Saxon Vs Singapore (Need help deciding)

[bttrflyvld]

It seems that when I read posts that people who love Saxon hate Singapore and vice versa. They don't really compare saxon vs MUS. I love the idea of those who love Saxon use it because it is very thorough, goes through calculus, and the kids using is usually test above their grade level. But those who hate it complain that it's too much repetition and it's boring.

 

 

So I guess my question is why do you like/dislike Saxon? (isn't is spiral?)

 

 

 

I though I'd made my mind up but now I'm questioning. I have a preschooler next year I wanted to start in Saxon k so I want to figure this out.

 

 

Why do you like/dislike Singapore? (is singapore mastery?)

 

 

Thanks you so much for you input.

[Pen]

I think you should be asking a different question which is what will fit your particular child's learning style and your particular teaching style. Saxon was a terrible curriculum for my child, so for mine the choice between those would be SM. But that is MY child.

[danybug]

We have used both Saxon and Singapore. We used Singapore from 1A to 4B and then switched to Saxon 6/5 and are now working through 7/6.

 

I vote Saxon definitely. The reasons you gave for Saxon are basically why I switched and we are so happy we did. Reading through WTM I wanted to switch because it is recommended for upper math, so I figured we should make the switch early. After switching, I was able to see that Singapore was not our style. The main reason is there was just not the substance that I like. We like the thoroughness of Saxon in comparison. I feel like we are getting constant exposure and mastery.

 

My ds is much happier with Saxon. He does not have any issue with doing all the daily problems. Math is definitely his strongest subject and skill set.

 

Here is a great site about Saxon (more for the uppers). If you click on the link on the side somewhere about the newsletters there is great information about using Saxon. I have even emailed the author and asked questions and he has promptly responded with helpful information.

http://www.homeschoolwithsaxon.com/index.php

[boscopup]

I think you should be asking a different question which is what will fit your particular child's learning style and your particular teaching style. Saxon was a terrible curriculum for my child, so for mine the choice between those would be SM. But that is MY child.

 

:iagree:

 

My oldest son is very mathy and doesn't need a lot of repetition. He and I both think very similarly - tell us how to do something, then give us enough practice to master it, then move on and periodically review that concept so it stays fresh. Saxon, otoh, gives you an incremental PIECE of a concept, may or may not practice it much, then gives you a slew of problems that you have already had before. Some kids need that, some kids don't. No one here can tell you what YOUR kid needs.

 

My son used Saxon K and 1 in school. He was bored to tears and starting to hate math. I switched him to Math Mammoth when he came home, and he loved it, compared to Saxon. Now we've switched to Singapore, and he likes it even better. I'm also using Singapore EM K with my middle son (who did not start out obviously "mathy" like his brother, but I think he will also end up mathy, judging by the leaps he keeps making).

 

As far as test scores go... Both will produce good test scores IF the curriculum fits the child.

[kalanamak]

If your child hasn't put forth a "math personality" or a general "school personality", I'd look over both with an eye to what YOU like and believe you would teach successfully. You can switch if it doesn't work out.

 

Saxon made me want to poke my eyes out. It reminded me of all I hated about math in school. Singapore was a liberation, a feeling of Ah-Hah. And this wasn't because of the hype. Before I'd read WTM, before I'd put a typestroke on a hs group, I googled "international math scores" and "discovered" SM all on my own. Then, again without discussing this with anyone, found one of the old, two volume books at a math store in Seattle and fell in love. It had Singapore money! Boy was I surprised to find out others in the world had walked that same path and there was a whole company importing a US edition.

 

I have a wiggly, mathy boy whose rote memorization (when he isn't motivated by intrinsic motivation) is not good. I think like mother, like son, he wouldn't like Saxon, either.

 

So, get a book of each, get some quiet time, work through them as if you were the kid, and weigh how it goes with what you know about yourself, your kid, and math.

 

IMO, of course, and a thousand pardons from those rolling their eyes over such a lengthy opinion from the mother of one. :D

[wapiti]

:iagree: with Pen - you'll have to wait to see what sort of student you have.

