Shormann Math Review | Homeschool Math Review | High School Math Curriculum

[@SusanEvans]

It's good to know that there are other high school level computer-based math programs out there besides Teaching Textbooks.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Yes!

[@vkbowers]

Albatross around our neck... Yes, I can very much relate!

[@PenniesAndSalt]

I really love the look of this! It's so nice to know wonderful curriculums like this exist for my kids once they get to the upper levels.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Pennies And Salt Katie is a really great math student but Saxon made her hate math. Now she enjoys it again (but she does prefer algebra to calculus).

[@beckyw5715]

Thanks for this! My son is currently doing Shormann's Algebra 1. I would LOVE a review on his science (and maybe compare it to the science she used previously).

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I'm planning to do a review in about another month because I want us to have done some of the dissections first. I will ask for questions on my community board on YT and on Instagram prior to filming so I make sure I cover what y'all need.

[@jennyb.6847]

Thank you so much for this review! I must say that the fact that he weaves how God is reflected in mathematics is a huge pro for me as well! Everything else of course was also good information. Thanks again!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@EverydayBlessings]

I love seeing math reviews in particular because I feel like I’m always shopping around.

[@olak3302]

I am very grateful for this review - my situation is similar with my daughter asking to do a different curriculum other than Saxon, she just finished Algebra 1

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I’m glad it helped you!

[@PenniesAndSalt]

This is so super helpful! We were just talking about this at our Co-op Monday. I sent your video link to a few of my friends that were in the conversation.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thank you!

[@michelewooten1478]

We are finding Algebra 1 to be very difficult in the first 20 lessons...trying to figure out if it's worth sticking with or not...we've come from Saxon.

[@HomeSweetHomeschoolLife]

Thanks for sharing. I am always looking for Math ideas.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

You're welcome!

[@christinezaslavsky647]

We are interested in doing this for 9th grade Cc challenge 1 next year because we don’t like Saxon very well. Thank you for the video. We are trusting God for wisdom in this decision.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

We switched from Saxon as well. It was a much better fit for us.

[@GRACE_PRAYER_COFFEE]

Thank you so much for this. The math we use ends in 6th grade......she’s in 5th so I’ve been looking at different things, shopping around. We did try to switch to Saxon this year and she hated it so we went back to old faithful. I will check this out! 🥰

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Let me know if you find that you have questions.

[@laurabeth7755]

Thank you so much for the review! Its weird... I haven't found any other reviews on Shormann.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I found that strange too because it is such a fantastic curriculum!

[@MommaonMission]

Nice! I’ll have to keep this in mind! We are a Saxon family so far but just in math 3 it is already seeming really long. Even with not doing every example problem, only doing one side of the worksheet, and not doing the “meeting” we take 45 min to 1hr 15 min 4 days a week.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

It really ramps up when you move to 5/4 and then again around 8/7 in terms of time commitment.

[@leilani9130]

This is such an awesome review. I just had a parent ask me about it. Now I can refer them. ❤️

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@LifeintheMundane]

I had heard of this math but had never seen it. I really enjoyed this review

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thank you!

[@jessicafields4310]

this is a great review! I haven't heard of this curriculum before.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thanks! We love the strong Christian world view combined with strong math and science.

[@stephaniegrace9581]

Im interested to know how Students have done on ACT,SAT,PSAT coming out of Chormann versus Saxon. I already know Saxon students tend to do very well - I would love a comparison tho. Shormann seems to be what students prefer but is it better for them longterm? I currently have a son ho says he will not be going to college - I intend on therefore preparing him for college level and having him take AP courses when possible so that I (honestly more like when) he changes his mind he is better prepared (I know eventually he will see a college education is necessary for a decent living but it may require some real world experience first). So having as good of a math education as possible for high school is very important to me.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I don't know how the test scores compare. Shormann and Saxon are very, very similar in terms of topics covered My daughter actually thinks that Dr. Shormann's math is harder than Saxon but it is explained much better so she prefers it. Dr. Shormann also teaches Saxon math in his DIVE videos for students that prefer Saxon.

[@GraceandGrit]

This is so helpful! Thankyou!!!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

So glad it was helpful!

[@erikarich6614]

Just found your video! Thanks so much for the review. We are looking into this curriculum for my 7th grader . Question- are you still using this program ?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

No my daughter is now in college.

[@LivingWithEve]

You make this look so easy!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thanks!

[@tepcford]

Thank you so much and God bless you

[@CarmenPopa-pd5jc]

Thank you for this video! My daughter just finished Algebra 1 using Teaching Textbooks but I would like to switch to Shormann next. Just wondering what are your thoughts: should we start Algebra 1 or 2?

