Two well-known names in homeschooling, Saxon math and Alpha Omega Lifepac math have very different approaches. Each is designed for homeschoolers and is a complete K-12 series. Saxon math is recognized as a solid, rigorous academic curriculum suited for slow, average or bright students and fully college preparatory. Alpha Omega Lifepac math is seen as a solid curriculum, slightly easier than some, though still college preparatory.
The format of Saxon math is characterized by a gradual, incremental (concepts are broken down into “bite sized” pieces) approach to concepts and constant, daily review. In K-3, there is a scripted teacher book with reproducible worksheets instead of a student book, as well as manipulatives and flashcards for the kiddos. Basic counting, addition, and subtraction are covered, as well as multiplication and division.
From fourth grade on, Saxon switches formats. Each lesson has an explanation of how to work a particular type of problem, followed by a short practice set on that problem, and wrapping up with a problem set of 25 to 35 problems from previous lessons. These are non-consumable texts, so the student will be copying problems into a notebook. CD-ROMs with video of teachers teaching the text are available from DIVE into Math, as well as from the publisher themselves.
Parents appreciate that Saxon math is very homeschool friendly, with the clear explanations making it easy for the student to work independently, even into high school. Fully worked solutions in the solutions manual make grading easy for mom, and frequent tests (every fifth or fourth lesson, depending on the grade level) gauge the student’s grasp of things.
A drawback that some have noted in the Saxon math curriculum is that the concepts are not presented in a logical order. One “increment” of a particular type of concept is taught and then the flow is interrupted by teaching other types of concepts before the next increment of the same type. Some students also grow bored with the constant review aspect. But some parents find that adjusting the order of the lessons a bit or using a Saxon Dive CD-Rom can help students understand the overall logical flow and “big picture”. For the bright ones who are bored, doing several lessons straight through and working only every second or third problem set can be a good solution. It is also possible to bump students ahead a grade.
The format of the Alpha Omega Lifepac math uses more conventional approach, but it is still laid out with a fairly detailed explanation of the lesson, followed by problems for the student to work. The problems are based on the lesson of the day, with reviews assigned once every few lessons. A unique aspect of Alpha Omega Lifepac is that the school year is divided into ten segments, with a different workbook for each segment. Students write directly in the workbook, and successfully completing each one seems to give a satisfying sense of accomplishment.
Parents enthuse over the way students are able to work very independently with the Lifepac workbooks. The cute and colorful books of the early years really seem to draw the kids in. And elementary and middle school students seem to do very well with the workbook structure. A drawback is that in the high school years, the algebra and geometry does not seem to be as well explained as other curricula; parents have even found errors in the answer keys. But Alpha Omega offers a hotline for math questions and parents have found this to be a good resource, especially in cases like that.
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