Using Beast Academy & Saxon--has anyone done this?

[susie]

I'm considering using Beast Academy to supplement our main math curriculum Saxon.  We do every part of Saxon--every part of every lesson, test and investigation--and my boys, (using 5/4  and 8/7, next year) benefit from the spiral/repetition/practice problems. I really believe Saxon is a solid, thorough program but I'd like to supplement with something more conceptually based for my 2 very math-inclined boys. I'm thinking to just get the BA Guide books for their correct level and have them read through that once or twice a week.  

 

Has anyone used BA as  supplement? How did you structure it?  Would the guide books alone accomplish our goals of teaching math more conceptually? or are the practice books truly needed for that?  I've never had the opportunity to look at either "in my hands" so I can only look at what BA has posted online as samples--not really helpful to me.  

 

I really don't want to invest a ton of money if not necessary in a completely new math curriculum.

[SamanthaCarter]

Yes I have. I let him read the guide books on his own time (usually finished within a week of giving it to him) and did Saxon MWF and Beast workbooks T/TH. I accelerated him through the Saxon book. We didn't continue Saxon as neither he nor I liked it. I think the combination worked well while we used it.

 

 

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Edited May 9, 2017 by SamanthaCarter

[EKS]

I have not used BA, though I have reviewed it.  I don't think your kids are going to get much out of the program if they just read.  Actually wrestling with hard problems is what develops problem solving skills.

[susie]

Thanks for the input...

 

I was concerned about that same thing, EKS.

[Julie of KY]

Even as a supplement, I'd recommend the practice books. While the guides are fun and useful, it's in the practice books where you get the meat of the program--and lots of practice.

[mrsduenes06]

I too struggled with the expense of Beast Academy, but decided that I would just try one book at a time (they are broken into four units a year, so investing $25 for the guide and practice book is easier than $100 for all). We do Math Mammoth as our main curriculum and struggled a bit with how to schedule everything, and I ended up having 3 days a week of Math Mammoth and 2 days for Beast Academy. I think that both the guide books as well as the practices are important in understanding the concepts fully. The guide books teach/give examples, and then the practice books flesh out these concepts in a variety of problems and puzzles. The puzzles to me are golden - my son who finished 5th grade math had to start back at 3A because their problems involve a lot of creative thinking, and even though he's doing "multiplication" or area and perimeter, what they do with these concepts in the problems takes it to an entirely different level. 

[EmseB]

We use Saxon and BA as a supplement for my oldest.  Basically I assign all our Saxon as normal, but Friday is Beast Academy math day.  So he does BA for an hour instead of Saxon.  This could end up being a whole bunch of pages, or maybe just a problem or two, depending on what it is.  You do need the guide and the practice book to make it worth your time.  The practice books are where they learn that sometimes you have to think about a math problem for a really long time and that is normal. :)

 

We've slowly worked through all of level 3 in BA this way, even though he's advanced in Saxon.  Since the way BA presents math is so different, the levels of the books don't really correspond to grade level, IME.

 

For what its worth, having done it this way for 2 years, we're moving entirely to BA for math next year.

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

We use Saxon and BA as a supplement for my oldest.  Basically I assign all our Saxon as normal, but Friday is Beast Academy math day.  So he does BA for an hour instead of Saxon.  This could end up being a whole bunch of pages, or maybe just a problem or two, depending on what it is.  You do need the guide and the practice book to make it worth your time.  The practice books are where they learn that sometimes you have to think about a math problem for a really long time and that is normal. :)

 

We've slowly worked through all of level 3 in BA this way, even though he's advanced in Saxon.  Since the way BA presents math is so different, the levels of the books don't really correspond to grade level, IME.

 

For what its worth, having done it this way for 2 years, we're moving entirely to BA for math next year.

 

I always see BA mentioned here and have never looked at it until last night and it looks amazing!!  My rising 4th grade DD is starting Saxon 6/5 next year.  She has just finished up ABEKA 3, which is why we are going to 6/5. 

 

Saxon has more variety in problem presentation than ABEKA and more focus on mental math, but I like the looks of BA for more strategies and conceptual thinking.  

 

Did you find you got behind in Saxon?  I guess that isn't an issue since she is technically a year ahead anyway.  And since she has NEVER done anything like this, starting at 3A is probably a good idea, huh?  Even looking at the placement tests, it seems like just putting her there would be good.  

 

Thanks!!

[EmseB]

I always see BA mentioned here and have never looked at it until last night and it looks amazing!!  My rising 4th grade DD is starting Saxon 6/5 next year.  She has just finished up ABEKA 3, which is why we are going to 6/5. 

 

Saxon has more variety in problem presentation than ABEKA and more focus on mental math, but I like the looks of BA for more strategies and conceptual thinking.  

 

Did you find you got behind in Saxon?  I guess that isn't an issue since she is technically a year ahead anyway.  And since she has NEVER done anything like this, starting at 3A is probably a good idea, huh?  Even looking at the placement tests, it seems like just putting her there would be good.  

 

Thanks!!

 

No, doing it four days a week we still seem to finish Saxon in a reasonable school year. I'll admit we did not do every single investigation.

 

I would start almost any student with 3A if I were going to have them do BA at all.  And actually, 3A has one of the hardest sections out of all the units we've done so far, so don't get discouraged if you find it's difficult in the beginning.

[Creekside5]

We are doing Saxon 8/7 and Aops Pre-algebra next year.  I like the spiral review in Saxon and want to keep him practicing the concepts he learned in Aops, plus all the concepts from earlier grades. My plan is to teach Aops and have him just do odds or evens in Saxon as a review. I will pretest the Saxon material this summer and see where he needs more practice.  He is used to having math "homework" and he could do it quickly for 20 min while he eats breakfast or as a warm-up in the morning before we start "school".