pjssully Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Hi, I have two 7th graders and they have been doing different math programs up to this point. One has been doing Math u See mostly because he doesn't like the tons of review in some of the other programs. The other has used Abeka, but is burned out at this point with this math curriculum. I want to switch them to the same thing for ease of teaching for me, if possible! The question of course is if I can find something that fits them both. I was thinking of Saxon, just because of the great scores I have heard about. But I worry about the amount of review for the one boy. However, I also think that maybe that is the way to really cement the concepts and he just has to put up with it. I also have Lial's pre algebra, which looks good too. Could anyone give me some idea about math curricula and mostly maybe their opinions on Saxon?? I do know the AOPS would not work well. We looked at it together and I think it is too wordy for them. Would appreciate any input!! pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 We switched from Singapore to Saxon in 4th grade and have been very happy with it. You may want to check out the free at your own pace Saxon courses at www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.com. The courses include recorded lectures, online practice sets and tests (both computer graded), and open office hours each week if the student is having a problem. You will need a copy of the book. We used them for algebra 1 this year and have been pleased. My daughter prefers their voice threads to the Art Reed dvds we used in algebra 1/2. They have algebra 1 and 2 available for immediate enrollment (as well as 5/4 and 6/5 if you need anything for younger), and will have preview courses starting for 7/6 and advanced mathematics on Aug 15, IIRC. For the preview courses, the course is being built this year, so you have to stay a bit behind the build team. They will also have a live online class for algebra 2, with enrollment opening Aug. 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Take the placement test and see where they place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 If your child does not like review, Saxon is likely going to be frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRat Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 We switched to Saxon last year for 6th grade. I have been happy with Saxon, but there is a lot of review. Although my daughter is not thrilled with all the review, I have noticed that she is retaining the concepts much better than before - which, to me, is a huge plus. I also like that the book has good explanations with each section. I usually go over it with her, but sometimes she just likes to read the examples herself and complete the work. All in all, it has worked out well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimberlyNC Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I switched from Rightstart to Saxon then to Lial's and next year we are doing Chalkdust. If you like the spiral review, then go with Saxon. BUT...if your son does not like the kill and drill, then you can tweak the homework to help him succeed. I made a sliding homework scale. If my child made 90-100, they only had to do 15 problems on the next homework lesson. If they made a 80-89, then 20 problems, and so on. This allowed me to PICK the 15 problems they needed the most review on & skip the stuff that was just busy work for them b/c they had mastered the concept. It also helped me to reinforce the "show your work rule" (I counted it wrong if they just wrote the answer unless we previsouly discussed not showing work for a particular type of problem.) With Lial's or Chalkdust, the key is you don't have to do all the problems! Remember, these are college texts, so just do the odds or evens (or just pick). If you wish ot make it an 'honors' course, then give more problems. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I was thinking of Saxon, just because of the great scores I have heard about. But I worry about the amount of review for the one boy. However, I also think that maybe that is the way to really cement the concepts and he just has to put up with it. Could anyone give me some idea about math curricula and mostly maybe their opinions on Saxon?? We love saxon here! (Well, I love it, DC do it because I say so. ;) ) It's very thorough like Abeka, but the review is much more varied. If one of your boys doesn't need the review, that's totally different than not liking it. Most kids won't like it whether they need it or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 We used horizon through 6 and now use Saxon. Love it. There is review but it's often changed in subtle ways that make the kids think in slightly different angles and I like that. It's not as black and white as many believe (I have taken the algebra 1/2, and 1 courses with my dd). So - there is review but it's not rote drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omma Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 We switched to Saxon 8/7 after completing 7th grade BJU Math. We used the placement test and I believe it was very accurate in interpreting which level to go with. All the repetition has forced my children to put the various formulas and skills into their long term memory which has been a big win for us. We are sticking with Saxon math from now on because I am seeing the fruit! Blessings, Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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