My Saxon Plan -feedback appreciated

[Ann.without.an.e]

DS did not do well with Singapore. Thinking that he was just not a math guy, I placed him in Saxon 5/4 this year for 4th grade, rather than the recommended 6/5. He has completely shocked me at his ability to excel in math with Saxon. He says he just "gets it" with Saxon. He finds it clear and easy to follow. He rarely misses a problem and we are almost halfway through the book.

So can I do this...

6/5 - 5th grade

8/7 - 6th grade1

1/2 or alg 1 - 7th (decision being based on grades in 8/7)

 

Skipping 7/6, rather than the recommendation to skip 8/7, simply because I already own a current, updated 8/7 book (using it for older dd).

 

Having never used the 7/6 grade for Saxon...am I missing something crucial? I know that Veritas says to skip 8/7 because it is a review of 7/6, so I wondered if I could just take that thought and flip it to skip 7/6?

Am I thinking too hard about this? :glare: You would think that after HS'ing for so long, I would be over making plans...knowing that they never quite pan out how I think they will.

[1Togo]

We have never skipped any book. We get through two books per year which makes it possible to finish everything through calculus by 11th grade even for a student who starts late. Your son will finish sooner.

[brownie]

No advice...I came to the boards to post my own Saxon questions, but I am SO glad to hear this worked for someone. DS is in 4th grade and we are getting ready to switch him from Singapore to Saxon as well. He is just not doing well with Singapore, so we are in the middle of the placement test. Good LUck! Brownie

[Ann.without.an.e]

We have never skipped any book. We get through two books per year which makes it possible to finish everything through calculus by 11th grade even for a student who starts late. Your son will finish sooner.

 

 

Will you also go through advanced math and physics in that time?

Do you do all of the tests and investigations and still get through 2/year?

[JudoMom]

DS did not do well with Singapore. Thinking that he was just not a math guy, I placed him in Saxon 5/4 this year for 4th grade, rather than the recommended 6/5. He has completely shocked me at his ability to excel in math with Saxon. He says he just "gets it" with Saxon. He finds it clear and easy to follow. He rarely misses a problem and we are almost halfway through the book.

So can I do this...

6/5 - 5th grade

8/7 - 6th grade1

1/2 or alg 1 - 7th (decision being based on grades in 8/7)

 

Skipping 7/6, rather than the recommendation to skip 8/7, simply because I already own a current, updated 8/7 book (using it for older dd).

 

Having never used the 7/6 grade for Saxon...am I missing something crucial? I know that Veritas says to skip 8/7 because it is a review of 7/6, so I wondered if I could just take that thought and flip it to skip 7/6?

Am I thinking too hard about this? :glare: You would think that after HS'ing for so long, I would be over making plans...knowing that they never quite pan out how I think they will.

 

I would not skip 7/6. I would go ahead and start him in 6/5 if I felt 5/4 was too easy, and stay with the sequence of 6/5, 7/6, 8/7, Alg. 1.

[Ann.without.an.e]

No advice...I came to the boards to post my own Saxon questions, but I am SO glad to hear this worked for someone. DS is in 4th grade and we are getting ready to switch him from Singapore to Saxon as well. He is just not doing well with Singapore, so we are in the middle of the placement test. Good LUck! Brownie

 

 

I love, love Saxon and only hate that my dd didn't get as good of an early foundation in math as my younger ones. This is her first year in Saxon. We used both Singapore and BJU together before this year and together - two full curriculums-they weren't as thorough as Saxon. We really like it.

I hope it works well for your son.

When you give him the placement test, be aware of the differences in terms. My dd missed some things in her placement test and I knew she "knew" these things, the terminology was just different than what she had learned. I took that into account when placing her.

[KarenNC]

When you give him the placement test, be aware of the differences in terms. My dd missed some things in her placement test and I knew she "knew" these things, the terminology was just different than what she had learned. I took that into account when placing her.

 

We did this as well. We were going from Singapore 4A. She placed between 6/5 and 7/6. I gave her the placement test then looked carefully at her answers to see which things she missed conceptually rather than for terminology or a careless error. Then I took a look at both levels (lucky to have a local homeschool consignment store so I could do that) and decided to do a bit of fill in using Key To books through the spring and start 7/6 in the summer. We're at lesson 35 now and she's done quite well with it. We're much happier with Saxon than with Singapore.

[Carol in Cal.]

The old 87 was skippable; the new one not so much as it has been beefed up with a lot more pre-algebra than formerly.

 

I recommend not skipping any books, and I recommend finishing each book completely as a great deal of new material is always thrown in at the end. I think that you should consider whether to go to 65 right now if that is where he really places. Whether or not you do that, at the beginning of each book after this current one, start by administering the tests--do one per day until his grades slip down below 90%. Then start teaching at the point that that test starts to cover. That way you will be skipping some of the review work at the beginning of each book, and will save a lot of time that way.

 

If you do a little math during the summers, maybe at half speed or something like that, you should still be able to converge onto your preferred schedule that way.

 

87 is very much more difficult than 76, and I think that skipping 76 would just make it that much more difficult to get your arms around 87.

[Ellie]

Jann in TX says NOT to skip Math 76:

 

Skipping Math 76 book would be a BIG mistake. TONS of new and important concepts are introduced and practiced. The Algebra 1/2 text does NOT have enough review--and DOES NOT review all that is covered in the 76 book.

 

These texts are VERY easy to come by--try Amazon.com or Half.com--I see them there for under $10.

 

Why skip and make math harder than it really is? IF you try the Algebra 1/2 text and find (I'm VERY SURE YOU WILL) that you need to go back and work the 76 text...it will be after your child has experienced unnecessary frustration that can make a potential math lover into a math dreader!

