Review: Saxon Math

   


Saxon is one of the most popular and successful homeschool math programs out there. It is recommended by our Classical Conversations group, and I know many who use it and love it. I really wanted to love it. And I did for awhile, when I had just one kid that I was teaching. Now, it seems so very teacher-intensive. And I get it-- it's math. You have to do a little teaching in math. But it just got to be so much for me when I added a second kid. And the worksheets-- they were so boring and so repetitive.

I do like the spiral method used in Saxon-- learning one new concept while continually reviewing the old. And I understand that it has to be repetitive, but the worksheets were boring both my daughter-- and me!-- to tears. She is even a worksheet-type kid. She doesn't mind doing worksheets, but she likes color and variety and visual appeal. Of which Saxon had none.

So even though I love the way Saxon teaches some of the concepts (and still use some of them even though we've moved on to a different math program-- specifically the way they teach addition facts), it's just not for us anymore. And that's not to say we won't go back to it in the later years. I've heard it gets better after 4th grade or so. And also more independent. I still have both these Teacher's Guides and will continue to use them for preschool and kindergarten, but not necessarily the worksheet, and not necessarily in the format they are intended.

Note: Saxon K (which I honestly recommend for preschool, as it's very simple) has no workbook but has an accompanying manipulative kit. I never bought their manipulative kit, but used things I found at yard sales & just around the house. Here is what I found necessary:
- teddy bear counters
- pattern blocks
- a ruler (inches & centimeters)
- some type of Unifix or linking cube (Lego blocks also work fine)

There are a few other things that are used, but you could probably work around, as they're only used in a couple lessons.
- a bucket balance
- student clocks with moveable hands
- Geoboard
- tangrams
- Hundreds board (can find free printable ones online)

I also love the flashcards included with Saxon 1 for addition and subtraction and still use those even with our new math program.