Customer Reviews

Math 6 / 5: Homeschool Set

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The set includes the three items you should have for a complete package: a Student/Teacher manual, the Solutions manual and the (reproducible) Tests and Worksheets. If you have one student, buy the COMPLETE kit. If you have 2 or more students, you should buy one complete set and as many extra student/teacher books, as you may need. If you do not have the ability to copy the worksheets, which is LEGAL, then you should also order additional Tests and Worksheets books. However, for one child, this is ALL you need. You will end up paying A LOT more if you bought these items individually.

Having 2 kids, and this is my experience for the past 5 years, from 3d to 7th grade, I order the complete kit from an education bookseller or from Amazon if I can find it here and an extra textbook from Amazon or one of the alternative sellers supported by Amazon.

By the way, Saxon's Math works. I am not a home schooler because I have a full-time job but I've been using it with my kids since 3d grade as a Math booster and I am happy with their A's. Besides math, children acquire some discipline, study skills, test-taking skills and, me having 2 'students', they learn to compete as well.
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On the Saxon method:

A one-year Math cycle is comprised of 120 lessons, 12 investigations and 23 review tests.

Each lesson begins with a quick daily test where certain skills such as addition or multiplication are drilled. Following that, there are warm-up activities that ask the students to perform mental math and solve a problem. The body of the lesson follows, where one or sometimes 2 topics are discussed. The lesson practice that follows asks students to answer/solve a number of questions related to the subject matters covered by the lesson. Finally, the 'mixed practice' asks students to answer/solve 25-30 questions that could be on EVERYTHING covered by Saxon Math 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 5 lessons, beginning with the 10th, there is a 20-question test that covers material covered up to 5 lessons prior to that test. For example, the test given after lesson 25 will cover everything up to lesson 20.

Every 10 lessons there is an Investigation. Investigations are in-depth and largely 'hands on' studies of specific and important topics such as 'calculating odds' or 'measuring liquids'.

The expectation is for each lesson to last for about one hour. In practice, with 2 kids, I found that we spend anything from 60 to 90 minutes per lesson. At this point - doing 7th grade math - the children are capable to work on their own and my role is limited to reviewing the tests, 'teaching' the new topics and helping them with whatever questions or clarifications they may need.

This is an amazing series for anyone who homeschools. Everything is explained well enough that those of us who have been away from this sort of math for the last three or four decades can once again figure out what's going on! The pattern of repetition helps to reinforce the various concepts. I highly recommend this text.

The Saxon Math series for elementary grades has been head-and-shoulders above any other program we've tried. Saxon seems to explain math concepts better than other programs to where my kids understand quicker. There seems to be a little more exercises and problems than other programs as well which helps with practice.

I bought this set on the recommendation of a cousin that homeschools her children. I just wanted to keep my kids' skills active during the summer months. I love it. The 5th/6th grade edition starts with the students doing 100 addition facts for several days in a row before starting their lessons and progresses to 100 subtractions facts, 100 multiplication facts, and 90 division facts, etc. They do mental math and problem solving. The lesson is short and to the point and covers 1 or 2 concepts at a time. The lesson is followed with a few problems that allow the student to practice what they have just learned. That is followed by a Mixed Practice which involves 28-30 problems using everything that they have learned to date.

I do, however, wish that I had noticed the Lesson Recording Form in the back of the Tests and Worksheets book. I had just been having my kids write in the text (not going to reuse anyway) but it would have let me resell or hand-down the books when we were through. Oh well. Next time I'll know. I agree with the reviewer who recommended ordering a set and then extra student editions. Also, if you don't have access to a photocopier, you may want to order a copy of Tests & Worksheets book for each student. Not sure how the cost stacks up--photocopying a ferw hundred pages several times or purchasing extra copies. Just a thought.

Glad I made this purchase my son is very happy with the material. Math is not a struggle anymore

This set includes the student workbook, the tests and worksheets, and the solutions manual. There is nothing more needed. The instructions are easy to follow. There is plenty of review in each lesson, as well as some additional practice if needed in the tests and worksheets book. Be sure to read the directions in the tests and worksheets book. It will tell you exactly when to give each test. I only wish the student workbook had a test reminder in it. I went through and wrote "test" before each lesson when it was time for a test. It was the perfect level for my 5th grader. There is, however, a bit of review in the beginning of the book. Since we did not take a break between the previous book and this one, I called Saxon to ask about it. After contacting Saxon, I was told I could skip the first 20 lessons, as long as my son was scoring 80% or more on each of the tests that the first 20 lessons covered. We did that with no problem.

We homeschooled our kids over a period of years, and Saxon Math, including Math 65, was always our choice for math texts. I also teach in a classical Christian school where we use Saxon Math as well. I find that for most students, if they will take the time to read the lesson well, do all of the problems, and then rework any problems they miss then they will achieve a high degree of mastery of the material at hand.

The greatest advantage of Saxon Math is that each lesson provides practice not only for the new problems but also built-in review for every kind of problem the student has previously encountered. Math 65 is no exception to the rule that Saxon Math texts help students learn math well. After Math 65, all of my kids who have taken it were definitely ready to move on to the next level.

In general, Saxon Math, including Math 65, is highly recommended. It is especially ideal for homeschooling families. This Math 65 set includes all the homeschooling parents need to teach the course, and not just the text itself.

We used Saxon 5/4 last year for 4th grade and it really helped my daughter understand everyday math and concepts. I have enjoyed doing the warm-ups (I call it brain teasers) with her. It shows you practical ways to do quick calculations. Each lessons introduces a new concept and explains it in fair detail, followed by some practice questions. Then there is mixed practice that covers all the previous concepts. This has reinforced learning for my daughter. I highly recommend getting the 'Solutions Manual', because it makes it easier for me to check the answers and sometimes the questions are worded in a confusing way. But I do not recommend the 'Tests and Worksheets'. This year we are starting out with Saxon 6/5