Customer Reviews

Algebra 1: An Incremental Development

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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 walked into my algebra classes very intimidated because I never did well in high school. I can't tell anyone enough what a great thing Saxon (I used 51 and 53) books were. The repitition and reviewing of problems helped me. At first it would seem that I would have trouble understanding. Then as I progressed through the lessons and previews I realized that I was understanding the prior lessons more because of the reviewing problem sets. I became a "math lover". If you have it in you to get the solution manuals I would recommend those also. Not for "cheating", but for when you come to a problem that is just not working out and you feel sure you are doing it right,the solutions manual will take you step by step on how that problem was solved and then you can find out where you might have gone wrong. Saxon is the best for my "learning type"..no pictures to distract you and it sticks to the lessons!

This book is not evil. At my school this is the book we use and this book is meant to be taken in 9th grade (at my school). The reason It doesn't get 5 stars is because:
We learn the lessons and then its like "Oh yeah I get it"... later on in the book, they contort the questions from that lessons. When you go back to refresh your memory... it is like that problem never exsisted.
DO NOT skip from the Math 87 book to Algebra 1. If you skip it will cost you later.
The great thing about this book is that for the most part you can always go back and re-read. They also tell you where each problem comes from (lesson). I am saying nice things about this book even though I despise Algebra. That's saying something. If you are getting home schooled and you aren't good at math then I reccomend this book. If you are a math genius, you need Abeka books. They are challenging and colorful.

I started using Saxon because I had heard many marvelous things about it--the teacher's manuals show the problem being solved step by step and the book reviews very, very often.

True; the teacher manuals are excellent. They go through the problems step-by-step, really quite useful.
Does the book review often? Yes and no. It's set up to where you must complete four lessons then take a quiz...a quiz based on the four lessons you did before you did the last four you just did. (for example, you do lessons 5-8 then take a quiz based on lessons 1-4) So, yes, it does review with it's quizes.

However, it does not review outside of the quizes. It gives you one lesson to learn something...one lesson, and only one. If you don't understand it, you must continue to read the lesson over until you understand it. Which is kind of a, "Well...yeah, of course." But sometimes it's nice to see what you're trying to learn in another lesson, to see it worded differently.
Not only that, but what if you are not a good retainer of information? If you are not a good retainer of information, then even if you do pick up the material, you immidiently go on to new material. You are expected to remember the material you just learned, as well as learn the new material. Forcing you to go back in the book and review what you learned earlier if you were not able to retain it.

Overall, I think this would be a better book if there was two or three lessons to cover the same material, and less teaching new material. There is a lot that they expect you to learn in only one year. Four stars, leaning towards 3.5 stars.

I have used Saxon Math in the public school since 1983. I have homeschooled my 3 children with Saxon Math. It is a wonderful program. I fell in love with the Algebra 1/2 book the first year I used it . I have used all the books from Math 54 to Advanced Math in the public school and homeschool. I have used it with Gifted and Slow Learners. All students can be successful if they will follow the directions and do each problem. My children loved it. They even use it in college to clearify work they are doing or to tutor students.

Our children used Saxon from 54 to 87, then moved on to advanced math, calculus and physics and they have excelled with this method. Although my background doesn't include an emphasis in math, my husband's education and professional life is steeped in mathematics. He's enthusiastic about Saxon because it creates a strong foundation in the subject.

Admittedly, solving 30+ problems a lesson can be a challenge, however, this process increases one's speed and accuracy over time and as my daughter said, it helped her "to make peace with math." Math is like learning how to play a musical instrument; it takes practice and self-discipline, but it's well worth the effort. Understanding math, like being proficient at reading and writing, is one of those practical skills that make life so much easier.

Using this incremental method of learning made homeschooling through high school a breeze and our college-age children sailed through their college math courses as well. In hindsight, it would be easy to choose it again

Just like anything else there are many factors to everything as a school teacher that uses this book I believe it is one of the most comprehensible texts out there. Other factors should include a willing student, and involved parents.

I've loved Saxon Math for some years. It's easy to read, explains the lesson incredibly well. I teach GED and this helps my students understand some of the material.
I'd recommend this textbook for anyone who is having a difficulty with math.

Sandy S

In my experience teaching in the high school classroom, I discovered that most students can quickly learn a new skill, but if they're using a curriculum that doesn't require them to use that skill for more than a few days, they can just as quickly forget it. Saxon math books do what few others do -- through the continual review implemented in the problem sets, students are able to retain skills for the long term. Isn't that the whole point of studying Algebra 1, assuming that students plan to move on to Algebra 2 and beyond? Problems get more difficult over time, because with mastery of a skill, the student is ready to take it to the next level. Higher level math and science courses require a student to think through complex problems, not to simply "plug and chug" through a formula, and Saxon is sufficiently rigorous to prepare a student to analyze and reason his/her way to a solution. I should add that I have two children who have completed this course and have blown the doors off standardized tests. (Their mother made certain they completed their assignments, however, and I suspect that contributed to their success.)

I have used this series to teach Pre Algebra, Algebra, and Algebra 2 for many years. I don't recommend it for students' use by themselves. I modify many of the lessons to make them more understandable and to give them hands-on instruction that the text does not provide - but then, isn't that what a teacher is for?
That being said, the texts do give an excellent, step-by-step presentation of the concepts needed to master the subject, unlike many mathematics textbooks that seem to meander mindlessly through the algebraic concepts, giving the students 20-50 problems using a concept, and then throwing the concept into a black hole, never to be mentioned again. Instead, the concepts are repeatedly reviewed so they aren't forgotten. My adopted daughter was able to go from failing test scores to a B in Pre Algebra in the first year of use. I have tutored students at the local high school with newer, "prettier," textbooks that are filled with cool pictures (Saxon has no photos, just line drawings), seeming to be so intent on looking impressive that they have depended on the impressive formatting to take the place of solid foundations for teaching.
The teacher in the 1 star reviews that said to "run from Saxon" has probably never asked how many of the succeeding students have used Saxon. My son tested into college-level Chemistry and College Algebra at the local college before he even finished Saxon's Algebra 2. Another of my students is majoring in engineering, is at the top of his class, and is tutoring others at his university.
In conclusion, I would say that this curriculum, just like any other mathematics curriculum, should be taught by a qualified teacher - someone who thoroughly understands the concepts presented and who can adjust them to fit the understanding of their students. Students should not be left to find their way through ANY math curriculum, although I know many misguided parents who expect their child to do so. I think that the simple look of the Saxon texts fool parents into thinking the concepts are easily picked up by their student - and this may be the biggest problem with the text. However, I would like to mention that the uncluttered pages were a welcome relief to those of my students who could not handle the overwhelming chaos of the the multiple colors and pictures of many of the modern texts.
As a last note, I would encourage you to note that most/all of the 1 and 2 star reviewers had mainly two complaints: that they were a student that was left alone to try and figure their math out by themselves, or it was a teacher that had not actually taught out of the text themselves - and who would never expect to walk into their classroom, set a text in front of their students, and then walk out and expect the students to teach themselves, as many of the Saxon users have been expected to do (it is a favorite in the homeschooled community because parents feel they can do this). No text, no matter how good, will be able to cater to the needs and understanding of every concept for every student. To expect it to do so, and then complain when it doesn't, shows a basic lack of understanding of how humans learn.