 

FWIW, personally, the fact that a curriculum goes through Calculus is irrelevant to me. Secondary math is a completely different animal from elementary math. I would not feel bound to a certain program for 12 years.

 

I think you're right, that Singapore appeals to different parents - and importantly, different students - than Saxon. They are somewhat opposites.

 

Disclaimer: I have only used each of these in small amounts (my dd used Saxon at school for a short time when I decided to pull her out; I used a bit of Singapore at home one summer with my boys; I've used Math Mammoth much more extensively - it is Asian-style, mastery math like Singapore). In a nutshell, what I dislike about Saxon: (1) the organization - super-spiral, not enough time on the current day's lesson to fully master the lesson because there's so many exercises on previous day's lessons. I prefer a mastery program that allows time to delve more deeply into a topic while you're learning it, not three weeks or three months later. Also, jumping around in Saxon to fill in holes or accelerate a student is FAR more difficult due to the organization - just take a look at the table of contents - enough to make one dizzy. You can't simply pick out a chapter, and it's more difficult to skip a lesson when the exercises might contain important work on lessons taught earlier. I think Saxon is a lot less flexible than a mastery program. (2) the instruction - I prefer the way Singapore teaches concepts and problem solving. Singapore teaches much more like how I think about math concepts. Saxon might not have much in the way of problem-solving, though that could be supplemented if one has time in the schedule after the regular Saxon lesson :tongue_smilie:.

 

eta, to boil it down, fairly or unfairly I see Saxon as too far on the rote/prodecural continuum, while Singapore has a nice combination of teaching the concept well and then teaching the algorithm well. If teaching Singapore gives you pause because it is different from how many of us were taught math growing up, take a look at Math Mammoth, which IMO is also excellent - written directly to the student with no separate teacher manual, and a bit more incremental and explicit than Singapore. Both prepare a student very well to go on to any prealgebra text.

Edited April 7, 2012 by wapiti

[momtokea]

We used Singapore in the early years and now use Saxon.

 

I agree with the poster above that says you have to find the learning style that suits your child best. Many people use Singapore with excellent results, it works for them. For us it just stopped working after about 3b or 4a.

 

Keep in mind that what I have to say is just my opinion and what MY family needs.

 

I found Singapore to be very, very good in some areas and extremely lacking in other areas. It's strong in conceptual math but has very little learning of basic math facts, and for us, transfer of skills and applying concepts in other areas just never happened. We had to supplement Singapore Math with other resources.

 

Saxon, on the other hand, is very strong in all areas. Once we started using Saxon my kids finally knew their math … all areas of math. It worked well FOR US.

 

I remember reading somewhere, a few years ago, that while Singapore Math has been very successful in Singapore, people need to keep in mind that the students in Singapore often attend after school tutoring. The math books they are using in school is not all they are doing for math. They, too, are supplementing. Just something to take into consideration.

Edited April 7, 2012 by momtokea

[Rosie]

I used Saxon in school (and taught it to 6th/7th graders when I worked in a school). I use Singapore with my kids.

 

The reason I don't like Saxon is because it's focus is on learning procedures, not understanding concepts. I couldn't care less how my kids score on a standardized test. I want them to KNOW math, not just be able to spout out right answers without truly understanding. I did great with Saxon as a kid because I was good at memorizing, but I never understood what the heck I was doing and why I was doing it! I was just being a good little girl and doing what I was told to do to get a good grade. I am now learning along with my kids in Singapore all the conceptual things I missed in school.

 

I like Singapore because of how it teaches conceptually. Since learning about number bonds and "making a ten," it was like a lightbulb went on for me. And my kids have no trouble moving to more difficult concepts because they build on what they already know. It's not just a bunch of random, disconnected things to be memorized (which is how I felt when I did math in school). It is one cohesive whole that actually MAKES SENSE. I also love the Singapore bar diagram method for solving word problems. I am a visual learner and those bars make all the difference in understanding what to do! We're not scared of word problems in this house!

