Saxon is a great program but not a good fit for everyone. If that describes you, then take a look at this quality math series.
The concept presentation is meaty, it is aligned to standards, and comes from a secular publisher if you need or prefer that. Each Homeschool Bundle includes a Teacher Edition, Student Text, All-in-One Student Workbook, All-in-One Teacher Guide, and a Parent Guide pamphlet. The Teacher Edition is what you might expect in a classroom edition. It includes a comprehensive reference section in both the front and back of the book. The front includes master lists for applications/activities/projects, web codes for access to quizzes/tests/labs/projects, resource pages for differentiated instruction, assessment, problem solving, technology, math strands that are covered, a pacing chart, how to use the book, chapter summaries, and standardized-test correlation. A pre-test is provided to diagnose skill areas that need extra work along with references to pages that focus on those skills.
Small format pages of the student text are included with teacher notes in the margins along with small format pages from the workbook. At the back of the book are chapter projects, extra practice, technology examples, skills handbook, an ACT/SAT reference section which will give students tips before taking the math portion of the tests, English/Spanish glossary, Instant Check answers, and selected answers for text exercises, activities, labs, test preps, etc. The Student Text includes lessons directed to the student with examples and exercises. Some great reference material is found in the back of the book similar to that found in the teacher edition including the ACT/SAT reference section.
The All-in-One Student Workbook offers an alternative for special needs students that might do better with the workbook format. Rather than doing the exercises found in the text, the workbook offers an adapted version of concept practice. Within the workbook students will have note taking pages, additional practice, guided problem solving, vocabulary checks and vocabulary reviews. The pages are formatted with plenty of white space and room to work and do the problems. Instruction for the implementation of the workbook is found in the teacher edition. The All-in-One Student Workbook Teacher Guide offers small format note taking pages with answers, and all of the answers for the practices and guided problem solving, vocab checks and vocab reviews found in the student workbook. The Parent Guide is just a short brochure that offers some tips for parents who will be teaching the course.
Each chapter in the student text begins with a short review of previous concepts and an introduction as to what will be covered in the present chapter. Chapters are broken down into lessons which include a list of skills needed for fulfilling the chapter content, concept presentation with examples, highlighted vocabulary, ‘Quick Check’ practice, ‘Check Your Understanding,’ homework exercises, notes for where you can go for help, guided problem solving, web codes for homework video tutors (short lessons on key concepts), test prep & mixed review, and activity labs. Sometimes there will be test prep tips, vocabulary builders, or “Math at Work” which highlights math in careers. At the end of each chapter you might find test-taking strategies, chapter review, chapter test, and a test prep which will be either reading comprehension with math reading and word problems or a cumulative review.
The content of this series ranks right up there with the Bob Jones and Saxon courses and covers the same topics in a very comprehensive way. If you are looking for a course that will teach the same content with the same format as courses for the classroom, this series is it with some extras. I like the fact that this series includes all of your assessments and extras without a lot of hassle. Just type in the codes at the publisher website and you have access – much easier than with some other series.
The sequence for the Prentice Hall High School Math series is intertwined and interchangeable with some elements of the Middle School courses. Students using the Prentice Hall Middle School Math Courses can choose to do Course 1 and Course 2, and then they have the option of doing Course 3, Algebra Readiness, or go directly to Pre-algebra in the high school series. According to the publisher, Algebra Readiness contains the same general content as Pre-algebra with small differences. After Pre-algebra, students will then do Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry.
— Donna
