Customer Rating: 
Summary: Lots of stuff
Comment: I haven't studied it carefully, but from what I've seen this is a good book--though in a few places the language did seem odd--perhaps that's "New Math".
Customer Rating:
Summary: Algebra 1
Comment: This book is not evil. At my school this is the book we use and this book is meant to be taken in 9th grade (at my school). The reason It doesn't get 5 stars is because:
We learn the lessons and then its like "Oh yeah I get it"... later on in the book, they contort the questions from that lessons. When you go back to refresh your memory... it is like that problem never exsisted.
DO NOT skip from the Math 87 book to Algebra 1. If you skip it will cost you later.
The great thing about this book is that for the most part you can always go back and re-read. They also tell you where each problem comes from (lesson). I am saying nice things about this book even though I despise Algebra. That's saying something. If you are getting home schooled and you aren't good at math then I reccomend this book. If you are a math genius, you need Abeka books. They are challenging and colorful.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Math for Homeschooling Parents
Comment: As homeschooling parents, we needed a direction in math that allowed our son to be slightly independent, as neither of us progressed beyond college algebra for our careers. Admittedly, our son has a high aptitude for math, which greatly increases the success based on a book in Saxon's curriculum.
The format of Algebra I is very straightforward. In each section, a few pages are spent explaning the lesson, with examples and solutions. New terms are introduced as needed and constantly referred back to in later lessons. The problem sets (30 in each lesson - 120 lessons in all) spend a handful of questions on the current lesson, and constantly rehash previous lessons. For example, lesson 10 may include about 5-8 problems from lesson 10, then 5 from lesson 9, 5 from lesson 8, and maybe 10 from previous others, especially from important or milestone lessons where something new was introduced.
The tests follow the same format. Yes, there is a lot of overlap, but what we found was that since the same concepts were quizzed on every lesson, our son became very quick to solve them. He began to skip steps and do much of the work in his head after a while. For strong math students, this is common, and may not be related to the book itself.
I was concerned about homeschooling math largely because I never took advanced courses in college. I was able to "re-learn" Algebra by following along in this book and occasionally doing some of the problem sets. Our son enjoys the format and is eager to start Algebra 2, using the Saxon book.
Overall, especially for teachers that are not math wizards, the Saxon format works well. Our son said that although the problem sets get tedious, he thought that by going over the material over and over again, he was able to do well on the tests.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I'm Glad I Found This!
Comment: This is avaluable resource if your are checking your child's homework. I was checking my 8th grader's homework each night and having him to redo the problems that he missed. However, in order to check it, I was having to work each one of the problems! It was taking 30-45 minutes just to check a lesson. Now that I have the solutions manual, I can check the homework and see what he did wrong. The manual not only lists the answers, it has the solutions for each problem. This has saved me valuable time in getting homework checked each evening. If your child is using Saxon math - get one! I have the Algebra 1/2 manual as well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Tool
Comment: Just like anything else there are many factors to everything as a school teacher that uses this book I believe it is one of the most comprehensible texts out there. Other factors should include a willing student, and involved parents.
Summary: Lots of stuff
Comment: I haven't studied it carefully, but from what I've seen this is a good book--though in a few places the language did seem odd--perhaps that's "New Math".
Customer Rating:
Summary: Algebra 1
Comment: This book is not evil. At my school this is the book we use and this book is meant to be taken in 9th grade (at my school). The reason It doesn't get 5 stars is because:
We learn the lessons and then its like "Oh yeah I get it"... later on in the book, they contort the questions from that lessons. When you go back to refresh your memory... it is like that problem never exsisted.
DO NOT skip from the Math 87 book to Algebra 1. If you skip it will cost you later.
The great thing about this book is that for the most part you can always go back and re-read. They also tell you where each problem comes from (lesson). I am saying nice things about this book even though I despise Algebra. That's saying something. If you are getting home schooled and you aren't good at math then I reccomend this book. If you are a math genius, you need Abeka books. They are challenging and colorful.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Math for Homeschooling Parents
Comment: As homeschooling parents, we needed a direction in math that allowed our son to be slightly independent, as neither of us progressed beyond college algebra for our careers. Admittedly, our son has a high aptitude for math, which greatly increases the success based on a book in Saxon's curriculum.
The format of Algebra I is very straightforward. In each section, a few pages are spent explaning the lesson, with examples and solutions. New terms are introduced as needed and constantly referred back to in later lessons. The problem sets (30 in each lesson - 120 lessons in all) spend a handful of questions on the current lesson, and constantly rehash previous lessons. For example, lesson 10 may include about 5-8 problems from lesson 10, then 5 from lesson 9, 5 from lesson 8, and maybe 10 from previous others, especially from important or milestone lessons where something new was introduced.
The tests follow the same format. Yes, there is a lot of overlap, but what we found was that since the same concepts were quizzed on every lesson, our son became very quick to solve them. He began to skip steps and do much of the work in his head after a while. For strong math students, this is common, and may not be related to the book itself.
I was concerned about homeschooling math largely because I never took advanced courses in college. I was able to "re-learn" Algebra by following along in this book and occasionally doing some of the problem sets. Our son enjoys the format and is eager to start Algebra 2, using the Saxon book.
Overall, especially for teachers that are not math wizards, the Saxon format works well. Our son said that although the problem sets get tedious, he thought that by going over the material over and over again, he was able to do well on the tests.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I'm Glad I Found This!
Comment: This is avaluable resource if your are checking your child's homework. I was checking my 8th grader's homework each night and having him to redo the problems that he missed. However, in order to check it, I was having to work each one of the problems! It was taking 30-45 minutes just to check a lesson. Now that I have the solutions manual, I can check the homework and see what he did wrong. The manual not only lists the answers, it has the solutions for each problem. This has saved me valuable time in getting homework checked each evening. If your child is using Saxon math - get one! I have the Algebra 1/2 manual as well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Tool
Comment: Just like anything else there are many factors to everything as a school teacher that uses this book I believe it is one of the most comprehensible texts out there. Other factors should include a willing student, and involved parents.