Quote from Forum Archives on May 1, 2006, 1:14 pm

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

Dear Hope Chest friends,
 
A few weeks ago, I saw an ad in the Teaching Home e-news for Systematic Mathematics (www.systemath.com), a DVD math curriculum geared mostly for ages 11 and up.  It sounded intriguing, so I contacted Paul Ziegler for a review copy.  His approach is to teach topic by topic, mastering one math concept before moving on to the next.   I watched three lessons of the set on Prime Numbers, and learned a lot that I didn't already know. 
 
I think that Systematic Mathematics will be very useful to families in multiple ways:
 
First, Systematic Mathematics  can be used as a main curriculum, especially for those who learn best with the mastery (as opposed to the spiral) approach or for those who learn best with a multimedia (as opposed to textbook) curriculum. 
 
Second,  Systematic Mathematics can be used as a supplement if your student is having trouble with a certain topic of math.  Many textbooks merely skim by the concepts, and the child who doesn't get it the first time doesn't get it the other times either.  They need some systematic instruction until they really understand thoroughly.  For around $15-$25, you can get an experienced tutor -- Paul Ziegler -- who will go over and over a couple dozen in-depth lessons as many times as you want to play the DVD.   Summer would be a great time to do this!
 
Third, Systematic Mathematics can be used for teacher training.  Even if your child isn't the type to sit and watch a guy talk about math, you can learn better ways to present the material yourself.  Consider this to be the math education you never got in public school -- or that you forgot in the past 20 years!  I'm not exactly a math whiz myself, so it can be hard for me to put  these things into words for my kids.   It sure is nice having a teacher explain the concepts and show me step-by-step the most practical ways to do things, and why they work that way.   Better yet, a parent and child could watch them together.
 
Since this is a unbiased review, I should say that the audio quality of the DVDs is not the very best I've heard.  Paul Ziegler is a soft spoken man, so you have to listen carefully at times.  He interacts with one student in the classroom, whom you don't see on camera, though you can hear his voice.  This is not bells-and-whistles stuff with on-screen graphics or anything, just a dedicated teacher writing on a chalkboard and talking about a subject he really loves.  Another consideration is that you need a color printer to use the work pages, which are included on a CD-ROM.  All things considered, though this isn't a fancy curriculum, it is quite affordable and solid, which counts for a lot in my book!  As you will read below, he gives a money back guarantee, so you can certainly try it out and see if it's right for your family.  He is also good about replying to e-mail questions and comments.
 
While you are on Mr. Ziegler's web site, check out some of his articles on Christian living and theology.   Here is the direct link to his Biblical Insights page.  http://www.systemath.com/epistles.html  I particularly liked the one called "The Doctor."
http://www.systemath.com/epistles/TheDoctor.pdf  It's refreshing to see Mr. Ziegler's Christian conviction and his love for the Savior!
 
Here is the other contact information for Systematic Mathematics:

SYSTEMATIC MATHEMATICS™
N7558 Boulder Dr.
Portage, WI 53901
Toll Free: (866) Learn It
E-mail: [email protected]
 
Other interesting pages are:
 
10 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Systematic Mathematics (includes customer comments)
http://www.systemath.com/10reasons.html
 
Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.systemath.com/FAQ.htm
 
Math Research Links
http://www.systemath.com/research.html
 
Review in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/reviews/reviews.php?rid=666
 
OK, now that I've shared a little bit about Systematic Mathematics, I wanted to give Mr. Ziegler a shot at communicating.  He has given me permission to include the following article from his web site, followed by a listing of the products he offers:
 
~*~*~
 
My name is Paul Ziegler and I started teaching mathematics in 1962. When I retired, in 1990, I started tutoring homeschoolers. I was shocked to discover that they were using the same materials and approach that I had opposed for so many years in the public schools. I knew that they had figured out that phonics was better than whole language for teaching reading and spelling. I knew that they had figured out that the politically correct approach to geography and history was wrong as well. That is why I was so surprised when I saw homeschoolers using the failed material and methods of the government schools. According to the 1999 Timms test, which compares the mathematical abilities of students in 21 countries, the students from the United States came in 19th. They did better than students from South Africa and Cyprus. All other students did better than those from the U.S. Does this explain why homeschoolers win awards in reading, spelling, and geography, but not in math? I think so. Let me ask you a question. If you use the materials and methods of the government schools, why do you expect a different outcome? I am not offering a new approach. I am offering an old approach that was used successfully for more than 100 years but has not been used for over 40 years in this country.
 
