If your student is new to Saxon Math, then we highly recommend taking the free placement test. Remember Saxon Books are skill level books, not grade level books. It is essential that each student is placed in the text that meets the skill level of the individual student.

Just click the links below to view and print the free Saxon placement guide and tests. Instructions are included.

For a Placement Overview: Saxon Homeschool Math Placement Guide

For primary grades K-3 use: Saxon Homeschool Math K-3 Placement Test/Inventory

For Middle Grades 4-8 use: Saxon Homeschool Math Middle Grades Placement Test

For Upper Grades 9-12 use: Saxon Homeschool Math Upper Grades Placement Test

Or to determine if your student is ready to take Algebra 1 use:

Saxon Homeschool Math Placement Test for Algebra 1

Or to determine if your student is ready to take Algebra 2 use:

Saxon Homeschool Math Placement Test for Algebra 2

Let’s clear up a couple of things that usually cause some confusion when talking about Saxon.

First, there are two versions Saxon Math. There is a Homeschool edition, which is what we sell and a school edition which can only be purchased from Saxon.

Thus students attending schools can not purchase the answer keys on the Internet and cheat.

We regularly have students, and even school districts attempt to purchase the Homeschool Math from us thinking that the editions they are using in school will match. If you are looking to purchase the school edition Saxon Math, please click here.

The second area of confusion is regarding the publisher. Saxon Math is published by Saxon Publishers but in 2004, Saxon Publishers was purchased by Harcourt Archive. So it is not uncommon to hear someone refer to Harcourt when talking about Saxon Math. To read about Saxon’s history, click here.

In reviewing our math curriculums this month, we have to start with Saxon Math for Homeschoolers. This is our best selling math curriculum.

Why? Because it works!

Based on over 20 years of research and teaching success, Saxon Homeschool Math is the most complete, comprehensive and thoroughly researched math curriculum available to Homeschoolers today.

Saxon uses an incremental “building block” approach to help your child develop a complete mastery of math concepts from kindergarten through advanced high school levels.

Textbooks feature easy-to-follow scripted lessons, providing you with the best and most effective teaching techniques.

Some parental involvement may be required, especially in the beginning of the lesson and to check daily assignments.

For more information regarding Saxon Math click here

This month I am reviewing the math curriculums we offer as well as researching some new curriculums we hope to add. If you have any suggestions for a math curriculum you would like to see at Pennywise Learning, please let us know.

When we started PWL, I figured all math curriculums where created equal. Math is math, right? Since that time I have learned that I couldn’t be more wrong. Perhaps math is math but the approaches to teaching it can be very different. Start researching various curriculums and you begin hearing terms like traditional math, new math, mastery based, incremental approach, spiral based, applied math, standards based math, integrated mathematics, etc.

Like everything in Homeschooling, I do not believe that there is a one size fits all solution. It is important for home educators to determine their own educational philosophy, identify their student’s abilities and style of learning, then choose the educational approach that fits best. Most home educators favor a more traditional math approach. Our personal education philosophy favors traditional/mastery based approaches to learning.

Most all of the math curriculums offered at Pennywise Learning are considered traditional approaches. We can break them down a little further as well:

Mastery Based Approach

The first is mastery based. A mastery based approach introduces a new topic and then drills on that topic until it’s mastered. New concepts are not introduced until mastery of that topic is achieved. Of the math curriculums we offer, we would generally categorize the following curriculums to use a mastery based approach:

ACE/School of Tomorrow PACES
AOP LIFEPAC
Liberty Baptist Curriculum
Switched On Schoolhouse

Incremental/Spiral Based Approach

The second is spiral or incremental based. With this method, mastery is not required before the introduction of new topics. Topics are introduced and mastered incrementally over a period of time. The following are curriculums we offer that we would consider use this approach:

Bob Jones Homeschool
Horizons Math
Saxon Math

Knowing the approach used is important when matching a curriculum to your student. Some students do very well using a mastery approach where only one concept is taught at a time. This is especially true for students who struggle in math or in special needs circumstances. For others a mastery based approach can be very boring but they excel when using an approach that is a little faster moving and multiple concepts are being learned and worked on at the same time.

Please feel free to post any questions or comments by clicking on the “comments” link below.

Say it isn’t so. Using calculators with our Saxon Math? Like most Home Educators, we try to be organic with the math curriculum’s we use with our kids.  No additives used.  We want our kids to know how to do the math manually.  Step by step.  Using a calculator to solve an equation has most always been out of the question.

My oldest daughter, entering her senior year is getting ready for college.  As we were preparing  for her to take the SAT test, we came across the SAT Calculator Policy, which allows a student to bring a graphing or scientific calculator to be used on the Mathematics level 1 and 2 of the test.  We didn’t have time for her to purchase and learn how to use an advanced calculator so she took her SAT with a basic four function calculator.  She did fine on her test without an advanced calculator, but it did make us reassess our personal policy on allowing calculator use.  Would she have done even better on the SAT’s if she had a good calculator and the know-how to use it?

Because of this we have added a complete line of affordable calculators as options to our Saxon Math Homeschool curriculums.  These calculators were designed for academic use.  We still believe in having our kids learn how to do the work manually, but we are also implementing calculator “know-how” into our teaching.

Our family favorite calculator is the Intermediate Calc-U-Vue.  We love this calculator because it allows you to see the problem and the answer. It also allows scrolling. See below:

For primary grades, we have a simple combo package of 4 function calculator and activity book.  The Primary Calculator Activity Book has 63 pages of problem solving using the primary calculator in patterns, measurements, number sense, and data and chance. 

I’d love to hear your comments and experiences regarding calculator use in your Homeschool.