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Why We Use Saxon Math

Math can be an area that causes great frustration and confusion (for adults and children) in many homeschools. 

This was true in my home.  We waffled between math programs in our first few years of homeschooling, trying different textbooks, living math, and other approaches.

It doesn't need to be difficult, however, with ample resources and assistance available. 

I am not a mathematician by any stretch of the imagination. I do not like math, but I am learning to like it more and more. 

*This post contains affiliate links.

I also recognize the supreme importance of giving my children a SOLID math foundation while they are under my care. 

After two years of research, one year of using the actual program, and attending a math practicum, I am convinced that Saxon Math is the best option for my children (at least until their high school years).

You cannot just choose a math program that everyone likes or is blogging about and hope for the best.  I do not believe it's wise to let your child choose their own math program based on what they "like". Math is too important to cut any corners.

You need to do your research, know your educational philosophy, and know your child's learning style. This decision took us a lot of time and effort, but it's worth it. 

I will provide you with concrete reasons why we made this math decision, but I wanted to start by sharing a quote with you from Classical Conversations.  (I encourage you to read the linked article - it's very good.) This is the ULTIMATE statement of why we are using Saxon:

Saxon, then, is teaching us math the same way we learn the things we feel we enjoy more, in which we experience more pleasure. It teaches us what we know, it provides us types to compare, it asks us to draw out the lesson we are meant to learn, and it provides us with continued and ongoing practice. Essentially, it makes discoverers of us. For some, though, the difficulty may be in that they do not recognize that Saxon teaches this way. If that is the case, try to approach it this way for a while. Give it some time; practice. Your initial instincts will be to just tell your child what he should find when comparing the examples. Restrain yourself. Keep working through examples and asking comparison questions until he discovers the lesson for himself. Do this for several lessons. Eventually, you will find he is looking at the lesson this way himself—and he will be the better for it: he will have learned how to teach himself, which is nothing more nor less than learning how to learn.

It's so much more than MATH, it is a way of approaching life and learning that the authors of Saxon have created artfully in their curriculum.

Why Saxon Math?

  • a spiral approach that works best for my children
  • thorough mastery and drill of facts, then applying that mastery to real life practice problems
  • tried and true - Saxon has been used and loved for a long time
  • NO FLUFF! 
  • college preparatory

Our Saxon Plan & Experience

I want to share TWO Saxon stories with you - one of my oldest who didn't have Saxon from the start, and the other of my youngest - who has never known anything other than Saxon. 

My oldest child, unfortunately, proved to be my testing ground. She was in public school getting a haphazard math eduction until the middle of third grade. When we pulled her out, I had her doing Horizons Math, but quickly saw this wasn't working for her.

We switched to Saxon Math and used this with her until Algebra 1/2. She had some success with Saxon, but I am CONVINCED that because she didn't have the Saxon foundation of drill and repetition and a very systematic way of teaching math concepts she wasn't able to keep up the Saxon pace and intense spiraling in the upper levels of math.

Thankfully, we found Mr D Math and she has been doing very well using this online program in high school. 

Now, compare this to my son. My son has been homeschooled from the beginning. We began with the Saxon Kindergarten math program and he is now approaching Saxon 8/7.  

For starters, I believe he is a math minded kid. His brain is just wired for numbers. 

I have also found that the almost incessant drill and repetition of Saxon has cemented essential math concepts in his brain. A few recommendations if you are using Saxon:

  • Do math EVERY day. Be consistent.
  • Do the ENTIRE lesson - drills, lesson practice, etc... You may be tempted to do only the odd or even problems when things get tough, but resist that urge! 
  • Don't expect math to be flashy.  Math is hard work. I mistakenly thought my children should be enjoying everything they did.  Yes, sometimes they will enjoy math - but other times it will just be hard work they need to get through.  That's OK. 
  • Demand excellence.  Once my son completes a lesson we grade it together and fix any mistakes he has made. He uses  graph paper that we put into a three ring binder to keep track of all of his work. 

 

Supplemental CDs, DVDs, for Saxon Math

I investigated three instructional aids for Saxon math. 

I had heard a lot of good things about all three resources. 

After careful research we chose one of these resources.

I chose the Saxon Teacher CDs because they contain the instruction for all of the lessons AND each and every practice and lesson problem, as well as test problems.

This review of Saxon Teacher proved particularly helpful.

“One feature that I particularly appreciate in Saxon Teacher is that it does not stick exactly to the textbook. The teacher will sometimes use alternate methods of problem solving or examples, and she will occasionally add clarifying or helpful information.”
— Cathy Duffy Reviews

My daughter read the lesson in the book, watched the lesson demonstrated on the computer, then worked through the practice and lesson problems on her own.

After I graded her work, if she had questions about problems she has missed we referred to the CDs for explanations and answers.

I liked this. There was no scratching my head about how to figure out a problem. Everything we need was right there on the CDs.

The CDs were an investment but WELL WORTH the investment in our math program for her. To me, it wasn't an area where I could be frugal.

My son, however, hasn't needed the CDs just yet. We read the lesson together and then I will leave him to complete the problems. Next year I will give him the option of using the CDs or reading the lesson on his own.  We'll just have to see how that goes. 

Personal Thoughts about Saxon Math

A few years ago I created a video about Saxon Math for you (at the time I had a 3rd and 7th grader).  The information is still relevant today because it contains general information about Saxon and how to plan your math going forward.

I have not been compensated by Saxon. These are my PERSONAL thoughts after a lot of research and reading. 

Whether you choose to use Saxon or not, math in your homeschool is IMPORTANT and deserves your time and research.

It is my prayer you find a curriculum that fits your children and your teaching style/abilities. 

Suggested Saxon Resources

Talk to me about math. What math program do you use?  Can I help you with any questions you might have?  Leave me a comment below!

