Singapore Math vs. Saxon Math

[curlie]

Preferences?

 

Thoughts?

 

I had only considered Saxon for this fall (DD #1 will be in K) until a friend told me that she tried Saxon and ended up going with Singapore... so now I'm curious. :)

[Linda...inOwasso]

There is no comparison. Go with Singapore and never look back! :)

[nutmeg]

Admittedly, this was probably not the best way to make the decision.....

 

But I looked at Saxon's 400+ teacher's manual for K....

 

and the hefty price tag....

 

and choose the inexpensive, slim Singapore books.

 

Six years later, I do not regret my choice at all. :D

 

I couldn't tell you if Saxon is worth the $$$ or not, but I know Singapore was the perfect fit for us.

[KuniMom]

I used Singapore for my dd through through 3rd grade. I liked it, but she just wasn't doing well with it. She understands concepts easily, but then she would get over 1/2 the problems wrong. We even added in extra practice with the Intensive Practice books. We switched to Saxon, and we are all much happier.

 

If you do decide to go with Saxon, start you K'er with Saxon 1. My youngest dd started Saxon 1 the month before she turned 5 (and she is not gifted or advanced, just your average girl). We do 2 or 3 lessons a week, and she loves it. I've heard from numerous people that Saxon K is pointless.

[TCoppock]

I can't tell you about Saxon K but we started on Saxon 3 and it was a good fit. It has a lot of review which is what DS needs. I also loved the teachers manual. This is only our first year homeschooling so it really helped to have scripted lessons. We have now moved on to Saxon 54 and my security blanket (the scripted lessons) are gone. Although I am not liking the design of the Saxon 54 book my DS actually appears to like it more. My one true complaint with Saxon is there are not enough word problems and have supplement.

 

I have never had the chance to view a copy of the Singapore math program but from what I have read it sounds like a very solid choice.

[HS in NZ]

for my dd#2 a few years ago. I personally liked it and plan to use it for my ds when he turns 4 (if he's ready). It was easy to use and a good fit for me and my dd#2.

 

If I remember correctly, I didn't like Saxon Math for K - 3rd grade because it had a script for parents to read to teach the lesson. I'd rather see or be told briefly what the objective is and then teach it my way. I've used SingaporeMath for K-3rd grade then switched to Saxon 54. Saxon doesn't provide a script starting at Math 54. I like Saxon for upper grade maths.

 

They have sample pages at singaporemath.com if you haven't looked there already.

 

Hope this helps. :001_smile:

[Closeacademy]

I used Saxon K for about 6 months in preK. We hated the script, hated the fact that it would introduce a concept, move on to something else, another thing and another thing before getting back to that first concept. We were lost.

 

I tried Singapore Earlybird with her. We flew through the books, she does great with math and we love it.

 

Pros for singapore over Saxon:

 

price, no script, very clear, mastery, we know where we are headed, more than one way of doing a problem is taught.

 

Cons for singapore over Saxon:

 

A child who has trouble getting math concepts is going to need extra math to do. I use Rod and Staff for my child who is weak in math.

 

Hope you are happy with the decision you make.:001_smile:

[coffeegal]

Preferences?

 

Thoughts?

 

I had only considered Saxon for this fall (DD #1 will be in K) until a friend told me that she tried Saxon and ended up going with Singapore... so now I'm curious. :)

 

I had the opposite experience of your friend. I started my oldest with Singapore and ended up with Saxon. Singapore moves too fast for my children and it's almost guaranteed to reduce them to tears at times. After struggling for a year with Singapore, I threw up my hands and ordered Saxon. It was one of the best homeschooling decisions I've made.

 

Both programs are excellent. Singapore moves faster, has less review, and makes large jumps in concepts. Saxon reviews constantly and babysteps its way through the concepts. Singapore's large jumps frustrated my children while Saxon's babysteps leaves them more confident. They are usually able to grasp the next step in moments and move on with the lesson.