 

Lower level elementary texts incorporate lots of extra review because MOST children need it to some degree. The lower level texts also focus on BASIC facts--the 54 text is one of these. 76 is NOT a repeat of 65 --it takes the concepts introduced and practiced in 65 and builds on them. Algebra 1/2 expects these concepts to be mastered BEFORE beginning the text.

 

You would not take a child who has just learned to write a sentence and expect them to be able to write an essay--and skip learning about paragraphs...

 

Jann---who is passionate about this!

certified math teacher--I have taught Saxon for over 10 years and my own children have used it.

[1Togo]

Yes, we work through every book and every problem. We used the older editions (except for 65) so there weren't as many investigations, but it's still doable. 5 lessons per week, test on Saturday. Split up the investigation work. Our sons worked through Advanced Math using the same method. There are 125 lessons in that book, which they worked in five months or so. We schedule 1 hour plus for math. There about 20 tests, which takes a month or so of Saturdays. Tests take an hour or less.

 

I am glad to read that a math teacher is passionate about all of this because it lends credibility to ordinary homeschool moms.

Edited October 15, 2010 by 1Togo

[ChrissySC]

I would check high school credits in your state. Some will not allow Algebra I as a math credit for HS that early. Keep in mind, too, that you will need to at least try to get to Physics, as a science or a math, in HS. Make sure that you will have enough math credits for HS completion.

 

Being that I used Saxon for some time, I would not skip a text either. We never have.

[Ann.without.an.e]

So, when you say that you would not skip a level, at all. Does that include skipping from the new 8/7 (with pre-algebra) to Algebra I, and not using Algebra 1/2. I go back and forth with this for DD. She is in 8/7 now and Veritas would have her in Algebra I next year (they skip several texts, including 6/5 and 8/7). A friend told me not to, but others say yes, skip 1/2 and now you very experienced ladies are saying...skip nothing. Hmmm....lots to think about.

 

I can't thank you enough for your input and perspective. You are a huge, huge blessing.

 

:)

[Melanie]

I do not recommend skipping 7/6. It is actually my favorite book in the series. :001_smile: We skipped Algebra 1/2, but it certainly would not have hurt anyone to complete that book as well! In fact, I only allowed my 6th grader to skip Algebra 1/2 because she begged. If she doesn't continue to excel in Algebra 1, I will have her do Algebra 1/2 instead.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I do not recommend skipping 7/6. It is actually my favorite book in the series. :001_smile: We skipped Algebra 1/2, but it certainly would not have hurt anyone to complete that book as well! In fact, I only allowed my 6th grader to skip Algebra 1/2 because she begged. If she doesn't continue to excel in Algebra 1, I will have her do Algebra 1/2 instead.

 

 

Thank You. This may be a really stupid question, but if DD is to take a Physics for Math then I need to skip 1/2. Since DD will have Physics for 12th grade Science, does she also need it as a math? If not, then she can get to Calculus in 12th grade and still complete 1/2 next year.

 

7th- 1/2

8th - 1

9th - Geometry

10th - Alg 2

11th Adv Math

12th Calculus

 

BJU is our Science and she will have Physics in 12th.

[Carol in Cal.]

So, when you say that you would not skip a level, at all. Does that include skipping from the new 8/7 (with pre-algebra) to Algebra I, and not using Algebra 1/2. I go back and forth with this for DD. She is in 8/7 now and Veritas would have her in Algebra I next year (they skip several texts, including 6/5 and 8/7). A friend told me not to, but others say yes, skip 1/2 and now you very experienced ladies are saying...skip nothing. Hmmm....lots to think about.

 

 

:)

 

No, you can evaluate whether to do 1/2 or Algebra 1 right after 8/7. 1/2 covers much the same material as 8/7, perhaps a little more abstractly, but substantially similarly. So it's really for students who have finished 8/7 but are not solid enough to go on and do algebra the following year. My DD, who is NOT mathy, skipped 1/2, and I think that that has worked out just fine. She had a reason to be very motivated in Algebra 1, which played into my decision, and she truly was well-prepared for it.

[Melanie]

I am not one who was ever very interested in math or science, and I've never seen BJU physics, but I don't see why she would need to take both courses. Either/or would probably be just fine.

 

Math and science lovers - am I wrong?

[coffeegal]

Thank You. This may be a really stupid question, but if DD is to take a Physics for Math then I need to skip 1/2. Since DD will have Physics for 12th grade Science, does she also need it as a math? If not, then she can get to Calculus in 12th grade and still complete 1/2 next year.

 

7th- 1/2

8th - 1

9th - Geometry

10th - Alg 2

11th Adv Math

12th Calculus

 

BJU is our Science and she will have Physics in 12th.

 

In the Saxon homeschool texts, Geometry is incorporated into Algebra 1, 2, and Adv. Math. You don't need a separate geometry text in the 9th grade. Hence, my suggestion is:

7th - 1/2

8th - 1

9th - 2

10th - Adv. math

11th - Calculus

12th - Physics

 

You can also check out the book and newsletter published by Art Reed about using Saxon Math. http://www.homeschoolwithsaxon.com/

 

:001_smile:

[Ann.without.an.e]

In the Saxon homeschool texts, Geometry is incorporated into Algebra 1, 2, and Adv. Math. You don't need a separate geometry text in the 9th grade. Hence, my suggestion is:

7th - 1/2

8th - 1

9th - 2

10th - Adv. math

11th - Calculus

12th - Physics

 

You can also check out the book and newsletter published by Art Reed about using Saxon Math. http://www.homeschoolwithsaxon.com/

 

:001_smile:

 

 

Thanks for your thoughts. Saxon does have Geometry now. I wonder if they are taking the Geometry out of the newer versions because of this.

Hmmm....