WE CHANGED OUR MATH CURRICULUM - Here's Why You Should Switch To Saxon Math 5/4

In this video, we're switching our math curriculum from Level 4 of The Good & Beautiful to Saxon Math 5/4. We've found Saxon to be a much more effective tool for teaching math and we believe you will too!
If you're looking for a new math curriculum, be sure to check out Saxon Math 5/4! It's a more effective way to learn math and perfect for elementary, middle, and high school students. With Saxon, you'll be able to solve more complex math problems and understand the concepts behind them!
Hey Friends! My name is Ashlee, and I am a homeschooling mom to 3 kids. Currently, I have a 4th, 2nd, & Preschooler! I work full-time from home while balancing homeschooling. Thanks for being here! If you are watching this video, I am sure you love either motherhood or homeschooling as much as I do. I started sharing our homeschool journey in hopes to help other families navigate the world of homeschooling. Regardless if you are brand new to homeschooling or a veteran homeschool parent, I hope you can find some great information in the videos I share!
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[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

What are your thoughts on math curriculum? Want to see more about Saxon?

[@jcross9251]

Yes please show us a Saxon lesson 🙏

[@brittanyolga]

We switched from TGATB 4 to Saxon in our 4th grade year as well!! We had the exact same issues with the math curriculum. I am so happy I switched when I did she is doing so much better in math. We just finished Saxon 6/5 and now are on to Saxon 7/6. We love Nicole the Math lady too she has been a lifesaver!! I wish I could just meet her and hug her lol .I hope you all get into a better math groove. 😊

[@EverydayArmyWife]

between your video and now this video we might be making the switch over to Saxon and Nicole next year.

[@jonlynch]

Thanks for posting your comparative review! Our 2nd-grader has almost finished the TGATB Level 3 Math (new version) and he loves it, so we just ordered Level 4. For those starting level 3, it is a big difference from level 2 - the pace and difficulty are both significantly higher, but we trusted the "system" and after 20 or so lessons, he adapted and things got a lot easier. We did supplement Level 3 with a set of $5 multiplication flashcards from Amazon. I would recommend this, as there is a great benefit to learning basic multiplication facts by rote (just as with addition.) After about a month of daily flashcards, he is now confident with all the way to 12x12. We find that the beautiful art, colors, stories and games in TGATB really keep his interest and make the whole process fun. We may consider Saxon for a later grade level, but for now TGATB is working great for us. He's also doing TGATB Language Arts.

[@karenellsworth4683]

Thank you for this! My 4th grader is exactly how you described, she wants to get straight to the point and solve the problems

[@Homeschoolology]

Interested to see how you guys end up enjoying these. I feel like people either love it or don't. We have been using Math U See for years and really do like it.

[@lifewithginab]

You are right ... I don't think I've seen a really good video showing me how this curriculum really looks and how it flows you know? Excited to see more about this curriculum on your channel!

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

Yes couldn’t agree more! I will be sharing more for sure!

[@peachy_reina]

We're a Saxon family. My kids have used it from levels 1 through 7/6 so far. We tried Teaching Textbooks a couple of times, but it wasn't sticking and our previous stare required yearly testing so since Saxon is spiral it worked! Plus they retain more. My oldest hates long lessons, but she also doesn't want to switch lol

[@mariasullivan7136]

This was so helpful! I just switched my 1st grader to TGTB and she’s going wonderfully with it - it fits her personality really well. My 3rd grader is using master books math lessons for a living education, but I’d like to switch him to the 4th grade Saxon once we’re finished with this level. I think he’ll do better with the straight forward black and white approach. I’d love to see a lesson video if you do one! Thanks so much!!

[@kb8990]

I think you hit the nail on the head about TGATB’s popularity. It’s low-risk financially and many younger children are being taught with it because it’s so user friendly for content that is, well, generally less challenging in the younger years. TGATB is where we started, but I lost faith in them after the third revision in the time since we started. They also completely pulled their social studies to review, which, if you were a parent in the middle of using that, what do you make of that? Once we knew we were longterm homeschooling we moved on to programs with long-standing programs. Saxon is one of them. I will warn that Saxon is also spiral, so you may find you want a mastery approach to complement. We use it in tandem with MUS since it is mastery. (MUS we use as an independent enrichment activity. Saxon is our instructional.) Saxon may not be flashy, but the first gen homeschool kids really vouch for its effectiveness.

[@danahall1282]

Saxon has been around forever. It is a great curriculum. I used it for all my children. But I have two special needs boys that use Christian light education, which is spiral and no fluff also. My one special need son is in 8th grade but is doing 4th grade math. I might eventually go back to Saxon. He also is doing Rod and Staff twice a week, very repetitive, twice a day. Good choice to take that leap. We dropped TGATB language arts, too distracting for my son also.

