Compared in depth
Saxon Math, from HMH, and Math-U-See, from Demme Learning, are both math programs that run from the early grades through high school. The main difference is structure: Saxon adds small increments with cumulative review and is organized by grade, while Math-U-See uses a mastery approach with manipulative blocks and lesson videos, organized by skill level rather than grade.
Written by the Homebuilt team from both publishers’ own materials, checked September 2026. This is a description of the differences, not a recommendation of either program.
| Fact | Saxon Math | Math-U-See |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | K-12 | K-12 (Primer through Calculus) |
| Format | Print, Workbooks, Open-and-go teacher guide | Print, Video, Workbooks |
HMH lists Saxon Math materials as textbooks, consumable kits, manipulatives, teacher guides, and digital resources such as iTools manipulatives, drawing tools, calculator activities, and an eGlossary. In the primary grades (K to 3), materials come in a consumable kit. For the homeschool line, HMH sells a Saxon Teacher package for Math 5/4 (grades 4 to 5): four lesson CDs and one test solutions CD, with lesson instruction and solutions to every practice problem, problem set, and test question. HMH's homeschool page says its homeschool titles are sold through its partner, Rainbow Resource Center.
Math-U-See sells one set per level. The Gamma Set, for example, includes an Instruction Manual with complete solutions, a Student Workbook, a Tests Booklet, the Integer Block Kit, and a one-year subscription for streaming the lesson videos. The store says full sets are meant for instructors new to Math-U-See or without the physical components. Families who already own the manual, blocks, and videos can buy only a student workbook and tests pack. Some levels add other manipulatives, such as Fraction Overlays for Epsilon.
Sources: www.hmhco.com · www.hmhco.com · store.demmelearning.com · store.demmelearning.com · store.demmelearning.com · www.hmhco.com
HMH describes an incremental approach that gives students time to understand and practice a small concept before adding the next step. Skills are distributed across the year, and cumulative practice and assessments revisit ideas from earlier lessons. HMH says daily lessons follow a consistent structure, with daily discussion and practice and hands-on activities using manipulatives. Tests include Power Up, Cumulative, Benchmark, and End-of-Year assessments. The program page is written for classroom teachers and does not describe a homeschool parent's daily role.
Math-U-See uses a mastery approach, building a foundation of concepts before moving on. It sets out four steps. The instructor prepares by reading the Instruction Manual, watching the lesson videos, and looking over the worksheets. The lesson is presented with a Build, Write, Say method: build the problem with the manipulatives, write the solution, and say the concept aloud. The student then works Lesson Practice pages until mastery, alongside Systematic Review pages, and moves forward after showing mastery.
Sources: www.hmhco.com · www.mathusee.com · www.mathusee.com
HMH groups Saxon Math into Primary K to 3, a consumable kit, with grade 3 also offered as a kit or a textbook; Intermediate 3 to 5, with lessons embedded with activities and practical applications; Courses 1 to 3, with integrated and distributed units that build algebraic thinking; and Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 for high school. HMH's shop also lists a homeschool line under other names, such as Math 5/4, 7/6, and 8/7, with Math 5/4 marked for grades 4 to 5.
Math-U-See names its levels with Greek letters instead of grades: Primer, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, then Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 (two editions), Geometry, Algebra 2 (two editions), PreCalculus, and Calculus. The publisher says placement is skill-based, not grade-based, and offers an online placement tool with yes/no questions and example problems. Gamma, for instance, focuses on multiplication across 30 lessons and is meant for students who can already add and subtract multi-digit numbers with regrouping.
Sources: www.hmhco.com · www.hmhco.com · www.mathusee.com · www.mathusee.com · store.demmelearning.com · store.demmelearning.com
See the publisher's homeschool partner. HMH's homeschool page says Rainbow Resource Center is its homeschool partner and carries its homeschool titles, and HMH's own pages do not price a complete Saxon homeschool level. The one homeschool item priced on HMH's site is a component: the Saxon Teacher CD package for Math 5/4, listed at $277.67 and shown at $208.25 in September 2026. It covers lesson instruction and solutions, not the student book, so it cannot fairly be set beside a full Math-U-See level.
See each publisher. Math-U-See sells a complete set for each level, and in September 2026 the Demme Learning store listed Universal Sets from $151.27 (Geometry) to $272.50 (Algebra 1: Principles of Secondary Mathematics). The Gamma Set was $220.12, including the blocks and a year of video access. An extra Gamma student workbook and tests pack was $48.00, and the Integer Block Kit alone was $81.90. Without a full Saxon homeschool price, no like-for-like figure is given. Prices change, so check the publisher.
Sources: www.hmhco.com · www.hmhco.com · store.demmelearning.com · store.demmelearning.com · store.demmelearning.com · store.demmelearning.com · www.hmhco.com
HMH presents Saxon Math as a K to 12 program built on the idea that students learn new concepts by building on what they already know, in small steps with daily practice and cumulative review. Its program page speaks mainly to teachers, and HMH also keeps a homeschool line, including teacher CD packages that deliver the lessons on video, sold through its homeschool partner. The HMH pages checked do not state a faith position.
Math-U-See says it is designed for homeschoolers as well as special education and resource classrooms, private schools, independent study programs, tutoring, and co-ops, and it positions itself for struggling learners and students who need individualized pacing. It says its skill-based levels let students build strength where needed and progress without pressure or self-consciousness. The Math-U-See pages checked do not state a faith position.
Sources: www.hmhco.com · www.hmhco.com · www.mathusee.com · www.mathusee.com · www.hmhco.com
| Fact | Saxon MathHoughton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) | Math-U-SeeDemme Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | K-12 | K-12 (Primer through Calculus) |
| Faith | Not stated | Not stated |
| Format | Print, Workbooks, Open-and-go teacher guide | Print, Video, Workbooks |
| Price | Sold per grade-level kit and component; see publisher (HMH shop) | Universal Sets (one level each) listed at about $151 to $273 per level on the Demme Learning store (Sept 2026) |
| Subjects | Math | Math |
| Style | Spiral, Traditional | Mastery-based |
| What it is | An incremental math program from HMH: each lesson adds a small new concept, daily practice mixes it with review of earlier lessons, and tests are cumulative. The primary grades (K-3) use a consumable kit with hands-on activities and manipulatives, with grade 3 also offered as a textbook, and the program continues through Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2. | A mastery-based program organized by skill level rather than grade, from Primer through Calculus. A typical lesson starts with a short video and the instruction manual, where the concept is shown with the program's manipulative blocks, followed by worksheet practice and review pages until the student is ready for the lesson test. A free placement tool helps families choose a starting level. |
| Checked | September 2026 · From the publisher | September 2026 · From the publisher · From demmelearning.com |
| Publisher | Visit the publisher ↗︎ | Visit the publisher ↗︎ |
Photography by Bryndle Photo