Saxon Math or TT

[Jeana]

Hello everyone! Math question this time. I will be using either Saxon Math 7/6 with Saxon Teacher or Dive. Or I will use Teaching Textbooks 7. Which one do you recommend? She has taken the test for each but I can't decide. Also, Saxon Teacher or Dive CD? Again, thank you. Jeana

[Jeana]

: ) Anyone?

[Storm Bay]

We've used Saxon 76 for my eldest, and have TT Algebra 1. While neither is the best fit at our house, I think it would depend on your need. Saxon is spiral with a lot of review (too much review for my dd, but she did it for 3 years anyway because she didn't want to switch). We didn't use the DIVE with it, though. TT is easy to understand, but my eldest dd found it too easy for her tastes and easier than Saxon (she prefers rigourous math and is strong in this subject, but for many dc it seems to be just the thing). We didn't stick with Saxon after 76, so I can't comment on what comes next.

[Jeana]

Karin,

 

Thanks for your response. My daughter's not strong in math probally because she just doesn't like it. However, when she understands it, she has no trouble. I just want the best program for a non mathy student that needs to do fulfill her math requirements in the best way possible.

 

Thanks, Jeana

[NanceXToo]

Karin,

 

Thanks for your response. My daughter's not strong in math probally because she just doesn't like it. However, when she understands it, she has no trouble. I just want the best program for a non mathy student that needs to do fulfill her math requirements in the best way possible.

 

Thanks, Jeana

 

I'd say go with TT. That's what I am doing with my daughter this coming year for fifth grade because she's not in love with math- if it's something she 'gets' easily, then she'll enjoy it well enough. But if she doesn't get it easily, forget it, she starts getting frustrated and upset and whining that it's too hard and that she's not good at math. I don't want her to feel like math is "too hard" or that she's "not good" at it, or she'll go her whole life feeling that way. I know, because that's where I'm at myself.

 

So I was going to use Saxon next year til I started actually looking through it and thinking "This is going to make us both miserable and confused." I read about TT, fell in love with the idea, checked out their demos and samples and fell in love even more, showed it to her and SHE fell in love and she's actually EXCITED about doing math next year. She wants to start now. lol.

[Jeana]

That sounds good to me too. My only worry is that some one here have said that TT is behind. So I wasn't sure about that. Thanks again, Jeana

[NanceXToo]

Any curriculum is going to have its good reviews and its bad reviews, I think. I've seen a few people also say they think TT is behind others. Then again I've seen a lot of really great reviews for it. It seems like some people worry that it is "too easy" but I'm just like...why does math have to be HARD to be considered learning? lol. If TT can make it easy for my daughter to learn math... fantastic! That's exactly what I want! For it to be demonstrated and explained in such a way that she gets it. And enjoys it. No battles, no tears, no struggles, no stress, no mindset that she's just not good at math on her part, no mindset that I'm never going to be able to teach math on my part.

 

As she gets older if she wants/needs a little more reinforcement or needs to learn something that TT MIGHT not teach well (and I'm not saying they won't, I'm saying IF that happens) then she'll learn it if/when she needs it. But right now this seems like it is going to be perfect for us, and all I know is that neither one of us are dreading fifth grade math. And that is good enough for me :D

[ChrissySC]

I discussed TT with a teacher. We compared the content with Saxon. Although it does appear to delay the introduction of certain concepts (TT), they concepts do show and are taught. I do not believe that we as homeschoolers can ascribe to a grade level that is appropriate. Our dc may be up or down by as many as two levels depending on their natural gifts.

 

Also, I looked at TT against a PS mathbook. I believe the want for the graphics and the pictorial representations are what draw my dd to TT.

 

I am yet undecided this year, having used other texts such as those used in PS. I do feel that constant review with Saxon for some children may be overkill, which is why I turned immediately away from Abeka math. I found MUS not to have enough solvable problems. We may go with Saxon and do a lot of problem skipping. :-s I thought I would share my dilema in your thread and join you on this daunting decision.

