Saxon Math 1. Skip worksheet?

[HFClassicalAcademy]

We are finally nearing the end of Saxon Math 1 and I have a little question. Is it ok to NOT do the back of the worksheet. I'm wanting to move a little faster in order to finish on time.

 

Would it be bad to only make ds complete the front of the worksheets? I feel guilty just thinking about it. The main reasoning behind this is that sometimes we do 2 lessons in a day (that's when 1 lesson is easily understood and quickly done by ds). So if we do 2 lessons, that's 4 pages (minimum) of worksheet problems.

 

Yikes. Let me know if anyone has done this. I don't want to create a handicap for him when he goes into Saxon 2.

 

Thanks!

[Musical Belle]

About halfway through Saxon 1, ds and I stopped doing side B of the worksheets because math was becoming so time-consuming. If your child seems clear on the concepts taught in the lesson and has no trouble with the worksheet and assessments, it should be fine to do just one side each day. We are now in Saxon 5/4 and ds is in Saxon 2, and it has never been a problem.

[Sena]

It is OK! We have never consistently done side B and my kids have done well in math. We use side B for extra practice on a difficult concept.

 

I even read of a mom who used side A for one child and saved side B for a younger child.

[Karen in TN]

I only had mine do the problems on the back that corresponded to the problems on the front that he had trouble with. There's plenty of repetition even without doing the backs, and Saxon 2 will start off with a complete review of things you've worked on this year. In fact, I think we didn't even finish the last 10 or 12 lessons of Saxon 1, and we had no trouble the next year.

 

Karen in TN

[Michele B]

If my dd7 has trouble with something on side A, we do the similar problem on side B.

 

I would not rush the end of Saxon 1. I remember lots of good, new stuff at the end. Saxon 2 starts off with about 40 lessons of very basic review - like adding a number to 0. So if you are taking some time off over the summer, I would save what you do not finish of 1 and do it in the fall in place of some of the over-kill-review lessons. Don't get me wrong , we love Saxon 2, at least after we skip through the review.

 

Michele b

[nukeswife]

I've used Saxon k-2 and have always only used the front side of the worksheets, unless the kids really bombed a section then we'd review that part of the lesson and do the question that correspond with it on the back.

 

I don't think there is a problem with it. From my understanding the worksheets were originally made for a PS setting, with the front side being done with the teacher in class and the back side being done at home for homework.

[Chris in VA]

I just read in WTM that SWB didn't do the back of the worksheet. So there, official permission!:D

[marsha617]

We are using Saxon 1 this year. We are not going to finish all the lessons although we may get close. I was fretting about this. Then I looked at Saxon 2. The first 40 lessons or so review Saxon 1. Now I won't do this, but I could stop now if I wanted to and start Saxon 2 next school year. I guess my point is there is plenty of review with Saxon. I would just complete side A of each worksheet and move on at this point.

 

We are going to do things differently next year. We will only do side A and then move on to the next lesson. If my ds is having difficulty we can do side B. That is a good suggestion.

 

How do others conduct the math meeting? Do you do this everyday?? Just wondering. :confused:

[Audrey]

The only time we ever do the back of the worksheets is if ds didn't quite get a concept on the front, and then we only do the questions on the back that pertain to that one concept, not the whole thing.

[Chris in VA]

I'm not tremendously big on the meeting (don't use the book--I hang a blank calendar on the wall, and use sentence strips or little strips of paper for the patterns), but found not doing it can come back and bite you in the but* if you don't. Don't skip the skip counting! Don't skip the endless, mind-numbing but important counting by evens and odds! All of it is used later. It makes it soooo much easier when you get to the facts, and other concepts.

 

Here's an example--All year in Saxon 3 (almost all year--from the point of introduction on, let's say half the year) dd was to look at the thermometer and tell the temperature. Ok, no prob--we did it several times, then skipped it. Here's how they ingeniously used dc's familiarity with the thermometer later--About 3 lessons from the end, Saxon 3 introduces the Coordinate Plane--it's basically a horizontal number line, and the (vertical) thermometer! Dc has tons of experience, from the Meeting, with a vertical number line!!! So graphing coordinates (which is algebra, mind you) is a piece of cake. Not scary at all. Now isn't that nice?

 

So, the meeting can be quite important for preparing dc for deeper concepts.

[HFClassicalAcademy]

Ok. I will stop feeling guilty about not doing side B. I'm actually really excited now about finishing Saxon 1. I will definitely take everyone's advice and just do side A, using side B for reinforcement of more difficult concepts.

 

Ds gets math pretty well and never complains about doing both sides of the worksheet (I'm the one who gets all wiggly about it!). It will be nice to zoom through the beginning of Saxon 2 before getting to the newer concepts.

 

Thanks for putting my mind at ease!! You guys are great!!:D

[BlueGator]

The "seemingly" mindless repetative things they do pre-introduce major math concepts in later years. We never did the B side.

 

I spoke to someone who knew John Saxon and worked for him. He told me to use the tests to tell me where my child was. Sounds simple but I found going back and reviewing the lesson where they error was from cleared up the issue immediately.