danybug Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I am going to try to go to a whole WTM approach next year. So...I reread WTM and what SWB had to say about math for logic years. Now, I am thinking that I want to switch from Singapore to Saxon. My ds is in 4th grade and starting Singapore 4B next week and is excellent at math. I have been a huge fan of Singapore, but something about what SWB explained about math in high school years really struck me. We just took the Saxon testing and he placed to start Math 7/6. My questions are then: did Singapore advance him this far ahead? or is it just because he is really good at math? what has been your experience if you have done both programs? is Saxon rigorous? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) I just wanted to share that this has been our experience too. We were in SM 4B when I had dd take the placement test for Saxon and she placed into 7/6. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on both levels for next to nothing and after looking through both of them, realized that there are several topics in 6/5 that she had not done yet- they just weren't in the placement exam. I'm sure there's enough review in 7/6 but since my dd is not super mathy and SM has always been a challenge to her (never mind even considering doing the IP books :001_huh:) I decided to put her into 6/5. So yes, I do think that SM is ahead of Saxon because trust me, dd is not mathy. It's been a good fit for us so far. I think she'd have done just fine in 7/6 but I was worried about her being too far "ahead" too fast. I do think most of her struggles with SM were maturation issues not LDs and I do intend to use SM 5a/b in some form or another next year. The nice thing for *us* is that Saxon does a lot of review. The whole mastery approach wasn't working for my child and I had to put in the added review myself, which got tedious and I always wondered if she was getting enough. Saxon does appear to be rigorous, but in it's own way. It doesn't challenge my child as SM did but there again, SM challenged her too much and each day was on the verge of being a source of frustration. Saxon is giving her the confidence she lacked before, the review she needs, and lots of practice. I can see why it's not for everyone and *I* prefer SM and how SM teaches but I can't ignore that we really were hitting a brick wall with the program. However, it sounds by your post that your child is mathy and doing well with SM. If it's working for you, I'd just stick with it. You'll gain a lot more by sticking with one program than jumping around. Edited March 3, 2011 by plain jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I use Saxon, love Saxon, and adore Saxon. That being said... if it ain't broke don't fix it. Your ds is doing well with Singapore and excelling. My suggestion is to wait until your ds has finished 6B and then switch over to Saxon 87 to get used to the Saxon style of teaching before hitting Saxon Algebra. :001_smile: JMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It sounds like your math ds will do well. I would not switch. Sometimes jumping from curriculum to curriculum cause you to loose the child in the jumps. Blessings, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 If Singapore is working for you, there's no reason to switch until after you finish 6b. At that point you have to switch to another program because Primary Mathematics ends with 6b. There are other programs from Singapore to take you further in math, but they aren't like the Primary Math series. I can't stand Saxon. I would have failed math with Saxon. All of my kids would have failed math with Saxon. That said, I know that it works for some people. My family is not part of the some people for whom Saxon works. My recommendation is to keep using Singapore as long as it works for you. Once it stops working for you (or you reach the end of the series), then switch to something else. I like the Kinetic Books math series for high school. Kids who do well in 6A/6B can move directly into Kinetic Books Algebra I. If your kid struggles with 6A/6B, then I'd do Kinetic Books Prealgebra before Kinetic Books Algebra I. As much as I love Singapore, it stopped working for my youngest in 5B. I had to find something else to switch her to. I would have loved to put her in Kinetic Books Prealgebra, but she won't do a math program that's on the computer. I was going to have her do Lial's BCM, but she couldn't deal with the visual clutter of that program. I put her in Mathusee (not my favorite program, but I like it a lot better than Saxon) Prealgebra. MUS Prealgebra is working okay. It isn't a program I'd want to keep her in long-term because it isn't the best fit for her, but it is the best fit I've found for this level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinRTX Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I'm not certain if it advanced him so far or the labels are just different. My dd has done Saxon from the beginning and as a 10yo (5th) is almost done with Saxon 76. I always though Singapore was so advanced, but it seems that they are about the same level with different labels. Linda P.S. But I would not switch if it was working. I moved my oldest into Saxon at the Algebra level and he did just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Thanks for all of the responses! The reason I wanted to switch was so that I wasn't switching when we started high school. I don't want to do the NEM (?) books after Singapore 6B. I liked SWB's explanation on the programs and thought I would make the switch when we start 5th next year. I guess I will need to put more thought in to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 I'm not certain if it advanced him so far or the labels are just different. My dd has done Saxon from the beginning and as a 10yo (5th) is almost done with Saxon 76. I always though Singapore was so advanced, but it seems that they are about the same level with different labels. Linda P.S. But I would not switch if it was working. I moved my oldest into Saxon at the Algebra level and he did just fine. Interesting! This is one of the things I was trying to figure. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 I can't stand Saxon. I would have failed math with Saxon. All of my kids would have failed math with Saxon. That said, I know that it works for some people. My family is not part of the some people for whom Saxon works. What are your complaints about Saxon in comparison? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Saxon makes no sense to me. I learn whole topics, not itty-bitty pieces of topics. I also need at least a somewhat organized presentation of topics versus the random mish-mash of Saxon. And when I learn a topic, I need to have enough practice with that topic for it to stick (and so do my kids). I can't learn a topic, work just 2 or 3 problems and then move on to a completely different topic. Like I said, I know it works great for some folks. I'm not one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Thanks for all of the responses! The reason I wanted to switch was so that I wasn't switching when we started high school. I don't want to do the NEM (?) books after Singapore 6B. I liked SWB's explanation on the programs and thought I would make the switch when we start 5th next year. But even if you finished out Singapore Primary, you wouldn't be switching in high school, you'd be switching in 7th grade. Or at least wait till it isn't working anymore. I also agree if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And even if you switch, why Saxon? If Singapore works well for her, you might want to try something to something more mastery-based like Lial's. I have two dds in 7th now. Singapore has kept working well for one, and she's continued into their Discovering Mathematics, but I am going to transition her into a more traditional sequence next year starting with AoPS Algebra. Her twin sister had some difficulty with Singapore 6 - with 20/20 hindsight I'd've switched her into Lial's BCM that year. I did try BCM this year after Singapore 6, but it was too much review and now we're doing Lial's Pre-Algebra and she's doing great. She'll do Lial's Introductory Algebra next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 We use both - ds10 switched after Sing4A to Sax 7/6. DS8 is finishing Sing 4A tomorrow. He will do 4B next. Sing 4 and Saxon 7/6 are both comparable topically to our ps's 5th grade curriculum, at least on the surface. In some places it might be comparable to 6th grade but our ps has a challenging math program. That doesn't mean every topic is covered in Singapore in level 4 though...it does hit fractions and decimals heavily in 4, much like Saxon 7/6. Saxon and Singapore are very different. We switched bc Singapore wasn't working for ds10, as much as I love it. Saxon is helping his weaknesses. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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