The History:
 
In the 1960s there were some major changes in the way schools taught their students.

READING: Reading began to be taught in a more random and illogical manner. The teaching of Systematic Phonics was replaced with the "Look-say" or "Whole language" method, which relies on guessing and memorizing word shapes. The systematic teaching of phonics gives the students the tools they need to read any word. It is only logical. But our schools have given up on logic.

MATHEMATICS: I have studied the old math books and found that they used to be much more logical and systematic in their approach. I began to teach math in the public schools in 1962. There was a big change in the approach to the teaching of mathematics at that time. There was a group called the "School Mathematics Study Group" (SMSG) which was formed to counteract the lead that the Soviet Union had taken in the space race. This group came up with something called, "Modern Math", which was supposed to solve our problems. In fact, it produced a generation of mathematical illiterates. The notion of a "Spiral Curriculum" was also part of the changes in the approach to the teaching of mathematics. This approach stresses the continual introduction of various concepts in mathematics without developing an understanding of the laws behind them. It is also based on memorization and guessing. In math, guessing is called estimating. Like reading, math is systematic and is best taught in a systematic manner.

When I retired in 1990, I started to tutor some home schooled children in mathematics. I thought that I would find better textbooks than I had found in the public schools. I was wrong. I found the same illogical random approach in the books for the home school market that I found in the public school textbooks. I also saw the same lack of comprehension of the basic system of mathematics in the home-educated children that I found in the students in public schools. While the home education groups understood the need for systematic phonics, the need for systematic mathematics seems to have escaped them. It is frustrating to try to teach math in an unsystematic manner and it is even more frustrating for the one who is trying to learn.

When I was teaching in public schools I was always in trouble because I would write my own curriculum in order to teach math in a systematic manner. When I retired I had many notebooks filled with curriculum that I had written. A study was done of the results of my approach and the finding showed that my students had 27% higher grades than the other students when they started the next grade. That didn't surprise me. In 1998 I started to think about writing a curriculum for home schooled students but there were many obstacles to overcome. I had no money and no way to get my curriculum published. I pondered the situation off and on for two years. Finally I decided that I could do the job using a unique approach. I call my curriculum, "Systematic Mathematics™".

How It Works
 
To use this system, a parent needs a computer with Adobe® Acrobater® Reader, a printer, and a TV with a DVD or a computer with a DVD-ROM.  The instruction is done via DVD and the printed material is printed on the computer's printer from a CD.
 
In this way, the parents can use the system for all of their children without having to purchase any additional materials. When the last child is done with the system, it can be sold to another family. My material comes in, what I call, "modules." Each module comes in a 3 ring binder and systematically develops a particular concept with its attending applications. A module is typically 15 to 45 lessons in length and contains from two to four DVDs. By making this curriculum available in short modules, it can be used to shore up weaknesses in individual concepts, without buying an entire course. The modules can also be put together in a manner to supply an entire year's curriculum. The modules cost from $17.50 to $26.50, depending on the cost of materials and production. It is my goal to make these affordable to all home educators who want their children to understand mathematics and not just memorize a bunch of rules and tricks without understanding math as a system.

My approach to the teaching of math is very much like the approach used in phonics to teach reading. Teach the nature of numbers and the rules governing their use and the child will be able to put these things together to solve problems, just as they put the sounds of the letters together to form words. If it is important to teach reading in a systematic manner, then why not teach math that way as well? In fact, this is how math was successfully taught for well over 100 years in this country. It was changed in the 1960s and we have been on the decline ever since. So, I am not offering anything new. I am actually offering something old and proven to work well over many decades.

