Do you use Saxon a grade ahead?

[michaeljenn]

I am wondering if you you use Saxon a year ahead... I know that Veritas Press recommends 1st grade in K, 2nd grade in 1st, and so on. However, I see that TWTM suggests to use it at grade level.  I have always used Saxon at grade level for each of my older 3... and most skipped 87 and went straight into Saxon Alg 1/2.   I know that my 7, almost 8yo could do Saxon 3, but I know that he would get more time to cement his facts down if I did 2.  This should be a simple decision... Why am I making it so hard.  He was in public school last year, and honestly, I don't think they did a ton of "decent" math.  It was kinda scattered and just random worksheets.  They did not drill the facts at all either.  Help!

[bethben]

You give each child a Saxon placement test and they do that level.  Placing ahead or behind depends on the child.  I have a child 2 grades ahead, a child 1 grade ahead, and a child on grade level (she did Saxon K in K etc).  Don't try to guess.  Just give the placement test.

 

Beth

[weintz8]

I agree with doing the placement test and then placing there for your current student.

 

However if starting from the beginning.  I suggest trying Saxon 1 in K.  If it moves to fast you can always slow down later by doing Saxon intermediate before starting Saxon 5/4.

[...................]

Nope. My son is doing fine with it the way it is. No concerns here, he's is grade 7 doing 8/7 And has been using Saxon since Saxon 2.

[happypamama]

We didn't start Saxon until 3rd grade, but we skipped 8/7 with DD. She did 5/4 in the second half of 3rd (I looked for topics she didn't know and did those), 6/5 in 4th, 7/6 in 5th, and the first third of Algebra 1/2 last year in 6th, along with supplemental word problems and business math. This year in 7th she will do the second two thirds of Algebra 1/2, but 52 lessons in, she's seen like two small new things.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

We have used it a year ahead.  However, this year, we slowed down and spread Saxon 3 over 2 years.  It isn't that my son couldn't handle the concepts, but I wanted to focus on better memory of his math facts this year before he went to 5/4.  We also are adding in Life of Fred.  This past year, we did Saxon K with my preschool son, and he liked it, and we were planning to do Saxon 1.  However, he is switching to Abeka math because he really wanted the colorful workbooks.  I got the curriculum guides all the way up through third, and the ABeka second grade curriculum is very similar in scope and sequence to the Saxon 3 that my oldest is doing.  If you want to start more gentle and build slowly, start with K.  If you want to start learning math facts and writing in kindergarten, start with Saxon 1.  There is lots of review, and you won't "miss" anything by skipping K, as it starts at the very beginning again.  There is no workbook in Saxon K.  It is all calendar, patterns, counting and manipulative based play and oral learning.  But if you want K to be a fun year of exploring math concepts and games and numbers, go with K.  They do start counting dimes, and that was a little advanced for my preschooler, but that's about the most advanced thing in the scope and sequence.

[Chris in VA]

We used it a year ahead, but dd hit a little "wall" in second grade in Saxon 3. We took off a couple of weeks, and then she was ready to go back. It all depends on the kiddo.

If you've not used it before with your child, ITA with taking the placement test.

 

If you do Saxon 3, he will still have plenty of fact practice time. Even 5/4 does some drill.

[EmseB]

We use it a grade ahead because that's the way my oldest son's school stated him (they did 1 in K). Saxon 1 seems like it's a pretty gentle start for a k'er as far as I've seen.

 

My eldest is in Saxon 3 right now and it seems to have plenty of review.

[Ellie]

I am wondering if you you use Saxon a year ahead... I know that Veritas Press recommends 1st grade in K, 2nd grade in 1st, and so on. However, I see that TWTM suggests to use it at grade level.  I have always used Saxon at grade level for each of my older 3... and most skipped 87 and went straight into Saxon Alg 1/2.   I know that my 7, almost 8yo could do Saxon 3, but I know that he would get more time to cement his facts down if I did 2.  This should be a simple decision... Why am I making it so hard.  He was in public school last year, and honestly, I don't think they did a ton of "decent" math.  It was kinda scattered and just random worksheets.  They did not drill the facts at all either.  Help!

 

But I have to take issue with you a little about your comment regarding skipping Math 87 and going straight into Alg. 1/2.

 

There's nothing special about that. :-) Both Math 87 and Alg. 1/2. are "pre-algebra," and children are not supposed to do both, nor do they skip one because they are doing so great they don't need it. :-)

 

With older editions, the sequence was Math 67, Math 76, Alg. 1/2, Algebra 1, if the children had at least an 80% average in Math 76. With current editions, it's 76, 87, Alg. 1, if the children have at least an 80% average in 76.

[Doodlebug]

We have used it a year ahead, until this year... my son is now in 3rd grade and set to do 5/4.

 

Whether a student places ahead, or you decide to just go with it like I did in kinder with Saxon 1, the eventuality is that 5/4 is a big leap for some third graders.  My son was ready for Saxon 1 academically, but his writing fatigue really brought frustration -- and that didn't get better because each year the worksheets require more writing.  I eventually learned to write for him, but not before confidence and spirit were compromised.  

 

I don't have regrets, necessarily, but I definitely see the trade off I made and wanted a better start for my son.  

 

We are taking a semester off of Saxon to explore math facts and problem solving fun.  His writing is improving, and I can see us probably taking on 1/2 lessons of 5/4 this November.  

 

Hope that helps!