[@joyfullyhomeschoolingboys]

yes, please to biology class.

[@jodistewart6706]

Great review 👍 Thanks for making it informative and interesting! I'm curious how the whole "show your work" thing goes when the work is computerized? I may need to review the video again, are the questions multiple choice? We've done Saxon w dive videos and I'm considering shorman algebra. We're you concerned with wether or not the problem was worked correctly if only the answer is required? I love that each problem has a video showing how it's worked- very helpful!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Great question. They still write out all of the problems. At that level, it becomes really hard to solve without doing that. Also some of the questions will ask for steps of the answer, or your have to type the whole number in, so it isn't just multiple choice guessing for the homework. And yes, the how to solve part is really important to me, which is why I like the steps for each solution. She was able to check at each point to see where she had gone wrong if she missed something.

[@kendalla.68]

@@simplejoyfilledliving I would love to learn more about this! I was also very concerned about this. My son is doing Saxon Algebra 1 right now and using Nicole the Math Lady. Several of the questions on her submission form are multiple choice but I actually took those out and made him simply do those on paper to avoid the guessing mentality that multiple choice can lead to. Is there anyway to not allow multiple choice? I am just afraid my son will go back to guessing.

[@RussellsLovingLife]

Thanks so much for showing us this! I will keep this in mind when Bailey gets to the higher grades.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

We were fine with Saxon until Algebra 1, when it started completely taking over our day (we did not do just odd or even problems).

[@RussellsLovingLife]

@@simplejoyfilledliving Even with the lower grades it does take up a large part of school.

[@Trixatoria]

Looks great, you’re really good at reviews! :D

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thanks!

[@annaramponi4505]

hello, how did you make algebra 2 an honors class ? thank you

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

We added a statistics project, paper, and presentation.

[@valerieromero3157]

Thank you for making this review. Question. Do you believe it would be easy or allowable to print the e-text so the student can have a physical textbook?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Yes, you can print it if you need to. My friend uses Dr. Shormann's Algebra 1 class and she prints the text for her daughter.

[@TheChan7]

Thank you for this video! So helpful. How would you compare the rigor of Saxon to shorman?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

In my opinion it’s about the same. Shormann probably explains it better but it’s very similar math.

[@cherlinepierre]

does anyone know how this compares to Dr. D Math?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

We've never used Dr. D Math.

[@brittanyedwards3293]

Thanks for the review! Do you wish you had switched from Saxon earlier? We are using Saxon now for my 5th grader, and I am hesitant to do something all online at this age. However, I do feel like Saxon is just SO much work.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Shormann now starts at pre-algebra but when we started using it, it started with algebra 1. I definitely recommend switching as soon as possible. We did use Shormann’s DIVE lessons for Saxon before we switched. I think those begin around 5th grade.

[@sha-toinaswint2152]

This is great. Thank you so very much. The information regarding the standardized testing peeked my interest. Now I am going to seriously look into Shormann math because that is top of our list for our children. In the fall , I will have a 6th grader, starting Saxon 8/7. I need to decide if we will do Algebra l with Saxon or move to Shormann for Algebra l for 7th grade. Any advice welcomed. Thanks again sweet lady .

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thank you! ❤️ Shormann and Saxon are both very strong math programs. In our opinion, we prefer Shormann because as it gets harder in Algebra 2 and beyond (we’ve done Algebra 2-Calculus 1), there’s more instruction and explanation. Also there’s less problems per day, but the problems are carefully selected. So we went from 2 hours per day on math to about 1-1.25 hours per day on math.

[@sha-toinaswint2152]

@@simplejoyfilledliving after watching your video today, I went to the Shormann site and I noticed he had pre-algebra as well. Now I am wondering if I should try that as opposed to Saxon 8/7 in the fall. Do you have any thoughts on transitioning into shormann after Saxon 7/6?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

@@sha-toinaswint2152 I would do Shormann pre-algebra as it would be a better transition to his higher math (unless you want to stick with Saxon long term). He started with Algebra 1 when we found him.

[@sha-toinaswint2152]

@@simplejoyfilledliving Thank you so very much for your advice and wisdom in this area. I am going to definitely pray about this transition and have my son look at it as well. We have never done any core classes online so that will be a huge difference for both of us. I also didn’t know that he was the person doing the DIVE , so it just makes sense to do his course given that we were going to purchase the DIVE with the Saxon 8/7. I will definitely come back and tell you what we decided. Also, I wanted to ask you your thoughts on Apologia and Shormann for the sciences? I really appreciate you for taking the time with me sweet lady. 💜

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

@@sha-toinaswint2152 this is just my opinion, and others will disagree. But I think Shormann’s science is better because it is much more thorough. Both are good, but Shormann is better for a science minded student or someone who may need science in college. Apologia is better for a person that may not pursue science in college. Both are strong in Christian world view. But Shormann includes AP content, where Apologia does not. A lot of people love Apologia and would disagree with me, but as a science person myself the difference is easy to see. That being said, if my daughter was more of a literature person rather than math/science like she is, Apologia would be easier for her so I would consider it. Hope this makes sense.

