I have a five-year-old and a three-year-old and at the turn of the year I was feeling like I wanted to change up our math routine a bit. We have been using Ray’s Arithmetic and it has provided my son with a fantastic understanding of how addition and subtraction works. We are still using Ray’s a couple days a week, but I wanted to incorporate something that would also provide practice in some classic kindergarten type skills (patterns, basic measuring, calendar reading, etc.) What about Kindergarten Saxon math?
Kindergarten Saxon Math Review
After consulting a few classical homeschooling references, I decided to give Saxon a try. They said that the kindergarten curriculum was more on the preschool level, but because I wanted to use it with both my three and five-year-old, I thought it would be just right for us. I was right!
The kids were thrilled when the box with all the manipulatives came in the mail, and we have all loved the fun, simple lessons. Each lesson starts with the Meeting Book. Basically we add a new date to the calendar and learn about new information on a calendar. It practices counting skills (up to 31 which is helpful for my daughter), reading skills, patterns (each month has a new pattern to color in the dates with), and obviously calendar skills (days of the week, months of the year, etc.) When my son was three, I purposefully taught him these things, but I realized that I just hadn’t thought to do it with my daughter, so this is a really great teaching tool for her and great reinforcement time for my son.
Next, each lesson is followed with new teaching material. The lessons are short and very basic, so sometimes we do two in a day. If this is your child’s first experience with math concepts, one a day (like it is written for) would be great. There are no worksheets, no written work at all for your child. Everything is done with manipulatives, which I love! The lessons are scripted, which is a very welcomed break for me. I was getting burned out planning all of our lessons (which I love to do, but there are only so many hours in the day), so I love being able to just glance at the lessons and grab the needed manipulatives right before we start.
If you get the manipulative kit (which I really recommend!) your child will have fun playing learning with pattern blocks, linking cubes, dominoes, teddy bear counters, geo boards, and more! Every lesson my kids ask to play with the manipulatives after the lesson is over.
Like the recommendations I read, it really is very easy for kindergarten. I completely recommend it as a preschool math curriculum, or for a child you are not sure is ready for kindergarten even though they are turning five.
I don’t know what Saxon 1 will be like, but I do know that I will be buying it to use next year!
Written by Amy from www.livingandlearningathome.com and www.classicalcopywork.com
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Slader for Saxon Math Solutions
-originally published 2014
Amy Maze is a homemaker, mother to two little children, child of God, and a blogger. She loves to learn, plan, and create. When she is not teaching her children or spending time with her husband, you will find her blogging at Living and Learning at Home and Classical Copywork.
I am glad to see you liked Saxon Math K. I have homeschooled my own family for over 20 years and also run homeschool groups and classes for homeschoolers from preschool to college. Saxon Math is what I use for Kindergarten up to Calculus and Physics. It has worked well with average students, the gifted, and even kids with Autism, Down Syndrome, and more. We love the manipulatives and continue to use Cuisenaire Rods and the cardboard manipulatives Saxon offers for grades 4-8.
Thanks for sharing your testimony with using Saxon! I am planning on using their 1st grade book next year and hope that I like it as well as I do the K set!
I enjoy this curriculum also for all the same reasons. This is our 17th year homeschooling, and all of my children have used this book!
Kym, I am glad to hear it! I am curious, do you continue on with Saxon or do you just like the Kindergarten book?
We have continued on through high school. I just really enjoyed Kindergarten through 3rd grade with all the manipulatives! The higher grades are more typical with a lesson and problem set.
I am like Kym, above! We have enjoyed Saxon Math K throughout our years of homeschooling – with all five of our children! I highly recommend it too. (It’s our last year using it and I’ve kept ‘records’ of each of our kindergartener’s progress in the teacher’s manual – sniff 🙂
Awe how sweet to be able to look back on that!
That’s one of my favorite things too Tricia! I love looking back at the meeting books, and I’ve even written notes in the teacher’s book. Some of it is very humorous since at times I’ve written when I wasn’t in the best of moods 🙂
Glad I came across this post on Pinterest. I’ve been looking at math curriculums to use in the future for my 3 year old, and was thinking of using this for Kindergarten, but maybe this is what we need to start with to introduce math concepts. At what age would you suggest this curriculum would be good to start with?
I just started this with my daughter who turned 4 last week. We skipped the first four lessons and combined lessons 5-7 into one. We will likely combine 2-3 lessons a day for a while. Her calendar skills are quite advanced and she was even upset when we stopped today, so I think she can handle more than 1 lesson daily for a few weeks.
Can you list everything you bought for Saxon Kindergarten math?
I really hope you’re still answering comments! 🙂 Thanks SO much for your review! My twin girls are starting kinder in the fall. I’m wondering if one meeting book would work for 2 kids. What do you think? Also, would you say the teacher’s edition is a must? I generally don’t but them for my 2nd grader. I did Saxon 1 with her last year and we’re doing Saxon 2 this year and I’ve done fine without it. Saxon K sounds a bit different though. Thanks so much!
Wondering if you think a 3.5 year old could handle this? Or would it be better to wait until 4.5?