This month on the 1st grade side of the classroom, we completed 120 of the 130 Saxon Math 1 Lessons. My bright students are almost done with their Grade 1 Math work for the year and have understood the concepts!
Saxon Math is used by private and elite schools for Math Curriculum. It is based on the teaching principles of incremental development, continual practice and review and cumulative assessment. Saxon’s K-3 program is designed to teach basic arithmetic concepts as well as geometry, patterns, time and more. Manipulatives accelerate understanding of abstract math concepts and worksheets provide cumulative review. Students move from the concrete to the pictoral to the abstract. And they love it!
This past month, they worked with geometric solids such as sphered, cylinders, cones and cubes. They are advancing in place value and multiples of 10. The students are very excited about this! When asked what they wanted to do after this, they unanimously responded – keep learning more! How’s that for a love for learning!
Combined Levels:
Every now and then, during the second grade lesson, a 1st grader will, from across the room, call out the answer to the older student’s lessons. They are listening all along and what’s more – understanding! One of the benefits of the combined grade levels is that both groups hear what the other is learning. The younger students get a preview and the older have much opportunitey to reinforce previous knowledge.