 

Best of luck! :001_smile:

[langfam]

I've use both simultaneously.

Saxon covers drill and aids retention.

Singapore takes care of problem solving in new and different ways.

 

HTHs

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I considered both Saxon and Singapore when we were starting out and chose to go with Singapore for several reasons...

 

I thought that Saxon jumped around through topics too much. My oldest DD much prefers to work on one thing at a time and get it down before moving on to a new topic.

 

Singapore encourages a child to think mathematically and explains how to do calculations mentally. Saxon seemed to stick more with this is how you do it without the why.

 

I thought Saxon contained too much review. (it would have bored me to tears as a child). With Singapore, I can add in the amount of review needed with the supplemental books.

 

Singapore does move through topics faster than Saxon. Occassionally, one of my DDs hasn't mastered the concept by the end of the lesson. We just back up and work through the topic a second time to reinforce it, and they both do fine.

 

Overall, I just thought that the between the two, Singapore would do a better job of preparing my DCs for more advanced math.

 

HTH

[Mama Anna]

I've heard from numerous people that Saxon K is pointless.

 

Here it is from another! We're doing Saxon K because I borrowed it from a friend and it keeps dd1 happy and makes me think we're accomplishing something. But I really don't like it, especially the TM! I'm thinking of going with MUS next year. But if you want to go Saxon, I don't think you'd miss much by skipping K. The lessons are colorful and dd1 enjoys them, I just don't see the point.

 

(So, why am I putting myself through this . . . ? :banghead:

 

Mama Anna

[Sandra in FL]

I use(d) SM as the primary curriculum, and it is great at teaching concepts and "mathematical thinking." I supplemented with Rod & Staff 1-3 - picking out some problems for math facts/drill which SM is weak in. They complement each other well.

 

I'm on my third child with this combo. My kids have tested very well on their IOWAs. I believe it's a lot cheaper and less time consuming than Saxon.

 

HTH,

Sandra

[lovemyboys]

If you do decide to go with Saxon, start you K'er with Saxon 1. My youngest dd started Saxon 1 the month before she turned 5 (and she is not gifted or advanced, just your average girl). We do 2 or 3 lessons a week, and she loves it. I've heard from numerous people that Saxon K is pointless.

 

Yes, unless a child is very young I wouldn't bother with Saxon K, you're better off using manipulatives and things found in your kitchen than bothering with this, especially considering the expense. We did Singapore earlybird for pre-k and it's a nice fit.

 

We do both Saxon and Singapore. When we started hs years ago, I wanted to make sure I didn't mess up math, so Saxon was a good fit for me with everything all laid out, and it's well-respected. Also the spiral method seems to suit ds here -- learn something for a day or two, then cycle back to it in a week or two, gradually building.

 

After a few months on the boards here, I threw Singapore into the mix since folks raved about it. Ds enjoy the variety, it gives them a different approach to the same concepts, and I like to see that they can handle problems presented in a different (and fun) format.

 

We have made a number of adaptations to Saxon to suit us -- I dropped the meeting book and substituted a graphing book for ds2, I don't follow the script verbatim anymore, if ds gets a concept, we don't belabor it, I often combine two lessons if one is short or the concept is easy, that way we can take more time if something else is tougher. This has all worked for us so that Saxon isn't really slooow and boring. Some days math is done in 5 minutes, maybe ten with worksheet and timed problems.

 

We do 3-4 days of Saxon and then have a day with Singapore, often on a day when we're out -- it's a light workbook and travels easily.

 

Saxon has so much that is hands-on which I appreciate and I think is good for ds to work on "real world" problems with volume, weights, measuring, grocery math, estimating, clocks, money, graph work, pattern blocks that ds enjoy too.

 

So, for strengths, I would say that Saxon is thorough, varied, hands-on, easy to teach, and presents a lot of real situations for dc to figure out. Con would be the expense considering the books and manipulatives that you will need.

