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kozimom
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| Posted: Feb 19 2010 at 4:54pm | IP Logged
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My 15 yo daughter is in gr.10 and is 1/2 finished Saxon Algebra 2. Does anyone know, if Teaching Textbooks curriculum is at the same level as Saxon? I'm wondering if she could go on to Teaching Textbooks Geometry and Pre - Calculas? Thanks!
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Macmom
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| Posted: Feb 20 2010 at 7:03am | IP Logged
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I've seen this debate before.... maybe on the Well Trained Mind boards. They say that TT is inferior to Saxon. But I also remember reading that if you get through TT Geometry AND Alg 2, it is comparable to Saxon.
Here is what I know for us: Saxon works GREAT in the middle grades- up through about Algebra 1/2 or so. And then, somehow, Saxon gets confusing. (Its happened to 3 of my children who were EXCELLENT in the SAxon middle grades, but hit a wall when they got to Algebra I. Something about how difficult the explanations are to understand. A lot of moms of high schoolers I know in our homeschool group (5 or 6) have said the same thing. Its as if SAxon suddenly gears up WAY too fast,
I've had all of my 3 children switch over to TT Algebra I, usually after a few months of trying Saxon Algebra I. Both my daughter (a senior) and my son (a sophomore) have been in the 85 percentile or above when we've had them tested in math.
It comes down to how the children best learn. If Saxon isn't working- who CARES if it is a supposedly "superior" program? If they "get" Teaching Textbooks, stick with that. They are learning something! Besides, with soon-to-be ten children, Saxon is just too much of a time-suck for me with grading.... I far prefer TT.
Peace,
Macmom
Peace,
Macmom
__________________
Catholic family life works on the same principle as a washing machine- clothes get clean by agitation.
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stacykay
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| Posted: Feb 20 2010 at 8:56am | IP Logged
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We've gone from Saxon to TT. We are only hs'ing until highschool (long story) but here is our experience from hs to private Catholic high school.
My oldest used Saxon until high school, and did fine.
My second oldest got lost in the more advanced Saxon and had a tougher time with high school math.
My third, I switched over to TT after finishing Saxon 8/7. He was just sick of Saxon (much like ds #2.) He completed the TT 7 and 8 before high school. When he took the high school placement test, he did fantastic, and is doing great with his freshman year math classes.
I asked #3 about the difference in Saxon and TT. Now, this is just for him, but he said Saxon "seems" harder, but then he said, maybe TT seems "easier" because it is explained better. 
My #4 ds is just now doing TT6, after switching from Saxon 6/5. He likes it.
Now, just to throw a monkey wrench in, have you heard about this website- Using John Saxon's Math Books? I have a friend who uses Saxon exclusively, and has used the DIVE cds, but even then, her dss were having some difficulties. She has, over the years, spent many hours on the phone with the Saxon company (especially back when it truly was Saxon's company) for help in her math teaching.
Then she somehow came across that new website for using Saxon. She LOVES these (Using Saxon Math) dvds. Her sons are finding them more understandable and are doing better in their math. They can be used on the computer or on tv (with a dvd player.)
I plan on checking out her dvds next time I visit her.
And I hope I haven't made too much confusing here.
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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Mary Fifer
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| Posted: June 05 2010 at 12:03am | IP Logged
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I agree with the Well Trained Mind assessment from what I have seen of Saxon and other Math books.
Thanks for the UsingSaxon link, Stacy. I watched the video with my daughter who is struggling with Saxon Algebra I and we both liked what Dr. Reed did on the video. We both think that Dr. Shoreman's DIVE is more concise, but that either would work. Both men are very likable. A real plus I see to UsingSaxon is that the student could use a DVD player without having to access a computer. We have a portable DVD player which would be a big help.
I have a friend who had used Saxon for 10 years with her children, switched to TT with one child and found it more cumbersome since the solutions were also on video rather than in a book. She also felt that her child was losing some of his Saxon skills.
We've had to use the Steck Vaughn and MacDougal books during one year that one of my children was in a brick and mortar school. Steck Vaughn was fine, but MacDougal was all scrambled! She was so relieved to come home to Saxon, especially with the DIVE. She really appreciated how much work a teacher does for you in the classroom compared to working on your own. She is so glad that she has worked on her own now, though, because she knows how to learn on her own....
Mary
Wife to 1, mother of 8, 7 in God's care
St. Anne's Helper
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: teaching textbooks and Saxon
