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Kathryn
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 12:25pm | IP Logged
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We're signed up with Seton and my 5th grader rec'd the Saxon 54 Math. Math has never been her strongest subject but alll this seems sooo repetitive and like she's not learning anything new. She's flying through the work and making 100 on every test. I just don't feel it's challenging her enough or presenting new material. This is our 1st year HS so that's kind of why I'm ambivalent about just jumping her to the next level. Is there something she MIGHT miss in this book that would be needed for the next level? I was looking at CHC and noticed they consider this the 4th grade book. What's others experiences with this?
Thanks,
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
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Kathryn,
I've been a long time Saxon user. Chances are the book and work IS repetitive or challenging for her right now. I use 5/4 in the 4th grade and even then we skip some lessons...move quickly through others, etc. Saxon, while not perfect by any means, does lend itself to being re-worked in a way that fits an individual child - you just have to be willing to think outside the box/lesson plans.
My suggestions:
Stop doing lessons and start giving her one test each day. If she scores a 90% or above (or whatever you're comfortable with - that's just our line in the sand) move on the next day to the next test. Once you detect by her scores/level of understanding on the test that there is frustration or lack of understanding, get out the book and start teaching from there. If she moves through the entire book quickly, get Saxon 6/5 and start there. Many Saxon users, including myself, find that we can easily skip some books. I skipped one and a half books between 5/4 and Algebra I (we skipped 8/7 and half of Algebra 1/2). There is SO MUCH repetition in Saxon - use it to your advantage, but don't let it bog a child down either.
Another way to work Saxon is to customize the work expected. Adjust to fit your child. Some families don't assign all the problems - it's ALOT of repetition. My dd needs the repetition of Saxon, but I could never assign one entire lesson and practice set and problem set each day for her - math is not her favorite subject. So, while I assign and she completes a complete lesson - practice and problem set - I spread that out over 2 days which makes it easier for her to digest and her mastery of the subject matter has been very good as a result. It's a stride we're really just now hitting...and she's in Algebra I. My son doesn't need that level of repetition - once he's "visualized" a concept he's got it - so we're moving quickly through Saxon 5/4 right now, and I only assign a few of the problems to be completed for each lesson. It will level out for him once he approaches more complex math/algebra.
I guess what I'm trying to say is don't be discouraged by Saxon. If she's flying through and not challenged, go through one test each day until you find the point at which her understanding of concepts is iffy and pick up with the book there. And even then, recognize that you can work and re-work Saxon to fit an individual child.
HTH! Good luck!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Angel
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 2:10pm | IP Logged
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Pretty much what Jen said. With my ds, I would also skip lessons I was pretty sure he should know by having him do a couple of the practice problems. If he could the practice problems without reading the lesson, we skipped that lesson. With 7/6, he was so annoyed with the book by the end of the year, I ended up picking and choosing which lessons toward the end I thought were the most necessary, too, and allowed him to skip the rest.
I would also often pick and choose problems in the longer set, too, skipping those I was sure he could do and focusing only on the ones he needed more practice to get.
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Angela
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Three Plus Two
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Kathryn
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 3:53pm | IP Logged
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I did start modifying the # of problems when I realized HOW much repetition there was. I think I'm going to start giving her a test each day and see if she just "tests out" of this book. She was in 4th grade at the local Catholic school last year and is right on target with everything so I didn't really know about math levels but Seton just sent me this book as the 5th grade book. It just seems so easy and then I was baffled when I read that CHC uses it for 4th grade. I know it's called 5/4 so is that supposed to be advanced 4th grade/average 5th? I may call the Seton counselor and see what they say.
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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Kathryn
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 4:08pm | IP Logged
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Ok so I called Seton and she did recommend doing the tests until she seemed to be struggling. She didn't necessarily recommend just jumping to Level 6/5 b/c she said they've found that some kids start struggling in that book if they haven't gone thru some of the concepts in 5/4. And she said they also found that many 4th graders actually struggled w/ the concepts which is why they use it still as a 5th grade book.
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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saigemom
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 4:56pm | IP Logged
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I wouldn't worry too much. Just skip what she knows. The new concepts don't really start until about 1/2 way through.
FYI-We skipped 5/4 here.
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AndieF
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 7:57pm | IP Logged
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My 4th grader is using Saxon 54, and my 5th grader is using Saxon 65. We also skipped the first 25 or so lessons. I have them get through as much of the lesson as they can in 1/2 hour. Sometimes, they get through the whole lesson in less than a half hour, and sometimes, they don't get all the problems done, but they've been scoring well on the tests, so I figure that they are getting enough out of each lesson. When I was having them do all the problems for each lesson, it was taking us 2-3 days to get through a lesson, and they were having such a long period between tests, and nobody was enjoying it. Now everybody seems happier.
Andie
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: Saxon Level Question
