Having Trouble With Saxon Math? These Are Fantastic Alternatives

Saxon math isn't for everyone.

The biggest concern I hear from my kids is that Saxon math can be very boring and uninteresting.

The best math curriculum is child specific

No two children are the same. Because you are reading this article, your child (or you) is most likely frustrated with Saxon for one or more reasons. However, just because you aren't a fan of Saxon, does not mean there is one clear, alternative choice.

Math curriculum is very child specific. On the one hand, my 8-year-old does Life of Fred and loves it. On the other hand, my 12-year-old just recently started Saxon this year and told me he wants to continue. Previously, he was using Abeka in a classroom (school) setting. This son enjoys using the Art Reed DVDs as supplements to Saxon. He also enjoys the Life of Fred fractions sheets.

Once again, math is very child specific. My 8-year-old hated Saxon math with a passion even though he did extremely well with it. It wasn't until he started Life of Fred that he started enjoying it. I want to cultivate a passion for learning which is why I am always looking for the curriculum, worksheets, books, and texts that my children enjoy using.

Saxon math alternatives and supplements

There are three very popular alternatives to Saxon math that immediately come to my mind:

• Life of Fred
• Teaching Textbooks
• Horizons Math

Life of Fred is just plain fun. We love using this math book as a supplement to Saxon (or another mathematics textbook). Life of Fred offers curriculum that is appropriate for all ages, K-12. Young children love Fred and Kingie (the curriculum's characters) and older students find Life of Fred to be a breath of fresh air. At a young age, Life of Fred will talk about many different math areas and concepts in simple ways that meet a young student's level. Life of Fred makes a few mentions of "missions," but for the most part, it is a very religiously neutral textbook. Life of Fred can be used as a complete stand-alone math curriculum.

Math is the most popular Teaching Textbook curriculum. Teaching Textbooks has been the answer for many children struggling with mathematics. Personally, Teaching Textbooks has done wonders for middle and high school ages. Teaching Textbooks are incredibly popular and Facebook buy and sell groups have a constant supply of them. It is very easy to try them out for a low cost and they are easy to re-sell.

Horizons math is a Christian alternative. Because we have both Christian and secular readers, I will disclose that Horizons math curriculum includes Bible verses scattered within. Even though this might be initially deterring to a secular homeschooler, I actually know quite a few who use Horizons. It's arithmetic. Learn to multiply, learn to divide, here's a little geometry. Many children need this. The Horizons workbook is very popular for extra practice and as a supplement with Khan Academy.

Free online math supplement

If you aren't using Khan Academy, drop everything you are doing and go check it out. It is by far the best free resource available online. In fact, it is possible to learn K-12 and above mathematics (and other STEM subjects) through Khan Academy alone. I think the reason math curriculum is still very popular is because most parents enjoy having a physical copy of a book and worksheets.

We have plenty of other free homeschooling curriculum listed.

The benefits of Saxon math

There are many reasons why Saxon math is popular. We think the most valuable aspect of Saxon is the repetition and practice. As nice as it would be to learn math by talking about it, mastering mathematics takes practice. Unschoolers and child-led learning may be able to adopt a hands-on approach for practicing math. However, most homeschool parents will want some type of practice structure.

If you already have a Saxon math book, we highly recommend that you blend Saxon with another program. For instance, Saxon will provide repetition and Life of Fred can teach your student how to think about math in a unique and different way.

Ultimately, most educators will discover that the practice is what truly instills mathematical prowess into students. However, other math books can make learning fun.