Saxon Geometry
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Help for Saxon Geometry: The 1 Secret to Excellence with Proofs

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Saxon Geometry. It’s a lot like ballet.

Wait, what?

No really. You know I’m answering a lot of your most pressing Saxon Math questions lately and here’s one I get a lot: “Nicole, what do I do about geometry?”

With Saxon’s integrated geometry approach but also an entire stand-alone Saxon Geometry text, the route to take isn’t entirely clear, so I want to help you out. Let’s break it down like this:

  • My Opinion on Saxon Geometry

  • Why Saxon Geometry and Its Proofs Matter

  • Doing Saxon Geometry AND the Integrated Geometry

My Opinion on Saxon Geometry:

You may have heard that a student doesn’t *need* the separate Saxon Geometry course if they complete Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Advanced Math. And that’s true.

If a student completes the 3rd edition of Saxon Algebra 1, the 3rd edition of Saxon Algebra 2 and the 2nd edition of Saxon Advanced Math, they can get a full geometry credit.  And yes, they will have enough geometry to be able to take college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT.

However, to excel on those assessments or take AP exams, it’s a good idea to complete the stand-alone Saxon Geometry book. The additional work can only help your student.  Though it wasn’t written by John Saxon, this textbook is still a quality book!

And the best part? It’s where the proofs a student needs to really “get” geometry are covered extensively.

saxon geometry

Why Saxon Geometry and Its Proofs Matter

Don’t be mistaken though: proofs are hard. Kids hate proofs. Nicole the Math Lady? She kinda hates them too. Shhhhh… don’t tell. But proofs give you a real understanding of how geometry is connected. They give you a deep, solid foundational knowledge of geometry, and we’ve talked a lot about how important good foundations in math are.

And that leads us to the ballet connection. They say to be a good dancer of any sort, a student needs to take a ballet/technique class. After all, it’s the foundation of dance, right? Yes, someone can still dance well without ever enrolling in a ballet class, but taking one gives a dancer a deeper understanding of the art. It helps them develop a more solid foundation.

Similarly, working the proofs you’ll find in the stand-alone geometry text will give your math student a more solid foundation in geometry. And that’s the best reason to go ahead and do the work in that text.

Doing Saxon Geometry AND the Integrated Geometry

Now, you’re probably wondering one of two things:

  • “Is doing the integrated geometry AND the stand-alone book overkill?”
  • “If we do the stand-alone geometry book, does that mean we have to do the 4th editions of Algebra 1 and Algebra 2?”

The answer to both questions is “no.”

  1. No, your student might even do better with this approach. The integrated geometry is spread out over three courses. Algebra 1 has .25 credit, Algebra 2 has .25 credit and Advanced Math has the remaining .5 credit (look at that math!) So, if your student does the stand-alone book, whatever was learned in Algebra 1 and possibly Algebra 2 (depending on the order you choose,) can serve as a good base for the much meatier stand-alone book.
  2. No, you don’t but you can if you want to. If you like the classic homeschool 3rd editions of Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 but you feel that the stand-alone geometry book would serve your student well, you can still do those books. See above.

Give your student a strong foundation with Saxon Geometry and your math student will thank you. That foundation will mean they can do more complicated proofs and math work more easily.

A real link between Geometry and ballet… who knew? But with each one, the foundation you build makes all the difference in how far and how high you can fly. I hope this helps your student do just that.

Talk to you soon,

Nicole the Math Lady