I agree for some children it really isn't necessary to do every problem.
If a child is motivated and bright then it is possible to do the problems and examples related to the lesson. Then do only the odd problems one day, and the even problems the next. The student still gets the review with less repetition.
In our homeschool we did all the problems and examples. It definitely paid off!
We didn’t do every problem either. We did it like you, especially for the first 40 or so lessons; the ones that were all review of the previous year. Then it was only the practice set ones.
When we came across new concepts, I made them do all the problems related to that concept. Once they had it down, it was just one or two for practice. The beauty of the number of problems they give is that you can pick and choose which ones you think work best for the kids.
Incidentally, I’ve been shopping for a high school level math curriculum for our eldest son. I was ready to buy Saxon, but then I read some reviews about the repetition. Also, I read that Saxon students don’t complete all of their geometry until they complete Advanced Mathematics. It sounds perfect if you start Saxon early and stay with it. (I wish I’d done that now, but I didn’t.)
My son has covered algebra in bits and pieces here and there in this book and that through the years, but never one complete algebra course. So, I’m looking for something that moves faster that he can use before moving on quickly to Geometry and Algebra II.
I’ve considered every homeschool math curriculum out there, and now I’m looking at Kinetic Books. Has anyone heard about them? They’re digital textbooks with a printed copy, too.
http://www.kineticbooks.com/index.html