For the very young child:

For the slightly older child:

Look for a book that covers

  1.  Whole Numbers.
  2.  Factors.
  3.  Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying and Dividing Fractions; 
       Mixed Numbers.
  4.  Decimals.
  5.  Ratio and Proportion.
  6.  Percent.
  7.  Exponents and Square Roots.
  8.  Measurement.
  9.  Metric System
10.  Integers
11.  Rational Numbers

Prior to purchasing the book, I taught the basics using games and discussion.  I am glad I had the book though, because I might have just jumped into adding fractions with unlike denominators without teaching factoring first.  Eric, at age 10, completed the book in about six months.

This method worked for my family.  I found the book we used in a discount bookstore.  I flipped through it and decided to buy it based on its organization and skills covered.  It didn't hurt that it only cost $5 either.  It didn't realize that it was aimed at kids entering college who needed a math review, until after we had finished the book, and was looking for the next book.

Eric wrote all his answers on paper instead of in the workbook.  I didn't think we were having more children at the time, but I knew the book would make a good review later if it didn't have the answers written in it.  Cheep, huh?  We keep the book now, because I plan to use it when my 2-year-old is ready.  Basic math doesn't change that much.  Ha.

The Results:

The reason, "What would we do next year?"  In other words, they wanted him to repeat 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade math, so they didn't run out of courses, like there was a finite amount of knowledge and we had to spread it out to make sure we didn't exhaust the supply.

My question, "Why repeat the middle four years?  Why not let him take the classes at the high school next door and when he was finished with what they had to offer, he could then take college level courses?"

Their answer, "There is more to school than an education."  All the 6th grade classrooms are in a hall to themselves, because the 7th and 8th graders are so mean.  They wouldn't consider sending a sixth grader to a 7th grade class and were horrified to think of one in a 10th grade class. 

My question, "Then why couldn't he take an elective in place of the middle school math that he had already completed?"

Answer:  All students were required to have math every year in middle school.  His teacher would be able to give him enrichment activities and he could stay with his age peers.  (Seven weeks and it didn't happen, even when he ask her for them.)

Now, very slight Mommy guilt:  I could have continue to push the subject and I may have gotten them to concede to at least let him try 7th grade math (only repeat 3 years), but if they wanted to bore my child back to homeschool that wasn't going to hurt my feelings.

My son who was at the meetings, is clever enough to figure out that if he were to stay in school, he would cover no new material for four years, but if he came home and did absolutely nothing, he could reenter at what ever his age level was at that time. 

The next step: 

In November of 1998, we paid $34.99 at Best Buy, which is less than the cost of one math book.

It has the perfect amount of explanations and problems for my child.  He could not stand all the review in Saxon Algebra.

As usual, we don't use anything as written.

We did start at the beginning of the Algebra program and we are taking the lessons in order. 

What we do differently is:

1)  When the program gives an example problem, Eric is to write the problem down and try to work the problem before going on to read their explanation.  We use this technique when we are using math books, also.

2)  When he gets to the ten problems at the end of each section.  I copy the problems from the screen and he works the problems on a separate piece of paper.  He then compares his answers to the multiple choice answers on screen.  This prevents him from using his test taking skills that allows him to look at the answers and know which one is correct.  While this is a good skill to have, it is not the same as being able to look at a problem and knowing how to proceed.  If I am not available to copy the problems for him, he covers the multiple choice answers with a notebook until he has arrived at his answer.

Where 10 problems per new concept doesn't sound like much, it is more than Saxon had.  On each problem you can ask for a hint, and there is an explanation of how they arrived at the answer.

The sequencing also seems more logical than Saxon.

This method may not work for students that require a lot of drill and practice, but for most students, I think it keeps them excited about math because they are always learning new concepts.  It is also a painless way for me to review the
math concepts.

I like the way the program visually moves the numbers around while one hears the explanation, and/or one can read the information. 

