Saxon math is regarded as the most thorough, accurate and comprehensive home-school math curriculum. It is the essence of knowledge and experience of a former air force officer and high school math instructor, John Saxon. The curriculum has successfully erased the concept of math as a deadly boring and mind-numbing subject. With over 30 years of proven success, this book has always been able to create and maintain the interest of the learners through its excellent and witty math teaching devices.

The best thing about this curriculum is its incremental nature. It builds upon the foundations, line by line and percept by percept. The incremental teaching method slowly and gradually unfolds the intricate and significant structures of mathematics. The curriculum enables the learners to grasp and absorb the concept in chunks. Moreover, the curriculum emphasizes a lot on the retention of these concepts.

The curriculum is divided into three portions. It systematically links instructions, practice and assessment with each other. It simplifies all the concepts for the parents. The curriculum also suggests ways to improve the understanding of their children. It is based on simple and familiar terminologies and algorithms. After thorough instructions, the curriculum has practice exercises to keep on revising the previously introduced concepts. Finally, every chapter has cumulative assessment section. It consists of worksheets, based on the previous questions and problems.

The Saxon math, a home-school math curriculum is augmented with marvelous features to guide and teach you at every level. The home-school curriculum caters all levels from primary through middle to the high level homeschooling.

The Saxon Math curriculum is designed to teach the basic mathematic concepts such as patterns, geometry, time and comparison and ordering of numbers. The curriculum extends to teach basic addition, subtraction and multiplication concepts. The primary level curriculum focuses on the manipulative math. It offers a manipulative kit to help students to apply their learning in hand-on play. Thus, the Saxon primary grade math proffers a solid foundation of early elementary basics, enabling students to successfully branch out into excellent performance in the upcoming grades.

The Saxon middle grade curriculum smoothly shifts the learners from manipulative and worksheet math to textbook approach. It emphasizes on algebraic and geometric concepts. Following its iterative approach, the new concepts are merged with the older concepts. The new chapters include reviews of the previous concepts. It comprises of upgraded levels of learning ad teaching. The middle grade curriculum holds investigative approach to give an in-depth treatment of math concepts. For convenience, parents can have the solution manual, which offers step-by-step solutions to the problems.

Saxon high grade math curriculum covers algebra, geometry, advanced math and calculus. Algebra offers quite a challenging but enjoyable experience to the students. It explains the concepts with self teaching examples and thus develops a habit of understanding and inferring the concepts independently.

Apart from all its advantages, it has some weaknesses too. According to some instructors, though it provides solid mathematical foundation, but it is quite slow for the bright students, as reworking the same problems everyday makes it boring for the students with a quick pick.

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One of the most challenging topics in a typical math class is the learning of fractions and their operations. Why does Johnny (Jenny) struggle with the concepts of fractions, decimals, and percentages?

I believe that these ideas are not taught effectively in most elementary classrooms. Teachers tend to move quickly through the lessons at this time in elementary school (usually 3rd or 4th grade), and tend to treat fractions as an abstract idea.

When learning to speak, infants are taught to point to an object and repeat the word that the adult speaks. These nouns become the building blocks of language, and numbers and counting is done the same way.

Primary grade students learn to count objects in their world, moving on to basic number pattern ideas and labels such as multiples of 5 and 3, and the concepts of odd and even. But these are whole number ideas, and partial numbers (fractions and decimals) tend to be introduced on paper as an abstract idea. In other words, teachers should be repeatedly showing students what a third of something is, or how to cut things up into equal pieces, etc.

I am not saying that this is avoided in elementary school, just that students are not given enough exposure to those ideas. Students should not be doing worksheets where they practice adding fractions with unlike denominators until they can draw pictures of these fractions, or show how to cut them up into equivalent pieces. The concrete learning idea of manipulating objects to show a mathematical idea needs to be embedded into the minds of young learners before they can practice similar math ideas on pencil and paper. This curriculum piece tends to be skipped or rushed in most elementary classrooms.

Students who are not ready to move on to do fraction work (or decimals or percentages) are either unsuccessful the rest of their math careers, or memorize the algorithms and get stuck later in higher level math courses.

Either case requires extra help to survive high school or college math curriculum because the developmental phases in mathematics cannot be avoided. If a student didn’t understand a fundamental concept such as fraction operations, they will not be successful in learning topics that use these ideas, such as solving equations, graphing linear relationships, or manipulating precalculus problems.

So, if you are a parent of a child who struggles in math, take a look at how your son or daughter expresses the ideas of fractions. Ask them to show you what 2 thirds looks like, or what 8.6 means, or to make a model of what percent 8 out of 10 represents. Can they do it?

