So I did the placement test at the beginning of the year and it put both my boys in grade 2 math. The problem is we are halfway through book 1 (the student set is in two parts), and I have yet to actually get to anything they don't know. The only thing they need work on is their speed drills but seriously I'm only doing this math three times a week and supplementing with other stuff to give them a challenge. Is all of saxon like this? Any suggestions on some good supplements especially some with word problems? Anyone been here with saxon before?
For wordproblems try The Verbal Math Lesson (first chapter of level 1 and 2 are FREE on the website: http://mathlesson.com and/OR search for WordMath books on Amazon. You can find some great stuff for cheap.
Birbitt, Jackie and I and some others have used the "challenge" method with Saxon. That means you give them the first test, and if they pass it, give them the second, then the third, and so on. Then when you get to a point where they don't pass the test, that's where you start the course. Now, I don't know about Jackie or others, but I've never used the lower levels of Saxon, only 54 and up through Alg I. So I don't know for sure if it would work the same way with the younger crew.... I've used this method any time we switched books, whether at the beginning of the year or later on in the year. This tends to eliminate the "overlap" between levels and get on with the new stuff.
It was too easy for my son, so we switched him to Singapore. It was too hard for my daughter, so we switched her to Bob Jones. So, my guess is that how easy/hard it is will depend on the math proficiency of the child using it. My son is very advanced mathematically, and my daughter is most definitely not [except in geometry, where she blows everyone out of the water LOL].
I have not used Saxon with the early elementary (1-3). I do know that it starts to speed up and gets more challenging as you get into 54 and then up through high school. There is alot of review/reinforcement in Saxon and some people do not like that approach but that is the backbone of their program.
same here This is our 1st yr using Saxon and its not challenging my dd at all. she is in 2nd grade also. I guess i should have gotten her 3rd grade maybe. amy, ga
Saxon gets way harder in the 5-4 book. My dd was a year ahead until she hit that one. Then we had to slow way down. She's at grade level now we lost time when she hit 5-4. But it is challenging her now. She is a very bright kid I like that it is easy in the early years so your child can get a grasp on the easy stuff and develop a positive attitude about math. They also drill drill drill those facts in to their heads so the hard stuff will come easier.
thanks thanks fairfarmhard. thats good advice for me. i do really like the drills. they make sure she knows the simple addiction/subtraction facts super quickly. amy, ga
