When I was in high school, I juuuuust squeaked by my math requirements.

[conuly]

I got a solid 66 on Math Regents 2 and 3, which basically covered trig and geometry, and I have no idea how I did it. Literally, none.

I want to remedy that. I prefer to read and don't like videos, so Kahn Academy is right out. Does anybody have any good print or online written materials that can help me basically redo my high school math experience and understand what the hell I should have understood the first time around? I don't care if it is new or interesting, I just want good, solid material that is clearly written.

Comments

[siderea]

I have no resources, sorry. But I would suggest that if you had trouble in hs math, you may find it beneficial to go back to jr high math. Maybe. Geometry less so. But trig depends on good algebraic skills.

BTW, I have a hazy and possibly erroneous impression that all the best math instruction is by video these days, because it really is superior to learning it from a book. You may want to give Khan Academy a try despite your issues with video.

[crystalpyramid]

I'm with you on not liking videos, and even with videos, learning math works better if you have a body of problems to work on. And some worked examples to study. And having a physical textbook to browse through, with sidebars and nifty things.

I might have some ideas, but I need to think of how to get a better sense of what your level actually is, so I know what's appropriate. And maybe unpack the 10+ boxes of books in the basement and look through them. I've heard good things about Mathematics, A Human Endeavor, but I don't actually own a copy, so I'm not sure how much good it is for acquiring and practicing skills.

[adrian_turtle]

I don't think it works as an only textbook, but you might find a Schaum's Outline helpful. They're basically collections of worked problems framed with short, clear, explanations. Each chapter has a few pages introducing a type of problem, defining terms and describing how to approach it. Then solved problems of the same type, with the answers worked through in detail. Then a bunch of practice problems for you to work through yourself (with a list of answers to check if you did it right.)

They're really helpful for students who learn better from guided practice than from being told how to do something. I especially recommend reading the solved problems with a card over the solution, so you can start working the problem yourself and only consult the book solution if/when you get stuck.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

John Saxon, Math Warrior (http://saxonmathwarrior.com/) would be the place to start. I'd advise starting from the very beginning, the grade-school curriculum, and go through the whole thing, because you are probably missing some fundamental concepts that you don't even realize you never grokked, and doing the whole program will correct that. Good luck; enjoy!