[@jessicawalters9609]

Thank you for this review! Are there a lot of multiple choice questions in this program? My son tried Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 and after doing 70 lessons I realized he didn’t understand the material he is just a very strategic thinker and used process of elimination to pick the correct answer. We had to go back to the beginning of Saxon Algebra 1 after that using Saxon Teacher at first now using Art Reed DVDS. He’s about ready to start Algebra 2, but I’m Curious about other options that might help him understand the material better. He really can’t have multiple choice questions, his brain just can’t help but cut corners to avoid doing the work.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

You have to do the work with Shormann math. Most problems require you to type in the answer without choices. So guessing would not get you through the lessons.

[@karenperkins7565]

Jessica Walters w

[@ThisMotherhoodJourney]

Wow, this was very thorough! Thank you!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thanks!

[@EricaLucasLoves]

This is a fantastic review.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thank you!

[@jessicataubert2804]

My daughter took Saxon Algebra 1 and 2 at a Christian school. Is there a way to do just Geometry with Shoreman?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

no, it is integrated just like Saxon. So if she has taken Algebra 1 and 2, she's had geometry with Saxon.

[@OneMamaToAnother]

Thank you for this video! My oldest is struggling with Saxon Algebra 2 and I am thinking about switching him to Shormann next year. Which courses did your daughter go on to do in the years after?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

She did Algebra 1 with Saxon (8th grade) Algebra 2, precalculus, and calculus with Shormann (9th-11th grade) and college algebra and calculus as dual enrollment classes in 12th grade. This year as a freshman in college she’s taking statistics.

[@cherlinepierre]

yes, biology please

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

We are planning to do a review probably at the end of March. I wanted to get through most of the dissections first so that we could have a well rounded review. But it is coming!

[@summercampfam8806]

Watching in 2022 and he does have a pre-algebra class now.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

That’s wonderful! Thanks for letting me know.

[@SharonReads]

We tried Shormann's Algebra 1 course and were very disappointed. The lectures were very long, unengaging, and were inadequate for the problem set that followed. They also have an "absolutely no refunds" policy.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I hope you found something you did like. My daughter is now a college junior and Shormann prepared her very well for college math. We used it through calculus.

[@fr-em9my]

Why did you have Katie redo college algebra for dual credit if she had already taken Shorman?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

It was an easy college credit, completed a requirement for college, and gave her the last math credit she needed for a high school STEM diploma.

[@crystalkurtz1309]

I love this review!!! Do you suggest using Saxon 8/7 or pre-algebra 1/2 using dive or Nichole the math lady? This is my sons 8th grade year and we’re switching from Teaching textbooks. I’ve heard that 8/7 and 1/2 are the same material but 1/2 moves faster? I really don’t want him to do both but I’m trying to figure out which one to do. Any advice would be so helpful!! Thank you!!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

It is better to use Saxon 8/7 and skip Algebra 1/2 unless your child really struggles with math. 8/7 is a much more robust course but it is recommended to do both if your child is a little behind before moving on to Algebra 1 (most kids will not need both). We really liked DIVE (Dr. Shormann does the DIVE videos).

[@crystalkurtz1309]

Our Blessed Life thank you so much!!! Wish I would of listened to my gut and stayed away from TT. It did build his confidence back up and we just had a serious talk about why we have to switch math programs ( he wants to be a paleontologist) so he knows he’s gotta really understand the math/science!

[@sandrap.8268]

I was wondering if you thought the Shormann Algebra 2 provided a good prep for the SATs? I finished Saxon Algebra 1 for my son, but was thinking about switching to Shormann for Algebra 2

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Yes, we thought it was great prep for the SAT!

[@alchris8830]

Is there a physical work book or is all work done on the computer?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

It’s done in a regular notebook and answers are put in on the computer.

[@thylaboswell]

Thanks for the information..I didn't know about Dr. Shormann before. We have used Saxon but we are currently using Harold Jacobs (Masterbooks) for Algebra I and Geometry and are very happy with it..but it stops there. Since my daughter will already have a Geometry credit, if she does Shormann Algebra II, do u know if she would have to do the Geometry again? Is it separate lessons or mixed in? Thanks again!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

The geometry is mixed in. She’d probably just have to consider it a review and just take the credit for algebra 2. Or if you could tell that the whole lesson was on geometry, you could try skipping, it that might make quizzes and tests harder.

