Could my almost 7yo start Saxon 5/4 if...

[UmmiSays]

Hi to All,

I'm wanted to know if an almost 7yo could be successful starting Saxon 5/4 if they know all the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. Really I wanted to know if anyone had done something similar and it worked out ok. I am reading threads where some people post that you learn all the other things from grades 1st thru 3rd in saxon 5/4. We are about to start Mcruffy 3rd and I know that he will go through that in about 4 months like we did the other grade levels. So I figure why not just move on a get started. I know that this a reccommended using the Robinson Curriculum, so any thoughts or experiences doing this?

 

I posted this on the curriculum board, but I wanted to get any additional thoughts on this board as well.

 

Thanks,

Candace

[Donna]

The Saxon website has placement tests you could have him take to see if it would be a good fit.

[Dmmetler]

I'd also look at the amount of problems and writing that is expected. Content wise, my DD would probably be fine in Saxon 5/4, but the sheer number of problems on a page would overwhelm her. I've known other DC who would thrive on the challenge, though.

[regentrude]

Have her take the placement test.

And be prepared to go slower and split a lesson over two days. The amount of practice problems in one lesson is huge and if you don't want to skip any, your DD might not want to/be able to do the complete thing in one very long session.

[Gratia271]

The placement test is the best place to begin. Provide her with ability level content at an age appropriate pace.

[Donna]

I'd also look at the amount of problems and writing that is expected. Content wise, my DD would probably be fine in Saxon 5/4, but the sheer number of problems on a page would overwhelm her. I've known other DC who would thrive on the challenge, though.

 

These problems are not difficult to overcome. My dd did Saxon 56 two years ago and is working through 78 now. I just write out the problems for her except for word problems or those where setting up the problem is important. I also chose problems from the review section (usually about half) for her to do rather than her doing every problem.

[Momling]

The placement test is the best place to begin. Provide her with ability level content at an age appropriate pace.

 

Actually... I've found the Saxon placement tests useless if you're debating between Saxon 3 and Saxon 5/4. The ceiling for the primary math series would mean that everyone who aces the test places into Saxon Math 3. The floor for Saxon 5/4 would have everyone who scored poorly on the middle grades would place into 5/4.

[Jill]

These problems are not difficult to overcome. My dd did Saxon 56 two years ago and is working through 78 now. I just write out the problems for her except for word problems or those where setting up the problem is important. I also chose problems from the review section (usually about half) for her to do rather than her doing every problem.

We used Saxon 5/4 similarly. If I remember correctly just last year during ds's "2nd grade." (It's starting to blur together.) I looked ahead and picked out the chapters I knew he needed to work through and then I would pick a modest amount of the exercises for him to work on (6 to 8) which suited his handwriting abilities. Just because saxon's famed for its repetition style doesn't mean you have to go exactly by the book. I liked the brief and to-the-point chapters/lessons with a few practice exercises on the subject and then their set of exercises from which I could pick his daily work.

[Storm Bay]

The question I have is will your almost 7 yo find Saxon 54 fun? I like rigourous math, but liked it to appeal to my dc when they were that young. Is Saxon the only one you want to use with your dc? I suspect that Saxon 3 will be too easy.