hmdavis02 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Hi, all! I am looking ahead for a good middle grade and up math curriculum. I am currently using Saxon, but I noticed that the Saxon Teacher cds are very expensive if bought along with the homeschool kit. Teaching Textbooks is around $40-50 cheaper, but is it worth it? What are the strengths of each? Where are the weaknesses? Any input or experience with these is welcome! I want to make the best informed decision that I can. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 We've used the DIVE videos, not Saxon Teacher. We've also used TT. I think it all depends on your student's learning style. As you know, Saxon is taught spirally, whereas TT is not. We loved TT, but learned after a couple of years that dd does much better with retention when using the spiral approach. So we went back to Saxon and it is working well. When making your decision, I'd strongly recommend you consider which style is best for your student. It could make a huge difference for them. DIVE is a really good option for teaching Saxon, as is the Art Reed videos. I don't remember how either of those compare in cost to Saxon Teacher, but do check it out. Also, there have been a lot of conversations on the boards about which video instruction is better. We happen to like DIVE and will stick with them because dd likes working with Dr. Shormann (along with her daddy, the math expert in our family). Best to you as you consider and weigh out the options. Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I looked at both and decided Teaching Textbooks was the best fit for my kids. I am very happy with our choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Instead of Saxon Teacher or DIVE, you could get Art Reed's dvds to go along with Saxon from 7/6 up. They're only $50 per level, so a cheaper option, and, as far as I can tell, secular. http://www.homeschoolwithsaxon.com/ There are samples on the website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmdavis02 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Thanks, all. I'll look into these... I don't know much about them, so some research is in the works. Do DIVE and Art Reed DVDs correspond to the Saxon lessons as they are laid out in the textbook? My son and youngest daughter do very well with Saxon, so I'm reluctant to give it up... I may just brush up on my math and teach them myself, but I'm reluctant to do that into some of the highschool math levels. From the very little research I've done, the DIVE and Art Reed are similarly priced, but one is from a Christian worldview and one is not, is that correct? Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy at Home Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Instead of Saxon Teacher or DIVE, you could get Art Reed's dvds to go along with Saxon from 7/6 up. They're only $50 per level, so a cheaper option, and, as far as I can tell, secular. http://www.homeschoolwithsaxon.com/ There are samples on the website. I am VERY happy with Art Reed's DVDs, which dd is using for Algebra. He's a real person standing at a blackboard and does a thorough job of explaining the concepts. Dd says she likes him much better than DIVE, which we used last year. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 We started using Art Reed dvds this year and I am also very happy with them. We have used TT in the past as well. I would say TT is interactive and the Saxon dvds are not. So, if you want a more interactive, truly computer based math, then you need to chose TT. If you want a dvd lecture, then Saxon dvds will be fine. I personally prefer TT 7 over Saxon 76 but I perfer 87 over TT pre-algebra (to each their own). The Saxon teacher dvds work each and every program in the lesson and is very helpful if you are stuck of if you suspect a typo in the solutions manual. My oldest dd said she felt that Art Reed was a "teacher" and the Saxon Teacher was a "lecturer". We have not used the DIVE cdroms since 76 so I can't say much on that subject. TT moves at a different pace than Saxon. This can be good or bad depending upon the student. Last year 1/2 way through Saxon Algebra 1 (somewhere around lesson 60ish), I had dd take the TT placement exam for Algebra. She tested well into TT Algebra 2. It is that different on scope and sequence. She prefers the Saxon method, so we have stayed with Saxon but adjusted the pace as necessary. Both are "good" programs and I am glad they are both out there and readily available. They fit different styles of learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Thanks, all. I'll look into these... I don't know much about them, so some research is in the works. Do DIVE and Art Reed DVDs correspond to the Saxon lessons as they are laid out in the textbook? My son and youngest daughter do very well with Saxon, so I'm reluctant to give it up... I may just brush up on my math and teach them myself, but I'm reluctant to do that into some of the highschool math levels. Yes, they do correspond to the Saxon lessons. They are designed to partner up with Saxon only. From the very little research I've done, the DIVE and Art Reed are similarly priced, but one is from a Christian worldview and one is not, is that correct? You are correct. They are similarly priced, and DIVE does have a Christian worldview. I do believe you can request a secular version if you contact customer service to order. I seem to remember that they created this to be used in schools. Thanks again! We started using Art Reed dvds this year and I am also very happy with them. We have used TT in the past as well. I would say TT is interactive and the Saxon dvds are not. So, if you want a more interactive, truly computer based math, then you need to chose TT. If you want a dvd lecture, then Saxon dvds will be fine. I personally prefer TT 7 over Saxon 76 but I perfer 87 over TT pre-algebra (to each their own). The Saxon teacher dvds work each and every program in the lesson and is very helpful if you are stuck of if you suspect a typo in the solutions manual. My oldest dd said she felt that Art Reed was a "teacher" and the Saxon Teacher was a "lecturer". We have not used the DIVE cdroms since 76 so I can't say much on that subject. TT moves at a different pace than Saxon. This can be good or bad depending upon the student. Last year 1/2 way through Saxon Algebra 1 (somewhere around lesson 60ish), I had dd take the TT placement exam for Algebra. She tested well into TT Algebra 2. It is that different on scope and sequence. She prefers the Saxon method, so we have stayed with Saxon but adjusted the pace as necessary. Both are "good" programs and I am glad they are both out there and readily available. They fit different styles of learning. :iagree::iagree::iagree: Very well said! This is an excellent comparison of the two programs. We used TT for a couple of years and it is a very, very good program. I had no complaints whatsoever about it, and I know others that use it with wonderful success. We even know a family with 6 children and they all use it and are happy. I just discovered after a time that my own dd was not retaining well, and that she really needed the repetition of Saxon. After we moved back to that curriculum, she told me that it was a perfect fit for her and that she wanted me to keep her there for good. You see we had moved around with other programs, starting with Saxon, then using MUS and TT, just trying to find the best fit for her and her learning style that contained a built in math teacher. Now we've finally ended up back with Saxon in the end. This is why I stated in my earlier post that it all depends on your student's learning style as to which would be the best. If your dd is doing well with Saxon, then I'd suggest that you stay there, but give Art Reed or DIVE a try instead of changing all together. Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Do DIVE and Art Reed DVDs correspond to the Saxon lessons as they are laid out in the textbook? My son and youngest daughter do very well with Saxon, so I'm reluctant to give it up... I may just brush up on my math and teach them myself, but I'm reluctant to do that into some of the highschool math levels. I know the Art Reed ones are set up to correspond to specific editions of the Saxon books (they are listed on the site). At one point I was considering these for 7/6 (ended up deciding to wait), but had the 3rd edition book and the Art Reed ones are for the 4th edition---this is the newest of the dvds and just out last year. When I contacted Mr. Reed, he offered to send me a listing matching up the dvd lessons with the order of lessons in the 3rd edition. He is really incredibly nice and helpful. I'm expecting that with the solutions manual (which shows all the problems worked out) and possibly the Art Reed dvds, we should do fine. I'm looking for the dvds to provide a different perspective---my daughter's learning style is different than mine so I'm sometimes having to search for additional explanations for things that seem obvious to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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