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Saxon Math:
Homeschool Curriculum, Courses & Placement Test
Students using Saxon Math homeschool kits earn consistently high scores on standardized tests. The program is extremely strong in areas of arithmetic computation and mathematical principles (distributive, commutative, etc.).
Saxon takes an incremental (little by little) approach to math, introducing a new skill or principle each day, then reviewing these concepts and skills day after day for weeks. This approach helps build students' confidence in their ability to "do" math successfully.
Saxon Math
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Browse all Saxon Math programs, from kindergarten through high school.
Saxon Math
Shop All Saxon Math
Browse all Saxon Math products, from kindergarten through high school.
Saxon Math
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Learn more about Saxon Math, the advantages and disadvantages of the program, and what makes it unique.
What Saxon program is right for your student?
Take the free Saxon math placement test to determine the appropriate level for your student.
Saxon Math Homeschool Programs
Saxon packages include everything you need to teach one child. To use the program with additional or successive students, purchase additional consumable tests and worksheets.
Beginning with Saxon 5/4 and on up, packages include Dr. David Shormann’s DIVE Into Math CD instruction. On-screen illustrations, tips, and alternative problem-solving approaches help your student maximize learning.
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Visit our Saxon Math store page to shop individual Saxon programs, manipulatives, workbooks and more.
Saxon Manipulatives
Shop Saxon manipulatives. Sonlight offers complete kits with the necessary items.
Saxon Workbooks
Shop Saxon consumable items, textbooks, test and worksheets, instruction manuals, and more.
How does Saxon Math ensure that students are mastering concepts?
Saxon Math is based on the idea of incremental development, which is the belief that students should learn math concepts in small, manageable steps, with each lesson building on the previous one. With this spiral approach to learning, students should master a concept before moving on to the next one. Saxon Math is known for this repetition and cumulative review, which is designed to help students retain and understand concepts. See below for a complete list of topics covered in each level of Saxon Math.
Math K | Counting, shape recognition, days, month, year & dates, time to the hour, ordinals, & more. |
Math 1 | Compare & order numbers, ordinal position to tenth place, patterns, basic addition, subtraction, two-digit numbers, measuring, time, & more. |
Math 2 | Add and subtract two-digit numbers, multiplication facts to 5, picture and name fractions, identify geometric solids, identify angles, tally, Venn diagrams, and more. |
Math 3 | Basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts, subtract multidigit numbers, divide by single-digit divisors, positive and negative numbers, and more. |
Math 5/4 | Multiplication and division terms, powers and beginning square roots, fractions to decimals and percents, basic algebraic patterns and sequences, and more. |
Math 6/5 | Mental math, patterns and functions, statistics & probability, fractions, decimals, percents, geometry, negative numbers, & more. |
Math 7/6 | Simple expressions containing parentheses, add, subtract, multiply, & divide signed numbers, exponents, square roots, geometric formulas, & more. |
Math 8/7 | Measurement, estimation, powers and roots, scientific notation, graphing functions, balancing equations, irrational numbers, geometric construction, and more. |
Algebra 1/2 | Covers the topics taught in pre-algebra, plus topics from geometry and discrete mathematics. |
Algebra 1 | Covers topics typically treated in a first-year Algebra course. |
Algebra 2 | Not only treats topics that are traditionally covered in second-year Algebra, but also covers a considerable amount of Geometry. |
Advanced Math | Topics from Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, discrete mathematics, and mathematical analysis. |
Additional Information
Saxon Math K-8 homeschool kits include all required resources for a single learner. Softbound books are black and white, and easily accommodate additional students by purchasing multiple copies of test and worksheet consumables.
The Saxon home study kits for higher level math (Algebra 1, 2, and beyond) include hard textbooks complete with homework answer keys, and examinations with accompanying answer keys. Saxon Math student books are non-consumable and hardback with approximately 400 black and white pages. Saxon Math examinations are consumable with additional copies available for purchase.
Unless you were -- and still are -- an absolute whiz in algebra, you will find the Saxon Home Study Kits inadequate from Algebra 1/2 up. You truly need the solutions manuals that document how to acquire the answers.... (I speak from experience! I tried to do without. It was no fun...and I was an algebra whiz in high school.)
Note that it is not by choice that we "force" you to purchase the answer keys and test packets in addition to the solutions manuals in the upper grades. Saxon Publishers will not sell the student text by itself to homeschoolers. You must buy the full home study kit, including answer key and tests; then Saxon will permit you to purchase the solution manual as well.
My daughter HATES math. She would rather be tarred and feathered than to sit down and do her math. Yesterday we started her math program with Saxon and the DIVE CD. After two lessons, she was BEGGING me if she could go ahead and do a few more! Unbelievable! — Liz, 18 August 2005
Saxon is easy to teach, and from 4th grade up requires little parental involvement. It includes lots of guidance on exactly what to say and do. The early elementary programs include—and require—many manipulative activities. Saxon Publishers does not provide the necessary manipulatives for its early elementary program. Sonlight offers complete kits with the necessary items.
Saxon Math is accomplished in helping students of all math abilities achieve higher scores on standardized tests. In the areas of arithmetic computation and mathematical principles (i.e., the \"distributive principle,\" \"commutative principle,\" etc.) Saxon math is particularly strong in developing competence. From a parent/teacher perspective, this homeschool math program is easy to implement. In fact, from fourth grade up, Saxon Math requires very little parental involvement.
For learners who do not require a drill based approach to math, Saxton math can, at times, be repetitive. For early elementary math, Saxon math is relatively pricey.
- Saxon's emphasis on drill and repetition allows a student to perform well within a concept; thus, the results on standardized testing are good. But it does not emphasize problem-solving that requires creatively moving from one concept to another or thinking "outside the box" -- precisely the sort of skill necessary to excel in higher mathematics.
As Tonya in VA put it, "Standardized tests tend to test computation more than concepts. To use math in physics, chemistry, and other applications computational skills are not enough. Students must understand the concept behind the computation and be able to apply the concept to a problem they may never have seen in math class. Saxon is weak in concepts."
- In comparison to other programs, it may lack on application-oriented problem solving and modern presentation (use of charts, graphs and other effective teaching tools).
Saxon Math is the most widely used math program in the United States and is used in more than 40 countries around the world.
Saxon Math utilizes a spiral approach to learning, which is the belief that students should revisit concepts multiple times in order to fully understand them.
Saxon Math has been delivering proven results for students in Grades K-12 for over 30 years. Students using Saxon Math consistently earn high scores on standardized tests resulting in Saxon Math being one of the most well-known and widely used homeschool math programs and it's used in many public schools.
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