[@jessicatucker6140]

Can you bypass the timer for quizzes and tests? What if my child needs more than the ten minutes or more than an hour and 15 min. for a test?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Sort of. What we did was let Katie write down all her answers and if she ran out of time she would do a second attempt snd we would just use that grade. She needed this at first only in Shormann science but after getting used to it, she became able to take them in the time given.

[@saraischuler1252]

Would you suggest a different math curriculum (other than Saxon) for the math years leading up to Shormann?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Saxon prepares students really well for high school math and transitions well to Shormann, so especially for a strong math student, I would recommend Saxon.

[@favored4life]

Is Shoremann aligned with common core?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

No, he’s not aligned with common core.

[@Julina367]

Is it correct the Shormann doesn't have a pre-algebra course? If I want pre-algebra I would do Saxon 8/7 with his Dive into Math videos?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

He has now released a pre-algebra course.

[@Julina367]

@@simplejoyfilledliving awesome. Thank you.

[@HomeSweetHomeschoolLife]

Great review!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Thanks!

[@holliemromano]

Would you say Shoreman does a good job of covering word problems and formula mastery?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Yes

[@amyo5878]

How do the grades work can you print them out for records

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Yes, you can print off anything you want. We keep grades in Homeschool planet, so I transferred them there. I printed out all quizzes and tests for the portfolio though.

[@leilani9130]

I really am considering this curriculum for HS math. We just switch to Masterbooks. DO you think this will be a good transition?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I really don’t know much Masterbooks’ upper grades math. I’ve only used level 1 with Sophie.

[@wychefamily3454]

Did you feel tied down by their schedule? They seems like it would be the only draw-back.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Not at all. It isn’t a live class so you can do it at your own pace.

[@mhr156]

What do you mean with homework? Does it give actual homework? How is that?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

It just gives an assignment for every lesson. A video lecture and then problems to do unless there’s a quiz or a test. Not extra homework.

[@kathylovegrove4987]

It’s February 1 is it too late to switch to Dr. Shormman?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

You can do it at any time. They aren’t live classes. So you could start at the beginning or figure out what point to start at and begin there.

[@LucasLiteracyLab]

Hi! Your video is still super helpful 2 years later! I have a rising 10th grader over here. Has you daughter ever had to email for extra help? If so, how was the response time? Do they get back to the students right away or does it take a while? Thank you.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

We did once and it took a few hours.

[@Abiding.Farmhouse]

I love love that it's Christian based!

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Us too!

[@Julina367]

Is Dr. Shormann math spiral or mastery?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

It’s spiral.

[@vanessaflores8474]

@@simplejoyfilledliving Even though it is spiral does it still help students understand and practice enough each new lesson before moving on? That is our current struggle with Saxon math. There are not enough problems of the new concept being taught.

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

@@vanessaflores8474 yes, that’s why we switched from Saxon.

[@vanessaflores8474]

@@simplejoyfilledliving thank you so much! that is very helpful to know!

[@Abiding.Farmhouse]

My oldest daughter (going into 9th grade) hates teaching textbooks so we are in the market for new math. Thank you for sharing! Have you ever used TT? If so, do you think they are pretty different curriculums?

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I have no personal experience with TT. I have friends that love it though. I have always steered away from it because I have been told by SCAIHS (option 2) that it might be behind and that they will not allow honors credit for TT. Since you are in SC, maybe you could call them and see what they say about it as it relates to SAT prep and college admission. I haven't discussed it with them in years. They actually recommended Dr. Shormann as a better option since we wanted to pursue honors for Katie. They gave other options too but I don't remember those now. I can say that we really love Dr. Shormann for Katie for both math and science and it always goes back to God and HIs creation and how math and science illustrate the beauty of His creation.

[@Abiding.Farmhouse]

Our Blessed Life ok thank you!! I think we will use it!

[@TheTreeBros23]

I'm looking for a pre-algebra curriculum for my daughter for next year. Do you have any suggestions for a well aligned pre-algebra curriculum that would flow well into the Shormann Math Curriculum the following year? Any suggestions welcome! TIA

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

I would use Saxon 8/7 (which is pre-algebra) and use it with Dr. Shormann’s Dive course for Saxon 8/7. He has a video lesson for each lesson in the book. That would be the easiest transition.

[@TheTreeBros23]

Our Blessed Life Thank you! I just discovered your channel and I am thoroughly enjoying your videos. Exactly what I have been looking for! 😊

[@lisaross9335]

I just want math to be math. It doesn't need to have religion

[@simplejoyfilledliving]

Then you need a secular program instead.