 

I personally like mastery better than spiral but that has nothing to do with why I choose Singapore. If mastery didn't work for my kids, I'd probably find a conceptual program like Singapore that was spiral, or I'd use the Extra Practice book or some other resource to add in to create my own "spiral."

[happypamama]

Saxon is working sooooooo beautifully for my oldest child. The lessons are straight-forward, nothing cutesy, no attempts to dress it up and make it playful (she hates that kind of thing); it's just simple and basic and "here's how you do it." She is the kind of kid who needs to "chew" on something for a while -- have it introduced, work a few examples with me, and then practice it in small increments. Having a large amount of problems on one topic shoved at her at once and then moving on to something else the next day isn't really the best option for her right now, so I prefer the spiral approach.

 

It really just depends on the kid.

[SilverMoon]

I can't vote without knowing the kid's personality, says she with polar opposite children. :tongue_smilie:

 

Handing Saxon to my oldest would have been like putting him in front of a brick wall and telling him to run. Doing 3 problems of this, then 2 of that is a recipe for failure with this boy. He struggled to understand math for years, then suddenly clicked and leaped ahead. Lather, rinse, repeat. If these were the only two choices, he would have been using Singapore a grade behind in grammar stage.

 

My second however, said Saxon's ever changing problem set made math more interesting than a mastery course. This one is a strong math student who enjoys doing math with multiple books, and eats math for breakfast. She'd be fine in Saxon, but she would be skipping redundant lessons to keep the level challenging for her.

 

If I had to choose today for my 8yo it would be Singapore based on the workbook alone. He's a strong, advanced math student, but he's only 8. I once handed him the Saxon book that's at his level. After perusing a few lessons he looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

[MissKNG]

We use Singapore. Before deciding on a math program, I checked out samples of Saxon and carefully read their catalog. I based my decision because their presentation would not work with my big girl's learning style. If I were the student, Saxon would work for me...I need the incremental approach. I am a very sequential learner. My big girl just "gets" math and doesn't need increments to guide her.

[Miss Marple]

If your child hasn't put forth a "math personality" or a general "school personality", I'd look over both with an eye to what YOU like and believe you would teach successfully. You can switch if it doesn't work out.

 

I agree with this. At the pre-K level, you need something that resonates with you. I was given a recommendation for Singapore when I was on a forum complaining that my boys were zooming through ABeka math (I chose that over Saxon because I could tell Saxon would give me hives). Someone recommended Singapore. I Googled and found that I could purchase the books from a bookstore Singapore. I purchased all the PM books needed for 4 boys :) and they arrived on a slow boat in a plain brown wrapper tied up with string. I think it cost me about $50 back then.

 

Singapore taught math the way I think about math. I found that I was already using the methods in Singapore to teach the boys. So it was a natural switch for us.

 

Saxon and Singapore are two totally different critters - breeds apart! Take a look at both and then decide which you can teach. And, you may want to check out other publishers as well. There are many good programs out there. Once you discover your son's math learning type, you can switch around if necessary.

[coffeegal]

Why do you like/dislike Singapore? (is singapore mastery?)

 

We started with Singapore and couldn't get past 1A, even after starting over and over and over. It was a disaster. My feeling on Singapore Math was not enough, not enough, not enough. This was a decade ago and there wasn't the extras, TM's, etc. that are available now. It was also during the heart of the Singapore-Saxon wars. So I switched camps. It was like coming home. I could see why we struggled with Singapore; we needed manipulative, drill sheets, and the extra practice Saxon provided. We've since attempted Singapore 2 or 3 more times, and it's never been a good fit. It's a tear producing curriculum for us. So all my kids use Saxon. My strong math students enjoy math; my math hater doesn't like math. We've even tried Life of Fred. His comment, "Mom, it's still MATH!" :lol: So everyone uses Saxon Math here, especially as I've converted to the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" crowd. ;)

 

:001_smile:

[KirstenH]

I bought both Singapore 3A/3B and Saxon 5/4 based on placement tests. When I compared them side by side, I realized I'd have an insurgency on my hands if I tried to make my math-gifted but wiggly child sit still for Saxon. It's a LOT of repetition and it doesn't move very fast (they call this incremental). My kid would rather learn a concept once and move on. He has a good memory, so he only needs a very little reminding to recall previous concepts if they're not fresh in his mind.

