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[Paisley Hedgehog]

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[1shortmomto4]

My ds has the same issues. I used BJU from K through 3rd (all the newer 3rd editions) and while I thought he was doing great, the retention was awful. One day he knew the stuff, the next he was looking at my like "what?" so this year I ventured into Teaching Textbooks - I kept him at grade level because of the non-mastered multiplication and my goodness, what a difference. He loves it because he doesn't have to write - much. Everything can be typed into the computer so this good for dsygraphia and the word problems and basically most problems are all read to them so this eases up the pressure on their struggling to read issues. I do sit nearby and will write out the add/subtract/mult/divide problems on a white board because that is easier for him to use than paper and pencil but other than that, awesome results this year. Some people complained that there was no drill work for the multiplication but I disagree-to a point. I did use TimesTales and a he keeps a multiplication chart nearby but after 2 months or maybe 3, he relies less and less and he has definitely mastered them without the drilling, without the tears, without driving me nuts! After so many lessons there is a bonus round and they have a 3 minutes timed drill but really fun and encouraging - this is a part of the program not in the workbook but only on the CD. As for practice, this program is spiral in nature so they get a little bit each day to practice over many lessons and then the concept disappears for a little bit, not long, and then there will be one or two problems just to refresh their minds. As for mastering multiplication, because they are working through problems that are say 5,259 and 8 - you are practicing all the concepts rather than mastering 8x5, 8x2, etc. in a rote fashion. The skills are translated in a more realistic way - kind of like when learning to read - we don't usually see forced sentences all using the -at family. kwim? At any rate, I'm a fan of BJU and it was hard to try something else but he learned differently and I got over it. (On a side note, my oldest had used TT PreAlg. and did well but when we went to Alg. it was a disaster so my apprehension to try anything different was high!)

[HollyDay]

I used MUS with my oldest into Epsilon and intended to do the same with my youngest. I didn't count on her hating it. She dreaded doing the same math concept over and over and over again. We made the switch to BJU for 3rd and 4th. It was a terrible mistake. I agree with the OP about BJU and division. The way it is taught just did nothing for dd's understanding. She retained very little from 4th grade. Her math end of the year testing for 4th was almost the same as her beginning of the year testing. I bought Saxon 54 and started that right away. We had to do quite a bit of catch up. We did get into Saxon 65 for 5th after working through 54 over the summer and into the early fall. I have never been a Saxon fan. But, it is getting the job done and dd loves it. It must "click" with her learning style and she is thriving on it.

[Mom22ns]

I used BJU 5 with my dd and ended up switching her to Epsilon. I thought BJU was a better fit because she gets bored easily. Ds was already using MUS, but I just didn't think she'd like the one topic/yr thing and frankly, she didn't either. She ended up doing really well with MUS. Fractions just weren't clicking for her before that. Epsilon is my favorite MUS.

 

I would try to move through Delta at a faster pace if he gets it easily and proceed on to Epsilon before the year is over. If he doesn't get it easily, you'll be glad you are in MUS instead of BJU.

 

I can't say which is right for your family. There are as many people who hate MUS as who love it. If it is going well with your ds though, I wouldn't switch. I will commiserate with your dislike of one topic/year.

[Melissa in CA]

Hmmm....

 

As one who ventured into a year of MUS and then quickly moved on to BJU, I am not a huge MUS fan.

 

Though I really like BJU's math and my ds never had a problem with the way they teach division, have you looked at CLE? I ask because it is a workbook, but also because it is a gradual spiral. Lots of review to keep things fresh, but not frustratingly incremental like Saxon. Or, how about a mix of BJU and MUS? You could always do both.

 

Or a mixture of BJU and CLE. Or just go with MUS if it is working well with your ds. No reason to anticipate frustration...perhaps he'll LOVE a year of division. :tongue_smilie: :lol: Seriously though, division is just multiplication in the opposite. If he's got his multiplication down, division should be simple to comprehend. It's always more fun to do what you know and understand. ;)

 

Yeah, not much help I know. Not sure why I even post sometimes. :confused::lol:

 

[PS: By the way, my ds never used the MUS blocks either. What a waste of money they were. ]

[MrsMe]

:confused: I'm in a curriculum fog.

 

We have been long-time BJU Math users around here, but I switched my younger ds over to MUS in January. He 'hit the wall' with multi-digit division in BJU 4, was struggling to get his numbers to fit on the worksheets (dyslexic and borderline dysgraphic), and had no long term recall of previous topics (I'd give him a review sheet and he would have no idea how to work problems from a couple of chapters ago).

 

Things have been going ok with MUS, but since we had to back up to Gamma, a lot of it has been review. In looking toward next year, we will be at Delta and I dread a year of division. Ds has already gotten his multiplication tables memorized ... so a whole year of division?? I know this is where we got stuck with BJU, but .... a whole year of division?? A WHOLE YEAR of division?? Another reason we went with MUS was to use the blocks, and he's barely touched them.

 

I'm missing my BJU. :sad: I really want to go back and finish BJU 4, but then there's the whole switch to textbooks vs workbooks in BJU 5. Aaarrrggh!

 

Someone please just tell me what to do because I can't think any more!

 

 

We did MUS and finally stayed at BJU. DD was math phobic from another program. I am like you...a WHOLE year? Nothing like kicking a dead horse. I'd go back to BJU. Use MUS for understanding at times if you need to or just buy their CD and have Mr. Demme explain division. I always use MUS's decimal street :001_smile:. As far as BJU5. You can buy the Spring Into Action worksheet pages and they completely line up with the lesson and use those instead of writing or copying to paper. They even tell you which SIA sheets to use.

 

I can't imagine doing division for a year or anything else for that matter. If it's not going well, you're not able to drop it for a break and come back to it. That's why I decided against MUS long term.

[Mommy7]

I just wanted to point something out. Delta's *focus* is division, but there are other things covered. It also covers: parallel & perpendicular lines, finding the area of a parallelogram, triangle, & a trapezoid, finding the average, mental math, place value notation to the millions, expanded notation to the trillions, rounding, estimation, volume, fraction of a number, Roman numerals, fraction of 1.

 

Those topics are interspersed between the division focus. So, it is *not* just straight division. I just thought that might help you make an informed decision. Also, the division is mastered in depth to where the student is able to divide 578,962 by 136.

 

The great thing about MUS is that you can go as quickly as you want to and are able to. My dc have each gone through 2 levels this year. (We were firming up the foundation...making sure they knew the basics well) A few of them are on their 3rd level.

 

The thing I love about MUS, is when you get through with the topic, they know it backwards and forwards. IMO, I don't see what good it is to learn a lot of different things and not learn them in depth enough for it to stick.

 

In short...it is what has worked for our family. It may not be what you want for yours. Something else may be a better fit...I just wanted to contribute what I know in the hopes it might help you decide. :001_smile:

Edited May 3, 2010 by Mommy7