If I dread the thought of even opening the Saxon Math box,

[Renthead Mommy]

that probably means I need a different math program huh? Seriously, I just don't even want to look at it. It's been sitting here for over a month. We started school 'lite' because we are going to be traveling a lot in September. I finally pulled it out today and the joy of school just sort of left me for the day.

 

I hate all the busy work. I hate the stupid 'meeting book'. I hate reading through all that (just to skip it) to make sure there isn't something in all the busy work/meeting book stuff we actually do need to cover.

 

We used Horizon K for K, then struggled through Saxon 2 in 1st. Now the brand new Saxon 3 is sitting here.

 

My son is not thrilled with it, but I really don't think he'll be thrilled with ANY math program at this point.

 

Suggestions? I guess deep down I know I should switch. What doesn't feel like Saxon?

[mama25angels]

Singapore!!! Could you just use horizons 1 or 2?

[TracyR]

If you like the concept of Saxon but just hate all of the busy work how about Christian Light's math? It is a spiral math program but nothing like Saxon if that makes any sense.

I used Saxon for K and 1st and after that just didn't want to have to do all that extra stuff. Christian LIght seems to be a perfect balance. So I wasn't leaving the method that worked well for my daughter yet at the same time cutting down on A LOT of time that Saxon seemed to take.

 

If your dreading on using the program I say you need a new one.

[MrsMe]

Not to be rude here, but may I ask why you bought it?:001_huh:

 

I say don't open it and just return it. Easy enough, right?

[christielee7278]

We're using Saxon and MEP. I MUCH prefer MEP. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!! I'm considering completely abandoning Saxon and just use MEP as our main math curriculum.

 

We don't use the meeting book, btw. I made my own calendar board with weather, 100 chart, and other activities on it. I tried using the script for the meeting time but it just wasn't working.

 

Now my oldest is doing ok with Saxon. I would like to move him to MEP too but I think it may be too different for him since he has had ps experience. Saxon may fit his needs better.

[Chris in VA]

Well, I won't be much help, because I loved Saxon K-3! :D

 

I'll tell ya, tho, I didn't use the meeting book. We'd do most of the meeting, most days, but I did not use that stupid book at all. For K-2, I used a big poster/calendar on the wall, numbers around the top of our room, and sentence strips to write the patterns on. More school-ish, but prettier and easier to use, too. I don't honestly remember what's in 3, but you could make strips for the patterns ahead of time and put them on a ring to use--it's kinda fun, that way. We did not do the clock as much (and it did take longer for dd to figure it out, but that's ok).

 

Oh, and in 3, for the temperature, we just took it a couple times a week, instead of every day. I did notice that the meeting becomes more important in 3, as you are going to incorporate some of the skills there into the lessons. For example, you get really, really used to the thermometer thru the meeting; it helps tremendously when negative numbers are intro'd, and when the coordinate plane is intro'd (it's just the thermometer--the vertical number line--and the horizontal number line put together! Voila!).

 

Anyway, I'm a big fan of Saxon K-3, but you don't have to be. Have you looked at BJU? I hear it's pretty close to Saxon, but more colorful and easy to use. Or, I'd look at Rod and Staff--plain as anything, but solid math w/o bells and whistles (cheap, too). I've heard Horizons TM stinks, so that alone is enough for me to stay away.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Chris in VA

[vkay]

You could just skip the calendar part and meeting part if you want. Although without all of the skip counting, I don't know if you would be able to master the math facts as well. It's the last year for it all.

 

If it helps to know, Saxon really does pay off. When my ds was in the middle of 2cd grade and in the middle of Saxon 3, we signed up for Kumon (a math center). He tested so high that the lady who ran it told me it was "very unusual" for someone his age to test so high, and that she was a little uncomfortable placing him at that level.

 

:D - one of those proud parent moments, but I really believe all of our hard work via Saxon paid off.

 

Also, Saxon reviews like crazy when you start a new book. We often just did the tests until we hit something that I could see they didn't know or remember. That always made starting our next Saxon "fun" because we felt like we were racing through the book. I think you can often get to lesson 30 or more like this.

 

good luck.

[kckamy]

Since you have already purchased Saxon why not just go with it? Saxon is a wonderful math program and the good news is that Saxon 3 is the last year that uses the math meeting book (and the other extras before the lesson). If your child has a good understanding of math, then only cover the areas that your child is weak in before starting the lesson.

 

With Saxon 5/4, there is the lesson, (which is written simply enough for the student to understand on his own), lesson/textbook problems, mixed problems, and the timed sheets.

