Comments on: Algebra 1: An Incremental Development, 3rd Edition, by John Saxon

by: Deb

Sun, 02 May 2004 15:11:58 +0000

Steve, I like Saxon’s direct instruction philosophy of teaching. I was fortunate enough in high school to learn science thru an integrated curriculum with mastery as the core value. And my daughter was taught to read using direct instruction, which the special ed teacher told me was an almost infallible way to teach reading. This year the school tossed out the other “balanced” approach they had used for years and went to a pure DI approach on all grade levels.

Unfortunately, with mandatory state testing and grading curves and all the other pressures on school teachers, that is not the most effective way for them to teach most subjects to a group. Plus they are under a lot of pressure to use certain board approved textbooks which may or may not be the best books to learn from.

Homeschool is the ideal environment in my mind for learning. Mastery based, paced to the student, not the group and one-on-one teaching–it seems like a perfect model for success.

by: steve h

Sun, 02 May 2004 01:38:27 +0000

That’s odd…Saxon Math low on repetition?

There are several logarithm and trig-function identities in the “Advanced Math” text that are memorized through repeated use.

In fact, that’s my primary memory of Saxon mathematics. Uses of certain methods and/or equations were repeated in a “theme with variation” style, until I had memorized.

After I finished home-schooling, I went on to college, and math courses were the easiest courses I took. Partly because of John Saxon.

by: Deb

Sat, 01 May 2004 18:47:40 +0000

Craig, I cheat on that one–I just get it down to a thin film of candy and then crunch my way thru to the tootsie. By that time the roof of my mouth is usually so scraped up from sucking on the candy, I want to get it over with.

How long can you make a bag of M&M’s last if you only suck them one at a time is another question…. ;o)

We all have our challenges!

by: Craig Clarke

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 18:34:08 +0000

…it’s kind of nice that at least in some things in life, there are concrete answers to certain questions even if they are questions like “what is the slope-intercept method for finding the equation of a line on a rectangular coordinate grid?”

Yeah, I’m still working on “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll® center of a Tootsie Pop®?”