Rod & Staff Math vs. Saxon Math ??

[MusicMouseTN]

Hi.

 

I'm am a planner ... I like to do things ahead. I'm starting pre-K with my dd this fall, but am already looking for curriculum for the next couple of years. I had always planned on using Saxon for Math, but am curious about Rod & Staff. Since their English program is said to be good and challenging, I was wondering if that was true for their Math as well. What has been your experience? Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thanks!

[2_girls_mommy]

We will be using our 3rd yr. of R&S math this fall. I would not call it challenging for my dd. The work is easy, but requires a lot of memorization, lots of writing, and really drills in the material.

 

The writing is easily taken care of by not requiring all of the problems to be completed if there is no issue w/the content. The memorization is amazing. Just by reciting her "triplets" and facts daily she is able to do double digit math so quickly because she has those facts memorized. It includes a lot of things, like time and some measurement, but there are some things that are not covered in the lower years that are in other programs.. like graphs. This will be covered eventually, so I just plan on sticking with the program since it works so well. I do introduce some things like graphs from other sources once in awhile. I love the program and will not switch from it. You can get a copy of the scope & sequence from R&S for free to compare when things are taught. I haven't used Saxon so I can't compare.

[daybreaking]

We started with Saxon, but were so impressed with the other R&S materials (Bible Nurture & Reader Series), that we decided to try out the math. Although there is a lot of repetition, my son, who is very bright in math, doesn't find it boring at all. It has cemented the math facts in his mind better than anything else we tried. He liked Saxon, too, but he just wasn't learning his facts they way I desired. We saw a huge difference with R&S. It's true that R&S doesn't cover as much as other programs, but that is fine with me. I'd rather have my son very, very solid in his facts. The extras can come later. (I used to be a middle/high school math teacher. The students who struggled were the ones who never mastered the basics. Algebra, especially, is very difficult if one is not "automatic" with arithmetic, fractions and decimals.) We finished Math 1 and are now in Math 2. The "triplets" have been an amazing tool in learning the upper addition/subtraction facts. I will add that the teacher's manual is essential to make R&S a complete math program. If one only does the worksheets, a lot will be missing.

Edited July 18, 2009 by daybreaking
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[Susie in MS]

One thing that never really gets talked about, and is not all that important when it comes to math, are the themes that are in R&S math starting at least in the lower levels. (I have 1-3) There are the ducks in 1, bees in 2, and sea life in 3. Off an on through out the year there will be snippits, in the TM, of interesting facts about the theme animal(s). It just sorta breaks the monotony and gives something to look forward to. I have only seen 1 day of *duck facts* in bk 1, but this pics up in book 2. For instance did you know that bees have a *honey stomach* for storing nectar ? Of course they don't carry little tiny pails with them, but I just never thought about it. I think it would be cool to do a mini unit study along the way through the year. :D

 

I don't have personal experience with the math....yet. I plan to start soon. :D

[Rebecca VA]

Arithmetic 1 and 2 move very slowly: too slowly, I think, for many homeschoolers. Those grades are mostly devoted to teaching arithmetic facts. The material picks up in Arithmetic 3 and becomes somewhat challenging in Arithmetic 4 and beyond.

 

Since my daughter knew her math facts from the first day she laid eyes upon them, I was able to advance her to Arithmetic 4 at the beginning of her second grade year. It worked out very well for her.

[Mom0012]

I've been very happy with R&S Math for my son and I plan to continue with it until we are ready for algebra. It is a solid program that takes a traditional approach. I'm going to use CLE (which I have heard is very similar to Saxon, but in workbook format) for my daughter. My son requires more of a mastery approach to learning, which R&S offers, and CLE takes an incremental approach. Both programs seem to offer lots of review.

 

The only thing I can say that I do not care for with R&S is that there are no workbooks after 2nd grade. I have worked around that with my son by cutting off the binding of the student text and letting him write directly on the pages, but I would really prefer to have a workbook.

 

Lisa

Edited July 18, 2009 by LisaTheresa

[MusicMouseTN]

Thank you so much for all the opinions. It sounds like it's a good program. I just want to make sure I choose something that will cover everything. Our family tends to be good at math, so I'd rather have something more challenging than not challenging enough!