[@GardenMinistry.]

This is my second year using Abeka Math and it's my favorite. It's spiral, challenging/advanced, straight to the point, and has enough color to keep my children interested but not distracted (especially when it's things like money where I want them to see the color of the coins.) My plan is to continue using it for the elementary grades, possibly Saxon or Teaching Textbooks in middle school and up. 😁

[@KristyStill]

Would love to see a video we are half way through TGTB 4 and I’m debating moving to a different one too. Agree too there is a lack for older kids of video reviews.

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

Coming soon!

[@HomegrownHomeschool]

The way you felt about Saxon is the same way I feel about Beast academy 😂 it seems so complicated to even figure out what the assessment would be. I agree with what you said about there being no perfect curriculum. Even if one is perfect for you one year doesn’t mean it will be the same for the following year. I’m glad you found a new one to try!

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

I love how colorful beast academy is but yes a bit overwhelming at first haha

[@jessicachipepo442]

I really liked this video. I am finishing up level K and while we like TGATB, I have noticed the same problem. She gets distracted, by all the extra. She has been doing well and she is learning, but I could definitely see us needing to switch later on. So I’m considering trying it out next. I feel I have to maximize her time with attention span.

[@rarnone424]

We are finishing up level 3 tgatb with my second grader and I completely agree. My son is very math minded and doesn’t enjoy the fluff and hates the musical multiplication. He is struggling with multiplication because it just isn’t taught well with tgatb if you don’t do the songs. So we are trying to decide what to switch to. I’m deciding between Saxon and MWC

[@ponzasella]

Yes, we are in the same boat with math. We are in the 4th year of homeschool and my daughter just broke down stating how Singapore Dimensions Math is not for her. We like TGTB Language Arts and we are thinking to start TGTB Math. Math is definitely a hard subject for her and it is the one of the hardest subjects to find the right fit. I am curious of Saxon Math.

[@abeautifulmess5036]

Definitely interested in a Saxon review…my 4th grade son excels in math and is currently using TGTB for math and we skip all the extra activities too because he just wants to do the basic math 😂

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

I will work on putting something together in the upcoming weeks ☺️

[@jalisamoore8633]

Eek!! I’m so excited for you! I too wanted a solid math curriculum that was black and white for my son. He is very much, cut to the chase lol Glad it is working for you and your daughter!! We love Saxon. Is your 4th grader doing Saxon 5/4? That is the level my 4th grader is doing and from my understanding the concepts they learn in Saxon 5/4 are taught again in Saxon 6/5 but on a deeper level. Love love love this approach!!❤

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

Yes she has been using 5/4 and it’s been great! I would be awesome if the same concepts are taught in 6/5 just in a deeper level.

[@ashleym9305]

Yes, please! Please do an overview of the homeschool Saxon version you are using and Nicole the Math Lady. We are not quite there in the upper grades, but every year, I have a running list of what we could possibly use for different subjects. I cringe thinking of teaching upper level math, I did it, it’s on my education credential, but I don’t love the subject and I definitely don’t want to teach it.

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

It will be coming in the next couple of weeks ☺️

[@maryanngill3576]

Please do an indepth how Saxon math works how you found Nicole the math lady etc. Thanks so much!

[@brittanyedwards3293]

We like Saxon better for upper elementary and middle grades too. For us, TGTB video lessons just weren’t enough instruction, and it wasn’t clicking. Saxon is amazing at breaking down complicated things in a way that just makes sense. As a side note, from my research, a lot of people seem to switch from Saxon to Shorman or Dr. D for high school math. We’re not there yet, but considering it for the future…

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

Yes! I was looking at Shorman as well for older graders- either way I think Saxon will prepare them better for whatever in the future high school wise

[@ashleyr.3273]

I think there’s a lot more ‘good for younger grades’ curriculum talked about because so many older kids end up going to school or switching to all online programs.

[@CullenClan]

Yes please!!! Id like to see a lesson and I’ve heard about the “math lady” please show us how it works. I am switching to Saxon (probably) from math lessons for a living education. I’ve tried with that book for two years with a whole lot of supplements from me and teaching him myself, also multiplication. I’m done with that book. But in reality I have more than half the book left. My son will be 11 in a month and I feel like I failed him with the wrong curriculum. 💔💔💔💔💔💔

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

I have a few videos since this on Saxon just search my channel ❤️

[@fab5bailey369]

Seriously, coming to KZbin to find a video about Simply Math.