 

I am a huge fan of Saxon but I also understand that everyone has to find curriculum that works for them.

 

Amy

[Jane]

Did you like Horizons for K? Why did you switch? There are no meeting books with Horizons Math. :D

[PollyOR]

I used Saxon (K-54) for 2nd dd. When I started to use Saxon for the next dd I started to cry:001_huh:. That is when we switched to another program. Saxon is a good program, but if it makes you feel that way I vote you ditch it.

[creekmom]

I used Saxon 1-3 with my older kids, and they did fine. By the time my 3rd reached Kindergarten and started Saxon 1, I was SO sick of it!!! I hated the lack of color, and I felt guilty about not doing the meeting each day. I ended up ditching it 1/2 way through the year and bought MCP. However, I did not buy the teacher's guide, so I felt like he was just doing worksheets and not really learning math. This year I've been doing Abeka 1 with him, and so far I love it. It's colorful, has review built in, games and other activities to do (like a "thinking cap" section), and I know it's a solid program.

[gingersmom]

I love love Saxon. We are in 54 and my daughter is using 87.

 

I never used the meeting book and after the first few lessons found what would work for us. You don't have to do everything that they ask you to do.

 

There was stuff my son flew through and sections we spent a month on.

 

If worse comes to worse you could always sell it. Although I would figure out postage first, those books weigh a ton!

[Moni]

We do math facts only first, all of them plus minus times and divide

 

Actually Addition, then multiplication

then double back for

Subtraction and lastly Division.

(these two are the same as Addition and Multiplication , just backwards, and by now the student knows all Addition and Multiplication)

 

After math facts only first, all of them,

the student can start right into Saxon Math 54, regardless of age (7, 8, 9 etc)

 

:seeya:

[skaterbabs]

We LOVE CLE's math. :) Dot just finished her 3rd lightunit (100 level) and is doing things that frankly amaze me.

[EKS]

Singapore!

[Brindee]

I think if you find a good program that you both like, you can have amazing results. I see that some have great results with Saxon.....it was a bust for us! None of my 3 kids liked it. My kids did well with Life Pac math (I would use CLE, but didn't know about it then), and A Beka K-3 (we didn't like it after that). All 3 of my kids got in the high 90's %-wise on the ITBS tests every year. Later we did Teaching Textbook math and Life of Fred. This coming year dd will be doing CLE along with LoF.

 

I think, as I said, it's not one set program that will be the magic bullet, it's whether you guys like it and can make good progress with it!

[Aubrey]

I say if you feel that way, don't do it. I can't tell you how great it was when we quit & I didn't ever. have. to. open. that. thing. again.

 

But I kept mine. You know, for the next kid. :confused:

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

Math Mammoth. We went from Saxon 1 to Math Mammoth 2nd grade, and my daughter is MUCH happier with that. She actually wanted to get started on it again last night.

[inactive]

When we first started Hsing (almost 7 years ago), I used Saxon for both my daughters (ages 10 and 7 at that time). We continued with it until my oldest started Algebra 1/2 and we realized she didn't really understand fractions. The younger daughter started 5/4 and really struggled with all the drill, mental math, copying the problems from the text to a piece of paper, then working the 25+ problems -- it was taking FOREVER.

 

At that point, I started researching math programs and really liked Math-U-See. It has been wonderful for our family -- my children are blossoming and are succeeding with math.

 

Math-u-see offers a demo of their lessons on their website. (www.mathusee.com) They also have sample teacher's guide pages, worksheets, etc. on their website.

 

What I really like about their program is that the student has to demonstrate mastery before moving on to the next lesson. (It is NOT a spiral program...like Saxon and others.) If the student grasps the lesson quickly and can demonstrate mastery, they move on...no drudgery through 25 more problems just like the first 10...

 

Hope this helps in some way...

 

Blessings,

Amy in ME

[lovinmykids]

What is MEP math??? Keep hearing it, but can't figure it out.

I say ditch it if you are dreading it. You as a teacher have to like it in

order to teach it and have a successfull year.

You may like CLE math! I loved it but it didn't work for my child.

Return your saxon before you can't get a refund anymore.

HTH

[lovinmykids]

Just a quick note to anyone shipping books back to a company.

Use MEDIA MAIL to ship. It is a TON cheaper. If I have a huge box, it comes out

to be usually between $3.00-$5.00.

I was so mad I didn't learn about it sooner. The postoffice doesn't advertize this because they loose alot

money this way.

But, it helps us out.