jer2911mom Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I'm using Saxon 1 for K this year (along with RSA, SP EB, and some Shiller) and am trying to figure out if I will stick with it next year or go to CLE (I want one "traditional" program). I thought I needed the Saxon script but it is really TOO much and makes it hard to jump ahead in a lesson/see what the flow is. For example, my daughter understands patterns very well and doesn't need me using the calendar script to that detail every day. I do not care for having to rip out the worksheet pages, either, which never tear out cleanly and it drives me nuts. And the paper is so thin that it tears easily if you don't erase carefully, which is hard for a Ker to do. We didn't start until Nov. and don't do it every day, so aren't very far in, around lesson 20, so it's a little hard for me to have a feel for it yet. I love the workbook setup of CLE and how clearly laid out everything is. I can look at it quickly and tell what is going to be covered and how. I've read the reviews of both and seen comments like Saxon does a better job giving you a lesson number to refer to, while people seem to like the CLE drill setup better. I feel like Saxon would probably give me as the teacher better instructions, and CLE can sometimes not have enough instruction. I've also heard several people not like that sometimes CLE seems to be teaching a straight algorithm, although it seems like sometimes it's only because they've already addressed the concepts in previous lessons/years. But if you're coming in new to a year, you might have missed that. Anyway, my main question is if you've left Saxon for CLE (especially Saxon 1 for CLE 100), and you returned to Saxon, what was your reason? What did you miss from Saxon that CLE did not have? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer2911mom Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Does this mean everyone who leaves Saxon for CLE math stays with it? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 We didn't leave Saxon for CLE. We left CLE for Saxon and we are all much happier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer2911mom Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 We didn't leave Saxon for CLE. We left CLE for Saxon and we are all much happier! Can you please elaborate on why and what levels you switched from and to? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I haven't tried Saxon or CLE, but I am going to use McRuffy Color Math next year for kindergarten and I am really excited about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 After using CLE I don't think i'd go to anything else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallorie Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I just left Saxon 1 for CLE 1. I'm not sure at what level we'll return to Saxon, but if we do, it won't be before 5/4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 We used CLE 101-110 and 201-205 for my dd's 1st grade year. She did very well with it and I don't have anything terrible to say about the curriculum. It just wasn't the right fit. By the end of the year we were both itching for a change. We started our homeschooling journey choosing Christian publishers, but have since discovered we are a secular homeschooling family. eta: we finished CLE 205 and had an easy transition into Saxon 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer2911mom Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 I just left Saxon 1 for CLE 1. I'm not sure at what level we'll return to Saxon, but if we do, it won't be before 5/4. Do you mind sharing your reasons? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer2911mom Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 We used CLE 101-110 and 201-205 for my dd's 1st grade year. She did very well with it and I don't have anything terrible to say about the curriculum. It just wasn't the right fit. By the end of the year we were both itching for a change. What about it wasn't a good fit, if you don't mind sharing? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom_Abear Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Does this mean everyone who leaves Saxon for CLE math stays with it? :) I was wondering the same thing when I saw you weren't getting a response at first! ;) After using CLE I don't think i'd go to anything else! :iagree: I wasn't going to answer b/c I didn't switch back to Saxon from CLE, but here's my 2 cents ... My son was doing fine with Saxon, using it a year ahead, and doing really well ... BUT he began crying every day during math towards the end of first grade (end of 2nd grade Saxon). We switched to CLE, and there were no more tears. Almost two years later, we are still happy, and I've started my Ker on it this year, too. I LOVE that it is pretty much open-and-go for me, and I also love no tears!! Hope this helps!