If not, find a quality online math tutor who can diagnose the developmental phases of what your child has missed in the classroom. A highly skilled, experienced teacher can help fill in those gaps in learning, make it fun, and help your child to once again rediscover their math confidence!

A middle school and high school classroom teacher for over 25 years, Terry VanNoy takes pride in his ability to engage his students with creative ways of showing important concepts. He and his students use a shared computer screen, whiteboard, and use text chat and live voice (like a phone call) to work together during the instructional sessions. His online tutoring business caters to middle and high school students who need a confidence boost to get to the next levels and feel excited again about becoming math students who can achieve amazing things!
Terry VanNoy’s class sessions, Math with Mr. V are by appointment only… Call toll free 1-877-317-3317 to arrange a free consultation! Help your child feel more successful in his or her math classroom.

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Homeschooling during the primary years can be fun and very stress-free. A lot of parents get worried that their kids won’t learn everything that they need to. But with the right resources you can keep your kids on track and develop all the necessary skill sets for high-school and beyond.

The primary school teaching style can be a lot more intense than the highschool equivalent. Primary aged children require constant attention to their learning. Every day the learning process begins again and every day you need to practice concepts and learn new things for a successful learning progression. Drills, testing, and practice are absolutely necessary. This requires a lot of time, so be prepared to be very involved in their learning. Planning each day’s material is very important because smaller children can be easily confused and get lost. Proper planning is crucial.

While you may not be using a specific program during the primary years, outside materials can be very helpful to help you get an idea of what your child should be learning at certain ages. Don’t be afraid to use your own judgment either. You too were in primary school once upon a time. That can serve as a great guide to help you determine what should be taught. How you decide to teach things is entirely up to you. The nice thing about the primary years is that you can use a variety of real life events to teach mathematical concepts and other important primary concepts. There is so much scope for fun.

I find the kitchen is the heart of the home and the laboratory. Practicing reading by reading labels not only teaches nutrition but also provides practice for word and number recognition. Cooking with measuring cups teaches fractions and reinforces simple mathematics. You can take basic concepts and teach them using every day objects and activities. If you choose not to introduce these concepts in this way, you can still use real situations to reinforce simple learning. The nice thing about homeschooling is that the world (your home) can be your child’s classroom, whether they are “in school” or at play. The task of schooling during the primary years is to lay basic concepts for middle and high school.

Having the kids at home during the primary years also gives you the chance to zero in on your child’s specific difficulties and correct them early, before they become stumbling blocks in your child’s academic career. This is the time to make sure that all the basic skills such as reading, writing (both grammar and hand writing), and math are well established so that your children are ready for high school. Also, other challenges can be remedied during this time, such as speech impediments and dyslexia. These challenges can be easily overlooked by teachers in schools who have the daunting task of teaching and caring for a whole classroom.

In the primary school years don’t forget that your usual homeschooling resources are also at hand: online websites and search engines, local homeschooling groups, state associations, and libraries to access any resources that you might need. Many parents find specific programs helpful in the primary years and others find the eclectic method of using a variety of books and resources helpful and best for their kids. Use what works!

Melissa Murdoch has a passion for life span development and education, and believes wholeheartedly that a healthy society begins at home.

For further information on how to get started in homeschooling, please visit http://www.YourHomeschoolCommunity.com.

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Saxon Homeschool Curriculum has earned its reputation for quality, reliable and affordable home school programs. It started as a curriculum for students who had difficulty in mathematics, but has grown into a complete core curriculum program, and is a leader among secular providers.  If you are still deciding what homeschooling program to use with your child, this article may help you determine if Saxon will fit your needs.

The main focus of Saxon homeschool curriculum is helping students establish a strong foundation, and learn the concepts they need to live successful, productive lives. While Saxon offers programs for public schools, private schools, and large groups, its most popular program is its personal distance-learning course.

Saxon has expanded its offerings from math courses to other disciplines. Saxon home school curriculum now includes primary, middle and high school mathematics, as well as phonics, grammar, writing and science.

The home school phonics program is designed to assist children who struggle with reading and spelling. This course covers consonants, vowels, decoding, spelling, and reading comprehension. For grammar and writing, the curriculum uses a book produced by Stephen Hake, which is designed in the Saxon Math model of incremental development and continual review.

Saxon physics is designed for both average and gifted students. The topics are practiced every day, and gradually increase in complexity. It gives children time to become comfortable and master the concepts taught in each lesson.