 

Some kids need heavier review. I think Saxon looks like an awesome program for those kids. I actually wanted it to work for my son, which is why I originally bought it, but so many people said "take a look at Singapore," and I'm glad I did. It's a good fit for us.

[kalanamak]

 

Some kids need heavier review. I think Saxon looks like an awesome program for those kids.

 

I think my son need heavy review, but he also needs to move forward and not have every math lesson like the last. We move fairly quickly through a SM topic, and even if kiddo doesn't have it down "pat", we move on, but I circle back. While we are almost done with decimals in 4B, we are putting 5-10 minutes of fractions in each session, as I found his knowledge fades. Once, however, we have gone back enough that he suddenly says "I get it!", from then on he does remember.

 

I think in metaphors, often, and for this it is watering very dry ground. First you soak until it runs off. Then you let it sit, and when you come back, the ground is much more receptive. For us Saxon would be too much for the first watering.

[mom2att]

I use both. I have one child for whom Singapore was a great fit. She used all of the primary math books from 1 - 6 and continues to be a strong math student.

 

I tried using the same approach with my middle child and failed miserably. He is definitely a Saxon kid--we started in Saxon 2 and are now finishing up 6/5, with no plans to leave Saxon any time soon.

 

My third is currently using Singapore just because he didn't show a strong bent one way or the other and Singapore fits MY learning style better. So as the teacher, I made that executive decision. :)

 

I should add that I had to try Singapore with my middle before I realized what a disaster it was. Sometimes you just have to take something for a test drive to find the right fit, even a math curriculum. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can get away from the one size fits all mentality and find what works best for your individual child, never mind what the experts or even the rest of us moms say.

[Crimson Wife]

Our charter school has a lending library and there are always lots of Saxon books available, so I've looked them over numerous times. Every time I do, I come away feeling :ack2:. The extreme spiral format. The total lack of visual appeal. The need to copy problems onto notebook paper.

 

If I needed a spiral program to supplement Singapore, my choice would definitely be Horizons because it is so much more visually appealing and the student can work right in the workbook rather than having to copy the problems onto a separate piece of paper.

[maizeydaizey]

We ended up with Horizons and love it!

[JudoMom]

It seems that when I read posts that people who love Saxon hate Singapore and vice versa. They don't really compare saxon vs MUS. I love the idea of those who love Saxon use it because it is very thorough, goes through calculus, and the kids using is usually test above their grade level. But those who hate it complain that it's too much repetition and it's boring.

 

 

So I guess my question is why do you like/dislike Saxon? (isn't is spiral?)

 

 

 

I though I'd made my mind up but now I'm questioning. I have a preschooler next year I wanted to start in Saxon k so I want to figure this out.

 

 

Why do you like/dislike Singapore? (is singapore mastery?)

 

 

Thanks you so much for you input.

 

I'd recommend going with the program that you would like to teach.

[MrsBear]

I think it really depends on your child's math personality. Some kids get math really easy and are mathy-types, bored easily with repetition and spiraling; whereas others really enjoy repetition and spiraling, building upon things slowly. Both programs are attempting to get your child to the same place - math competence. For us, DS is very much a mathy-type and we started with Saxon, but quickly switched to Singapore once it was clear to me that he was really getting annoyed and bored with the Saxon approach. To me that doesn't mean Saxon is a bad program - it just wasn't a good fit for my DS - for other kids, it's a perfect fit.

[bethben]

I used Singapore with my oldest until 6A where I realized he really needed to have more practice with the concepts before he moved on to other concepts. So, we switched to Saxon - he tested into Algebra 1/2.

 

With ds#3, I am doing Singapore math for the mental math/how math works and Horizons math for the math fact practice. I will switch him when he's ready for 5/4 or 7/6 - I haven't decided that part yet. I agree with other posters that you really do need to supplement the math facts part which is why I'm supplementing with Horizons.

