Switching from Singapore to Saxon...

[jpklehm]

My oldest is going into 7th grade and we've used Singapore since he started 2nd grade; we're now switching to Saxon. This should work well for him but for my youngest, I'm concerned.

 

My youngest is 7 and starting grade 2. We've used Singapore with him since Kindergarten and he worked through k, level 1 and the first half of level 2 in those first two years of school. Now I want to move him into Saxon along with his brother and I went to look at the Saxon level 2 I have on my bookshelf from years ago and it's going to be way too easy for him, especially the first workbook.

 

At this point, I could do one of two things, imo. One, I could start level 2 Saxon and pick and choose what he does until it's more at his level (thereby not wasting the books I already have and, more importantly, working with him on skills that show up in Saxon that didn't show up in Singapore); or two, have him take the Saxon placement test online and just purchase whatever level he's at (probably level 3), and trying to resell the level 2 Saxon I own.

 

I don't really care about the Saxon books I already have, I just don't want to bore ds/7 or cause him to have gaps due to this curriculum move. He likes math and does well, so far.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

Thanks,

Pam

[Stacey in MA]

We used Singapore with her for K, 1, and part of 2. Switched to Saxon 2 (learning style issues w/ Singapore) that year, and it was WAY too easy for her, content-wise. BUT, for her personality, that was OK. She enjoyed doing the work, understanding it clearly, getting it right all the time. (My oldest son HATES that kind of work - it's just spinning his wheels, in his opinion). I was OK with it b/c I knew she wasn't BEHIND, and keeping right at grade level through the Saxon levels was fine by me. She's starting Saxon 5/4 this fall....

 

So I don't pay too much attention to learning styles EXCEPT for math. I have found it makes a ton of difference for my kids in this area. I would say, if your son is OK with doing work that is easy for him, and enjoys that feeling of mastery, then you might be OK to leave him with the easier work for this year (on grade level). But if he doesn't love busy work, if he needs that math/sciencey challenge, then I'd move him up.

 

FWIW, I kept my DS11 in Singapore through 6A/6B, and we're switching to Saxon this coming year. Should be interesting!

 

HTH...

- Stacey in MA

[jpklehm]

FWIW, I kept my DS11 in Singapore through 6A/6B, and we're switching to Saxon this coming year. Should be interesting!

 

 

Stacey,

We did the same thing. Our ds/12 has finished 6A/6B in Singapore and we're moving him into Saxon now. Just wondering...how did it go, switching from Singapore to Saxon for him?

 

While our youngest is ok with getting things correct, he does enjoy a challenge and my dh wants to see him above grade level...so I may just do what he hasn't had yet, skill-wise, in level 2 and move him on to level 3.

 

Thanks!

Pam

[Stacey in MA]

We haven't officially started DS11 on Saxon. I have it, and we'll be starting in Sept. I am a little worried, b/c we originally landed on Singapore b/c of the learning style issue - could not tolerate repeitition. He really thrived on Singapore! But I have all kinds of *ME* issues for wanting to switch at this point, so it's gonna happen! lol! I think he's mature enough now to work WITH the curric. instead of fighting it. One thing I know I'll do is not make him do ALL the practice. (yes, I know the whole world, including the Saxon folks, say DON'T skip a single thing! tough...) If he seems to have mastered a topic, I won't make him stay on it. For DD8 (using Saxon for a couple of years now), we often just did 1/2 (one side of) of a worksheet. Maybe something like this will work for my DS? We'll see... The spiraling thing will be new to him though, and I think it's going to get under his skin. But hopefully the maturity thing will kick in and he'll tolerate it? Ah, a mom can hope! haha!

 

GL! - Stacey

[Chris in VA]

As a Saxon-fan, I'd say give your child the placement test and go with that recommendation. Saxon covers some things every year--the second or third or fourth time something shows up, it's at a deeper level (most of the time). So you can probably skip 2 and not leave gaps, as most of 2 is covered again in 3. The teaching of the concept may be a little quicker, or phrased a little differently, or done in a different procedural way, but the concept will still be there. You shouldn't have a problem. You can sell 2 on homeschool classifieds dot com for a good price, or here at the S/S board.

[Matryoshka]

We haven't officially started DS11 on Saxon. I have it, and we'll be starting in Sept. I am a little worried, b/c we originally landed on Singapore b/c of the learning style issue - could not tolerate repeitition. He really thrived on Singapore! But I have all kinds of *ME* issues for wanting to switch at this point, so it's gonna happen! lol! I think he's mature enough now to work WITH the curric. instead of fighting it. One thing I know I'll do is not make him do ALL the practice. (yes, I know the whole world, including the Saxon folks, say DON'T skip a single thing! tough...) If he seems to have mastered a topic, I won't make him stay on it. For DD8 (using Saxon for a couple of years now), we often just did 1/2 (one side of) of a worksheet. Maybe something like this will work for my DS? We'll see... The spiraling thing will be new to him though, and I think it's going to get under his skin. But hopefully the maturity thing will kick in and he'll tolerate it? Ah, a mom can hope! haha!

 

 

Hi Stacey!

 

So you're switching to Saxon because you like it? :) Personally, Saxon gives me hives, so I'm sympathetic with your son. :D Are you putting him straight into Algebra, or one of their Pre-Algebra books?

 

My older two both finished up 6b last year. I've got one going in to Lial's BCM, and one continuing with Singapore using Discovering Mathematics. My long-term plan is to have the one continue with Lial's Introuctory Algebra (assuming BCM goes over well), and the other switch to Foerster's Algebra and a more traditional US sequence after that. The latter dd (who needs less repetition) is also really enjoying the AoPS Number Theory book this summer.

 

I've never used anything but Singapore, so this is all new waters for me... feel a bit like I'm jumping into the deep end!

[jpklehm]

As a Saxon-fan, I'd say give your child the placement test and go with that recommendation. Saxon covers some things every year--the second or third or fourth time something shows up, it's at a deeper level (most of the time). So you can probably skip 2 and not leave gaps, as most of 2 is covered again in 3. The teaching of the concept may be a little quicker, or phrased a little differently, or done in a different procedural way, but the concept will still be there. You shouldn't have a problem. You can sell 2 on homeschool classifieds dot com for a good price, or here at the S/S board.

 

Thanks, Chris...good to know. :) I'll give him the placement test and we'll see where he ends up.

 

Pam

[jpklehm]

We haven't officially started DS11 on Saxon. I have it, and we'll be starting in Sept. I am a little worried, b/c we originally landed on Singapore b/c of the learning style issue - could not tolerate repeitition. He really thrived on Singapore! But I have all kinds of *ME* issues for wanting to switch at this point, so it's gonna happen! lol! I think he's mature enough now to work WITH the curric. instead of fighting it. One thing I know I'll do is not make him do ALL the practice. (yes, I know the whole world, including the Saxon folks, say DON'T skip a single thing! tough...) If he seems to have mastered a topic, I won't make him stay on it.

 

I know what you mean. We started hsing when my oldest ds/12 started first grade and we started with Saxon. I was (still am but not quite as much) a box-checker and I did EVERYTHING...poor kid. We started level 2 in 2nd grade but only made it through lesson 8 and I knew we needed something different. Of course, had I not made him do everything, Saxon probably would have been a good fit for us. But I found Singapore and that worked through 6B but it was difficult for us to do. He's not in love with math and I'm not a math wizard, so Singapore was difficult at times, to say the least.

 

I'm happy with my decision to switch back to Saxon and to have that carry him through high school, I was just concerned about switching my youngest ds/7; however, I'll have ds/7 take the placement test and we'll take it from there.

 

Hoping for the best,

Pam