The main difference between Saxon homeschool curriculum and other programs are in the arrangement and delivery of lessons. Saxon does not rely on rote memorization, nor does it encourage a “take it or leave it” chronological system of education. Instead, it presents concepts systematically throughout the year in a manner that allows for maximum understanding and mastery.

Saxon promotes hands-on learning. Because it relies on manipulatives and a multisensory approach to learning, children are left with a firm grasp of the concepts. Its straightforward approach to academics makes it a fine option among secular home school programs. Its unique approach makes home instruction easy for parents, and makes learning easy for children.

To read reviews of Saxon that were written by other homeschoolers, visit Saxon Homeschool Curriculum Reviews.

You may reprint this article by giving credit to the author. To post this article on your website or blog, provide a live link to http://www.successful-homeschooling.com.

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Curriculum represents a course to study. It varies from one place to other. The standards for curriculum are based on the requirements of academic learning and also on the expectations of the grade level. There is one important point to remember and that is, academic requirements of learning do not speak to any specific method of teaching or style of learning, but simply provides the performance expectations which are set for every grade level.

Guidelines for homeschooling

The performance expectation of Home-school parents and children can be met through any preferred courses. There are some standard guidelines or checklists which offers the common requirements of learning for grade levels. The idea is to identify the common categories of the subject, lists of sub-categories or the topics to be covered. This will help in providing some sort of structure for students and parents to follow.

• Mathematics includes basic math, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, probability and statistics.

• The topics covered under Language Arts are phonics, letter recognition, reading, writing, spelling, research, composition and others.

• Social Studies encompasses History, sociology, geography and government.

• Health and Safety covers mental health, physical health, fitness, and nutrition, diseases, anatomy and accident prevention.

• Science on a broader level includes biology, botany, geology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and others.

Once the structure and curriculum are decided the next step is to decide on the grades. This is to identify how the student is doing in the allocate subjects. These are again based on the different levels the student will study. For high school, the grades should be between 9-12.

There are also many options to allow high school credit to be given based upon life experiences. This can be helpful because sometimes actual experiences are better than book knowledge. Additional Article – Online Courses Boost Homeschooling

Need additional information about high school issues? Get the free guide, A Parent’s Guide to Teenager Issues in the High School at http://highschoolmediator.com/land/HS_landing_page.html

Dr. Patricia Fioriello has 25 years experience in K-12 education as a teacher, principal, and central office manager. She currently publishes blogs, articles, eGuides and books addressing the critical issues confronting our school’s today. Her writing services include study materials, documents and presentations. Dr. Fioriello also conducts workshops, private online tutoring and consulting for K-12 educators and the community.

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Homeschooling your children can be difficult but is also very rewarding. Most states have homeschooling materials and curriculum to help parents know what to teach their children. Most of these state-made learning methods are very basic and most home schooled children finish their work very quickly and are bored the rest of the day. Because of this many Homeschool parents look for other methods of teaching their children to stimulate their minds and help them to achieve an above average education.

Homeschool software is where most parents turn to help their children receive an even better school education. Before purchasing the software however, many parents wonder what the homeschooling software pros and cons actually are. This article is designed to help you understand the homeschooling software pros and cons so you can make an educated decision before buying software.

Pros – There are a lot of pros for buying homeschooling software. The biggest pro is that there is so much software that can cover really any subject you want your kids to learn more about. There is software with encyclopedias about nature, world destinations, cultures, and much more. There is also software that can help with mathematics, spelling, and grammar. The reason why this software is so effective is because it uses fun animated characters, music, and other methods to help ingrain solid educational principles into your child’s mind. Statistics show that software use in learning math and spelling is extremely effective and that the kids who use software are usually at the top of their class on average!

Cons – Software costs money. With all of the different types of software packages available, you can easily spend hundreds of dollars on just a few software packages. The other con is that if you do not have a computer, you will have to purchase one to utilize this software education technology. A computer can cost several hundred dollars, not to mention that you will also have to pay for internet service to use many of the educational software.

Do the pros outweigh the cons? From our standpoint they absolutely do. Owning and using a computer is essential in today’s technological world. By having a computer and teaching your children how to use it will only help give your children the advantage in today’s world. The software packages are fun and really work. Children who excel in Homeschool environments have used education software 90% of the time. These statistics really speak for themselves if you are homeschooling your children to give them the best education possible to them in their young years.

Homeschool Software Guides is the authors web site where she discusses many of your option you have when it comes to teaching your children at home. Visit her at HomeschoolSoftwareGuides.com to learn more about what’s out there including your Free Homeschool Software options.

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