 

Beth

[jmc1970]

I actually have my daughter do both and it is working out well. Singapore's mental concepts have her thinking, but sometimes it takes awhile to get through a lesson and there isn't a whole lot of repetition in the actual lesson, so we hang out there a bit and I write her up a few problems a day until she is comfortable with it. In the meantime, we do Saxon to boost her confidence as for the same grade level, Saxon is a lot of repetition and she is always saying how she can do it. Whereas Singapore, she really needs to mentally think about it and sometimes it seems as if we aren't going anywhere, but Saxon we are always moving, but it is much easier at the same grade level.

[besroma]

As far as test scores go... Both will produce good test scores IF the curriculum fits the child.

 

:iagree: I also agree with Kalanamak's statement about considering what you would enjoy teaching, as they are quite different.

[ALB]

I voted for Saxon. I have researched between these two pretty extensively, and always come back to Saxon being the right choice for our family for now. I like the thorough practice, the clear teaching instructions, and my dd enjoys it.

[lmrich]

See if you can borrow a copy of each from someone before you decide.

 

Singapore only works with a child who doesn't need lots of practice.

 

My middle dd needed lots of practice, still does, to feel confident. When learning to reduce fractions she needed to do a 100 of them before she felt good about it. My son did it 10 - 15 times, said, "Got it, what is next?"

 

To each his own.

[AngieW in Texas]

Saxon and Singapore are made for very different kinds of kids.

 

I know that Saxon does work for some people. I am a mathy person and would have failed math with Saxon because it makes absolutely no sense to me. All topics are randomly presented and it doesn't stick with anything long enough to actually learn it. It works for people who learn through review and need extremely wordy presentations of everything.

 

Singapore is a fabulous program, but it doesn't work for everybody either. It teaches multiple methods rather than just one. It sticks with each topic long enough to learn it thoroughly. It does a fabulous job with word problems. It had just the right amount of review for my oldest, too much review for my middle, and not enough review for my youngest.

 

I am now using MUS for my youngest. Singapore mostly worked for her up through 5B, but she really needed a lot more review at that point. I tried lots of different things and finally settled on MUS.

 

I do NOT like the lower levels of MUS at all. The Algebra I level is pretty decent though. It doesn't have anywhere near as much rigor as I would like, but my youngest probably wouldn't be able to get through it if is was more hard-core.

 

MUS is NOT a good program for kids who memorize easily because those kids will fly through the program getting everything right and then run into a brick wall when they get to a point where they have to start applying what they are supposed to have learned. It is very easy to memorize your way through MUS without learning anything.

 

OTOH, when you have a kid who has a very hard time with memorizing (like my dyslexic dd), it can be a good thing because it really is set up well for memorizing. It sticks with topics long enough to really learn them and has a lot of excellent review.

 

My preferred math sequence is

Miquon Math for K-2nd

Singapore Math 3A-6B for 3rd-6th

Kinetic Books Algebra I or Jacobs Algebra

Jacobs Geometry (I prefer 3rd edition)

Kinetic Books Algebra II

Lial's Precalculus

 

My youngest ended up doing:

Singapore Math for 1st-3rd (levels 1A-3A)

Moving with Math level B for 3rd-4th

Singapore Math for 4th-6th (levels 4A-5B)

Key to series (fractions, decimals, percents) for 6th-7th

MUS Prealgebra for the rest of 7th (that really didn't work all that well)

MUS Algebra I for 8th-9th (she'll probably finish in December of 9th grade)

[cbollin]

oldest used MUS from Kindy through Zeta, and in the middle of 5th grade switched to Singapore. Did 4B-6B. Then started Saxon in 7th grade. She placed into Alg I, but she had deer in headlights look. Had to back up to 87 to fill in "gaps" and get use to program... She's fine in Saxon. (oh, we did Jacobs geometry for a proof based geometry) 87, Alg I, jacobs, Alg II just finishing..

 

Middle gal... (in Kindy and 1st worked on math concepts informally and with little workbook or text). She started with Singapore 1A in 2nd grade. She finished 5B by end of 6th grade. Started in Saxon 87 and likes it too. She's older can handle the 30 problems easier. For a child with whatever weird labels she has in developmental delays, she's sharper in math than people think.