[HollyDay]

We used TT 7 and TT Pr-Algebra then switched to MUS Algebra 1 (for various reasons). TT Pr-Algebra did not prepare dd for MUS Algebra 1. It is a different scope and sequence. In fact, it did not prepare dd for Saxon Algebra 1. We had to go into Saxon 1/2. It was borderline on going back as far as Saxon 87.

 

My only suggestion would be to stick with whatever choice you make. They are really not compatible. If you chose TT, then stick with it for the duration of high school. If you chose Saxon, the same thing. I cannot say one is "better" than the other, but they are different.

[lovemykids]

We have been using TT math for almost two years now. The fact is that it runs about a year behind or maybe a little more. But other than that, we like it and will continue with it. All you have to do is bump your child up a year....

 

To supplement, we use and love LOF.

[Suzannah]

We did Saxon 1 through 7/6 with DS. He's never really liked math, but I figured as long as he was getting it there was no need to go curriculum-hopping. In 5th grade I nearly switched to MUS due to the rave reviews on here and by some of our good friends, but decided to stick it out with Saxon, adding the DIVE CDs (which did help immensely.) But by February of last year (6th grade, Saxon 7/6) we were having to spend up to a week on some lessons and then back up and redo lessons. It seemed like the new concepts were just being introduced way too fast for DS without enough review. So we jumped to LOF Fractions and TT7 mid-year. I won't say DS loves math now, but it was what he needed. Maybe TT is behind, I don't know. But I do know that DS was behind with Saxon because he wasn't getting the concepts the first or second or third time through. We probably won't continue with TT for DS next year, but it was the right thing for him at the time.

 

If you're interested, the format of TT changes in Pre-Algebra, from working on the computer to working on paper and checking your work with a different disk. That's part of the appeal to DS. Right now I'm waffling between going all Life of Fred or doing LOF and MUS combined.

 

Good luck.

[Jeana]

Thanks for the replys. I think I will go with TT. Would you recommend using LOF with it? Do you think it is necessary? I haven't looked at it yet. Aagin thanks, Jeana

[Suzannah]

There's no particular need to supplement either LOF or TT according to the publishers. I only did the two together because it was obvious we needed to do something other than Saxon. The DIVE CDs had been my attempt to salvage Saxon and they helped for a while. I just reached out to the two things that seemed most different from what we had been doing. LOF is a huge hit, though there's not a lot of practice in the two books we've done so far (Fractions and Decimals and Percents). Fractions made a noticeable difference in his standardized test scores last year. TT has been great to get us out of the "I hate math" funk, but I think we're going to be moving on.

[Prairie]

Thanks for the replys. I think I will go with TT. Would you recommend using LOF with it? Do you think it is necessary? I haven't looked at it yet. Aagin thanks, Jeana

We are using Saxon 7/6 w/Dive M-Th and LOF on Fridays. :-) Kind of breaks up the Saxon saturation. ;)

[Storm Bay]

Karin,

 

Thanks for your response. My daughter's not strong in math probally because she just doesn't like it. However, when she understands it, she has no trouble. I just want the best program for a non mathy student that needs to do fulfill her math requirements in the best way possible.

 

Thanks, Jeana

 

 

TT may be behind for quite a while, but apparently by the time you're done you've caught up. Many people with dd who are not strong in math find it very helpful. You have to find what works best for you; no one's dc are good at everything in life, whether or not they're good at everything in academics, and what is important is that you find the very best curriculum for your dc.

 

It may be that your dd doesn't like math because she's not strong in it and/or that her dislike of it interferes with her learning. However, my eldest loathed math with a passion prior to Algebra even though she was strong in it, so we had to skip a lot of review in Saxon. In fact, it was quite a mystery to me that she could hate something she was good at.

 

That said, I'm a fan of using two math programs even if the publishers say that they are complete since no math curriculum out there is truly perfect anymore than any of the authors or publishers are :). We are huge fans of Life of Fred, which appeals to dc who like the humour and to read the stories. My suggestion is, if you can afford it, to use TT and Life of Fred. Even though my dc tend to be mathy, my younger two have each had certain areas where they needed more work, and having it presented two different ways helped. There is more benefit than that, though.