Title: The Saxon Method of Teaching Mathematics
Speaker: Frank Y. H. Wang, Saxon Publishers

In 1981 John Saxon self-published a high school algebra textbook which used a radically different pedagogical approach than those advocated by mainstream mathematics educators. Since release of that first book, Saxon Publishers has compiled independently conducted studies and reports from schools using their texts that show increases in test scores and increasing enrollments in higher level mathematics courses. In one study of thirteen hundred algebra students, those having used the Saxon text were able to solve several basic algebra problems for every problem the control group students could solve.

The tenets of the Saxon method are: incremental development, continuous distributed review and frequent cumulative testing. Incremental development means that larger concepts are broken down into smaller, more easily understood pieces called increments that are introduced over a period of time. Once a skill or concept is introduced, it is practiced in all succeeding daily problem sets in a process called continuous distributed review. On a weekly basis, students are given a test that contains questions encompassing concepts and skills that had been covered earlier.