 

My kids are night and day difference. Both Saxon and Singapore worked for both of them at different learning stages. never used below 87.

 

 

happy shopping and figuring it out. don't feel married to a math program from pre K through college.

 

-crystal

[ksmiles]

Who says you have to pick one?! Haha :tongue_smilie:

I used Saxon K this year with my 4 year old. He is turning 5 in June and we will be using Saxon 1 and Math in Focus (which is the another version of Singapore Math) together.

 

I love Saxon. However, I can only speak for K and what I've seen of Saxon 1. It might be a little dry and too repetitive for me, but my child doesn't seem to need all the bells and whistles. He enjoys math and the activites in each lesson are varied enough to still make it interesting. I also decided to start with it since it goes all the way to Calculus - that way I know my child won't have any "holes" in his math education.

 

I have decided to supplement with Math in Focus for Kindergarten this year because we do "school" all year and Saxon only provides so many lessons. Math in Focus seems to provide a little more of "thinking outside the box," which I really like.

 

Math in Focus has an awesome website where you can view all the pages of the student books and teacher's guides.

http://www.hmheducation.com/singaporemath/

 

I still like Saxon though, because of the repetition and spiral method. I feel that Math in Focus will provide a more conceptual understanding and will give some more ideas of how to use math in real life situations. So I hope to get the best of both worlds, so to speak :)

[Walking-Iris]

I voted Saxon even though I haven't started using it yet. But I do use Singapore Essential K with my 4 year old. He seems to like it, and honestly I just got them for him because he likes math and wanted books like his brother. Usually I like to keep prekinder and K math in a hands-on, manipulative Montessori based approach. Lots of games and counters etc. Not so much draw lines to this, circle that, cross out this---makes me want to tear my eyes out. But my 4 year old likes stuff like that, it's something he can sit at the table and do with us.

 

I prefer Miquon for these early grades. I like the discovery conceptual integrated approach. And I honestly believe that Cuisinaire rods are wonderful to have on hand and learn to use regardless of what math program you use with kids. In fact the more manipulatives the better.

 

Having said that I have always thought I would move into Saxon after Miquon. I've looked at a lot of different books for Singapore and I think it's a great program and a lot of people like it, but something about it just doesn't sit well with me. I just don't like it. And if the parent doesn't like it, it probably won't work for the kid. I would just be ranting about it the whole time I was trying to teach it. :001_smile:

 

My oldest ds is not as strong in math as other areas. He doesn't struggle, but it definitely takes him longer than a typical schedule. One of the reasons I like Miquon is the fact that he can figure it out at his pace and really understand before moving on.

 

So I chose Saxon 4/5 for him next year because I think the review and spiral approach will be good for him. He has a strong foundation in the concepts and I can tweak any lesson with the teaching skills I've learned from using Miquon. I also want him to start being responsible for some of his work and knowing how to work out of a text.

 

For the OP I wanted to also say that there's no reason to marry yourself to a program because it goes to higher levels. There's no reason not to use other programs concurrently or a part of one this year and something else another. I pull from Family Math, MEP, Living Math, Kumon. I also really like the look of Hands-On Equations and Key To series. There's a lot of math available.

[Sarah CB]

I like Singapore because it requires a deeper understanding from students. Take a look at the word problem comparison and then ask yourself what you want your child to be able to figure out:

 

http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/singaporeword.htm

[Sarah CB]

The other thing to consider is that Singapore students who go into Saxon are generally very well prepared and test in at a higher level. My dd tested into Algebra 1 after completing 6B, but Saxon students who switch into Singapore often have to start at a much lower level.

 

But really, I think those word problems speak volumes of the type of thinking required by each program.

[k3bzr18]

We have used Horizons and are trying to figure which one to go with, Singapore or Saxon. Horizon repeats (k) repeats quite a bit. Is it similar to Saxon in that regard?

:)

Lynn

[LillyMama]

I was already leaning toward Singapore, then my sister, who is a PS teacher, said "Oh, how I wish my school district would let us use Singapore!" and I was sold. I've never looked at Saxon- we've been doing Singapore all along and it's a great fit for my two very different learners.

