Evaluate curricula based upon your child's need for concept review or newer, more challenging material. Saxon Math workbooks introduce new concepts gradually in each lesson to aid students in connecting previous material to new material. Teaching Textbooks materials rely heavily upon review problems at the end of each lesson but require students to master the concepts covered before progressing to the next lesson.
Consider your child's preferred type of instructional media. The Saxon Math program requires students to complete a series of workbook problems with each lesson. This program uses optional online and CD-ROM reinforcement activities. The Teaching Textbooks program features compact discs and videos that guide students through lessons and practice problems, offering visual demonstrations of the solution to any problem the student has missed. For lower grades, Teaching Textbooks provides an interactive automatic grading computer program.
Consider your child's performance in independent learning. Saxon Math workbooks for primary and elementary students require active parent participation in teaching the material. Students may complete the middle school and high school workbooks either independently or with parental guidance. The Teaching Textbooks are designed for independent learners and require minimal parental involvement with teaching mathematics concepts.
Evaluate curricula based upon the material they cover for your child's grade level. Saxon Math provides instruction for students in kindergarten through high school calculus. Teaching Textbooks curriculum begins with third grade and offers instruction through high school algebra and geometry. Both curricula include placement tests. There are a few differences between Saxon Math and Teaching Textbooks in terms of grade-specific mathematics content, so you should review the curricula's lists of concepts for your child's grade before making a decision.