Saxon math

Saxon math, developed by John Saxon, is a teaching method for incremental learning of mathematics. It involves teaching a new mathematical concept every day and constantly reviewing old concepts. Early editions were deprecated for providing very few opportunities to practice the new material before plunging into a review of all previous material. Newer editions typically split the day's work evenly between practicing the new material and reviewing old material. Its primary strength is in a steady review of all previous material, which is especially important to students who struggle with retaining the math they previously learned.

The Saxon Math 1 to Algebra 1/2 (the equivalent of a Pre-Algebra book) curriculum is designed so that students complete assorted mental math problems, learn a new mathematical concept, practice problems relating to that lesson, and solve a variety of problems. Daily practice problems include relevant questions from the current day's lesson as well as cumulative problems. This daily cycle is interrupted for tests and additional topics. From Algebra 1/2 on, the higher level books remove the mental math problems and incorporate testing more frequently.

The Saxon math program has a specific set of products to support homeschoolers, including solution keys and ready-made tests, which makes it popular among some homeschool families. It has also been adopted as an alternative to reform mathematics programs in public and private schools. Saxon teaches memorization of algorithms, unlike many reform texts.

By the mid-2000s, many school districts were considering abandoning experiments with reform approaches which had not produced acceptable test scores. For example, school board member Debbie Winskill in Tacoma, Washington said that the non-traditional Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) "has been a dismal failure." Speaking to the board, Mount Tahoma High School teacher Clifford Harris noted that he taught sophomores in another district Saxon Math, and their Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores have continually climbed. Unlike IMP, Saxon program gives students plenty of chances to review material, so they retain their skills, he said. In September 2006, Tacoma Public Schools introduced the Saxon books district-wide and rejected the previous IMP textbooks.

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