hands-on-mama
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Posts posted by hands-on-mama
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4 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said:
Honestly neither?
I wouldn't move a struggling student on to pre-algebra until I had addressed the areas of basic math that they were struggling in. I would go back and address weak areas with something like Math Mammoth or Keys to... or some other topical math until their foundational math skills were solid.
Is this your child? Is your siggy correct? Are you considering this for your oldest daughter?
Ha! I had no clue my signature was that old. I can’t see it on my iPad anymore. I think I got it updated. My oldest is 13 1/2 now. She has most recently done Math U See Zeta and some more firming up of the basics and more decimal work together. She is pretty solid now. She still forgets some of her times tables though, which slows her down. Also, she is prone to dazing off (even on meds) and forgetting where she was In problem. That has gotten a ton better though. Trust me, we’ve tried everything to memorize multiplication facts. I won’t keep holding her back for that though.
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I’m not sure what my signature has in it. I wouldn’t be moving her on if I didn’t think she was ready. I mentioned struggling because math has always been hard for her. It’s not her best subject, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t worked to fill the holes and such. She definitely does not need one of the more advanced programs out there though. I’m not sure what my signature currently says actually.
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Which would you pick for a struggling math student? A big part of me says Mr. D both for learning accountability and the tutoring. Thoughts?
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31 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:
Life of Fred Pre-A is subpar on the teaching, especially if she's coming from MUS.
Have you considered Key To Algebra? You can supplement with the free Pre-Algebra With Pizazz work sheets for fun or more practice on a concept.
I haven’t but I will look into it. Do you know MUS would compare to Mr. D? -
My oldest is 13 and about to start 8th grade. She seems to be ready formal pre algebra course. I don’t think she’s ready for full on algebra. She has done mostly math u see and principles of mathematics the past few years. My first thoughts were MUS pre algebra or LIfe of Fred. I’m also considering Mr. D. It is definitely on the pricier side though. Is there anything else I should consider.
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Thoughts on this program. Any reviews at all?
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Hi all!
I think we are going to go with Mr. D Math for my 8th grader. I wish we would have tried it this past year. I’m going to start her in pre-algebra. Based on the prerequisites listed, it looks like she could move through it quickly. That makes me think we should try the self paced option. If you’ve used his program, do you suggest live or self paced?
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Has anyone used this program? I would love to hear what others things. We love lit based programs for history here. I haven’t finished going through it to see what the assignments are like. I’ll probably add some writing across the curriculum into it. I’ll be using it with my 8th grader and modified for my 6th grader.
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DD13: Heart of Dakota Missions to Modern Marvels, Cover Story and Principles of Mathematics 2.
DD11: Heart of Dakota Res to Reformation and MLFLE 6.
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I’m not ready to admit that my oldest is going into 8th, but here we go I guess.
Here’s the current plan:
History/Bible/Science/Nature Study/Etc...: Heart of Dakota Missions to Modern Marvels (she is actually getting a jump start on this now)
Writing: Cover Story
Grammar: IEW Fix it Book 2
Literature: Heart of Dakota DITHOR w/ their level 7/8 book list.
Math: Principles of Mathematics Book 2 (possibly over 1 semester-she’ll likely go into Jacob’s Algebra after that unless we do something like Videotext)
Thankfully, HOD is working well for her. Having everything laid out for her to grab on her own seems to work so well. Plus, the read alouds from this guide are amazing.
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Just now, Lori D. said:
I am old (lol) and so only had older versions of materials -- The Fan Math Process Skills books were not available when we were homeschooling, so no familiarity with those. 😉 I especially liked that DS#2 was getting reinforcement of topics from a different angle by just doing selected problems straight out of the Singapore workbooks -- so problem-solving problems, yes, but also seeing how the topic was approached from a different angle than the MUS way of explaining things. I felt that really helped him develop a bit of "math connections" so he wasn't reliant on just a single way of seeing a word problem and plugging in an answer...
Thanks! I might keep my eye out for some old workbooks/textbooks to have a variety of options on hand.
