?? For those using Saxon Math

[ProudGrandma]

I am using Saxon Math with 3 kids...and I was wondering do you actually go through the WHOLE lesson as it is printed in the TE...Meeting book-- the new lesson each and everyday? If I did that x3, we would never get anything else done in the morning. Am I bad and doing my children a HUGE disservice by not doing all of that stuff???? and if I am, can someone PLEASE tell me how to do that with 3 kids and have time for phonics with 3 kids, spelling with 2 kids, reading with 3 kids...and still have time for science, history and art once ot twice a week. Maybe I am missing out a huge secret of homeschooling....please help me!!

 

Kathy

[newlifemom]

how old are the kids?

[ProudGrandma]

my kids are 5 (grade 1 math), 7 (grade 2 math) and 9 (grade 3 math)

 

Kathy

[Jolash]

When I first started hsing ds9 I did the WHOLE thing. But as I gained more confidence, I started eliminating parts I didn't feel he needed, to the point that by Saxon 3, which he did in second grade, we hardly used the meeting book at all. We've never done all the fact sheets and I'd rarely have him do both sides of the math lesson, unless he had problems with side one.

 

And once you get through with the early elementary level books, there's no longer a meeting book to worry about! Since your working with them daily, you'll know what they need help with and what you can move through quickly.

 

HTH!!

 

Edited to add: No you won't be doing them any disservice as long as they learn the material. DS certainly didn't miss those "meetings" and he's in 6/5 now and doing well!

Edited October 5, 2009 by Jolash

[Teachaheart]

The Saxon math meetings are great, but it is not realistic to have three separate meetings each day. My advice is to do one meeting each day and rotate them through the three levels you are teaching. For example: Mon level 1, Tue level 2, Wed level 3... Have all three children participate each day. The youngers will like the challenge of trying to do the older's math, and the olders will benefit from the review offered in the younger's math.

[RegularMom]

I have 2 kids, and we do most of everything Saxon recommends, from the math meeting, to the lesson, to the fact drill and worksheets. It takes us about an hour to an hour and a half to get through both math levels. (We're using Saxon 3 and Saxon 1 this year.)

 

I generally start my 1st grader on her math, and while she's doing her worksheet, I get my 3rd grader started on math meeting. I breeze over some of the calendar stuff that she's been doing since K, just asking questions every once in a while, to make sure she hasn't forgotten anything. By the time my first grader is done with her sheet, I'm ready to teach the 3rd grade lesson. It takes some getting used to, but I'm feeling much more confident about deviating from the script where I can now that I've been doing this for three years.

 

I can totally understand how Saxon could eat up your morning, having to do all 3 levels. My suggestion would be to do math meeting all at once with all three of them. They could rotate who says the date, coin cups could be easily done simultaneously at three levels, and you could graph weather and temperature and do the clocks together as well. Skip counting could go in turns too.

 

When I do math, I glance over the scripts and see what's in there, and then I just do it in my own words, and it goes a lot faster than it would if I followed the script line for line. You could try that and see if it works.

 

You could also consider combining two of the kids into the same level, if that wouldn't mess up anyone's progress too much. I know a mom with 4 kids close in age, and she teaches two math lessons a day, 2 kids per lesson. The younger set would technically be seen as working ahead, and the olders are considered to be on target, skills-wise. It works for them, and she's not stuck teaching 4 math lessons each day.

 

Hope some of this helps.

[mariposa]

I'm doing Saxon 3, 2, and K this year and it IS taking up our whole morning. I feel like we hardly have time for working on reading or doing anything fun. I do start everyone first thing with the meeting book and we go over the calendar together. A couple times a week, we practice various types of counting together and then I work individually with them as it gets more advanced.

