Landmark's Freedom Baptist Curriculum Algebra I course is strongly academic but still suitable for independent study. It teaches math theory and vocabulary, as well as applications and skills more comprehensively than we find in Saxon. It lays a solid foundation necessary for higher math studies. It requires more work and study than some other programs, but clear explanations enable students to do it on their own, especially with the help of the optional solutions manual.
It reviews basic arithmetic skills quickly at the beginning then proceeds to cover all basic Algebra I course material up through fairly extensive coverage of quadratic equations. It introduces functions and graphing of quadratic equations at the end, topics usually reserved for Algebra II.
The presentation lacks polish; you can easily spot where some revisions have been made to the course. While there are some word problems, it is a very theory-based approach with no hands-on work and little application practice. The course includes two student worktexts (called study guides), answer keys, weekly quizzes and answers, and quarterly tests and answer keys.
Algebra II is similar in format to Algebra I. However, I am concerned that it might be too difficult for many students without a teacher present because it covers some challenging topics too quickly. Some topics for which coverage seems too brief are slope, graphing, parabolas, and determinants.
