In Saxon 6/5, what new material is there?

[brownie]

Can someone who has used both Saxon 5/4 vs. Saxon 6/5 tell me what new material is covered in 6/5? We are getting ready to switch from Singapore (done with 4A) to Saxon. DS started the placement test...he passed the 5/4 test with a 90%, missing only two decimal problems (we haven't covered decimals in Singapore yet and will over the next 2 weeks to prep for Saxon).

 

He will take the 6/5 test Monday. It does not appear any harder than the 5/4 test. I am trying to figure out what we'd really be missing going into 7/6 vs. 6/5. In other words...if he passes, is the placement test really accurate bc it looks too similar to the 5/4 test?

 

Thanks! Brownie

[Ann.without.an.e]

:lurk5:

[wapiti]

:lurk5:

[LinRTX]

We just finished 65 last year. I think 65 adds in quite a bit of work in fractions and decimals that was not in 54. It was in the last half of the book.

 

Saxon 76 starts with fraction and decimal work right away (within the first 35 lessons anyway). If he has not done adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and decimals you probably want the Saxon 65 book. It introduces it more slowly.

 

Linda

[brownie]

*sigh* This is where you get into trouble switching curriculum. DS can add, subtract and multiply fractions, but knows little about decimals. We may have to do the 2nd half of 6/5 if he passes the 5/4 test as I expect. It stinks because I have Singapore 4B and 5A purchased and ready to go but it's just not working. Brownie

[Erica in OR]

We're nearly a third of the way through Saxon 65 and have not hit any truly new material yet. For decimals in Saxon 54 last year, I did have to supplement with my daughter, and it really cemented the concepts for her. We did part of the first student workbook of "Keys to Decimals" by Steven Rasmussen and Spreck Rosekrans. It was extremely helpful. Perhaps you could just supplement with something very specific to decimal work?

 

Erica in OR

[brownie]

Supplementing with decimal work and then going straight into 7/6 was my plan initially. It's hard to figure out without a scope and sequence posted on their website. They clearly say that the placement test is only one piece of information but to me 6/5 and 5/4 just don't seem that different. The 6/5 test only has 3 fractrion problems: 1/3 of 36, adding mixed numbers and an equivelant fractions problem. The only decimal problems are money...which we have covered in Singapore. DS should get all that right. Maybe I'll call them on monday! I think it said to call with questions.

 

The 7/6 test on the other hand is clearly a jump above!

Brownie

Edited October 15, 2010 by brownie

[tarana]

If I remember right, Circles are covered in SM-6 while Saxon introduces it at Intermediate 4 itself. Since my girls were having difficulty I was looking for circles in SM.

[LinRTX]

Maybe you can get the 76 book and do some work with the Key To Series for fractions and decimals on areas where he needs more work. You can buy the individual ones of the Key To series fairly cheaply. Saxon 76 will introduce it again, but just moves much faster than the 65. I'm not sure doing an entire book for the last third is worth it, especially if he does well on the placement test.

 

I put my son in Saxon at Algebra 2. Clearly a mistake. We did it over two years though, going slowly and adding more work on the items he had not covered yet. He did just fine actually with slowing it down.

 

That was an aside to say that it was a bad idea at the high school level, but at the younger levels, I think it will be easier to find something to work on a few topics that need a little more work.

 

Linda