The perpetual math question. . .

[AnneJ]

DD is 14 and in 8th grade this year. She is doing Saxon Algebra 1 (she's a half way through it) and has only used Saxon for math. She's fairly bright and doesn't have any problems understanding the concept and rarely gets any problems wrong, and when they are wrong, it is usually because of a transcription error. The problem is that she HATES it. She told me today that she can't wait to be done with school (i.e. graduated) so that she doesn't have to do math anymore. So, I'm not sure what to do and could use some advice. I love math so I'm having a hard time understanding her hatred of it (I know, I know, she isn't me).

 

So, do I make her continue with Saxon and try to have her work on her attitude? Or do I switch to something else? I want something that will adequately prepare her for college should she choose to go. I know that Saxon fits the bill for that. But she hates it.

 

Any advice?

[lewelma]

I would change curriculum. For some kids, Saxon is great, for others it is a slow death. If she is rarely getting anything wrong, I am guessing that it is too easy and is boring. Kids should get math problems wrong because that means they are having to think.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Crimson Wife]

I would find out what specifically she dislikes about Saxon and then try to find a curriculum that addresses that issue.

 

I've personally looked over Saxon numerous times, and I know that it would be a very bad "fit" for my kids because of the extreme spiral format, the lack of visual appeal, and the need to copy the problems from the textbook onto notebook paper rather than working directly in a workbook.

 

Maria Miller of Math Mammoth recommends Foerster's Algebra 1 and also Kinetic Books. I have no personal experience with either (DD is about to start pre-algebra with a combo of Singapore Discovering Math and Horizons) but she is someone whose opinion I respect when it comes to math.

[regentrude]

I would try to find out what exactly she hates. Can it be that Saxon simply is not a good fit, and that she would do better with a different curriculum?

 

In our family, we all love math, but we all hate Saxon.

[HSMom2One]

I'll be the devil's advocate here....it very well could be that she just doesn't enjoy working with numbers. Period. I was that kid, and it wouldn't have mattered to me if we used another curriculum or not. The subject just was not fascinating to me in the least. This was not my fault, and it wasn't a weakness. It was just my personality and preferences.

 

I was bright, but I would have rather been reading, writing, making art, singing or doing drama back in those days. It would take a number of years and life experience for me to really "get it" that math is as important as it is.

 

So all that to say, you can try to change things up a bit, but don't be surprised if your dd has her own unique personality and would rather be doing other things than calculating numbers. Whatever the case, celebrate her strengths and try to be gentle yet encouraging rather than trying to fit her into a different mold. She will be ready for college because you've given her a great foundation, and the rest will be up to her.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

Edited December 16, 2011 by HSMom2One

[kiana]

Why does she hate Saxon?

 

Personally I can sympathize with her because even though I'm pretty good at math, I would rather gouge my eyeballs out with a fork than study anything from Saxon. Really.

[AnneJ]

We are trying to figure out why she doesn't like Saxon. So far she has said that she sees no purpose in it. She also says that it seems like a monumental task (it takes her awhile to do the lesson--mostly due to her dwelling on how much she hates it rather than being unable to do the work. If I sit next to her and encourage her through it, she can complete it more quickly.) She has also said that she read in the beginning of the book that the lessons would get gradually harder so she's worried that at some point the lessons will be so hard that she'll have to do math all day. I've encouraged her, and told her that thus far the lessons have been easy for her so I doubted that the lessons would quickly become that difficult. I reminded her that each lesson has instruction so they wouldn't be giving her new material without explaining it. She is feeling a little better about it this morning thankfully.

[HSMom2One]

Why does she hate Saxon?

 

Personally I can sympathize with her because even though I'm pretty good at math, I would rather gouge my eyeballs out with a fork than study anything from Saxon. Really.

 

My not-so-math-girl actually likes Saxon much better than other math programs she's used. She recently told me NOT to ever change math curriculum again. Go figure! I guess that she realizes she needs the repetition. More than anything I believe it all depends on personality types and learning styles.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[AngieW in Texas]

I wouldn't use Saxon at gunpoint, so I would recommend trying a different math program.

 

For Algebra I, I recommend Kinetic Books or Jacobs. Both are solid programs. Kinetic Books is done on the computer. Jacobs is a regular paper textbook.

[SailorMom]

We tried Saxon last year for pre-algebra, and DS hated it, so I know he would have hated doing it this year.

We are using Foerster Algebra 1 and he LOVES it.

