Customer Reviews

Algebra 1: An Incremental Development - Homeschool Packet, 3rd Edition

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

 

 

WARNING - Saxon's Algebra is a great course but this is not 'it' - please read below.

This is NOT what it's known as the HOME STUDY KIT - made up of:

1 - The Algebra 1 student's textbook that includes the 120 lessons, the extra topics, index, glossary and an answer key to the odd-numbered problems.
2 - Test forms that include the 31 tests plus reproducible test answer sheets.
3 - Answers and tests solutions booklet that is just that. It only includes the answers not the ways to get there.

You only get #3 if you order this item, meaning that you will NOT be able to teach your students Algebra. Moreover, there is no value in purchasing this booklet as it is always included with the Home Study Kit and you will not need more than one, no matter how many students you have since this is for instructor's use, not student's.

I love Saxon and I've been using Saxon courses for many years with my children but you should look for the Home Study Kit or any other offer that includes the 3 items I listed above.

I am including my review of the Home Study Kit as a way to help those interested with purchases what is actually needed to successfully teach Algebra 1.

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BRIEF EVALUATION OF THE COMPLETE STUDY KIT

Like previous courses in the Saxon's series, Algebra 1 is a most effective tool for teaching children math without intimidating them and without boring them. After more than 6 years of teaching my own kids math after school I can testify that it works. Both my kids are now in advanced math classes, their math grades always A's and, as I explain below, we just skipped Algebra 1/2 as not necessary.

ALGEBRA 1/2 vs. ALGEBRA 1

I found Algebra 1 to be the logical 'next' for my kids who successfully covered Saxon's Math 8/7 the year before. We decided to skip Algebra 1/2 because it was more or less a re-review of the material in 8/7, presumably to ensure a solid math foundation prior to moving into the more abstract 'true' algebra covered by this text.

I would suggest taking Algebra 1 ans skipping Algebra 1/2 if your students have mastered Math 8/7. Otherwise, go with Algebra 1.

THE SAXON METHOD

We've been using Saxon's books to teach our kids math starting with Math 3/2 and we've been very happy.

Algebra 1 is comprised of 120 lessons, 31 tests, one extra topic on real number, Glossary, Index and answers to the odd-numbered questions. Unlike the previous Math courses, there are no 'Investigations' and the lessons no longer begin with drills and warmup activities. Also, unlike prior math cycles up to Math 8/7, tests are administered after every four lesson rather than after every five.

Each lesson begins by explaining and illustrating a number of new topics - rarely one, usually two or three, sometimes more. That is followed by a small number of practice exercises that are related to the new topics. Finally, there is a 30-item problem set (what the prior volumes were calling 'mixed practice') that asks students to answer/solve 30 questions that could be on EVERYTHING covered by Saxon up to that point. Each individual question has references to the lesson(s) which the students may want to review if they are having trouble with the answer/solution.

After every 4 lessons there is a 20-question test.

The problem set and the multi-topic lessons are what makes the Saxon method so effective as new concepts are introduced incrementally and each problem set keeps revisiting prior topics and many of the problems require the student to combine skills and knowledge acquired in more than one lesson.

THE KIT's CONTENTS

A complete, usable kit should include the following:

- The Algebra 1 student's textbook that includes the 120 lessons, the extra topics, index, glossary and an answer key to the odd-numbered problems.
- Test forms that include the 31 tests plus reproducible test answer sheets.
- Answers and tests solutions booklet that is just that. It only includes the answers not the ways to get there.

If you are not comfortable with the topic, you MAY want to order the optional 'Solutions manual' and, perhaps the Teacher's manual. I have no experience with these items.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

You should be very careful on what you get in your order. The 3 items above are what is usually called 'The Home Study Kit'. This is sufficient for teaching math. Please be aware that you will not be able to teach math effectively unless you have all 3 times above. Before you actually place your order, you should contact the seller and make sure that this is what you get.

I found the DIVE into Math CD for Saxon Algebra 1, 3rd edition to be a very useful addition. In fact this is what I am using this year and both the kids and myself are happier for it. You may be able to find kits that sell the CD separately or as part of a bundle. You will not be able to teach with the CD alone because you will be missing the practice problems and the tests so consider buying the CD by itself if you already have the 'study kit' or look for some bundle that has both the study kit and the CD. One CD for your 'class' should be sufficient so, if you have more than one student, buy as many kits as you need for the students and only one CD for teaching.

I have to say that I had a good experience with Saxon mathbooks. The explainations were great for kids learning on there own, when (ie homeschoolers) the subject is commonly one that a parent tends to be least able to confidently guide and instruct their child. The critical review I just read seems qualified by "PhD... etc", however I do know many people who benefitted from the Saxon math line of texts. Retention and learning methods do vary among student after all, and perhaps the instructor referred to encountered students who had not gone far enough into subsequent texts.