 

Strengths for Singapore (for us) are colorful, interesting text books, rapid and pretty rigorous progress through the work, alot of mental calculation, portability. Con would be that it was a little less clear (for me) on how to teach it, and it's all workbook work.

 

Ds here love math, which wasn't always the case, and are very good at it. Sigh. We add in library books with a math theme, murderous maths stories, games, cards, etc. And we've been known to create a graph or two just for the fun of it!

 

I also let them keep out the day's manipulatives to play with as a bonus -- bucket balance, pattern blocks, grocery math and anything with water are favorites.

 

Well, I certainly had too much to say on this subject! But we've been at it for a few years and it took some effort to come to a nice equilibrium, so I thought I'd share!:D

[TCoppock]

When using both Saxon and Singapore how do the levels measure up? I have thought about adding in Singapore but thought maybe it would be overkill but since others are doing it.... lol My son thinks I'm nuts already because we use both Shurley English and Rod and Staff.

[lovemyboys]

When using both Saxon and Singapore how do the levels measure up? I have thought about adding in Singapore but thought maybe it would be overkill but since others are doing it.... lol My son thinks I'm nuts already because we use both Shurley English and Rod and Staff.

 

For us, Singapore 1a was pretty basic, so we've jumped to Sing. 1b with Saxon 2 for ds 1st grade here. He started Saxon 1 in K and something called Thinking Mathematics from Singapore.

 

The work in Sing. 2 is more involved -- lots of problems to work through, so that's what we've paired with Saxon 3. I wanted to make sure we really "got" multiplication and division with ease during this year. I'm also hoping that the more involved workbook problems in Singapore will help with transition to Saxon 54 soon.

 

I'm with you, I like to mix programs, and we do it with more than math. Keeps 'em guessing, right? Seriously, I think it makes for deeper and more thorough learning for dc. imho:001_smile:

[Guest kimba5]

Hello! After homeschooling for a few years, I've realized that it really depends on your child. I don't feel you can go wrong with any program. We use Math-U-See and Saxon. My oldest child who is a very "schedule" type child does very well with Saxon. I would try something for the first year, if it doesn't fit, try something else the next year. Your child will be okay, and when you find your fit - go with it.

[Lynn in WI]

I agree with the other posters that it depends on your child and it depends on how you like to teach, how comfortable you are with math, etc.

 

We started with Saxon and switched to Singapore when we hit Saxon 3. My oldest is now finishing up Singapore 6B. At the end of each Singapore year I pull out the corresponding grade level for Saxon and start giving the unit tests to see how they do with the material. It gives me a good picture of their mastery (or lack of mastery) in a given area. I've also used Saxon for extra practice or as an alternative approach when a concept is difficult.

 

I think using Singapore requires you to be very intuitive about what your child is understanding--and honest with yourself about what he actually 'gets'. It's easy to speed through!

 

Lynn

[TracyR]

I've used Saxon K and it is more of a preschool program as far as I'm concerned or even a more hands on K math program . Its a gentle step in learning math . If she is a more hands on K'er I would start with K . 1st can get to be too much for some children too quickly . They need to have the knowledge of how to count to at least 100 , write their numbers and there are some other concepts in K that are NOT in 1st . My advice though is to have her take the Saxon placement test and see what the results are. We can all tell you to start with 1st but if she isn't ready for it your going to have a child that HATES math and your going to HATE Saxon . Having her take the test will put her in whatever level SHE is ready for.

 

It depends on what you are looking for . I can't tell you which is better . What works for some maynot work for another .