[@KristyStill]

Curious because we are in a debate between MUS and Saxon, we're finishing up TGTB 4. Does Saxon jump around as much at TGTB? That's my daughters biggest complain. My hang up with MUS is that she wouldn't be getting the review consistently throughout the lessons.

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

I’ve never used MUS so I can’t speak much to that but Saxon is spiral approach so yes they are learning different concepts and reviewing them over and over again. I would recommend looking at the scope and sequence of Saxon to see which lessons are taught and if it would be too much jumping around.

[@victoriaberdugo270]

Did you feel like Saxon was a little bit behind TGTB? We’re finishing up TGTB math 3 and she’s already learning order of operation. I was thinking about switching to Saxon for the same reasons so I tried finding samples of Saxon Math 5/4 online. The ones I found were a lot of addition and subtraction and slowly getting into multiplication and division.

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

No, I don’t feel like it’s behind. I feel like Saxon does a better job at reviewing, and really focuses on facts. Saxon also goes more in-depth on topics. Where TGAB May introduce a topic earlier, it doesn’t review as well or goes as in-depth as Saxon does in my opinion. I’ve used TGAB levels 1-4 and Saxon 3-6 and Saxon is much more in depth on topics. It’s really hard to understand Saxon as there are limited samples and how their lessons are structured can be confusing.

[@anniegray6277]

@@gatheredandgroundedhomeschoolexactly!! We just switched to Saxon from TGATB in grade 2. At first, I was thinking, wait, we did this, this is too easy. But after only about two weeks of school I realized how much more in depth the instruction was and how much it’s solidifying the skills she started to have. We love it so far, and I actually started my first grader in Saxon K because I feel like he needs more review of some of the K concepts after TGATB. Thanks for the video!

[@daniellaesquivias5986]

My 4th grader is going to switch the Saxon 5/4 from TGATB 4. Did you have your child skip the first few review lessons or just start from the beginning?

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

I went through the table of contents which shows all the lessons being taught and decided to start around lesson 20, there are times those she has to refer back to some earlier lessons to understand a concept but the great thing is all the problems tell you what lesson the concept was taught in ❤️

[@mindygasca4335]

I realize this video is older, but I have a question about Saxon. Were you able to transition at the same grade level from TGTB to Saxon? I'm going to do the assessment once we finish TGTB Math 3 in a couple of weeks, but I'm curious what others experiences have been.

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

We switched from TGAB Math 4 to Saxon 5/4 we started on the first lesson in Saxon. Even tho we were on like lesson 20 in TGAB. Some stuff was review but they just do a better job teaching concepts. Saxon also does a wonderful reviewing concepts. when there are questions, it specifically tells you what lesson that concept was taught in. I could quickly see during reviews what areas we needed to focus more on. But as always, the curriculum assessments are there for a reason and each kid is different.

[@mindygasca4335]

@@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool yes, I was planning on taking the assessment. My concern is that TGTB seems behind Saxon, which everyone keeps telling me is advanced. Thanks!

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

@@mindygasca4335 I wouldn’t say it’s more advanced just more in depth ☺️

[@Simpliiblessed]

Do u need the manual and solutions if you use Nicole ? Can I just by student work book?

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

I still like having the manual so I can assist if they need help with questions

[@windycityhomeschool23]

When you switched from TGTB to saxson was it an easy transition? My son is asking for a black and white math, and I think saxson would be good but not sure how the transition would be.

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

Yeah it wasn’t too bad, I went through lessons in the new curriculum and crossed out what she had already learned and skipped it. Also Saxon gives you the lesson a concept was taught in for every review problem so if they don’t understand they can go back to the lesson to complete

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

Also most curriculums have placement tests you should take to see where he would fall.

[@windycityhomeschool23]

@@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool That another thing I saw that I liked. When we wanted to go back and look in the good and the beautiful it took a bit for us to find it. Yeah I’m giving him the placement test.

[@lindsaypotter3694]

Are you still using Saxon?

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

Yes! We have used levels Saxon 3 - 6/5 so far and plan to continue using it ❤️

[@Kyml705]

Why did you not go with teaching textbooks just curious? My daughter is currently using tgtb math3 I like and have been considering more of an online math for the teaching aspect.

[@gatheredandgroundedhomeschool]

We tried it out previously and I felt it was way behind level wise and didn’t go in depth or teach certain concepts enough. Plus my kids didn’t like the voice teaching them haha. I did like the online portal and the independent concept of it, so I felt like I got that approach but better curriculum overall switching to Saxon. Using Nicole the Math Lady is an online teacher and gradebook which is really awesome!

[@ashleyr.3273]

So many gaps left with TT