Side-by-side comparison
Saxon Math vs Teaching Textbooks
A side-by-side from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Teaching Textbooks.
Parents searching "Saxon vs Teaching Textbooks" are almost always asking the same question: do I want my child to fight through a rigorous, parent-taught textbook program that's known for producing strong test scores, or do I want a self-teaching digital course that takes math off my plate? These are the two most-discussed math curricula in homeschool circles, and they sit at opposite ends of nearly every spectrum.
Saxon Math, in print continuously since 1981, runs on a spiral approach. Each lesson introduces a small new concept and then drops the student into a long mixed problem set that pulls from every topic taught so far. The repetition is the point. Students who finish Saxon usually retain math well — the constant review forces it — but the daily problem sets are long, the format is dry, and the parent often needs to teach the lesson or sit nearby for stuck moments. Saxon covers K through Calculus, which is rare. Print-only; expect $95–$148 per grade.
Teaching Textbooks is the opposite philosophy. The Sabouri brothers built the program around the question, "What if the textbook taught itself?" Every lesson has a video, every problem has a step-by-step video solution, and the app handles grading. Parents check the digital gradebook occasionally and otherwise stay out. Pricing is $49–$84 per year per student, and the Family Plan covers up to eight kids for $239.95. Coverage runs Math 3 through Pre-Calculus.
The honest tradeoff: Teaching Textbooks may run roughly a grade behind a maximally rigorous track, while Saxon's repetition can crush students who already get it.
At a glance
The specifics
| Saxon Math | Teaching Textbooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | Teaching Textbooks |
| Established | 1981 | 2000 |
| Price | $95–$148/grade | $49–$84/year |
| Grades | K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 | 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 |
| Subject | Math | Math |
| Method | Traditional, Spiral | Mastery, Online Video |
| Format | Digital, Video | |
| Worldview | Neutral | Neutral |
The verdict
How to choose
Choose Saxon if you want maximum rigor and long-term retention, you don't mind sitting with your child for math, your student needs the repetition to lock concepts in, or you want a single program from kindergarten through calculus. It's particularly strong for STEM-bound students.
Choose Teaching Textbooks if you want your child to do math independently, you have multiple kids and can't teach all of their lessons, your student is math-anxious and needs patient repeatable video explanations, or you're not confident teaching upper-level math yourself. It's the right call for most non-STEM families and the obvious pick for large families thanks to the Family Plan.
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