 

My oldest is a mathematical kid , understand concepts quickly , so something like Singapore math would work for her ( we don't use it though ) . So if your daughter is quick to pick up mathematical concepts ( learned to count with no problems , having no difficulty recognizing numbers , colors , shapes then Singapore math would be a good choice . )

 

My 2nd daughter struggles with math , is not a math kid . Showing her the how's and why's to math makes her head want to explode , and mine to for trying to teach it to her . She is my Saxon child . She needs repetition to get it . ( If your child needs repetition to get concepts , has trouble remembering her colors , shapes , difficulty with recognizing numbers and you need to go over and over and over with it , then Saxon would be your math program )

 

The one thing I do is go by what works for my children . I'm not worried about which math program is better then the other . Someone is always going to use something better . You just have to use what works for your child .

One thing though is I really like Christian Light math more then I like Saxon . It brings higher math concepts into their math program early on , rather then Saxon does . Which in turns makes them more confident once they reach higher math. But I like the fact is it spiral and repetitious like Saxon . I'm planning on getting this soon for my 2nd daughter.We've been using Calvert math and its been all tears all year long . She isn't getting anything out of it . She needs constant repetition . Once she gets it though she does .

 

You could always try both at this point and see which works better for her as well . You can get a used Saxon K manual and supplment it with Singapore . And if she does well with one or the other then just use it .

Singapore is a good math program . But you need to be confident in your math skills as a parent to teach it . In the early years I would say from about K-4th shouldn't be too difficult , but after that it becomes more difficult to teach if you yourself are not strong in math . Most people drop out of Singapore Math after 6B because they are unable to teach the math because for 1 its not an American Math program . YOu will also need to supplment because there are some math concepts that Singapore doesn't teach as well . I believe its graphing and somthing else .

[lovemyboys]

Yes, unless a child is very young I wouldn't bother with Saxon K, you're better off using manipulatives and things found in your kitchen than bothering with this, especially considering the expense. We did Singapore earlybird for pre-k and it's a nice fit.

 

Since you're asking, I think I'd go with Singapore for your dc for this year. It's simple and inexpensive.

 

Or just outline what you'd like for her to learn and set up your own activities with everyday things, and buy some fun workbooks like kumon, mazes, dot-to-dots for variety.

 

When you're wanting to get more into math say for later kindergarten or 1st grade, I'd take a look at Saxon 1 and Singapore. I've heard that some young dc get bored when they have Saxon K and 1 because they're similar and Saxon K is so gentle. If you go with Saxon, don't feel like you have to say every single word or have dc do every single drill every single day. Either way, they're both great programs and you've got time to figure it out.:001_smile:

[Storm Bay]

I prefer Singapore to Saxon hands down. I have one who did 3 levels of Saxon on her own (learned from the books), but the ones I have to teach I taught with Singapore. I learned this the hard way, because we started with the expensive Saxon. Personally, I found Saxon boring to work with and more limiting than Singapore. For my eldest who did 3 levels of it, we had to skip the copious reviews at the beginning of the texts (we bought all hers used) and not do more than half the problems in any chapter.

 

The disadvantage to Singapore is the lack of math facts drills, and if you feel you need to drill you'll need to do it separately. As for teaching kids how to work the word problems in Singapore, Myrtle has a couple of excellent posts on this (just search her posts).

[Testimony]

I have never used Saxon. I looked at my friend's Saxon curriculum in the past, but I went with Singapore. My opinion is I think that math programs are good in general. I feel that your child's learning style should help you choose your child's math program.

 

I will share what is my experience with Singapore Math since that is what I know. The strength of Singapore Math is its word problems. They give word problems that are really algebra equations in about 3rd and 4th grade. I like that Singapore teaches a concept and sticks with that concept for the book. We are in 4B right now and my older son is learning about decimals. The entire book is devoted to decimals, except the last section which teaches some geometry concept. My older son does well with it because it suits his learning style. My younger son is not getting the concepts as easily. So, I started teaching him with more manipulatives. His learning style is different. This curriculum may not be a good fit for him.

 

Overall, I think that a child's learning style should determine the type of math program you choose.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Blessings to you and your homeschooling journey!

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony:lurk5: