Mogster Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 We have just completed Saxon 3 and we are moving right into Saxon 5/4. In saxon 3, we were doing long division, multiplication, and learning how to chart coordinates on a graph. Saxon 5/4 starts out with very simple addition/subtraction review and doesn't even start multiplication until lesson 30 or so?!! I am already unhappy with the fact that we have to copy out all our problems on a seperate sheet of paper (ds is 7yrs old and loves math, but HATES to copy anything). I gave the first test today and my children were actually laughing at how easy the problems were. Why does Saxon 3 teach all these concepts and then not even touch on some of them until half way through the next book? What did you do? Has anyone else experienced this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljenn Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 My guess would be that it was written for children who needed the review after summer?? I would love to know what others did in this situation. I have heard of people who make their child go ahead and do the easy lessons, thinking it will build confidence in math; others have just tested their children out until they started missing several problems on the test. I would love opinions on this. My dd will be moving on to 54 very soon too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 The first 30 or so lessons of every level of Saxon (except maybe the very upper levels) are review of the main concepts learned in the previous level. They do it that way because they assume that most people have a summer break and need a quick refresher before moving on with new concepts. If you are starting it now, just skip those review lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melmc Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 There was a post in the last couple of weeks about this. It said something to the effect that you test them. I believe someone mentioned this is what Saxon recommends, but I have not checked it out yet. It went something like if they get above 80% on the test you skip those lessons and move forward until they aren't getting above 80% any longer. I plan on doing year round schooling and my second grader is currently doing Saxon 3 in school so we'll face this when we start Saxon 54 in late June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Just give 'em the tests. Usually, everything through Lesson 40 is review. As long as my ds got a 90% or higher, we just kept going up to the first 8 tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzannah Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 DS was a VERY reluctant writer. In 4th grade we did handwriting practice every day, copied spelling words once or twice a week, copied grammar rules and wrote history narrations. When we moved up to 5/4 he balked at copying everything in math and I didn't want it to become a constant battle. He tested out of most of the review, then we backed-up and I photocopied most of the lessons for about half the year. He wasn't happy when I stopped doing it, but writing wasn't such a struggle by the middle of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Agreeing with taking the tests only. If you go to the saxon homeschool website FAQ - they even recommend this. An additional thing I am doing - but haven't done it long enough to make sure it will be OK - is that I am being selective about which problems he does - I try to make it so he only has to do about half of the mixed practice. However - you can't just do even or odds, because that messes up the whole spiral approach. Once he takes a few tests I will be able to judge this plan! And I haven't had to have him do all the lesson practice - if he can show that he understands the lessons by working the examples and maybe one or two lesson problems - then we skip right to the mixed practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Bear Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Agreeing with taking the tests only. If you go to the saxon homeschool website FAQ - they even recommend this. An additional thing I am doing - but haven't done it long enough to make sure it will be OK - is that I am being selective about which problems he does - I try to make it so he only has to do about half of the mixed practice. However - you can't just do even or odds, because that messes up the whole spiral approach. Once he takes a few tests I will be able to judge this plan! And I haven't had to have him do all the lesson practice - if he can show that he understands the lessons by working the examples and maybe one or two lesson problems - then we skip right to the mixed practice. As you get higher up, speed and accuracy are the thing and it just (IMO) can't be acheived without doing more of the MP, all of the LP. Again, IMO, but it's working much better here to do more rather than less (we're halfway through 7/6), even if it means I'm sitting next to them reading the problems out loud to minimize the "poor pitiful me" rut they like to volunteer for. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisawa Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 We have just completed Saxon 3 and we are moving right into Saxon 5/4. I gave the first test today and my children were actually laughing at how easy the problems were. Why does Saxon 3 teach all these concepts and then not even touch on some of them until half way through the next book? What did you do? Has anyone else experienced this? Unfortunately, most text books are geared for public school.... so the first 30 lessons are technically the first 6 weeks of school and its review.... plus... you figure most public schools don’t even finish the entire textbook... I would test her with the chapter tests and move on.... this is what we have had to do… not in each level… but different ones for different children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelroper Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I always assumed that being a classroom text, it conformed to the traditional school year and was made for a variety of skill levels. So I tested, ditto earlier post, the first 40 are review- pass the test- move on, trouble on the test- start there. I always note what type of problems are missed and review. Wherever we are all the are worked and continue the drills. Speed is important as a goal. I've done this with Saxon 1 thru 5/4, it seems to be working just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Thanks Mama Bear - I will definitely keep that in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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