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Anybody else use or have used Saxon math??
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I will give two separate thoughts on this question…
First, I’ll mention what has worked for us. My daughter is one of those people that has a great natural capacity for learning anything. She is currently in the Saxon 7/6 text. If she does everything, it does take 1-2 hours per day; however, she admits that she does get sidetracked at times. She also expressed that she doesn’t need all of the practice. In order to save time and keep her from burning out, I offered her an arrangement that has worked very well. She looks through the lessons and determines when she is ready for the test. Once she takes the test, I check the answers. If she misses more than 2 problems, she must figure out what she did wrong on each incorrect problem, explain it, and re-work the problem. Or, if she chooses, she can go back and complete the lesson on the topic of each missed problem. Because Saxon’s tests are cumulative, I know that she is retaining the previous math skills and understanding the new concepts. She is also very happy with this process. My boys are working in the 3rd grade text. We go through everything together and they complete all of the worksheets. They each have different learning disabilities, so they are not at a place to work on their own. Also, they prefer to work with me more than my daughter does. I guess they need the extra attention. The Saxon is proving to be very beneficial so far.
I will clarify that math is the only subject that we use textbooks for. Besides Bible reading, it is the only subject that we spend so much time on but I feel that it is very important. I have a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and I have known about Saxon math and had great respect for it since I was in college. For that reason I planned to use it as soon as I decided to homeschool. I did look at other options just in case but my mind was not changed. As a person with a great deal of math experience and even having taught middle and high school math for 7 years, I place a huge priority on mathematics. I can’t believe the lack of understanding I see in most students and even in many adults. I tutor several hours a week as extra income and frequently turn down requests for tutoring because my schedule is full. I believe that STRONG mental skills and stong logical reasoning skills are crucial.
All that being said, math is just like reading or writing. People learn it best through different means. So don’t be afraid to mix it up and do what works for your child. I may have an advantage because I could teach my kids math without ever paying for any materials but, just like you do for other areas, you can learn it and break it down for your child if necessary.
We have used Saxon, beginning with 5/6 on up through Advanced Math. Actually my son is working on Advanced math now and we are just at the beginning of that book. It has been successful for us. My boys do spend 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours a day on math. From 5/6 through 8/7 I had them only do the evens. But once they begin Algebra they do all the problems. There are no timed worksheets and such anymore so it pretty much evens out. We also use the DIVE CD’s and we own the Saxon Teacher CD’s beginning in Algebra I because on the Saxon CD’s they work out each problem so if we can’t figure it out, we can watch how she does it to help us. The Dive Teacher is much better at explaining the how, while the Saxon Teacher pretty much just does exactly what is in the text for the lesson instruction time. There is another man named Art Reed that teaches Saxon Math in school. He also sells CD’s of himself teaching Saxon. He has much help on his website about Saxon math and about John Saxon the author. He explains the why of the way Saxon texts are written. John Saxon has passed away and the new owners are changing the texts. According to Art Reed, they are not keeping with the dream of John Saxon. I don’t know if what is happening is good or bad but it is what it is. I have the third edition texts that my boys are working through. Art Reed suggests that if they don’t get an 80% or better on the test then they should go back and practice some more. I actually e-mailed him with a question about whether to use Algebra 1/2 or move to Algebra I with my younger son and he did e-mail me with his suggestions for free. It was quite helpful.
If you decide to stick with Saxon Math, maybe you could do fewer problems per day to lighten the load. Or just do math for 1 hour per day and start where you left off the day before.
I cannot speak to the other programs like Teaching Textbooks or Math-U-See becasue we have not used those. They have been tempting and I even showed my boys the sample of Teaching Textbooks on line but they both said they enjoy the DIVE guy much better. They may be in a rut with him.
Continue to pray and seek what is best for the learning styles of your dear children, but if you have any questions about Saxon in the higher levels fee free to pm me.
Blessings,
Suzq
We used Saxon with my oldest son. He liked it fine. But with my younger two boys we have used Math U See. I wish I had used it sooner. They and I really like it and we are all enjoying learning it. The teaching DVDs are well done and we like the books. I like that there are extra pages each lesson, (you do one topic/lesson a week). If you/your child needs extra work on that topic he can spend more time on it. So far we usually do our tests on Friday and watch the new lesson on Mondays. I have really liked and understood Algebra for the first time. My son is doing Geometry this year. My younger son is using this math for the first time this year doing Gamma/multiplication. I hope you find what you are looking for.
