Customer Reviews

Advanced Mathematics: An Incremental Development [Solutions Manual]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I used the Saxon books through all of my High school math courses, and think they are *the* best way to learn algebra and higher math. The key to the success is really twofold. 1) New types of problems are introduced with every lesson - but these are not drilled into the student by giving them 20 or more "practice problems" to do. Instead, only about 5 of the "new" problems are given for practice - letting the new ideas "sink in" over a period of days. 2) Constant review. Because the student is not burdened with lots of new ideas every lesson, the remaining homework problems are review of everything the student has done to date. This ensures that the student doesn't forget how to do the math, and makes reviewing for a test almost obsolete.

I am now in graduate school, soon to get my PhD in theoretical biophysics. Learning math so well in high school put me far ahead in college. I also tutor out of the Saxon books (and others, depending on which schools the kids attend), and the Saxon kids are far ahead of the others in terms of retention and understanding.

This book covers beginning calculus without labelling it as such so the students aren't scared off. Ah! Another clever ploy to get students to learn the "hard" stuff!

I have been using Saxon mathematics for 15 years, first as a 5th-12th grade student and more recently as a tutor. This program is excellent and like one of the other reviewers I can agree that even my "average" Saxon students have significantly better mathematics skills that those students using other programs.

I began using Saxon math in 5th grade. Prior to that I used a typical "learn and drill" method. A new concept was taught and drilled for 20+ problems and then the instruction moved on to another topic. By the time I reached an end of unit exam I had forgotten the early material.

Then in 5th grade we changed curriculums. I didn't become a "math lover" overnight. In fact, although my math skills improved, I adamently hated math all the way through junior high. Then I began algebra. By the end of Saxon's algebra 2 textbook I loved algebra and was making high A's in my homework.

A couple of years after highschool I was invited to begin tutoring math at a private school. At this point I reviewed my Saxon Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 eventually going on to study Advanced Mathematics for the fun of it. I would spend 2-3 hours a day studying math and loving every minute of it.

This independant study was 2 1/2 years ago. I recently decided to attend college as a math major. Last semester I passed Calculus I near or at the top of all the Cal I classes combined. My Saxon skills gave me the tools I needed to study well and grasp rather abstract concepts.

The one area that has concerned me is trigonometry. The Advanced Mathematics covered the topic quite thoroughly, however Calculus requires a lot of trig and it has been so long since I studied Advanced Math I've been afraid my professors will "spring" something on me I don't remember.

Yesterday my fears were alleviated. The math department held an extra credit exam for the Cal 2 students. The exam was a trig placement exam they would like to implement in the future. Because of my other classes I didn't have time to study so I decided to "wing" it and hope my studies 2 1/2 years ago would award me at least partial credit.

I'm quite pleased to say that thanks to Saxon I knew how to work every single problem on the test even though it has been 2 1/2 years since I studied trigonometry and I have not had any trig students since that time. Saxon works... Excellently.

If you are considering the Saxon texts let me encourage you to read the introductions to the texts. They are quite inspiring, imparting the vision Saxon had for math.

In addition students must work every problem. This is the whole reason Saxon works -- lots and lots of review. What most people fail to realize is that mathematics is like music; practice creates excellence.

Finally for those concerned about Saxon's lack of a dedicated geometry text, after having tutored math for 5 years I am convinced that Saxon's integrated approach is far more effective than traditional methods. Saxon teaches geometry concepts throughout the junior high and high school grades allowing for mastery of the ideas long before the formal proofs are introduced in Advanced Mathematics. This is excellent as I believe that older students have a greater capacity to grasp the rather abstract skills required for geometric proofs.

I'm very thankful for the curriculum switch in 5th grade. Because of Saxon I have transformed from a math-hating elementary student to a very succesful math major.

I used this book for my Junior and Senior year in high school. Even though I spread it out over two years (something they recommend you do, depending on your circumstances), I didn't find it slow at all. It teaches many challenging math concepts that are quite advanced (hence the name). I took a pre-calculus course from a community college my senior year, and at least 90% of the material in the college course had already been covered in the Advanced Math book.

On a side note, a lot of the word problems in this book are quite amusing.

I am currently using Saxons book, and it has greatly increased my understanding about Pre Calculus. I have been using Saxon for three years (since i was in 6th grade) and have failed to find a flaw in their work. The one-star review written doesn't understand their teaching method. By having a wide variety of problems in each problem set, Saxon really gets the lesson in your head. I currently teach myself the material and have a 98 average. If you REALLY want to learn Advanced mathematics, get this book!

Outstanding text for homeschoolers. Even though I had excellent teachers, this approach would have been beneficial for me, and is far superior to the jumbled approach recently taught elsewhere....