[2_girls_mommy]

Daybreaking, the former math teacher, thanks for sharing your opinion. That is so good to know that you like it to prepare for the upper grades. I have not used anything else, and just have a good feeling about sticking w/it.

 

And to the OP, I just wanted to add, that my dd is very capable in math too. She was figuring out math in real life as a 3 yr. old. She knew how to multiply and divide to figure out how many packs of party supplies she would need if each pack had 4 hats and she had 12 friends coming to her party. She could count w/1 to 1 recognition before she was 2. In preK she was adding double digit #s, and making math homework for me :)

 

I just wanted to say, that even though the program seems to move a little slow it has never been too slow for her. Even though she was doing much higher math, I started her on grade 1 in K to learn how to write her #s well and to master her facts, etc. It has never been not challenging enough. For her, she challenges herself with trying to beat her speed drill scores, and saying her triplets quickly, etc.

 

And I love the themes. This past year, my dds both loved the little stories about bees. And I always make the teaching posters too, for manipulatives to match the themes.

Edited July 19, 2009 by 2_girls_mommy

[BlsdMama]

Honestly? They are VERY comparable. We've used both for years.

 

DD # 1 - Used Rod & Staff from Year 1 til we switched over to Saxon 65. The ONLY reason I switched over was because I was afraid switching later might upset the applecart as Rod & Staff doesn't have upper level math and Saxon does, so we switched.

 

DS #2 - So, then last year I decided if I was going to switch to Rod & Staff, I'd just do it for DS as well. The switch went fine. Both programs are strong, both build on each lesson, both offer a lot of repetition. I'd say they're extremely similar.

 

The main difference? The cost. You also have to be aware that Rod & Staff doesn't go into higher level math, so at some point you will be forced to switch curriculums.

 

I got out my Rod & Staff catalog the other day and I was looking at the prices again and I have to honestly wonder what was I thinking switching????

 

To do it all over again? I'd take Rod & Staff as high as I could, then switch over to Saxon for upper level mathematics. There were NO "speed bumps" when we switched each child so I'm not foreseeing any problems with the future children in our family.

 

Elizabeth & Rebecca will both be using Rod & Staff this year. Ana will be using Saxon's Algebra 1/2. Christian will be using Saxon only because we've already made the switch.

 

As they are so comparable, I'd use Rod & Staff because their books are less expensive and so much sturdier and then switch when you need to later, but definitely DON'T fear the switchover. It's very easy between these two programs. (And then you'll have leftover $$ to spend on something else, lol.) :iagree:

[skaterbabs]

Thank you so much for all the opinions. It sounds like it's a good program. I just want to make sure I choose something that will cover everything. Our family tends to be good at math, so I'd rather have something more challenging than not challenging enough!

 

Have you considered CLE math? It starts out very gently, but introduces more advanced concepts in a very logical fashion. (For example, in lesson ten, they learn about the number ten, then quanity ten, dimes, place value to the tens and how to count by ten.)

[daybreaking]

And to the OP, I just wanted to add, that my dd is very capable in math too. She was figuring out math in real life as a 3 yr. old. She knew how to multiply and divide to figure out how many packs of party supplies she would need if each pack had 4 hats and she had 12 friends coming to her party. She could count w/1 to 1 recognition before she was 2. In preK she was adding double digit #s, and making math homework for me :)

 

I just wanted to say, that even though the program seems to move a little slow it has never been too slow for her. Even though she was doing much higher math, I started her on grade 1 in K to learn how to write her #s well and to master her facts, etc. It has never been not challenging enough. For her, she challenges herself with trying to beat her speed drill scores, and saying her triplets quickly, etc.

 

And I love the themes. This past year, my dds both loved the little stories about bees. And I always make the teaching posters too, for manipulatives to match the themes.

 

This sounds just like my son! Before his first "official" kindergarten year, he was already testing near 3rd grade level in math and yet he has never found R&S math too slow. He enjoys the repetition and the feeling of success when he masters a set of facts and can do them quickly. Like your dd, he is thrilled with the challenge of beating the speed drills and just loves the bees theme in Math 2.

[MusicMouseTN]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your honest assessments. It is so great to have this board and to get 'real life' opinions about curriculum. It has really helped me so far ... I only hope I can contribute as much as the years go by! Thanks again!