My problem so far is that they are struggling with different pieces of it and I don't want to leave much out yet. I'm hoping to stick with it in the hope that I can start dropping some of the review out as they make progress. For example, everybody is counting just fine by 10s so I only have them do it once a week, so they don't forget. They're telling time great - no need to keep doing that part. Also, if they get an "A" on the first side of the daily worksheet, they don't have to do the other side. To me, one of the benefits of hs is that we DON'T have to keep going over things once they "get it." Anyway, as they make progress, hopefully our timing will even out and then I can focus more on other subjects.

I'd love to hear more ideas on how others do this, though! It IS tedious!

Sarah

[newlifemom]

The Saxon math meetings are great, but it is not realistic to have three separate meetings each day. My advice is to do one meeting each day and rotate them through the three levels you are teaching. For example: Mon level 1, Tue level 2, Wed level 3... Have all three children participate each day. The youngers will like the challenge of trying to do the older's math, and the olders will benefit from the review offered in the younger's math.

 

 

:iagree:That is why I asked their ages.

[TwinMominTX]

We love Saxon. Here is how we use it (Grade 3)...

 

1. Meeting strip independently. I purchased the pre-printed meeting strips from someone at Lulu.com and put them in a binder. At the beginning of math time they open up the binders and get to work. I pass out money and write the time on a white board. They do the rest. I correct them with a red pen and we only discuss the ones they get wrong. This takes about 10 minutes.

 

2. I briefly and quickly go through the mental math stuff - counting by 10's, 7's, odd numbers, etc. This is quick quick and takes about 5 minutes.

 

3. We get to the lesson. I follow it pretty much, but when I see they've got it, I don't keep doing all the examples. I use a large white board to write the examples. I use different colors of dry erase markers and will often have my twins come up and do problems on the large white board. The lesson varies, but generally it takes us less than 20 minutes to do the lesson introduction.

 

4. We briefly review the appropriate flashcards that pertain the time tests. We then do the times tests. I do all the tests at 1 minute which has really helped one of my twins. She would freeze when I did them at 45 seconds. I keep track on the forms provided as my twins like to "best" their previous scores. I occasionally have them finish the test problems they missed, but don't make them do it everyday. I also correct them on my own as going through them together takes toooooo long! We take 5 minutes for review and the timed tests.

 

5. Last, I have them do the first side of the worksheet. If they miss more than 2 they must do the second side. They've never missed more than 2! I've found that things go smoother when I stay right there while they do this. I used to assign it and go do a chore. It seemed like it never went well when I wasn't right there. When they are finished I correct them and give instant feedback. This takes like 10 minutes.

[ProudGrandma]

so, do you only have one child...in the third grade? What I need is to know how to do this with 3 children at 3 different levels. However, I do like the idea of the pre-printed meeting strips...I might check into that. thanks.

[ProudGrandma]

I went Lulu.com...but I wasn't sure where to find the meeting strips...can you please help me??

 

Kathy

[vkay]

my kids are 5 (grade 1 math), 7 (grade 2 math) and 9 (grade 3 math)

 

Kathy

 

Ouch. That would be tough. I currently have a Saxon K, 6/5, & 8/7. Starting in 5/4, Saxon becomes a lot more independent. Those earlier years would be tough to teach siblings so close in age.

 

When my older two where younger, I would schedule their math times separately. I tried to schedule the younger dc's Saxon during something that the older dc could work on while needing little interaction from me. ETC, handwriting, spelling pages.... that sort of thing. For my oldest dc, I would work on Saxon with her while the younger dc just had a break time from school. There is usually more to cover as they get older, so having a break while we did Saxon worked out fine - they didn't miss anything.

 

I'd say the most important thing to get out of the meetings is the skip counting. Maybe you can incorporate that into your day at a later time. While driving or fixing dinner maybe?? Maybe lighten the load of what's expected out of you during class time?

 

Maybe the meeting books can be done completely outside of your normal classroom day??? Work with one dc at breakfast, one at lunch, and one at dinner? Then only have the lesson and worksheet for the school time - much more manageable.