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20 hours ago, Lori D. said:
PS
NOT to overload her or "punish" her for moving through MUS at a good pace, but you might consider adding in a supplement to help with problem-solving, and to show concepts from different angles to help build math connections and seeing more than one way to get to an answer.With our math-struggling DS#2, in those middle school years, in addition to MUS, we used excerpts from some of the Keys To Math workbooks (fractions, decimals, percents), as well as excerpts from Singapore Primary 4A/B, 5A/B, and 6A/B. We also found Hands-On Equations to be very helpful for visualizing keeping equations balanced while solving for X.
BEST of luck in your Math adventures! Warmest regards, Lori D.
Thank you! I actually just purchased the Singapore Fan Math Process Skills for Problem Solving books (levels 3–6) to start working through with both my girls. Is there anything else you would recommend from Singapore just to do on the side for problem solving?
15 hours ago, MamaSprout said:Also agreeing with the others. Don't mess with success.
Also a vote for the DragonBox Apps. They really help automate algebra rules for later... and they are kind of fun.
If she really catches her groove later, some families do MUS through Algebra 1 and Geometry, then start another Algebra 1 program and go through the high school sequence with a standard/ rigorous program. Homeschool is the gift of time. No hurry, no worry.
We’ve actually been playing around with this app lately. Thanks for your thoughts!
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Can someone help reassure me that doing Math U See long term for one of my kiddos is fine? Just tell me she'll learn what she needs to. She's in 7th now and is truly math phobic. Math U See has given her some confidence after so many years. She's in 7th and zooming through Zeta. I'm guessing she'll do their pre-algebra come next semester at some point. We move through it at her pace. Any other families used MUS for upper level math long term? She is against changing it at this point. I wasn't planning to even try until she was solid enough for another pre-algebra or algebra anyway.
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I’ve honestly wondered the same thing, but for my particular child in this situation I just can’t seem to find a better fit math wise. I have thought about trying Mr. D next year though. My daughter is also flying through Zeta. I just ordered the Singapore Fan Math books to add in some problem solving. I might even get some of the geometry books mentioned above as well. We may still stick with MUS as our core ,though, unless she changes drastically.
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I have a 6th grader and a 4th grader. They are both using MUS after multiple curriculum switches to find one that my oldest meshed with. I know, I know. Should have stuck with Singapore a long time ago. I’m not sure if I could even jump in there at all at this point, but I am desiring to work on their problem solving skills. I’m not sure I would want to switch them now back to Singapore. My youngest might could. What could I use to help work on problem solving skills alongside MUS? Or is MUS not enough? My oldest seems to have hit a sweet spot lately. She’s flying through. We did a quick run through Epsilon and she plans to try to finish Zeta over the summer. Thoughts?
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21 hours ago, Lori D. said:
You might also check out the MUS Placement tests for each level of Beta, Gamma, and Delta to get a feel for how much of each level (or which topics) your 4th grader needs to do...
I keep hearing varying reviews about this. It definitely worries me about Pre algebra and up. I’m not sure what else to look into though. -
I have a 4th and 6th grader. We switched both mid-year. My oldest needed it the most as she has struggled for years. She finally feels like she is accomplishing math and without tears. She probably could have started in Zeta, but we started in Epsilon to make sure she was strong in fractions. It has gone really well. She is almost done with the whole book now after switching in January.
My youngest was a little harder. She already knew long multiplication and had just started long division. We jumped in with Delta. I just have her use the algorithm for long multiplication problems. We will sometimes work together to show her how it works with blocks. For division, she’s learning it the MUS way. They do teach the old school algorithm as well. She had a little hiccup just recently, but I think that’s from her needing a break.
For us, it has been a great move. Math is getting done and my oldest especially is feeling better about her skills. She has set a goal to start pre-algebra by January.
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8 minutes ago, Allie said:
I’m curious about what this is. Can you elaborate?
I would rather not get into it too much. Basically, they have blocked admins of several unofficial resale and discussion groups that have their name in the title or description (despite it being clear that the groups are unofficial). They did this with no warning or request for us to change the group names. I spent a lot of money on their products. The least they could have done was message us and let us know it was an issue. Instead, they are standing on one post made in 2019 saying they repeatedly asked people to not use their name. One time is not repeatedly-especially since they have hundreds of posts in their facebook group each day.-
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Their programs have their purpose. I will no longer support or recommend them though due to some disturbing policies they have going on right now.
