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Common Core as part of Math-U-See revised curriculum


DPM43
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I used Math U See years ago with my kids who are now older.  I am considering revamping my math thinking for our youngest and going back to Math U See.  However, I have heard that it now utilizes Common Core. I like the blocks and at least what used to be the way MUS was taught.  I also know I want to avoid CC.  Anyone here with experience using the newest edition of MUS?  How thoroughly does it push CC math techniques and standards?  Talk to me, please, before I invest any $$. Thanks! 

 

Desiree

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If I remember correctly, MUS was in the category of curriculum providers that didn't actually make significant changes to the core sequence and philosophy of their program -- they merely noted that *what they already had* overshot the Common Core requirements. So MUS printed addendum to help parents and educators align their materials, if they needed or wanted to hit CC requirements for whatever reason, but the program is essentially the same.

 

Some of the homeschool people who took up witch-hunt-like behavior, rooting out the Common Core from amongst our ranks and publishing web pages full of warnings, did a grave disservice to these companies who made no essential changes but merely pointed out, helpfully (or so they thought) that their existing product MORE than met CC standards. MUS is the #1 victim of this scenario, but there are others. Maria Miller of Math Mammoth took a lot of abuse, but anyone who investigated could see that while she restructured and rescheduled, all the same concepts of her original program were still present in her revised edition. She didn't suddenly get dumber in math, less capable of imparting instruction to children, or hell-bent on destroying math education in America, just because of converting her program to suit schools that require Common Core standards. But she's on the bad lists of some homeschool activists.

 

From MUS: http://www.mathusee.com/parents/faq/

 

What the correlation looks like (first grade example): https://mathusee.com/web-pdfs/common-core-correlation/MUS-CCgrade1.pdf

Edited by Tibbie Dunbar
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Not about MUS but helpful, IMO, when considering whether or not to choose curriculum based on good and bad lists compiled by self-appointed investigators -- these blog posts are written by Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest, about her feelings on being examined for allegiance to anti-Common Core sentiment.

 

(Google cached) Part 1

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:77TmQRw0-F4J:knowledgequestmaps.com/blog/2013/03/on-curriculum-and-common-core/+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

 

(Google cached) Part 2

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:o-ebiqqh64wJ:knowledgequestmaps.com/blog/2013/03/on-curriculum-and-common-core-part-2/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

 

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I believe they just added an extra worksheet to each lesson. Everything else is the same from what I can see. I don't believe they've updated the DVDs, so you can use the older tm with the DVDs and a newer workbook without problem. That is unless they've changed more since last year when I last purchased a workbook.

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There is no such thing as Common Core techniques.  There are only Common Core standards.  How they are taught (the techniques) is completely up to the curriculum provider.  Standards are things that just need to be touched on at a certain grade level.  MUS already exceeded most of them and added the fun "application and enrichment" G pages to touch on the things they didn't already include.

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Don't listen to the scary FB posts about CC. Read the standards yourself and see if you still have an issue with a curriculum that loosely adheres to them. :) There is no reason to be afraid of a math curriculum that meets CC or exceeds CC standards. And being labeled CC compliant doesn't say anything about the curriculum and how it teaches math.

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Don't listen to the scary FB posts about CC. Read the standards yourself and see if you still have an issue with a curriculum that loosely adheres to them. :) There is no reason to be afraid of a math curriculum that meets CC or exceeds CC standards. And being labeled CC compliant doesn't say anything about the curriculum and how it teaches math.

 

Yup.  Speaking as someone who is NOT a fan of Common Core for many reasons (I'll spare you details), just find the math program that fits how your child learns and how you teach.  

 

If I were going to avoid a curriculum provider it would be Pearson, strictly on principle.  But MUS (and Math Mammoth, etc.) are good programs.

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I do not purchase common core products because that generally references books made for public school and I find those books to be made by people who are textbook writers and not actually in their field. MUS is not common core. When you home school, you usually exceed what common core asks for. Common core actually references a set of things to be taught at certain levels. MUS definitely does not follow this sequence. Posts you see on social media generally reference when a book is made for public school so the problems are related to that "Bob has 2 kids by his first wife and 1 by his girlfriend and 1 by his other girlfriend, and now 3 by his husband, if he has to pay bail......" or they reference teachers just not understanding how to teach a subject, mostly math, OR..the same junk I saw years ago..... How does 5 make you feel? What color is 3? Write a paragraph about it. That was before common core...so, what I am saying is, common core is not the enemy. I avoid the products because the term on the book means it was written, specifically, for an audience that I am not a part of. I want books written by people who know their topic and get to the point. Public school textbooks do not. MUS is not a public school book.

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I'm really surprised they claim to be aligned with common core. They are so far off from the normal sequence that other curriculum providers follow. I agree with the previous posters, I don't pay attention to common core or not common core with curriculum. My biggest advice would be to investigate the standards, their history, their implementation and decide exactly what it is you feel you need to avoid. I was really against common core and finally investigated it. I still do not agree with wide spread control of the schools but I don't really have a problem with the math standards. Singapore math, which is very popular among homeschoolers, is being used in a lot of schools now. It was popular among homeschoolers before it was used in schools. It isn't a bad curriculum all of a sudden because it is being used in schools.

Edited by Momto4inSoCal
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There is no such thing as Common Core techniques. There are only Common Core standards. How they are taught (the techniques) is completely up to the curriculum provider. Standards are things that just need to be touched on at a certain grade level. MUS already exceeded most of them and added the fun "application and enrichment" G pages to touch on the things they didn't already include.

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Thank you! I was coming to say this! There is SO much mis-understanding about what common core is. People see worksheets fly around Facebook and get all crazy. I'm so glad to see someone actually understands.

 

P.S. I'm not for or against common core. I highly encourage people to actually read the common core standards themselves though. It says things like first graders shucks be able to count. I don't see many people who would disagree with that, but people get all crazy.

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MUS is not common core.

 

Actually, MUS is indeed Common Core aligned (nothing IS Common Core, they are aligned to the Common Core standards).

 

http://mathusee.com/schools/teacher-resources/state-standards-information/ccss-correlation-information/

 

http://mathusee.com/schools/teacher-resources/state-standards-information/alignment-to-practice-standards-and-content-standards/

 

Also, MUS is used in schools.  There's a whole section of their website dedicated to schools who use them.

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