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Saxon Elementary School Math was developed by Saxon Publishers, an imprint of Harcourt Achieve. Address: 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32887. Email: info@SaxonPublishers.com. Web: http://saxonpublishers.harcourtachieve.com. Telephone: (800) 284-7019.
The first Saxon textbook, Saxon Algebra, was published in 1979 by John Saxon for junior college students. In 1980, a high school version, Algebra 1, was published. In 1981, the program was tested by 20 teachers with approximately 1,400 students. By 1993, the company had become Saxon Publishers and developed programs for kindergarten through high school. Information is not available on the number or demographics of students, schools, or districts using this intervention.
Daily lessons in grades 1–3 consist of three components: 1) the meeting, 2) the math lesson, and 3) the written practice, which includes guided class practice and homework. A typical lesson begins with the meeting where students engage in various practical activities (for example, understanding calendars), and enter into math conversations and dialogue with the class and teacher to communicate their understanding of math concepts. Following the meeting, the teacher begins the math lesson in which new concepts are introduced. Hands-on activities are incorporated into the math lesson to encourage student involvement and further the learning of new concepts. The math lesson is followed by written practice, which includes teacher-facilitated guided class practice of newly and previously learned concepts. The day’s homework is completed by the students independently. Cumulative and written assessments occur every five lessons. In kindergarten, these components may be separated into different sessions, and assessments are conducted as individual interviews between the teacher and individual students.
For grades 4 and 5, a daily lesson consists of four components: 1) warm-up, 2) lesson introducing new math concept, 3) practice on new concept, and 4) mixed practice including new and previously learned concepts. Students are introduced to concepts incrementally, given opportunities for continual review and practice, and assessed cumulatively and frequently. An assessment score of 80% or lower indicates a need for remediation, and provision for remediation is part of the program.
Saxon Elementary School Math grades 1–3 can be ordered as a 24-student or 32-student kit that includes all of the teacher, lesson, classroom and student materials. The student kits range from over $600 to over $800 depending on the size of the kit. Individual kit components, such as manipulatives, workbooks, student texts, teacher manuals, and materials in Spanish, can be purchased separately. Grades 4 and 5 have a separate student edition ($50–$55) and teacher manual set ($185). Other ancillary materials, such as black line master books, fact practice workbooks, and a test practice generator, can be purchased separately.
|Institute of Education Sciences