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7 hours ago, mshanson3121 said:
Read the first sentence. It could be interpreted to mean that all invertebrates have exoskeletons, which of course, isn't correct
Ha! We were the ones to buy this unit and find tons of incorrect and poorly worded statements. Granted, my 12 year old knows more than most on the subject of marine biology, but these mistakes would have been easy to catch with half a brain. They were the kind of things that would stop you in your tracks and make you really think for a moment about what you just read (and not in a good way).
I’m glad I bought the one unit for one reason entirely. I no longer have to wonder if the grass is greener. Unit studies very much intrigue me, but my work schedule truly prevents me from executing one well. We’ll stick with our tried and true programs.
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2 hours ago, Allie said:
In the Facebook group there was a serious issue with the Asia unit.“When it is talking about the Cu Chi tunnels it says the Viet Cong dug them "in an effort to better supply American and South Vietnamese forces." Did they mean to better attack, or maybe surprise, the American/S. Vietnamese forces”
The woman who runs the company replied with the following.
“Hey, not a typo... just talked to the author (and expert) and she said that the American troops join the South Vietnamese to help them (it was a civil war). The Viet Cong was South Vietnam, they were who the American's were fighting with against the communist government in North Vietnam. So the Viet Cong was supplying both the Americans and their troops, they were allied. <3“
And then later the author of the unit replied.
“Hey all! I’m the author of Asia, the one Rebecca checked with when this question came up...I will admit, I am Canadian, and although I knew about the Vietnam war in general, I had never been taught about it as a kid and did not know a whole lot about the details of it before writing this lesson. When Rebecca asked about it, there was a “wait, is that right?” thought in my head, so I quickly fact checked to make sure I was responding correctly and apparently I read it wrong!!! 😬 When I had time to look at the lesson and double check my facts, I realized that it was just missing a couple of words. I probably wrote that late at night, and just forgot to type those words. I assure you, no disrespect was intended towards any of the brave men that fought in this conflict. Though I am Canadian, my husband’s grandfather was a US navy vet, and I am deeply thankful for the work the US military has done over the years to protect both our corner of the world and other beautiful countries that have needed assistance in a military capacity. The second last sentence of the section should read “They (the Viet Cong) dug tens of thousands of miles of tunnels in an effort to COMBAT THE better supplied American and South Vietnamese forces.”
This was a huge issue with many who used that unit. But as someone said above they have a very strong YouTube following, and it doesn’t seem the moms using this notice or care about the concerns listed here.
I really don’t even know what to say in regards to this. I read this to my husband, and he is equally appalled. It’s almost scary to see so many people falling in line behind this lady. Their poor children! -
Her Facebook group has over 7,000 members. So many people are being pulled in to this new, shiny program. I can’t lie. I bought the oceans unit. I could use it as an amazing jumping off point. No way would I use it as a stand alone with only math added. I also wouldn’t use the majority of her student pages. It does make me feel more competent in designing my own unit studies. 😂
If you search Youtube, there are tons of people reviewing her program and singing its praises. I wonder how many of those people are “writers” that Submitted units to her. 🧐
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11 minutes ago, Calm37 said:
Both my younger girls used MUS only - one Alpha through PreCalc and the other Alpha through Algebra 2. Both did very well with it and one continued with math in college. The only thing I wish I had done differently was that I stuck with a one level a year sequence. I wish we had continued with it mostly year round, so that we could have gotten through Calc.
Thanks, this is good to know. I'm planning to try to do math year round with them just so they don't forget things.
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22 minutes ago, perkybunch said:
Worked well for us. You may want to get through PreCal before taking the SATs. (My dd did her last SAT Fall of senior year.)
Thank you! This is good to know. I could see her moving through certain lessons much quicker than others. I probably should have started her in Zeta, but I felt like Epsilon would help her with truly understanding math more, so here we are. She's learning a ton from it though and I'm seeing some number sense kicking in finally. She'll be doing pre-algebra by 8th at the very least I plan to have her finish Epsilon before 7th.
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Math U See Pre- Algebra vs. Mr. D Pre-Algebra
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
Have you used MUS all the way through? How did you feel about the upper levels if so?