Can anyone compare and contrast RS and MUS?

[Wendy in ME]

These 2 programs interest me but both are expensive. I am wondering if one of them might help with some of the math battles going on around here. Money is tight but I am getting desperate to find something that will help him. I just don't want to make an expensive mistake. I do have a 5yo ds that will get to use whatever I buy so that makes it a bit easier.

 

Thanks for the help

[angela in ohio]

I haven't used RS, but dh used MUS in his classroom. I know MUS has a demo DVD you can get that really gives you a good idea of the curriculum.

[PeterPan]

I've repped for RS several years at conventions, and it's a question that comes up often. The difference in the manipulatives is that MUS uses fixed rods which cannot be visualized or broken apart in the student's mind. With the coloring of the RS beads (5 yellow, 5 blue to make a row of 10), the student can instantly identify the quantity, without counting. If you go to the RS yahoo group and do a search, you'll find a detailed comparison post by a lady whose dc had autism and who felt she had ONE chance to chose right. I'm not saying there is only one right choice, but she did a great job of explaining the differences clearly, as she sees them with her dc who also has issues.

 

Now I'd also like you to consider that you might have some options. What is it you're liking of RS and/or MUS? What is it that is NOT working about your current math curriculum? Which dc are you needing to change? You might like to call the 1-800 number for RS and talk it through with them. Rosine at RS has her own special needs dc, so she's btdt with these things.

 

It might be that you could continue your current curriculum but add on the manipulatives of RS using the abacus and the Activities for the ALAbacus book. It might be that working through the Transitions book would be enough to repair the foundation of your dc, build understanding, and allow you to go forward. I'm saying if money is tight or if part of what you have is working, it's possible to take what you need from RS and apply it to what you already have. If you were to put your 5 yo into RS A, you'd then be able to apply what you learn there in teaching the older dc.

 

So if you can explain what your issues are, maybe people can have some suggestions on how to deal with them in the most affordable way.

 

Elizabeth

[Tess in the Burbs]

I looked at both of these programs extensively before deciding on MUS in 2006. We have had issues this year and I borrowed the RS A to consider using it. I literally read the TM cover to cover and again decided to stick with MUS.

 

MUS(like a few other math programs) tends to teach making 'ten'. Right start works more with making 'five' and then 'ten'. Not a huge deal, but if your child has learned one way, it could be more confusing to switch. depends on your children's learning styles really.

 

You teach from the TM in RS and then reinforce with the games. Some kids don't need the games. Some do. So you need to consider if you are willing to play 'games' as part of your teaching.

 

MUS has a DVD that teaches the lesson to the kids. You also have a TM that offers more explanation and additional ideas to teach the concept and sometimes games to help strugglers. They have a workbook with 6 pages for each lesson. The first 3 are new material, the last 3 are review from all lessons that year. I personally make my son do all the pages right now b/c he needs the review. Also, online I can print out worksheets for whatever lesson he's struggling with. This has been huge when he's not trying b/c I can put more work in front of him easily :-) it keeps him moving, lol.

 

My kids however have played with the RS balance this past week and love it. I don't think they are seeing the math connections though like I had hoped. The RS games have been fun so far. I even considered getting this to supplement, but in the end we decided to stick with MUS since it's what we started with and our issues are mastery right now. He's 6 and some of the facts aren't connecting, while others are.

 

FOR ME, RS was not an option. I like to sit down, teach, and be done. My kids love to play and at their age I wanted school to be short and sweet but get the job done. We do a lot of other learning in the day through play. But doing math games? Nope, this mom would be bored and my kids love games, but these haven't been their first choice all week(we are borrowing them).

 

I do think both programs are good. They just teach differently. I do think MUS is less mom intensive when the kids get it and can just do the workbook and know it. But even when I need to spend more time, I enjoy just teaching and not playing a 'game'.

 

Again, this is a personal preference. RS has shown to be an advanced program and kids do learn math. It's just not something *I* could do day in and day out. MUS works for us and my kids LOVE the video and are sad when it's a short lesson, lol.

 

I would suggest getting the MUS DVD about their program and find someone in your area you can see the RS games/books. Conventions will be starting soon too so that is an option to see some things. That said, I did buy some things from RS to help our MUS lessons like the place value cards. And I may end up buying this math balance, lol, since the kids enjoy playing with it and hope the math connection happens one day!

 

HTH

[Wendy in ME]

Thank you for the great descriptions of these programs. I am beginning to think that part of the problem with this ds is that when I took him out of school in second grade, I should have just gone right back to the beginning. I knew that he didn't have a good foundation but thought that extra work and slowing down would help. I was concerned with him falling behind. There seems to be so much pressure to reach Algebra by 8th. It would not have been a big deal to start over after 2nd grade but now we are half way through 4th and he still needs to count on his fingers to add and subtract. As far as grouping in 10s of 5s, he has no concept of that and we were just going over this when adding columns of numbers. He is bright so he can memorize procedure but he really has no idea why we do it that way so he does not recognize that an answer doesn't even make sense. I haven't had to deal with this before because ds11 is a full year ahead in math. He just gets it and makes all the connections on his own. This ds also seems to have to always be moving around and fiddling with things so a program with pieces to play with and move around might help him to concentrate and actually see how things work. I do have a 5yo up and coming and I am really thinking of starting him with RS A next year so I know I can reuse whatever program I would start ds9 in this year. Thanks again for all your input

[PeterPan]

Wendy, I just wanted to clarify that the way you teach RS starting with level A (K5) *isn't* what the experience will be like with a 9 yo. With your 9 yo you want the Transitions book, which is meant to do exactly what you're needing: go through the basics, step by step, and rebuild his foundation. He doesn't have time to go all the way back and do 1st grade math and he doesn't need to. He's been exposed but he doesn't really understand it. Transitions will take him through the meat, the most important parts, of levels A-E with short, to the point lessons. From there, with his foundation rebuilt, you can decide what program you want to use with him.

 

If you notice in my other post to you, I didn't suggest buying the game cards. If you want to, you're welcome to, but the main thing you're needing is the conceptual work, which Transitions would give you very efficiently. If you WANT to play some of the games, for instance to work on those facts, by all means do. Let him teach your 5 yo some of the games so they can play together! But if you don't want to do the games and would rather just do drill sheets, do that. The games didn't really nail facts for my dd, but that is because she's very visual. I think a more auditory dc would make the connection between saying the math facts in the games and seeing them on a drill page. My dd doesn't.

 

The way MUS is structured, with a main topic per level, I don't know if you can remediate through all the levels in a timely fashion. The RS Transitions book will do exactly that, allowing you to rebuild his conceptual understanding of material from K5 all the way to 4th with ONE book, one set of lessons. I think you'd be highly pleased with it and could then decide what you want to go into after that (the next RS level, BJU, stick with R&S, whatever).

 

Best wishes with whatever you chose!

[Wendy in ME]

I just took your advice and order the transitions book and the other things you suggested. I have been struggling with how to remediate him and not ruin his math progression. He is otherwise on grade level with his other subjects. I didn't realize what the transition book was. I also love your idea of him playing the games with my K5 ds. They both actually like to play games together like UNO and Yahtzee. This is exactly why I hang out on this board. Thanks!