Customer Reviews

Saxon Math: Homeschool 6/5, 3rd Edition

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

 

 

You should purchase this book if you already have one complete kit and you are teaching more than one student, like I do.

The 3 stars are not targeted at the content, which is FIVE STARS in my view, but at the VERY CONFUSING marketing of these items. The cover of this book says Saxon Math Homeschool (sic!) but this is ONLY the Student/Teacher Text. You will not be able to teach your child math if all you buy is this book.

There should be THREE items in a complete package: a Student/Teacher manual (this one), the Solutions manual and the (reproducible) Tests and Worksheets. If you have one kid, buy the COMPLETE kit. If you have 2 or more kids, you should buy one complete kit and as many extra student/teacher books, such as this one, 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, 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 could 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 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 5 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.

I was homeschooled with Saxon from the 7th grade on and I really learned a lot from it. I am now teaching Saxon, and it's the way to go. I recommend finding the correct edition tests/worksheets, DIVE cds and teacher's solution manual. Saxon builds on what the student's learning so they don't forget the concepts. Highly recommend!

My daughter is in 5th grade and we've tried many math programs including Singapore math, Alpha Omega, A.C.E, Abeka and have decided that Saxon is hands down the best. In the older grades when paired with the DIVE cd/rom instructional disks it is the greatest thing a mother can do for herself while homeschooling! We started with DIVE in 4th grade and have it again in 5th. It allows me to do things with my 6 and 2 yr olds while I know that my 11 yr old is learning things the right way to fully understand the pre algebraic math building a good foundation. I highly recommend Saxon!

This is a wonderful homeschool curriculum. It is easy to follow and I feel confident that my child is learning everything she needs regarding math.