How does MUS work?

[TXMary2]

Do the students watch the instruction video and then do their lessons? Or does the parent watch the instruction video and then teach the student?

[Debbie in OR]

Which dc would you be using it with? If your 6 yo, I would watch with and then go over the first worksheet (or second, third, etc...until he gets it). If it would be for your 13 yo, unless it is something they are stuggling with and you want to help with further explanation, I would let him watch and do the work independently.

 

It really depends on the age/ability of the child. I let my ds11 do the first page of each lesson without watching the DVD. If he does well on that page, he can go on to the next and finish out the lesson (in one day or 5, whichever he chooses). If he doesn't do well or has to keep asking me questions, I will have him watch the DVD. If he still doesn't get it, I watch with him and help him until he gets it.

[OnTheBrink]

Most of the time, I watch the dvd with dd and she does the lesson on her own. She's 12.

[Harriet Vane]

I watch the dvd with my kids, after which they do the worksheets on their own.

[robsiew]

I do both... my youngers actually want to watch the DVD alone! So, I let them knowing I can help them without really needing to watch the DVD. My olders usually watch alone too. If they are having trouble I have them watch it again with me. As my ds9 gets up in fractions here I will most likely watch with him because I want to make sure I'm knowing what to do when helping him!

[kewb]

We watch together and then my children do the worksheets on their own. I am available if they need assistance.

[TXMary2]

OK- thank you. Now for another MUS question. I looked at the TOC and there are 30 lessons? Sureley that isn't 30 problem sets right? Just 30 topics and then several problem sets for each topic? Can someone clarify?

 

I am considering having my ds13 move to MUS when we are done with TT7. He has used TT for 2 years and wants to try something else.

 

I used Primer with ds6 when he was 5 and it was fine, but we moved to Saxon 1 for him.

[Mom22ns]

That is 30 topics. There are 6 worksheets for each lesson - 3 that cover that lesson and 3 are review which include that lesson and any variety of previously covered material. Then there is a test for each lesson if you choose to use it.

[TXMary2]

That is 30 topics. There are 6 worksheets for each lesson - 3 that cover that lesson and 3 are review which include that lesson and any variety of previously covered material. Then there is a test for each lesson if you choose to use it.

 

OK- thanks!

[TXMary2]

MUS doesn't have a standard sequence. Are you planning on moving into it at the Pre-Algebra level or above? The lower books are not grade levels, but rather, they are grouped by concept.

 

I want him to move into pre-algebra, but he struggles still with fractions and decimals. Upon looking at the MUS site I thought he might benefit from doing Epsilon before moving into pre-algebra. I printed out placement tests for both Zeta and Epsilon. Zeta looks like he will have no problem, but the Epsilon one looks like it might stump him on a couple of areas. I am having him do them tomorrow so we will see.

[Mom22ns]

I did this with my ds. He actually did well on the Epsilon test, but missed almost all the word problems telling me he didn't really understand what he was doing. He did great on the Zeta test.

 

I started him in Epsilon thinking we would go to Pre-Algebra from there. Ds got so much out of Epsilon, I decided to make a run at Zeta too, knowing we could go quickly if he had it all. As it turns out, decimals are really less than half of Zeta, even though they are all that is on the pre-test. It took us longer to get through Zeta than it did Epsilon! Ds will have finished them both this year though. I consider it time WELL spent.

 

I highly recommend going back and getting in the review. I am sure ds would have made it through pre-algebra, but now he will fly through it with confidence and be truly ready for Algebra. That confidence is so worth the time.

[Sasharowan]

My 3 all watch them on their own. I watched the movies with my oldest up through Delta and know how to help them if they need it. My oldest is halfway through prealgebra and I have found very few things that I needed to watch to explain with just the TM. MUS is layed out so there are 3 pages, A,B,&C that cover the topic of the lesson and then D, E, &F include review not only from previous chapters in the book they are on but also from previous books. We have a rule that the 2 oldest do A and get 90% or higher, they can move to D and if they get 90% or higher on that they can test. Ds14 tried to skip D last year and do A and then test and found he was not remembering the review stuff well enough for the test. DS8 does at minimum A,B,D,&E and often all 6 pages. Mostly because he wants to and its easy for him this year. Previous years, he was on a med that made concentration hard for him. He is liking school much better this year.

[TXMary2]

I did this with my ds. He actually did well on the Epsilon test, but missed almost all the word problems telling me he didn't really understand what he was doing. He did great on the Zeta test.

 

I started him in Epsilon thinking we would go to Pre-Algebra from there. Ds got so much out of Epsilon, I decided to make a run at Zeta too, knowing we could go quickly if he had it all. As it turns out, decimals are really less than half of Zeta, even though they are all that is on the pre-test. It took us longer to get through Zeta than it did Epsilon! Ds will have finished them both this year though. I consider it time WELL spent.

 

I highly recommend going back and getting in the review. I am sure ds would have made it through pre-algebra, but now he will fly through it with confidence and be truly ready for Algebra. That confidence is so worth the time.

 

 

Thank you. I really want him to start pre-algebra in September, since they have review.....I wonder if he could just do Zeta? Ugh.

[charlotteb]

If you need a decimal and fraction review and would like to move into Pre-algebra as well, you may benefit from finding MUS Classic- Advanced Math. It is their older versions and you can still find them. The advanced math covers fractions, decimals and pre-algebra all in one book. I was also going to start MUS last year and start with Epsilon because he really didn't have a great grasp of those subjects yet. Someone on my homeschool loop had MUS Advanced for sale, so it piqued my interest. I researched it and bought it! DS is doing very well with it this year.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

In the video Steve says your child is welcome to watch with you but not required. I found that after viewing the video with me my son didn't want me to then teach him again. He wanted to just get to it on his own... and he usually had it down without my instruction and from just watching the video. Unfortunately MUS didn't work for us though. We seem to do better with a spiral approach. So we are doing right start mathematics and LOVING it.

 

I will soon be listing beta on here for sale... it is brand new never opened the complete set except for the blocks. If you are interested let me know and I will decide on a price. We are keeping the blocks because even I like to play with them :)

[erikdeb]

I pm'd you. I am planning to buy Beta this weekend at our hs conference.