Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Saxon Math - how it works? 3rd &5 Grade &IEP

RE: Saxon Math - Is anyone familiar with how this program works? My understanding is the learning is all integrated instead of topics divided into chapters. The HW lets the teacher know how well the student understands the lesson from that day. There is a overall assessment every 5 days.

Mys DS9, in 3rd grade is doing some 5th grade Math and loving it. but....

My understanding is he listens to 3rd Grade instruction for 5 mins., then he does 3rd Grade worksheet side A which takes him 5 mins. then side B is HW which takes him 5 mins. After 5 days there is an overall assessment. Our IEP was he should only listen to instruction then do his 5th Grade Math. Teacher is concerned he will miss concepts if he doesn't do the pages. Teacher is concerned he needs to know 3rd Grade Math for Iowa.
I'm wondering if he could just listens to the instruction and then do the assessment every 5 days? I wonder if this would work?

That doesn't sound so bad but last year he became disengaged at school sometimes and developed bad work checking habits and failed some papers not due to lack of knowledge. My understanding is lack of attention to work when kids have to do too simple work is typical. Currently my
DS is not complaining and is so happy he is doing 5th grade Math.

HE does 5th Grade Math after he is done with the 3rd grade Math while the rest of the students are finishing their work.

This is my first time with an IEP and we are breaking new ground at our school. I wish before we met for the IEP I would of been able to see the plan so I had time to think about it. They say they never had a student like my DS before but they are willing to work with me. I want to be careful to not be too high maintenance. Now I questioning our plan. Maybe we should have compacted and accelerated 3 & 4 math before doing 5th grade Math. Or figured out where the wholes in the education would be and address those. Overall the teacher seem to get him and let him skip some repetitive reading because she said he got it and could than do something like read. DS has also been able to read or do his extra Math book from home when he finishes his work early.

I thought the idea of the testing we did was to figure out what to do with him but I still don't get what to do and I'm not sure the school does. I'm thinking he can do math like a 11yr old-6th grade to 15 yr old-10th grade, but doesn't know everything they would know because he hasn't been exposed to all the math they would know. What ????? This is confusing. I hope somebody can help who can explain this in a very simple way.

my ds9 broad score from Woodcock Johnson III Achievement test.
He is going into 3rd Grade.

Broad Reading 133, 99%
Broad Math 145, 99.9%
Broad Written 127, 97%

Norms based on 8yrs,9months

subtest,stadard score, percentge rank, Age equivalent

Letter word ident., 122, 93,12-9
reading Fluency, 137, 99, 14-6
Spelling, 126,96,15-2
writing Fluency 130,98,12-1
passage comprehesion 126,96,15-3
writibg samples 101, 53, 8-11
word attack 121,92,16-11
reading vocabulary, 137, 99, 15-4
Story recall 128, 97, >21
understanding Directions 121, 92,15-0
Calculation 146, 99.9, 15-2
Math Fluency 122, 93, 11-2
Applied Problems, 140, 99.6, 13-10
Picture Vocabulary 118, 89, 12-0
Oral Comprehension 138, 99.5, >23
Quantitve Concepts 130,98, 12-11
Academic Skills, 134, 99,14-1


cluster grouping:
Basic reading skills 123, 94, 14-1
Reading Comprehension, 136, 99, 15-4
Math calculation 143,99.8, 13-4
Total Achievement 140, 99.6, 13-6