Guarantee 

My guarantee is simple. If you don't like it, return the module within 30 days and I will return the cost of the module (less shipping and handling).

Why the Guarantee?

I know that a guarantee is unusual in the curriculum field and I want to explain my reason for it.

I am convinced that the teachings of scripture need to be applied to all walks of our lives. We are admonished to be servants. I take that literally and seriously. A servant puts the needs of others above his own and takes responsibility for his position and actions as a servant. As a teacher, my responsibility is to the student and the parent. If the parent doesn’t believe that my program is working for the student, I don’t want that parent to incur the expense of the program, since I am not providing a service that the student can benefit from, thus the guarantee.

To be responsible for the results of the program, I need to have control over the presentation of the material, thus the video format.  As a servant I need to be available to answer questions that come up when the student doesn’t understand a particular problem, thus the toll free number where the student or parent can call me for help if necessary.  As a servant, I need to make my program available to as many people as want it, thus the low price.

Everything I have done with this company, the design, the structure, the emphasis, has grown from this servant mindset and the actions that it requires. It isn’t a gimmick, it is a way of life.
 
 
These 18 modules are now available: Click on the title of a module to view a complete description.  
 
MATH RESCUE For adults and late teens, 47 lessons on 8 DVDs + 5 supplementary lessons
$66.50 + free shipping in U.S.
 
Getting Started For parents of pre-3rd grade children, Multiplication test and Diagnosing        
    Subtraction is on the CD    Two DVDs --  $17.50 US + $5.00 S&H
 
61-Labeled Quantities  32 lessons on DVD plus 13 supplementary lessons -- $26.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
62-Using Rational Numbers  30 lessons 3 DVDs plus 12 supplementary lessons -- $25.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
63-Working with Fractions 15 lessons on 2 DVDs -- $18.50 US + $5.00 S&H 

 
64-Shape & Sizes  24 lessons on 3 DVDs -- $22.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
71-Prime Factoring 20 lessons on 3 DVDs  -- $20.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
72-Decimals and Percents 33 lessons on 3 DVDs  -- $26.50 US + $5.00 S&H
 
73-Shapes and Dimensions  23 lessons on 3 DVDs  -- $22.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
74-Building Number Systems  24 lessons on 3 DVDs  -- $22.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
81-What's Your Angle   26 lessons on 3 DVDs -- $23.50 US + $5.00 S&H
 
82-Integers & Order of Operation  15 lessons on 2 DVDs -- 16.50 US + $5.00 S&H
 
83-Introduction to Algebra  23 lessons on 3 DVDs -- $20.50 US + $5.00 S&H
 
84-Word Problems  27 lessons on 3 DVDs  -- $24.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
A1a-Algebra 1-a  20 lessons on 4 DVDs -- $21.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
A1b-Algebra 1-b  28 lessons on 4 DVDs -- $25.50 US + $5.00 S&H
 
A1c-Algebra 1-c  24 lessons on 3 DVDs -- $23.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
A1d-Algebra 1-d  25 lessons on 3 DVDs -- $24.00 US + $5.00 S&H
 
DS-Diagnosing Subtraction
One CD-ROM, Includes answer sheets
$3.00 US includes S&H  This is included on the Getting Started CD.
 
NEW!
Combined Modules Save Money!
 
The use of DVDs has allowed me to combine several modules into one. I am offering these 3 modules to replace 16
modules and save you money because it is less expensive to produce and you save.
 
Establishing the Basics
Combines Modules 61 – 64 on 1 CD, 11 DVDs, 132 lessons. $86.00 This
includes priority mail postage.
 
Applying Mathematics
Combines Modules 71 – 81 on 1 CD, 14 DVDs, 137 lessons. $106.00 This
includes priority mail postage. 
 
All About Algebra
Combines Modules 82 – A1d on 1 CD, 22 DVDs, 167 lessons $143.00 This
includes priority mail postage.

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