lfong Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 We're thinking about switching math programs but would like your feedback. My dd is currently using a MUS but seems to need a spiral method. I'm undecided. I haven't come across any strong positive comments on Saxon and would appreciate your feedback, pros and con. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felicia Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I've never used MUS. We use Saxon. My dd12 and dd10 doesn't want to switch. They are used to the method and they seem to get fairly easy. I also supplement with things like the Key to... series. I know a lot with also supplement with the Singapore world problem series and that is what I am thinking of doing as well. I know a lot of people do not like Saxon, but we've never had a problem with it. If there is an area that they are struggling with we stop and focus on that. I take it all the way to the basics of that problem and build it from there. I don't worry about getting done in a certain amount of time. I just want them to understand what they are doing. Once they get it, we go back and they take off again. It works for us. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 We use Saxon and have from the beginning. My boys are starting 6/5, 5/4, 2, & 1 when we resume our regular schooling (we're taking a break and focusing on test prep for my oldest and math facts for my youngers). We do supplement with Singapore's Challenging Word Problems because I do think Saxon is a bit week in the Word Problem area. It's working well for all of us and I've never considered switching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homewithtrinity Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I was quite pleased using Saxon all the way through high school. The kids enjoyed math all the way through as much as you can enjoy math and be a teenager. My son refused to change programs when he reached the higher levels of math. My daughter tried a couple others only to come back. She liked the consistent spiral review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I also used it for my children. I've used 2 for my son and K for my dd when we started hsing. I then worried because of all the poor reviews and thought, boy I don't want to screw my kids up, so we switched to Horizons. It was ok but the kids didn't like it. I had thought of going back to saxon and pushed it out of my mind. I had my dd keep pushing through Horizons K (1 would have been too hard for her) and started my son in TT5 (where he placed on their tests) After a few months my dd was hating math and my son was doing ok but didn't seem challenged enough. I took them to the local homeschool curriculum store (yes we're lucky enough to have one) and we searched the math shelves. My son immeadiately grabbed a copy of Saxon 5/4 and as I watched him look through it he seemed so amazed, I know seems weird. I asked him what he thought and he said "Mom I want this, it's like I used to use and it makes sense" My dd then asked to see her grade and we pulled out Saxon 1 and she saw a few of the worksheets, asked what she'd have to do and said "I want this one, I think it will be fun" We bought them and the kids have been so happy since. We're on "summer break now" but they still ask to do a couple lessons a week so we do them. They really like it, I like the way it's set up and I like to teach it. It just makes sense to us. After all our switching I have to say it would take alot to get us to switch again. Our plan is to stick with Saxon through graduation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 we are saxon users and we really like it. it is a very thorough program and since you are looking for a spiral approach its worth a try. can you borrow a book from a friend or have someone who uses the program sit down w/ you and walk you through a typical day? the thing with saxon is you either love it or you hate it. we love it! keep in mind too that you are in the driver's seat, you can pick and choose how to implement the different aspects of the program to suit your child and his/her unique learning style and needs. i think many people assign only odd/even, do the oral problems and/or timed practice sporadically, etc. rather than daily, though it is certainly an option. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmwife Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 We used MUS for our daughter who is in 1st grade. It didn't work for us. She knew how to use the blocks to figure out the problems but had zero retention. We switched to Saxon2 this January and I am very pleased with her progress. She actually enjoys math and has retention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindytom121 Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 We just switched from MUS back to Saxon and I am so glad we did. My 8 year old dd needed the spiral method that Saxon uses. Several years ago I used only Saxon with my older daughters. We did Saxon all the way through. With my two youngest I was burnt out of Saxon and decided to try something new. We used MUS for three years until I finally realized that my 3rd grader couldn't do the math unless it was on the paper-and then not even very well. She struggled and tried and cried and now that we have gone back to Saxon 2 and started over she is so much happier and loving math. She loves the fact that we practice the calendar, clock and money every day and she loves having "homework" like her big sisters (the side B page that should be done in the afternoon for retention). We are thrilled with the switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 :) we luv saxon here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ticklbee Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I started all my kids out on Saxon. By time my first dd got to Saxon 5/4, she pleaded with me to change. She hated it. She really needed something that would immerse her in a particular topic so we switched her to R&S. My other two are doing fine with it and seem to enjoy it so I will stay with it for them for now. My only complaint is that they do not drill the multiplication facts up to 12. Not sure why but that is very easy to remedy on