 

?? just random thoughts on how I might tackle that problem.

[vkay]

We love Saxon. Here is how we use it (Grade 3)...

 

1. Meeting strip independently. I purchased the pre-printed meeting strips from someone at Lulu.com and put them in a binder. At the beginning of math time they open up the binders and get to work. I pass out money and write the time on a white board. They do the rest. I correct them with a red pen and we only discuss the ones they get wrong. This takes about 10 minutes.

 

2. I briefly and quickly go through the mental math stuff - counting by 10's, 7's, odd numbers, etc. This is quick quick and takes about 5 minutes.

 

3. We get to the lesson. I follow it pretty much, but when I see they've got it, I don't keep doing all the examples. I use a large white board to write the examples. I use different colors of dry erase markers and will often have my twins come up and do problems on the large white board. The lesson varies, but generally it takes us less than 20 minutes to do the lesson introduction.

 

4. We briefly review the appropriate flashcards that pertain the time tests. We then do the times tests. I do all the tests at 1 minute which has really helped one of my twins. She would freeze when I did them at 45 seconds. I keep track on the forms provided as my twins like to "best" their previous scores. I occasionally have them finish the test problems they missed, but don't make them do it everyday. I also correct them on my own as going through them together takes toooooo long! We take 5 minutes for review and the timed tests.

 

5. Last, I have them do the first side of the worksheet. If they miss more than 2 they must do the second side. They've never missed more than 2! I've found that things go smoother when I stay right there while they do this. I used to assign it and go do a chore. It seemed like it never went well when I wasn't right there. When they are finished I correct them and give instant feedback. This takes like 10 minutes.

 

It's been awhile since I've done levels 1, 2, or 3.......so I have forgotten what they expect.

 

For skip counting: yes, what we did was if they knew the counting REALLY well, then we would do that one only 1 -2 times a week. Others everyday if practice needed it. Same goes for the clock & money practice - daily only depended on their ability. But never go more than a week...they lose stuff in their brain if you do that. :D

 

For the worksheets - I do remember now that I also had a rule of one side being fine - as long as you didn't miss any. If they missed only 1 maybe turn it over and do the one that's just like it. More than one wrong, they needed more practice and did the other side.

 

Anyway, this combination helps the day go a little faster.

 

I do think that everything that Saxon is teaching is very important and shouldn't be skipped unless you are confident that they have that skill down cold.

[Melissa B]

Here is what I would probably do:

 

Saxon 3 - 5 written lessons per week - 3 meetings

Saxon 2 - 5 written lessons per week - 5 meetings

Saxon 1 - 3 written lessons per week - 2 meetings

 

That way you are only doing two meetings per day. Your child in Saxon 1 is young so it won't matter as much if you don't quite finish the book this year. And some of the meeting is likely review for a 9 year old in Saxon 3. (This is all just my opinion obviously.) I currently have a 9 year old in Saxon 3, a 5 year old in Saxon 1 (doing three lessons per week) and a 4 year old in Saxon K doing two lessons per week - so I'm only doing two meetings per day.

 

HTH!

[TwinMominTX]

Sorry. I didn't read your entire post. I have two who are in 3rd grade.

 

Here is a link to someone who has created pre-written meeting strips...http://www.webmissionllc.com/homeschool/

[ProudGrandma]

Sorry. I didn't read your entire post. I have two who are in 3rd grade.

 

Here is a link to someone who has created pre-written meeting strips...http://www.webmissionllc.com/homeschool/

 

A great big thank you for this link!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Kathy

[vkay]

Sorry. I didn't read your entire post. I have two who are in 3rd grade.

 

Here is a link to someone who has created pre-written meeting strips...http://www.webmissionllc.com/homeschool/

 

:001_smile:

[ibeleave]

Hi - just to let people know that I changed my website, the Grade 2 and 3 work sheets that were at WebMissionLLC can now be found at http://www.ibeleave.com/store/