Robin in DFW Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 We have been waffling for 2 weeks between BCM and Saxon 8/7. My ds12 has done Saxon 3, Saxon 6/5, Saxon 7/6 and has begun 8/7... Sometimes the lessons just don't make sense. He gets it one day, then forgets two days later. We do the lessons pretty much as written...all problems, etc. Today's lesson took me forever to get!!! We both got very frustrated and got out the BCM book. I am having a REALLY hard time letting go of Saxon, though...it's familiar, comfortable...we know what to expect each day. I need some reinforcement from someone, please! Am I totally screwing up my ds12 by switching at this point??? I am deathly afraid of Saxon at the higher levels. My dd could not use Saxon...she uses the college algebra books instead and loves them. Saxon was SO confusing at the high school level. But, she did not use the lower levels...my ds has, so maybe he would be okay??? Some help and advice and whatever is really needed right now! Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 CLE math 7 or 8 for your dc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 DD used Saxon 1, 65, 76, and 87. 87 was the most scattered, but I think that that is the nature of the material. Pre-algebra has a lot of components. Once you get them all straight, Algebra 1 is much more focussed. When she did 87, she had difficulty getting her arms around the body of the material. I had to sit with her every once in a while and pull together all the rules about, say, 4 functions with negative number, that she had received incrementally, and put them into a unified whole. But with that assistance, as well as with backtracking signficantly at one point, she did well on the CA math test for 7th grade, even though she had not finished the book at that point, and she was able to move on into Algebra 1 successfully this year for 8th grade. I looked at BCM, and I felt that it didn't have enough practice or review for her to really get solid with the material. I know a lot of people like it here, but DD is not really all that 'mathy' and Saxon was a better fit for her. The material covered seemed to be comparable--if anything, I think that Saxon had a little more integrated geometry--something that DD found to be a refreshing break from the relentless pre-algebra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 We didn't do well with SAxon 8/7 either. We didn't have the video lessons though, that may make a difference for your student? They look really well done and there's some recent info on the boards here about them. I have the DVTs for Lial's BCM and the book. I didn't really think the book was that great but the DVT lessons helped. My problem with BCM was the huge number of problems and the word problems that were above my boy's comprehension level and used things he wasn't dealing with on a daily basis (planning a wedding for instance). Jann in TX is the lover of those books and could help with Lial's questions. I feel for you, but don't have an answer. My personal fav math at the algebra stage was Chalkdust but we didn't go with it because of the large number of problems in the book. My boy wanted assignments each day where he wasn't guessing what problems to do. We ended up with TT Alg. I. That worked, though it was slow moving but thorough. I always worried we were using the remedial choice, I should have just kicked that thought to the curb though. It worked well for us. We may have to switch to Saxon again because of a co-op situation, which I feel is very rigorous. Don't listen to me, we have our own math issues:tongue_smilie: as you can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin in DFW Posted January 16, 2010 Author Share Posted January 16, 2010 This is just one of those things that has been eating away at me... I can't decide...all our other subjects are great! I had my ds write out pros and cons of both...Saxon had more pros and fewer cons... I guess we will just stick it out. I've always heard that a student can easily transition FROM Saxon to another program but not from other programs to Saxon...in the higher levels. If anyone has anymore suggestions or stories, please report!!! Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 DD uses the DIVE CD's with Saxon, AND I discuss the material with her pretty regularly (but not for every single lesson.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 I am using Saxon Algebra II with my oldest and those Saxon Teacher cds with teaching and complete solutions are really coming in handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Perhaps you could switch to Algebra 1/2 instead of 8/7? I've heard it's more pre-algebra and might be less "scattered." It's about the same level as 8/7, just with a slightly different focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dina in Oklahoma Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Hello! Being an Oklahoman, I was well aware of Saxon and its following. I went to Saxon Publishers (Pre-Harcourt) and spent several hours talking with their representative. My DD was just finishing pre-school and we decided to HS her. I purchased math K and paired it with A BEKA. The following year I bought 2nd grade math. She then used Saxon again in 3rd at her school. The bottom line is I wanted to like Saxon and I made my DD use it but the fact is it just wasn't a good fit for us. She HATED math and was not retaining enough. When I finally gave up and looked at other programs (we are HSing again) we found a program that works for us and she actually thinks math is fun now. I am looking at BCM Lial for seventh but that's a few years down the road. So, all that said, I would give BCM a try as one size doesn't fit all in education -- especially math! Best Wishes, Dina :001_rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GVD22 Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 We're using BCM this year for Pre algebra and I love it. I find the explanations to be really detailed and DD has done really well with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Today's lesson took me forever to get!!! We both got very frustrated and got out the BCM book. Some help and advice and whatever is really needed right now! Robin I LOVE Saxon. :001_wub: But, I get Saxon. I can glance at the lesson and I understand what is being taught, why it's being taught, and what the end goal is. I use Saxon because I can teach from it easily. My youngest son is using BJU right now, and I'm missing Saxon, lol. BJU is a solid program, it's just not Saxon. ;) Since Saxon isn't easy for you to teach from, and you fall back to BCM to understand a concept, use BCM. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin in DFW Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 We have tried Saxon for a few more days and and I honestly think today was IT!!! I get how and why reciprocals work...so does my son...but reading the Saxon lesson made us NOT understand!!! Does that make sense??? SO.O.O.O...we got out the BCM and looked in that and VOILA!!! Easy peasy cheesy!!! Here's the plan...quickly reviewed Ch. 1...did mid-chapter summary exercises...went over rounding...doing select problems...will do the remaining couple of lessons in Ch. 1, then skim over early lessons in Ch. 2 and do mid-chapter exercises and proceed from there doing all lessons. We will still get done sooner, even starting so late in the year, than we would have with Saxon...my ds is ecstatic!!! He completely understood today's lesson and happily got to work. Whew...crisis averted!!! Thanks for all your suggestions and support! Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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