 

I think that's why my sister likes it- she's has a master's in special ed and teaches in a fully-included classroom. Her experience is that Singapore (and the PS equivalent Everyday Mathematics) tends to read to a wider variety of learning styles. This is not to say it's everyone's favorite, but that many different styles find it use-able. The luxury of home-schooling is that you don't have to settle for use-able, you can go for best. In our situation, though, with two VERY different kids learning the same subjects at the same time, I lean to more universal and easy to tweak curricula.

 

And here's my disclaimer- everyone in this family, parents through kids, have "math-minds." We do a lot of math games- with dice, manipulatives, on the computer and iPad- for fun, by choice, anyway. So what happens during curriculum time is not the only source of math for my kids.

[wapiti]

Her experience is that Singapore (and the PS equivalent Everyday Mathematics) tends to read to a wider variety of learning styles.

 

Maybe you mean some other program as being equivalent to Singapore (there may be a few PS programs claiming to be like Singapore). Everyday Mathematics should not be mistaken for Singapore. They couldn't be more different.

[TryingHardMom]

Hi, just wanted to know what supplements you used for Singapore Math? Thanks!:001_smile:

[TryingHardMom]

We used Singapore in the early years and now use Saxon.

 

I agree with the poster above that says you have to find the learning style that suits your child best. Many people use Singapore with excellent results, it works for them. For us it just stopped working after about 3b or 4a.

 

Keep in mind that what I have to say is just my opinion and what MY family needs.

 

I found Singapore to be very, very good in some areas and extremely lacking in other areas. It's strong in conceptual math but has very little learning of basic math facts, and for us, transfer of skills and applying concepts in other areas just never happened. We had to supplement Singapore Math with other resources.

 

Saxon, on the other hand, is very strong in all areas. Once we started using Saxon my kids finally knew their math … all areas of math. It worked well FOR US.

 

I remember reading somewhere, a few years ago, that while Singapore Math has been very successful in Singapore, people need to keep in mind that the students in Singapore often attend after school tutoring. The math books they are using in school is not all they are doing for math. They, too, are supplementing. Just something to take into consideration.

 

Hi, what supplements did you use with Singapore Math?:001_smile:

[kalanamak]

Ekk, who dredged up an old thread.

 

(At least I just typed out the same thing I said a couple of months ago!)

Edited June 9, 2012 by kalanamak
oooops

[Five More Minutes]

Hi, what supplements did you use with Singapore Math?:001_smile:

You could look here (Google site search results) for previous threads about supplements to Singapore. Or you could start a new thread about this topic -- people may not read all the way to the end of this now-old thread to see your question.

 

(FWIW, I supplement Singapore with Miquon, use the Singapore IP/CWP books slightly behind to review, and am also adding in a bit of MEP puzzle problems.)

[Whereneverever]

My oldest is gifted. My middle has special needs. Neither was a good fit for Singapore and both love Saxon. It's not very popular on this board, but everywhere else I meet rigorous homeschoolers people love it. :tongue_smilie:

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I Wouk ask, "what is your teaching style?" if you would like tO explore math every day, discussing the logic of it, and solving challenging riddles as a means of understanding and applying even basic options, Singapore is considered superior and you might like it.

 

If you are a Get ER Done kind of math Mom and you desire a one-stop, thorough math road then try Saxon.

 

My oldest uses Saxon but its hard on my youngest. It's too boring, easy, black and white and repetitive. I just bought Horizons to try with her because Singapore totally overwhelmed me when I considered that every day would include Math discussions ...

 

So a lot of it will depend on your kids too.

 

And either way DO NOT purchase Saxon K. It's a total waste! Use Kumon instead, also Rod and Staff's preschool book, Counting with Numbers is lovely, as well as Critical Thinkinh Press "Can you Find Me?" preschool math and logic. And Singapore Earlybird Math is fun and adorable even if you arent sure you woll use Singapore later on.

 

After that you can either start with Saxon or Singapore 1.