From a grown up homeschooler’s perspective: my mom used Saxon with us growing up, and as I am not naturally math minded, Saxon was not a good match for me. I remember it as dry, seemingly endless, and lacking in ability to really explain math. In addition, the author insists on the necessity of completing each and every problem for each and every lesson in order to successfully use the curriculum. And that’s a stinkin’ lot, in my opinion. For those reasons and more, we chose to use Math U See with our children, and here are some bullet points on why I recommend it: (we began with the math primer when our first daughter was 5, and are now in gamma)
*MUS caters to several learning modalities. It is not confined to the “book learner” or the “hands on learner” etc, but makes a point to enlist different methods; no matter how you learn, in my experiene, you’re bound to make a connection with MUS
*If I’m unable to adequately convey a principle or process or concept, the videos are there to present it differently. In addition, the teacher’s manual gives many ideas (games, stories, pictures, etc.) for helping your student grasp a concept.
*If I feel that my student needs extra practice, I can go to the web-site, choose what lesson we’ve been struggling with, and print out extra work sheets.
*I feel that the flow of the lessons makes sense, and that concepts are not lost, as each lesson will include review of previously mastered material.
*I can, with the exception of the workbooks, use the material for several children. (I love that…)
*I have found the curriculum to be less expensive than many others, and am happy to buy it new at convention each year, knowing that I will only have to get new student work texts when my next student reaches that level. (I hardly buy anything new…)
*I am happy to support Steve Demme and his company-he is a truly wonderful man, with a real heart for what he’s doing. We had him at our state convention oh, 3 years ago I think, and my husband and I attended each of his workshops (none on math BTW LOL) He’s just a really neat man…
*You can take your child from primer (recognizing numbers, etc.) all the way through Calculus and Stewardship Math without having to change curriculum (it seems that many curriculum only cover either lower or upper grades).
Hope that helps a bit, although it already looks like you have had many great responses. When it comes down to it though, remember that you know your child best, and that you need to use what you and your student are comfortable with, regardless of my obvious disdain for the product in question
(sounds snarky, huh? LOL I was just the math-dunce child of a pilot father with a bachelors in electrical engineering and a masters in aeronautical science. He was math minded, and I wasn’t. To him, Saxon made perfect sense. To me, it might as well have been written in cuneiform…) Blessings,
LillyLou
PS Obviously, things have changed, and have been added since I was in school, and I know that Saxon has more resources available now than they had back then. That being said, perhapse you could ask for samples of each curriculum you’re considering to help you make a decision. MUS will send you a DVD with information etc. for free. Just go here and you can either watch a demo online, or order a free demo dvd. You can also call and talk to them if you have more questions.
HTH,
LilllyLou
In my previous response, I failed to mention the fact that we have used various levels of Saxon in the past. Neither of my homeschooled children had any use for it! We found the cc texts out of necessity. Also tried TT, but dc both found it too easy and little silly. Neither liked the alternative wording they use instead of traditional math terminology.
We did look at MUS, but never felt compelled to use it since we had already discovered the cc books.
Just though I’d clear that up.
Also, I mostly lurk, but wanted to post to share this information.
Robin
We are struggling here with the same issues with Horizons. I tried MUS with her and the explanations but weren’t working. I have been cutting out some of the problems to keep math to 45 minutes. I all honestly she is not destined for a career that is math or science heavy so I don’t sweat it as much. We are starting LoF as well to see if we can just use that with supplements.
I was taught Saxon math in jr high and high school…I didn’t mind it. So, when I started homeschooling my children and my oldest daughter was struggling in math we switched to Saxon. It worked. It is still not a favorite subject, but her grades improved and her understanding of concepts is much better.
I continue to use Saxon math with all my kids and everyone is doing well. It is the only textbook work we use. As for the Saxon lessons being long…yes, they are. We solve that by doing even number mixed practice problems on even number lesson days and odds on odds. It takes much less time.
Remember, we homeschool and we can adjust curriculums so they work for our children and our lives.
(sounds snarky, huh? LOL I was just the math-dunce child of a pilot father with a bachelors in electrical engineering and a masters in aeronautical science. He was math minded, and I wasn’t. To him, Saxon made perfect sense. To me, it might as well have been written in cuneiform…) 
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