Creative Ways to Learn Times Tables

I have one child who learned their multiplication facts very easily - with simple drill and repetition and written drills every single day. 

(Thank you, Saxon Math.)

My other child, however, needed something more than drills.  She needed creative ways to learn her times tables - games, songs, manipulatives. You name it, we did it.

Oh -- and don't forget the flashcards - flashcards are a must for learning times tables!

The fact is this: not all children learn in the same way, so when I approach any subject I know that one size never fits all. This is ESPECIALLY true of math. 

If straight drill and repetition doesn't work for your child, you might want to try a few different things that will help cement those all-important facts. Because I will tell you -- knowing multiplication facts is INTEGRAL to all future math success.

Creative Ways to Learn Times Tables

*I have been compensated to write this post. All opinions are mine and I never recommend anything my children don't use and love. 

Helping Auditory Learners with Times Tables

Sometimes HEARING those times tables over and over can really help.

We love our Classical Conversations memory work CDs for our times tables, but before we did CC (and when I taught elementary school) I had a couple of tried and true resources. 

  • Hap Palmer's Multiplication Mountain is catchy and fun -- was DEFINITELY a favorite in my house!
  • Schoolhouse Rock Multiplication Videos are AWESOME -- watch them on YouTube. (Also seeing the numbers in these videos are helpful.)
  • We also had good luck with Multiplication Songs by Kathy Troxel

Helping Kinesthetic Learners with Times Tables

Some kids need to experience the times tables tactically to achieve understanding and mastery.

My son, when he was just preschool age, started showing signs that he learned this way, and I am so thankful I followed his lead. It made both of our lives so much easier when I respected his learning style!

How to Learn Times Tables

Helping Visual Learners with Times Tables

 

Some children have to SEE IT to remember it.

One of my kids has a lot of visual learning tendencies, and the multiplication tables suddenly clicked for him when did simple multiplication coloring charts.

I would print the number charts and have him color the multiples of whatever number we were working on that day. Because he loved coloring and because he loved patterns this was a HUGE hit with him.

(Get loads of free printable number sheets from Super Teacher Worksheets.) 

Learning Times Tables with Games

A way to learn multiplication facts that appeals to everyone is through games.

We love playing multiplication card games.

Recently we have also discovered a new multiplication game from Logic Roots (which leads me to the point of this post -- to tell you about our favorite new game!). 

I knew the game would be good because we enjoyed Ocean Raiders (an addition game) very much!

Say Cheese: The Math Game that Makes Learning Multiplication Tables fun!

Learning Times Tables with Say Cheese

Say Cheese is designed to help children practice their multiplication facts (2-10 to be exact). 

Designed for grades 1 and up, it provides children an opportunity to practice their facts repeatedly and while having FUN - so they don't even realize the work they are doing. 

I played the game with my son and his good friend -- both boys are pretty good with their times tables, but they are working on QUICK RECALL of those facts in preparation for upper levels of math.  

They are both currently working in Saxon 7/6, so all of the skills practiced in this game are skills they have been working on ALL YEAR. 

They enjoyed the game very much and agreed that it was MUCH BETTER than doing a Saxon lesson!

From the creators of Say Cheese (Logic Roots):

With Say Cheese, you get 14 times more practice of multiplication skills.

For Say Cheese, the practice jump is 14 times. And a child will get exposed to the following skills with each game play:

  • Multiplication
  • Multiplication Tables
  • Use of Divisibility Rules
  • Identifying Factors and Multiples

How to Play Say Cheese

Game play is very simple.  Each player has a cute little mouse pouch of "cheese coins".  

The "cheese coins" are distributed equally among the players. 

The first player chooses which times table they would like to practice - let's pretend it's 4.  The next player takes a coin from their bag and throws it into the arena... let's say the number on the coin is 34.  If that coin is a MULTIPLE of 4 then the player says "CHEESE" and gets to take the coin from the arena.  Well, we know 34 isn't a multiple of 4, so play continues. Perhaps the next coin thrown in is 81.  81 isn't a multiple of 4, either. Play continues. The next player throws in the coin with the number 20 on it. That player says "CHEESE" because it is indeed a multiple of 4. The player says "4x5=20" and can then collect all of the coins from the arena. 

Play continues until one player runs out of coins or until a set time amount is finished.  It's up to you. 

Some of the times tables are easier - like the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. Other tables are harder, so more thinking was required. 

We also liked that there were several ways to make the game more challenging for older students. The game can be easily mastered by a first grader, but is still engaging for a sixth grader. 

(If you want to read the full rule book, visit the Logic Roots website. There are MANY supplementary resources here and the game itself includes a scannable QR code that takes you directly to the rule book. Logic Roots does more for students than just selling you a game !)

The Say Cheese game includes slates to write on in case kids want to write out their times tables to help them (they might be a visual learner). It also includes a fun poster to hang in your school or home, and a thorough directions book. 

What We Liked About Say Cheese

It was a pleasure to try this game, and I know it will be a staple in our homeschool as we works towards increased automaticity with our times tables. 

When I asked Grant and his friend what they enjoyed about the game here is what they said:

  • easy to understand
  • you get "steal cheese" from your friend (we made up a variation of the game based on speed and they loved this)
  • it doesn't take forever to play and you are thinking the entire game

Here is what I liked about the game:

  • it forced the boys to use their divisibility rules
  • a concentrated amount of math facts practice in a short amount of time
  • the game is cute and colorful - really appeals to elementary aged children

So, if you want to make multiplication a little more fun, you might want to investigate Say Cheese. In fact, Logic Roots has MANY math games - for all age and skill levels.  

 

 

 

What about you?  Do you have a good way to learn multiplication facts?  

Leave me a comment below and share!

Creative Ways to Learn Times Tables