Gil Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Looking for experience-based feedback, if anyone here has any. If you have used either of these publishers in the Algebra 1 - Calculus range especially at the Algebra 2 -Calculus level what do you and your students think in hindsight? I'd love to hear your experience, advice, feedback, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Natural math students (strong math students who get concepts easily/intuitively) could use either and be 'fine' (move on to college maths). MUS is a much much much easier program-- not really challenging. Very basic. Again natural math students can take that and spring board off and do just fine. Saxon is unique-- if the program matches the way the student thinks then it is great (if not it can be extremely frustrating). It it much more challenging and offers much more depth than MUS. Other than that it is really hard to compare-- apples to oranges. Both are fruit (math)-- but they appeal to different user/learner types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Okay so...which did you use and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Gil, What sort of information are you seeking? Are you think of using this series with your little guys? I do think the simplistic white pages are good for younger kids and the format makes complex topics accessible. However, the content is equally simplistic. I love using the alg and geo for pre-alg and pre-geo, but the pre part means something. My kids have definitely been challenged by following MUS's alg and geo with another year each of alg and geo. (even my very strong math kids who are very real people. ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Gil, What sort of information are you seeking? Reviews of the upper levels of each of these programs, they are hard to come by. Are you think of using this series with your little guys? I do think the simplistic white pages are good for younger kids and the format makes complex topics accessible. However, the content is equally simplistic. I love using the alg and geo Have you ever used Math U See's Algebra 2, PreCalculus or Calculus? for pre-alg and pre-geo, but the pre part means something. My kids have definitely been challenged by following MUS's alg and geo with another year each of alg and geo. (even my very strong math kids who are very real people. ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 No. Once my kids have completed 2 additional yrs worth of alg and geo, they no longer need the simplistic approach of MUS. I like using it as a gentle transition from elementary math to high school math, but they are ready for a full blown high school alg text after they finish MUS. Since the first several chpts in the high school textbook is review, they get their "feet wet" knowing the content. The presentation of the textbook is familar by then and they are ready for the more challenging parts of the alg book. (FWIW, "the textbook" for all of my kids has been Foerster's) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 I taught Saxon (high school levels) for over 10 years-- I used Saxon for k-8/7 with my older girls--then we had to switch because the method was NOT working for them. I currently teach from Lial (and I moved my girls into Lial after hearing about it on these boards!) , but I have students each year coming into my classes from Saxon or MUS. I do not recommend moving to Saxon after Algebra 1-- their sequence of concepts is different and their Algebra 2 does not include 'review'-- the text picks right up where their Algebra 1 text stopped (expecting students to know the expectations of the 'review' problems...) and Saxon's problems and lessons are UNIQUE (wording and format). It is a HUGE learning curve... not impossible, but can be painful even for strong students. In my teaching experience 30% of my Saxon students would have been better off with a different (traditional) math program-- Saxon requires students to make connections and if the student is not mentally mature enough this can be frustrating (teaching is done using almost a discovery method in the problem sets as they merge problems from several different lessons into 'reivew' problems without taking students through the process of demonstrating HOW to make the connections). My students who used MUS for Algebra 1 needed much more support moving into Lial Algebra 2-- they were learning concepts for the first time that the other students were reviewing. If your heart is set on one of these 2 programs then I guess Saxon would be my choice because it is up to standards-- MUS is below standards (but adequate for average students who are not going to need more advanced math in college and probably fine for advanced students who use higher maths naturally outside of the classroom). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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