 

Stella 

[Guest]

I feel better reading that a lot of you moms have kids hitting a wall in Saxon 3. My ds used Saxon a year ahead and did Singapore lessons, as well. When we hit 5/4, he wasn't ready for it. We did a lot of meandering in the math world and his math sequence has been really strange, albeit very thorough, lol. Because of his experience, I had my dd start Saxon on grade level, even though it was super easy for her. We're not currently using Saxon, but, if I had a do-over using Saxon, I would keep them on grade level. I do know many people who work a year ahead, but for our family, I didn't see it as necessary or beneficial.

[michaeljenn]

Thanks for the responses everyone:)  I have decided to just do grade level with my ds.  His motor skills need time to develop, and I don't want him to hit 5/4 too soon!  I appreciate each one of you sharing your opinion, and your experiences!!  This helped me so much!!

 

 

But I have to take issue with you a little about your comment regarding skipping Math 87 and going straight into Alg. 1/2.

 

There's nothing special about that. :-) Both Math 87 and Alg. 1/2. are "pre-algebra," and children are not supposed to do both, nor do they skip one because they are doing so great they don't need it. :-)

 

With older editions, the sequence was Math 67, Math 76, Alg. 1/2, Algebra 1, if the children had at least an 80% average in Math 76. With current editions, it's 76, 87, Alg. 1, if the children have at least an 80% average in 76.

 

Ellie... I am sorry you took an issue with my comment.  I am not quite sure how to "read" your comment.  I was not implying that there was something "special" about skipping 87... I forgot to add that one of my dd's also skipped 6/5... So she basically did Saxon 1-5/4 skipped 6/5, did 76 and went into Alg 1/2.  She is very mathy, and I was not aware that most skipped 87. Another dd of mine did each and every level including 87 and Alg. 1/2 because she needed it, even though she had an 80% average on all levels. She just needed more time.

 

I was just asking if others normally skipped ahead levels, mainly for the K-3rd grade. 

[Ellie]

 

Ellie... I am sorry you took an issue with my comment.  I am not quite sure how to "read" your comment.  I was not implying that there was something "special" about skipping 87... I forgot to add that one of my dd's also skipped 6/5... So she basically did Saxon 1-5/4 skipped 6/5, did 76 and went into Alg 1/2.  She is very mathy, and I was not aware that most skipped 87. Another dd of mine did each and every level including 87 and Alg. 1/2 because she needed it, even though she had an 80% average on all levels. She just needed more time.

 

I was just asking if others normally skipped ahead levels, mainly for the K-3rd grade. 

 

You seemed to think that there was something valuable about skipping Math 87 and doing Alg. 1/2 instead. There isn't. "Most" children do not skip 87. "Most" children do 87 and skip alg. 1/2. It has entirely to do with how things went with 76, as I explained: 80% average in 76, then do 87, then Alg. 1; less than 80% in 76, then do Alg. 1/2, then Alg. 1 :-)

 

I know you were asking about the lower levels. I made my comments for the benefit of others who thought that their dc were supposed to skip 87 and that it was better to go from 76 to Alg. 1/2. It isn't. That's all. :-)

[Gil]

You seemed to think that there was something valuable about skipping Math 87 and doing Alg. 1/2 instead. There isn't. "Most" children do not skip 87. "Most" children do 87 and skip alg. 1/2. It has entirely to do with how things went with 76, as I explained: 80% average in 76, then do 87, then Alg. 1; less than 80% in 76, then do Alg. 1/2, then Alg. 1 :-)

 

I know you were asking about the lower levels. I made my comments for the benefit of others who thought that their dc were supposed to skip 87 and that it was better to go from 76 to Alg. 1/2. It isn't. That's all. :-)

 

Do you mean more than 80% avg in 76, then do Alg. 1/2, then Alg 1?

 

[boscopup]

The private school my son went to uses Saxon at grade level. At the end of 6th grade, they look at the child's test scores and determine if they'll do 8/7 or Algebra 1/2 the following year. Those that do 8/7 do Algebra 1/2 the year after that. This is the older versions. I know current version swaps that recommendation.

 

Basically, even going at grade level, the kids doing well at 7/6 will do Algebra in 8th, and the kids needing more time before Algebra will do Algebra in 9th, which is fairly standard in public schools here still.

 

I agree with others that if the child has been in public school using a different curriculum, you should just give the placement test. It's easy enough to do that and see where he really should be. No need to guess! The people that use it a year ahead usually do so because they started grade 1 level in K. The K-3 levels move a lot slower, but the 5/4 and up books seem to be pretty on par with other curricula as far as topics taught in certain years.

[RegularMom]

We have always used Saxon on grade level, as suggested in WTM, and it has worked quite well for us. We use the traditional progression of K-7/6, then Algebra 1/2 and on to Algebra 1. My girls are solid in their math, and while some moments in math have been challenging, we've been lucky to not hit any walls as of yet. I suspect that our steady on-level progression has something to do with it. 

[Salwa]

My son does not do Saxon in school. He is an incoming 6 grader.

 

I gave him the middle grades placement tests today. GAve him questions 1-20. Will give him 21-40 tomorrow.

 

He scored 11 /20. 

 

Of the 9 mistakes, 8 were careless mistakes in addition and subtraction. I say careless because his math facts are very strong and its not as if he doesnt know 16-7=9.

 

Two questions -

 

How do I treat the careless mistakes?

 

What can I do to see that he stops making such mistakes.