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I was wondering the same thing when I saw you weren't getting a response at first! ;) :iagree: I wasn't going to answer b/c I didn't switch back to Saxon from CLE, but here's my 2 cents ... My son was doing fine with Saxon, using it a year ahead, and doing really well ... BUT he began crying every day during math towards the end of first grade (end of 2nd grade Saxon). We switched to CLE, and there were no more tears. Almost two years later, we are still happy, and I've started my Ker on it this year, too. I LOVE that it is pretty much open-and-go for me, and I also love no tears!! Hope this helps!! :) Can I ask where he placed into CLE? :) We are debating between the two right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuzor Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 :bigear: I am deciding between these two right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 and we are now using CLE. After a year of Saxon I knew it wan't the right fit, and we used MUS for the next 5 years. Because we have to test in our state, MUS's mastery approach wasn't cutting it, so I knew we needed something different, but I didn't know what. We did a year of Singapore, which was not successful. Then I saw all the talk about CLE and so I looked into it last Spring. I am so glad that we did, and so are my girls doing it. I have one in 100, 200, 400, and 600. They all love it. The only reason my oldest didn't get CLE Math is he was already in PreAlg and they don't really have a level that matched up, so he stayed doing TT which was fine. I have no intention of my others doing anything other than CLE til Algebra, and if they have the Sunrise Ed. for Alg, we may just keep going. I don't think you can do wrong with CLE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom_Abear Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Can I ask where he placed into CLE? :) We are debating between the two right now. Sure! When we switched almost two years ago, my son was in 1st grade and had completed about 80% of Saxon 2. We switched in April and started with CLE 205. We probably could have started in 207 or so, but I wanted to back-track a little and give him a chance to adjust to the different format and such before they taught anything real new. We school four days a week and also do math twice a week through the summer on weeks where we're not busy with other things (camps, vacations, etc.). Doing it that way, we are able to complete 8 lightunits during the school year and one during the summer. We skip the review unit at the beginning of each series because he usually moves to the next series around Christmas and we don't ever take off of math for that long. Hope this helps! Happy homeschooling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallorie Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Do you mind sharing your reasons? Thanks! Found this while looking at another thread. Thought i'd update. While LOTS of people love saxon, I find that we just don't. It moved very slowly, was very wordy and scripted, and my daughter was going nuts with the tedium of it. She wants to just get to her work and do it. It was also going so slowly that it felt like she wasn't progressing. Halfway through Saxon 1 and she wasn't any further than where she left off from Saxon K in school. It was like she actually regressed. Starting in LU 106 was challenging for her. We're taking it slow, she's picking it up now, but I REALLY regret not doing this from the beginning. Now, watching my son with Saxon Algebra 1/2 and him stalling out the same way, I can't see us ever returning to Saxon. It just doesn't fit here. For every unhappy review of it, you'll find a glowing one though. Sometimes you just have to try them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer2911mom Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Found this while looking at another thread. Thought i'd update. While LOTS of people love saxon, I find that we just don't. It moved very slowly, was very wordy and scripted, and my daughter was going nuts with the tedium of it. She wants to just get to her work and do it. It was also going so slowly that it felt like she wasn't progressing. Halfway through Saxon 1 and she wasn't any further than where she left off from Saxon K in school. It was like she actually regressed. Starting in LU 106 was challenging for her. We're taking it slow, she's picking it up now, but I REALLY regret not doing this from the beginning. Now, watching my son with Saxon Algebra 1/2 and him stalling out the same way, I can't see us ever returning to Saxon. It just doesn't fit here. For every unhappy review of it, you'll find a glowing one though. Sometimes you just have to try them. Thanks! I appreciate your reply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Found this while looking at another thread. Thought i'd update. While LOTS of people love saxon, I find that we just don't. It moved very slowly, was very wordy and scripted, and my daughter was going nuts with the tedium of it. She wants to just get to her work and do it. It was also going so slowly that it felt like she wasn't progressing. Halfway through Saxon 1 and she wasn't any further than where she left off from Saxon K in school. It was like she actually regressed. Starting in LU 106 was challenging for her. We're taking it slow, she's picking it up now, but I REALLY regret not doing this from the beginning. Now, watching my son with Saxon Algebra 1/2 and him stalling out the same way, I can't see us ever returning to Saxon. It just doesn't fit here. For every unhappy review of it, you'll find a glowing one though. Sometimes you just have to try them. :iagree: Not too many people like the early elementary programs. There's just way too many better choices out there for those years (like just about anything else really :tongue_smilie:). I am, however, giving the Saxon 54 on up books another look recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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