The Saxon Algebra 1/2 and 1 are good for providing very easy to understand explainations to students needing help. In my case (and apparently my son's as well) they are also great sources for advancing self-study on your own when they want to challenge themselves. Perhaps that doesn't qualify him as prepared for advanced college concepts, but when the child is age 10, and typically bored/unchallenged at school... it gives them a great guide to develop further at home.

I must also comment on the suggestion made by Ms. Shirley that there is not enough practice (but at the same time too much review?) in Saxon... hogwash! There are plenty of exercises throughout. And I haven't found anything dull or mehodical about the texts, and learning didn't POOF away. On the contrary, I've never read a better written self-instructed textbook. Furthermore, the criticism of research studies focussing on K-8 is unfair and "ridiculous"... this is where kids should be learning basic algebra!

Ms. Shirley's review seems to impede the understanding that this is Beginner's instruction.
Homeschooling instruction (and the level of advancement) is often very inadequate in math, but that is a seperate issue you cannot use as proof against the publisher. Our reviews are both subjective just like styles of learning.

PhD...hmmmmm....why is the daugther and not the mother writing the review. The daughter has no actual experience with the material and is only second hand passing on what her mother has claimed to be true.

I personally, as a homeschooling mother of 10, have heard nothing bad, but only good about Saxon math, and my personal experience with it so far is fine.

It is a matter of what the child works best with in my opinion as I have have used Saxon, BJU, ABeka and OTC math ciriculums with each of my children as I taught. I have good friends who will use nothing else.

It works very well, so do not be thrown off by one second hand PhD opinion. Probably she is in the same NEA group that thinks homeschooling dumbs down kids anyway.

I love Saxon Math! The lessons are very comprehensive and easy to follow. Every chapter has a review of what was learned in the previous chapter. I would recommend any homeschooling family to use Saxon products. They are a great company that make math easy to teach and learn.

Why wasn't Saxon Math around when I was young? I have used several levels of Saxon. All levels are great. Saxon takes the fear out of math by explaining the most complex information in an easy to understand manner. There is also constant review so that concepts go into long term memory rather than allowing the student to forget.

This algebra I book is currently being used in my daughter's 9th grade class. The book is very sturdy and will take alot of beating, so no problem with falling apart or anything. However, I give this book only two stars because it does a not-so-good job of explaining many concepts in "detail" for a beginning algebra student. There is indeed an answer key in the back of the book for odd numbered problems, but this answer key does NOT work the problem(s) out step-by-step so that students may see how the book's writer got the final correct answer. If one purchases this book, please make sure they have a good teacher who will explain in detail, because, unfortunately, the book does not go into detail as it should. I am currently looking for a substitute algebra I book that does a better job of explaining concepts. If it were not for the fact that our family has advanced degrees ourselves, so that we can explain the algebra concepts, I think my daughter might be needing a private tutor. I would recommend that folks pass this book and try something with good explanations and buy the ANSWER BOOK that goes with it.

Arrived on schedule and in great condition. With a solid math background, this item is helpful at homework time. We wish we'd have purchased a similar product in years past rather than an item that detailed each problem's solution in a step-by-step process!

This product is so poorly conceived. There are not enough reinforcing problems so that students retain the algebra concepts and can test out of high school classes. We are almost halfway through the year and have not even started polynomial factoring, a basic concept in algebra 1. The book and answer key have numerous errors, enough to frustrate the teacher, who chose the new Saxon curriculum.

My mother is a Ph.D. in mathematics and taught Jr. and Sr. High math for several years before moving up to teach college math. She has been pretty vocal that the only math text that will result in imparting a poor understanding of mathematical concepts--a false sense of mastery while using it, but poor retention after--is Saxon. She says that every time she has a home schooled student who is really struggling at the college level and they say "But I did so well in math before!" and they are traumatized at the level of tutoring help they need to make it in college, they all have in common the fact that they learned math using Saxon texts in high school.

After she impressed this on me, I was really leery about choosing jr. & sr. high school curriculum a couple years ago and asked her to go to me with convention to help me pick something out. She said, "You are good at math and a good teacher. Just pick something you like that is NOT SAXON!" I'm not exaggerating. It's the spiral learning method that they use. It doesn't give enough thorough practice of all the variations of a particular concept before moving on and too heavily relies on review throughout. That seems to impedes long-term retention. She thinks the fact that it is so dull and methodical is also ridiculous in this day and age of fabulous graphics and the trend to make math more interesting and multi-modal for the average student who doesn't love math.

I find it interesting that on their website, of the 6 research studies of their curriculum, only one includes high school; the other five utilized k-8 or 6-8 curriculum. Maybe all that dry rote learning makes a student test better. But the sad part is when it comes to taking that learning and building on it, they don't really understand the concepts behind it and can't apply future learning to what they simply practiced over and over but don't really know. Kind of like cramming for a test by going over everything you've learned right beforehand and blocking everything else out until you take the test and then POOF! everything you repeated over and over in your head beforehand just seems "gone" once you go back to normal habits of thinking/doing and you stop all that repetition.