Well - he isn't a math kid, so he'd prefer not to do math at all, but Foerster just makes sense to him, and he has a much easier time with it.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

DD is 14 and in 8th grade this year. She is doing Saxon Algebra 1 (she's a half way through it) and has only used Saxon for math. She's fairly bright and doesn't have any problems understanding the concept and rarely gets any problems wrong, and when they are wrong, it is usually because of a transcription error. The problem is that she HATES it. She told me today that she can't wait to be done with school (i.e. graduated) so that she doesn't have to do math anymore. So, I'm not sure what to do and could use some advice. I love math so I'm having a hard time understanding her hatred of it (I know, I know, she isn't me).

 

So, do I make her continue with Saxon and try to have her work on her attitude? Or do I switch to something else? I want something that will adequately prepare her for college should she choose to go. I know that Saxon fits the bill for that. But she hates it.

 

Any advice?

 

We used Saxon through Algebra 1/2 and were pretty happy with it. In fact happy enough that I don't regret having used it.

 

However, we jumped over to Art of Problem Solving this year for Algebra and love it. Sometimes it is slow going. There is no point in pushing on if you haven't mastered a lesson, because the next one will build on the past. But we all feel like we are much better at math and much more masters of what we're doing (I've been doing much of the book with them).

 

Also I'd say the problems that are word problems do seem to be pretty meaningful. There are still questions like if my mom is three times my age now but was twice my age 10 years ago . . . But there are also questions that are quite relevant to life and others that are just quirky and fun. We had a problem based on Alice in Wonderland a few days ago.

[letsplaymath]

We are trying to figure out why she doesn't like Saxon. So far she has said that she sees no purpose in it. She also says that it seems like a monumental task (it takes her awhile to do the lesson--mostly due to her dwelling on how much she hates it rather than being unable to do the work. If I sit next to her and encourage her through it, she can complete it more quickly.) ...

 

Here's an idea: Do the Saxon lesson every day, and the homework problems related to the lesson, but only do the review problems every other day. Since she is doing so well, she probably doesn't need all that review, and this will make the chore seem less monumental. Either break the review set in half and split it between the days, or try something else (like the free Art of Problem Solving program Alcumus) on the alternate days.

 

Alcumus is a wonderful program. You can choose to focus on certain areas of math (like algebra) or to let the software select topics randomly. You get a couple of tries at each problem, in case you make a mistake the first time, and they give you a worked-out solution at the end. Some of the problems also link to video lessons.

[Trilliums]

In general, I have noticed an attitude shift in my older son about his school work. He is bright and a self-motivated hard worker, but he has made a few comments lately about how 3 more years of high school is seeming very long to him. He is also asking about how college classes might be and will there still be so much busy work. I wonder if this is a new awareness stage they go through as they are approaching adulthood. Kind of a "wow, so this is it?" feeling. DS #1 also takes a while to work through his math, and I think the amount of time it takes him concerns him.

 

 

DS #1 completed Saxon alg 1 last year as an 8th grader as well. This year he has switched to Art of Problem Solving for Geometry, as he was DONE with Saxon. DS #2 is now working on Saxon Alg 1 (also as an 8th grader). Just this morning we were going over some of the work and DS #1 commented on how well he remembered the torture of Saxon Algebra! I thought this thread was funny to read this afternoon.

 

My kids have tried out several math curriculum and at different times, different programs seem to be a good fit. Honestly I think DS #1 didn't get enough reinforcement of new concepts in Saxon Alg 1 to move onto a different currciulum for Alg 2. If he had stuck with Saxon, maybe over the next 2 years with all of the review he would have had the concepts cemented down better. But, he was ready for a change and AoPS Geometry has been a great fit for him.

DS#2 tried a couple of Alg 1 books, and found that he needed and benefited from the review in the Saxon book. He also tried Art of PS Alg, but was simply not ready for it. I do hope to switch him to it in a few months though as it definitely expands his reasoning skills.

[Tiramisu]

I think at the higher levels some kids just need more time to focus on a topic. We used Foerster's Algebra 1 and loved it. Perhaps you can get a few good texts through your library and have your dd look at them and pick one. I had dd look at Lial's, Jacobs', and Foerster's. Both of us liked Foerster's.

Edited December 21, 2011 by NJKelli

[Sunshine State Sue]

So far she has said that she sees no purpose in it.

Foerster's contains a great number of real life applications. I agree that it is helpful to try to borrow Foerster, Lial, Jacob from the library or inter-library loan.