“It’s just fascinating—countries that do very well on PISA in mathematics, countries like Finland, Korea, Japan, and Netherlands, they score terribly on this motivation index,” Loveless aid. “Kids don’t look intrinsically motivated at all.”

What makes kids “like” math is succeeding at math. That is why we like classic Saxon math texts (which make no attempt to motivate students! no photos, no inspiring stories about people who use math when they grow up, no real effort to answer the perennial “When are we going to use this?”). None of this means you shouldn’t ALSO motivate students (while continuing your Saxon Daily 30 Reps”; another case of second rate educational research and analysis, presenting teachers and parents with false dichotomies (motivation or high scores? we choose both!)

via Does Student Motivation Even Matter? — The Atlantic.

Saxon Math already has a series of book for kindergarten through third grade, and another series that begins with Math 54 for fourth grade and continues up through Calculus. So why this Intermediate series for grades 3, 4, and 5? For the lower levels, at least part of the answer lies in the differences between the Saxon Math program for K-3 and the rest of the Saxon books from Math 54 up through Calculus. The K-3 program is completely different from the other Saxon books. They were written by a different author, incorporate manipulatives, and have a very teacher-intensive form of lesson presentation.

Math 54 and all the texts beyond that were written by John Saxon, Stephen Hake or both of them together. Saxon Math Intermediate 3, 4, and 5 were written by Stephen Hake and, consequently, are more similar to the upper level books than the K-3 series. Those just starting into Saxon Math at third grade level should probably go with Math Intermediate 3 since it ensures a more comfortable transition into Math 54. Those who have been using the Saxon K-3 series up through second grade can go either way, perhaps deciding based on a preference for manipulatives used in the K-3 courses or a preference for the less teacher-intensive Intermediate 3 course. For older students, you need to choose between Math Intermediate 4 and Math 54, and between Math Intermediate 5 and Math 65.

The Saxon Math Intermediate courses differ some from the Math 54 and up courses in layout, and they require a little more teacher involvement. Parents might need to work through presentation of new concepts with students in each lesson, but some students should be able to work independently through most or all of many lessons.

There are four components to the homeschool kit for each level: the student text, a solutions manual, Power Up Workbook, and Homeschool Testing Book.

Each lesson begins with “Power Up” activities. These are a bit more involved than the “Warm Up” activities that begin each lesson in Math 54 and Math 65. Power Up activities include four categories of problems each time: math fact review, count aloud or “jump start,” mental math, and problem solving. Math Intermediate 3 labels the second category “jump start.” Whatever the label, this second category might include oral counting by increments, drawing hands on a clock, thermometer reading, writing a fact family for three numbers, etc. The count aloud category is dropped from some of the Power Up sections in Math Intermediate 4 and 5 since by fourth and fifth grades students should be able to skip count fairly proficiently and will need only occasional review. The separate Power Up Workbook is used for the written activities for the Power Up section of each lesson with one page to accompany each lesson. The top half of each page is for math fact review problems. Then sections for each of the other three type activities might each contain some content (e.g., clock face in jump start) or simply provide blank space for students to write their responses. I suspect that some students will need assistance in completing some of these activities, especially at the beginning of the school year.

After the Power Up activities, a new concept is introduced along with sample problems that are completely worked out. The series includes some work on conceptual understanding as new skills and concepts are taught. However, concepts are taught with written or pictorial explanations rather than manipulatives (aside from fraction manipulatives used a few times in fourth grade), and conceptual development is not as strong as in Singapore Math or Math-U-See. After the new concept is presented, some lesson practice problems provide students with practice only on the new concept. “Written Practice” problems follow with 15 to 20 problems per lesson for third grade that review previously taught concepts. The number of written practice problems increases to 30 per lesson in fourth and fifth grades.

via Review of: Saxon Math Intermediate series.

Genuine learning is demonstrated not only through the understanding of a concept but also through the ability to apply that concept to new situations. Saxon students do both with ease and confidence.

RESEARCH on the EFFECTIVENESS of the SAXON APPROACH.

The effectiveness of the SAXON APPROACH of INCREMENTAL PROGRESSION + CONTINOUS REVIEW was first demonstrated during the 1980-1981 school year in twenty Oklahoma public schools. Over 1,360 ninth grade Algebra I students participated. In each school one teacher taught one section from a SAXON MATH BOOK and one or more sections from the REGULAR MATH BOOK (new topics every chapter and a daily problem set that drops earlier topics to focus on the new lesson). During the spring, sixteen 10-15 minute tests were given. Each test was on one fundamental skill of beginning algebra and the tests were constructed from problems submitted by the teachers. Overall, the students who used the SAXON MATH BOOK more than doubled the scores of the students who had the same teacher but used a REGULAR MATH BOOK.

For tests on scientific notation and negative exponents, eight classes of Algebra II students were used as controls. The ninth graders who had used the SAXON MATH BOOK more than tripled the scores of the Algebra II students on both of these tests. The test program was monitored by the Oklahoma Federation of Teachers, and they have certified the results.

Students should work every problem in every problem set. This book provides only the problems that are necessary and the problems are not in pairs so that either the odd or the even problems may be assigned. Experience with this book will demonstrate that no extra problems of the new topic are desirable or necessary.* In this book the learning process is spread out and comprehension will come in time. The emphasis is on review and not on an all out attack on the new concept. This development spreads out the learning process, increases the depth of understanding and improves long term retention. Experience with books that use the traditional development of topics has proved that an intensive initial attack on a new concept lends little to long term retention. Remember that SAXON MATH BOOKS never drop a topic once it has been introduced and that the student will continue to wrestle with every concept in every homework problem set.