Saxon Math vs Teaching Textbooks: We Used Both for a Full Year

After watching my seventh-grader struggle through Saxon Math 8/7 for three months, I made a decision that sparked heated debate in our homeschool co-op: we switched to Teaching Textbooks mid-year. Then, curious about the grass-is-greener effect, we returned to Saxon the following semester.

This wasn't planned research. It was desperation turned into accidental curriculum comparison.

Lees ook: homeschooling guide

Lees ook: educational manipulatives math

The Time Investment Reality No One Talks About

Here's what the marketing materials don't tell you: Saxon Math consumed 90 minutes of our school day. Teaching Textbooks? Forty-five minutes, tops.

Saxon's strength—its relentless review cycle—becomes a time sink when your kid already grasps the concept. My daughter spent weeks re-solving the same type of fraction problems while new geometry concepts got just three practice problems before vanishing into the spiral. Teaching Textbooks front-loads practice. When they introduce area calculations, you get 20 problems that day, not scattered breadcrumbs across two months.

But here's where it gets interesting. The time savings came with a trade-off I didn't anticipate. Saxon's seemingly excessive review created muscle memory. Six months after finishing Saxon Algebra 1, my daughter could still factor quadratics without hesitation. The Teaching Textbooks material? She needed refresher practice.

We found ourselves supplementing both programs with extra practice on our fine-tip dry erase markers on the kitchen whiteboard—Saxon needed more initial practice, Teaching Textbooks needed more long-term review.

When the Computer Becomes a Crutch (Or Does It?)

Teaching Textbooks' automated grading felt like a miracle after months of checking Saxon problems by hand. The software catches arithmetic errors instantly and explains mistakes with voice narration. Sounds perfect, right?

The problem emerged after two months of use. My daughter stopped showing her work. Why write out the steps when the computer will guide you through them? She became dependent on the hints system, clicking for help at the first sign of confusion rather than wrestling with problems independently.

Saxon forced a different kind of thinking. No computer safety net meant she had to develop problem-solving persistence. When stuck on a geometry proof, she couldn't click for a hint—she had to reason it through or ask for human help.

However, Teaching Textbooks' immediate feedback prevented the frustration spirals that plagued our Saxon experience. She never spent an entire evening practicing problems incorrectly, only to discover her error the next day during correction time.

The Placement Test Revealed Everything

After our year-long experiment, I administered placement tests from both companies. The results surprised me.

Saxon's placement put her exactly where I expected based on completed coursework. Teaching Textbooks' assessment suggested she needed to repeat half a grade level in several topic areas. This wasn't because Teaching Textbooks was "harder"—their diagnostic simply revealed gaps that their unit-based approach hadn't addressed.

Here's the key insight: Saxon's spiral method, for all its frustrations, had quietly filled knowledge gaps I didn't even know existed. Teaching Textbooks' organized units made daily progress feel more substantial, but missed connections between mathematical concepts.

The spiral approach meant my daughter practiced solving systems of equations using substitution, elimination, AND graphing methods throughout the year. Teaching Textbooks taught each method in its own unit, then moved on. Come test time, she could only remember the most recent approach.

Cost Analysis: More Than Sticker Price

Saxon Math costs significantly less upfront—around $80 for the textbook and solutions manual. Teaching Textbooks runs $120-150 per level for the complete CD set.

But calculate the hidden costs. Saxon requires parent involvement for explanations, corrections, and concept reinforcement. Teaching Textbooks handles explanation and grading automatically. For working parents, that time savings has real monetary value.

We burned through three Saxon solutions manuals because my daughter spilled coffee on one, the binding broke on another, and we loaned the third to a friend who moved states. Teaching Textbooks lived safely in our computer.

Both programs assume you own a decent scientific calculator like the TI-30X, though Teaching Textbooks includes an on-screen calculator for basic operations.

The Verdict: Match Curriculum to Learning Style, Not Reputation

Choose Saxon if your child needs repetition to internalize concepts and you can commit to daily involvement in their math education. The spiral approach works, but requires patience and trust in the process.

Pick Teaching Textbooks if you want a more independent learner experience and don't mind supplementing with additional review later. The computer-based instruction fills a real need for families without strong math backgrounds.

Don't choose based on online forum recommendations or homeschool convention popularity. My daughter thrived with Teaching Textbooks' immediate feedback and struggled with Saxon's delayed gratification approach. Your child might be exactly the opposite.

Try placement tests from both companies before committing. The diagnostic results will tell you more about fit than any curriculum comparison chart.