Math Help: Horizons 4 to Saxon x?

[Sherri in MI]

I need help. We just finished Horizons 4. I liked Horizons 1 -3, but although ds did well in Math at home, learned his math facts very easily he did not score well in Math on the ITBS (in contrast to a 97 percentile in Reading) at the end of 3rd grade. I continued with Horizons 4, but it didn't offer enough explanation for new concepts. The TM is not helpful at all - it just tells you to do the next "activity". I was planning on using TT6, however, we cannot afford it this year.

 

I had looked at Saxon when we were first starting out in K, but didn't like K - 3. But now, I happened to purchase a used Saxon 65 (school textbook) from Salvation Army for $1 and it seems to offer very good, not complicated explanations, that I think will help my son understand Math better. I can't get a solutions manual or answer key for this one - it's second edition - but I can get a whole homeschool kit from a friend for $20.

 

My question is, what level should I try? Looking at 65, it seems to be way below his level on the basic operations (he is multiplying by 3 digit numbers already) , but has other concepts that he hasn't covered yet (working with decimals, reciprocals, some geometry he hasn't covered in Horizons).

 

Any opinions or advice or comparisons of Horizons v. Saxon would be helpful. Reasons for your opinions would be most helpful. I am nervous about this transition.

 

No matter what we use, I do plan on using Life of Fred as a supplement, beginning with the Fractions book. I'm sure ds will love the narrative.

 

Thanks,

Sherri

[fractalgal]

 

My question is, what level should I try?

 

Thanks,

Sherri

 

I would suggest that you have him take the placement test.

 

http://www.homeschooldiscount.com/home2/SAX_middle_grades.pdf

 

I saw that the placement tests are not up on the Saxon Website at the moment.

 

Good Luck :)

[Orthodox6]

We have used both programs (Horizons and Saxon). My experience is that Saxon is behind grade level, and Horizon is above grade level.

 

Saxon 6/5, for example, would be 4th grade material. Horizon 5 would be 6th grade material (but would have been 5th grade material for my own, long-ago school years).

 

Other users will have their own thoughts. I'll stand by our experiences, though.

 

I dislike many of Saxon's explanations. I often had to "X-out" text material and just teach my children myself how to do something and what it meant.