The program allows you to start anywhere and does not require you to complete a section before continuing.  Thus allowing the student to repeat or skip any section.  No problems have time limits, and you can keep working until you get the right answer.  It also does not keep track of grades, or scores.  These are positive features in my book, but the student will have to remember where he left off the prior day.

We also use:

Math Counts competition material
Middle School Problem of the Week
Geometry Problem of the Week

Note:  I cannot compare the quality of the Math Library programs with the EPGY math program offered through Stanford University because we have never used EPGY.  It is many hundreds of dollars cheaper though.

Engela
homeschoolkids@geocities.com

The book was written to provide continued practice in skills for an entire year.  To gain maximum advantage from the use of this book, it is necessary that all students work all the problems.  The book does not have extra problems and was designed with the understanding that every problem would be worked. In this book, the learning is spread out rather than being concentrated.  Teachers should avoid the temptation to furnish extra problems of the new kind at the expense of review problems.  Testing has shown that this procedure will increase short-term understanding but will vitiate long term retention.

Each student varies, but I don't feel that any method could be "more effective" if its causes a student to literally HATE and dread math.

I also think that by its very nature math uses graduated interval recall with each skill building upon the next.  That is why it is important to have each skill clearly explained as they are encountered.

I love the fact that we homeschool so that I could throw out the horrid Saxon Books and replace them with something more palatable, exciting, and interesting.  I'm sure I place more importance on these qualities than "learning theory circles"
might.  These thing are subjective and not easily quantified on a multiple choice test.

I give myself extra points, if my student "likes" math, even if he doesn't have a certain formula memorized because he hasn't used it every day for a year.  If he recognizes the fact that he needs the formula and can quickly lay his hands on it, or recreate it because he understands the concept then I'm happy.

Another thing my son disliked about the Saxon books, is the fact that it would show a method of working a problem but without always explaining why that method worked.  For a student that questions everything, this was not very satisfying.  I found myself going to a college textbooks for better explanations.  It was there I found that there were more explanations and examples with  less problems and review than in the high school books.  I went to a used book store where I could find many examples of math texts.  I found I could determine if the book was written for a college course or a high school course by comparing the amount of instruction versus the amount of questions, reviews, and quizzes.  Maybe my student fits better with more college like methods of instruction.  The luxury of homeschooling is being able to find the best method for each student.

Sometimes it is daunting trying to find the best methods of instruction, especially since there is such a disagreement among the "experts" as to which method is best.  The upside of this is, no matter how I decide to teach, I can find an "expert" that supports my methods.

From reply sent January 13, 1999

     My long reply, about why we disliked Saxon, was motivated by the fact that I felt GUILTY (yep, Mommy guilt again) for sticking with the Saxon for so long.  I hate to think of the time we wasted.

     It seems that a large group, in my homeschool organization, use Saxon.  I had not heard anything negative about the Saxon math philosophy, except that the kids were easily board by the books.  That should have been my clue, but I missed it.

     I don't know why after years of homeschooling that I didn't trust my gut reaction to the book.  I think it was because the Saxon premise of endless review seemed logical to me, and they said that they had test results which proved their method superior.  I almost never trust test results provided by someone that stands to profit.  I think I did this time because I wanted to believe the results to be true.  I had always worked one-on-one with Eric, and we created most the curriculum together.  When the new baby came, and then again when she was rehabilitating from Meningitis, it was easier to let someone else be responsible for the curriculum and the teaching, even if it was just a book.

     I almost squelched my son's interest in math completely.  It was so easy to rekindle when we switched to the 
Learning  Company's "The Princeton Review: Math Library" program (msrp $39 USA), that it actually increased my guilt level.  His current interest in math, really emphasizes the time we lost.

     I just wanted other parents, who were considering Saxon, to have another viewpoint.  That's all.  I don't think their program is bad, just that it was bad for my child.

Engela 
homeschoolkids@geocities.com