your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlashine Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 and I just ordered the third. My son has retained all the math facts so far, he doesn't whine when I bring out the math book unless he's already having one of those days, and I feel confident that he's getting the right amount of practice and fun in his math. You don't have to do the back of the worksheet if it's not needed-our deal is that if the front is right, he doesn't have to do the back. I personally like that it takes a pretty literal approach, and isn't infested with word problems. IMHO, they are not generally indicative of real life situations, and thus, rather pointless. As long as our good progress continues, I will be sticking with Saxon until we reach a math level they don't provide curriculum for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabitha Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 We've been using Horizons since K. It was a bit of a struggle at the end of 2nd and 3rd has been blah for both dd and myself. We just dumped it and are using Saxon 5/4. My dd much prefers Saxon just due to the text she has with it and how it explains things so much better. Writing it all out isn't that big a deal. We also bought the DIVE cd just incase we needed it for extra reinforcement. Best price I found was from www.smartalecbooks.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lux Et Veritas Academy Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 We are in 6/5 and 8/7 and will stick with it! Unless some creative book on the computer comes out,:iagree: with some shocking great technical, exciting way to learn that we can afford, then I am not switching! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langhaven Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 We use Saxon up to Algebra I and then it becomes less effective of a curriculum for teaching math. At the time that your child reaches higher math, another curriculum is needed in order to get problems that handle application and not just rote memorization. Up until then, Saxon has served us well and their building approach has kept my students sharp. On the down side, it is a BORING curriculum and somewhat tedious. Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfong Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, good not so good. It's interesting that some of the comments have been that it's boring since I'm not so sure MUS has much bells or whistles. I think I'll take up the suggestion to find someone who has used it and show me. It sounds like Saxon is good for building a solid math foundation but maybe weak at word problems and critical thinking? If so, what are you doing to supplement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 We are finishing up the K with my daughter. She finds math easy for the most part, so what I do is look through 10 lessons or so and do all of the similar ones at once. For example, we'll do three geoboard lessons in one sitting. It is quite easy to manipulate it in this way. I'm sure, however, that once we hit 1st next year we will be able to do that. She can do simple addition, but a lot of what seems to be covered in 1st will be new for her, so we won't be skipping around. If you contact Saxon, they can send you a sample packet. They have them grouped, so you can ask for a sample packet for K-3, or for the middle grades, etc. I ordered one last year, but it never arrived. I was going to call again, since there was probably just an error with the post office, but by then I had my K materials, so I figured it was just a waste of paper. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lfong Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 Called Saxon for sample packet. Good idea! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Good, I'm glad. When I posted, I thought, "What if they don't offer than anymore???" Regarding it being boring: Is math supposed to be exciting??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily in FL Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I agree that you either love Saxon, or hate it. I happen to love it. It keeps concepts fresh in my dd's mind. She will tell you that she doesn't enjoy math, but she is good at it. We do not do the timed drills because they stress her out (this is where I think her dislike of math began). Still, she knows the facts very well. She is just not very fast. Today I went back and did all of the oral assessments (you are supposed to do them at every 10th lesson). I am glad I waited. It showed me that she really did retain a lot this year. I was also able to see that she truly understood the concept of regrouping in addition and subtraction (more than just knowing how to work the problem). I feel that this understanding is a direct result of both the individual attention she gets because we homeschool and because of the way Saxon teaches these concepts. I didn't supplement too much this year. I did use the One Hundred Sheep tape to help her learn skip counting. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 We really like Saxon... of course, it's all we've used! So far: Saxon 1 and half of 2 with my ds (almost 7) and Saxon K with my dd (5). I plan to have ds finish up Saxon 2 for 2nd grade (fall), and dd will start on 1 in the fall for her K year. I like the fact that I don't feel I have to supplement, at least not at this point. There's enough review and drill built in. I really like the spiral approach Saxon takes - I think it helps cement the ideas in my kids' heads. I like that it uses manipulatives, but also uses the workbook approach. I've rarely used the TM, but it is handy to have around! I know a lot of people complain that it looks dull, boring black & white, etc., so we use colored pencils/crayons in doing our work, to brighten it, and the content is really what is important. I have no plans of switching math any time in the foreseeable future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proudmamma Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 http://www.teachingtape.com/ We use these DVDs with our saxon lessons and they are wonderful!!!!! I fell like it has really helped my children to understand the concepts so much better. PLUS, it really frees up my time too. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornopean Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 http://www.teachingtape.com/ We use these DVDs with our saxon lessons and they are wonderful!!!!! I fell like it has really helped my children to understand the concepts so much better. PLUS, it really frees up my time too. :D How do the teaching tapes compare to the DIVE cds? anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 How do the teaching tapes compare to the DIVE cds? anyone? I was wondering the same thing as well. The biggest differences seem to be cost and amount of disks you need. The DIVE cds is one cd per Saxon level and cost around $50. The teaching tapes website shows that it takes multiple tapes or DVD's per Saxon level and the cost of the videos for the whole set per level varies from $165 for Saxon 54 and 65. Then $215 for 76 and 87. Then $265 for Alg 1/2, 1, and 2 and then a bigger jump to over $300 for the Advanced and Calculus. One style difference I noticed based on the limited sample on the teaching tapes (I used DIVE CD for Saxon) is that on teaching tapes you see the instructor as she talks and on DIVE you just hear him as he writes. DIVE takes you through the lesson and the text. The sample (and I haven't used teaching tapes) of Teaching tapes just seemed to be walking you through a few sample problems in a lesson. Maybe the sample doesn't show everything? But given the cost difference and liking DIVE's format, I like my DIVE for Saxon.:) -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornopean Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I was wondering the same thing as well. The biggest differences seem to be cost and amount of disks you need. The DIVE cds is one cd per Saxon level and cost around $50. The teaching tapes website shows that it takes multiple tapes or DVD's per Saxon level and the cost of the videos for the whole set per level varies from $165 for Saxon 54 and 65. Then $215 for 76 and 87. Then $265 for Alg 1/2, 1, and 2 and then a bigger jump to over $300 for the Advanced and Calculus. One style difference I noticed based on the limited sample on the teaching tapes (I used DIVE CD for Saxon) is that on teaching tapes you see the instructor as she talks and on DIVE you just hear him as he writes. DIVE takes you through the lesson and the text. The sample (and I haven't used teaching tapes) of Teaching tapes just seemed to be walking you through a few sample problems in a lesson. Maybe the sample doesn't show everything? But given the cost difference and liking DIVE's format, I like my DIVE for Saxon.:) -crystal I agree....the price difference alone settles it for me. how can teaching tape even sell their stuff when it is about 4 times the cost? is it four times better?:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldee Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I just started saxon withmy 10yo. He loves it. He does it on his own mostly. If he doesn't understand a concept, there is a number that tells him which lesson to back to if review is needed.:auto: He uses this quite often and only misses 1 per lesson. We will continue with this, he is using 5/4 now. I will start this with my other 2 when they are ready for 5/4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsha617 Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 This is our first year using Saxon. It has worked very well with my dc. If a spiral approach is what you are looking for give Saxon a try. There is always review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules in MI Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I was told that MUS has spiral review built in...but, if you are in one of the lower levels, there's not much spiral review available yet...does that make sense? MUS is supposed to be a complete program, so over time, they will have that review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lori in tx Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 We have been using MUS for 3 years and are switching back to Saxon next year. I used it with oldest for Epsilon and Zeta (it took my dd 2 years to get through epsilon) and it just doesn't have enough Daily review for her. If have to do learning pages for 3 days by the time they get to pages with the review a skill from last week could be gone (and with my kids often are). So she will be going into Algebra 1/2. My oldest son also asked to switch he is sick of spending the whole year doing on thing, MUS did get those multiplication facts finally sunk in. We have also discovered the Demme has a calling for math and sometimes he explains thing and we both just sit there going :confused: (both my and dd especially) waiting for him to explain the easy way. Math is his calling and is for a certain group but for dd she just wants to know how at this point, she will not be an engineer or scientist. I have heard that Saxon is great for people who need confidence and that fits my dd. My son just really wants to move on and learn different types of things. hth lori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I don't completely hate Saxon. It has worked for some of my DC, but I have one DC that didn't do well with Saxon's method of jumping from topic to topic. He can't see how all the concepts relate to one another. This DC really needs a traditional approach. As far as teachingtape is concerned, we have the set for Advanced Math. The lady who teaches it, Paige Singleton, is an excellent teacher. We had been using DIVE CD but my kids didn't like that Dr. Shormann didn't teach the examples in the textbook and sometimes skipped parts, or made assumptions about their understanding. The teachingtape lady is very organized, clear, methodical, and concise in her explanations and teaches the exact examples from the text. Well worth the $$ if you're using Saxon. Paige Singleton doesn't teach the Calculus course. I wasn't as impressed with their Calculus teacher. I've asked them for a sample and they've sent it to me, but I've also, bought one DVD $25 to trial run the product, and when I ordered the whole set they gave me the discounted price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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