Saxon math is the best math program I have seen! The way they explain concepts is very clear and understandable. Sometimes it is tough to do all the review questions, especially if a particular type of problem is difficult. But if you don't practice it, you won't remember it! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quality math program. It is especially good for homeschool students who want to major in a math-related degree in college. If anyone is looking for more resources on homeschooling and math I would suggest visiting...for some good information. I also recommend finding a good math tutor who can help you with difficult problems.

This is a great help for homeschooling since we have to figure most things out by ourselves. The textbook only provides answers to the odd-numbered questions but not the actual solutions. This book shows the steps to the solutions and includes both odd and even problems. This is a useful companion to an excellent math book.

ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS MANUAL

The 'Solutions manual' can be a useful reference to anyone not fully comfortable with the topic and I didn't think I needed one until we did 'Algebra 1' last year. For 'Algebra 2' and now 'Advanced Math' I felt that I HAD to have it. The manual is needed because the 'normal' kit would only have 'full solutions' for the tests but the problem Answer Key book only has the correct answers for the practice and the problem sets but it does NOT show the step-by-step.

The manual shows the steps you take to solve every single problem set question with the cautionary note from the authors what there is often more than one way to get to the right answer. However, the Solutions Manual tries to stay as close as possible to the methods and procedures as presented in the textbook. The early solutions to a particular type of problem show every single step while later solutions omit the simple steps.

I am very happy for ordering the Solutions Manual. Even though I don't expect to use it very often, it's reassuring to have it handy, just in case. This book, while not a 'must have' component of an 'Advanced Mathematics kit' gets 5-stars for thoroughness and for 'being there when I need it'.

NOTES OF CAUTION

There are TWO main things you must check and make sure that are right before you order:

- Be aware that this is NOT an essential component of an 'Advanced Mathematics Kit' even though it may help.

- You will only need ONE copy, no matter how many students you may have. This should be mostly for teacher use.

What you MUST have in order to be able to teach Advanced Math is:

- The "Advanced Mathematics" student's textbook that includes the lessons, Glossary, Index and answers to the odd-numbered questions.

- The "Homeschool Testing Book" that include the tests, reproducible test answer sheets and the answers together with the 'step-by-step' on how to get there.

- The "Answer Key" booklet that has the answers to all the practice and problem sets but ONLY the answers, not the ways to get there.

_____________________________________________

NOTES:

The Dive Supplement

-------------------

I found the Dive Cd-ROM for Saxon Advanced Math 2nd Edition to be a very useful addition to the kit. In fact I am using it this year after using the 'Algebra 1' and 'Algebra 2' editions in previous a years. Like it's the case with the Solutions Manual, you will only need one DIVE CD even if you have more than one student.

It's worth noting that DIVE is NOT a Saxon product. This is a separate product that closely follows the Saxon course and you should make sure that you match the Saxon edition with the correct version of the DIVE CD.

A Personal Note

---------------

I should say that, to us, the effectiveness of Saxon's method is no longer a matter or doubt or debate. My senior kid was awarded the 'Highest Average in Math' at his campus upon completing his 8th grade and I have little doubt that our math home study is/was a contributing factor to his being awarded the "President's Education Award" and his bing on the Honor Roll on all 4 quarters of his 8th grade. His younger brother received the same when he finished 8th grade last year. He was/is also a 'straight A math student (typical math grade average is 97-99 each term) and a Honor roll/Principal's List most of the time. I mention this because both of them used to be quite 'in the middle' as in 'mediocre' when we started with Saxon (that's what prompted me to 'take action'). Us practicing math after school clearly developed their study skills and, since math is so 'hard', it helped them master most of the other topics taught in school with ease.

And, finally, and this might have fit under 'practical advice' as well, I'd like to note that doing this is NOT easy. Covering 130 lessons ad giving 32 tests calls for a VERY SIGNIFICANT investment of time and effort from both parent and children. I estimate we spent anything from 90 minutes to 2 hours per lesson and we usually 'do math' 5 to 6 days per week with a typical math study year beginning at the end of August and ending sometime early or mid-May.

_________________________

>> Brush your teeth, it's the law! <<

We have used Saxon Math from Pre-Algebra on. We are just finishing up Advanced Math and just ordered Saxon Calculus today for next school year. We also use Dr. David Shormann's DIVE CDs along with the textbook. This is a great help for teaching the new concepts in each lesson. As with all Saxon Math texts, repetition is the key, and although thirty problems a day can be daunting, we have found that our son (almost 12 years old) is able to better retain the concepts that way. Our method is to work side-by-side with him keeping an eye on the solutions manual while he is working.

If at all possible, start your student off with Saxon as early as possible. This will give you much needed continuity through the levels, something very valuable for any student who may proceed at a faster pace than Public School.

The book is a great guide, especially if you aren't entirely sure what you did wrong or what the next step is in a particular problem. I highly recommend it.