picture below!


Till Next Time, Monique