anotherbrother Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 We've been using Math U See since we began homeschool about a 18 months ago. I've recently begun to see that MUS is leaving what I would consider to be "gaps." I had always intended to supplement MUS this year but hadn't intended going as far as Saxon. Currently we do 3 pages a day in MUS easily completely two books a year. Could you please tell me if you think this schedule will work? If it does we will cut back to 2 MUS pages and do Saxon 4 days a week. (If I understood correctly saxon only has 120 lessons.) DS 10 - 5th - MUS Epsilon and Zeta - Saxon 6/5 6th - Saxon 7/6 (Some other yet to be named supplement ??) 7th - Saxon 8/7 (Some other yet to be named supplement ??) 8th - Algebra 1 9th - Geometry 10th - Algebra 2 11th - Pre Calculus 12th - Calculus DS 8 - 3rd - MUS Gamma and Delta - Saxon 3 (Maybe Math Mammoth ??) 4th - MUS Epsilon and Zeta - Saxon 5/4 5th - Saxon 6/5 and ??? 6th - Saxon 7/6 and ??? 7th - Saxon 8/7 and ??? 8th - Algebra 1 9th - Geometry 10th - Algebra 2 11th - Pre Calculus 12th - Calculus At this point I'm not sure what we will use for Algebra I just want to get them safely to that point. Thanks for the help:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Saxon would NOT work here. I do know plenty of families who swear by it though, so I know it does work for some kids. In your situation I would do this, 10yo 5th MUS epsilon and zeta and/or Singapore (use placement test to figure out where to start) 6th MUS pre-algebra and/or Singapore 7th Kinetic Books Pre-algebra 8th Kinetic Books Algebra I 9th Kinetic Books Geometry 10th Kinetic Books Algebra II 11th hopefully Kinetic Books would have a Precalculus by then 12th hopefully they'd have a Calculus by then too 8yo 3rd - MUS Gamma and Delta - Singapore (whatever level he places into) 4th - MUS Epsilon and Zeta - Singapore 5th - MUS Pre-algebra and/or Singapore 6th - Singapore just like older brother from here on out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbrother Posted July 31, 2010 Author Share Posted July 31, 2010 We used Singapore to afterschool when they where still in PS. I'm still considering it, but it required a lot of hand holding that I don't really want to do. I'm fairly certain that my 10 y.o. will be self sufficient with Saxon which is why I'm more on the fence about Saxon 3 with my 8 y.o. I'm not really interested in the scripted lessons. Hmmmm.... If only I could make a decision I might be able to sleep tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootsnwings Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 (edited) FWIW, we're switching from MUS (gamma) to Singapore 4A this year. I think MUS was fantastic for teaching the multiplication tables (and thusly, division) but I don't feel like ds is going to need an entire year of delta (division) and he was really getting bored with MUS by the end of the year. We started on ch 9 of gamma in March & he was done by June. I really wish now that we would have continued the spiral approach with him as I feel like the progress he was making with decimals, fractions, measurements, etc is going to be lacking in the first part of 4th grade compared to where he would be if we would've just continued with a spiral program instead of doing MUS. I am happy that MUS did such a great job with the Mult tables (and I'm debating on delta for supplementary division practice), but wish we would've used it only as a supplement to a spiraling program. HTH!! :) Edited July 31, 2010 by rootsnwings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbrother Posted July 31, 2010 Author Share Posted July 31, 2010 FWIW, we're switching from MUS (gamma) to Singapore 4A this year. I think MUS was fantastic for teaching the multiplication tables (and thusly, division) but I don't feel like ds is going to need an entire year of delta (division) and he was really getting bored with MUS by the end of the year. We started on ch 9 of gamma in March & he was done by June. I really wish now that we would have continued the spiral approach with him as I feel like the progress he was making with decimals, fractions, measurements, etc is going to be lacking in the first part of 4th grade compared to where he would be if we would've just continued with a spiral program instead of doing MUS. I am happy that MUS did such a great job with the Mult tables (and I'm debating on delta for supplementary division practice), but wish we would've used it only as a supplement to a spiraling program. HTH!! :) :iagree: My kids definitely know their facts. They can add, subtract, multiply, and divide; forwards, backwards, and sideways. I do want to teach mastery based math without missing out on all other the "extras" that the other programs teach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbrother Posted July 31, 2010 Author Share Posted July 31, 2010 :bigear: Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Saxon is not mastery based. It wouldn't work here because none of my kids can learn in itty-bitty steps. We need to see the whole picture. Saxon isn't just spiral, it's incrementally spiral. Have you actually looked at a Saxon text? I couldn't make any sense out of Algebra 1/2. Topics are randomly scattered through it with no organization whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Can you stick with MUS, which has the mastery based approach you say you want to stick with, and then just use Math Mammoth and perhaps LOF to fill in your gaps? If I gave my dc Saxon they would revolt but have had no problem integrating LOF and I have plans to purchase gap fillers from Math Mammoth Blue Series. We also use a large book I purchased at a teacher store that is filled with high-interest type word problems. My plans are to continue along the MUS path with LOF and Math Mammoth to fill gaps until we reach Algebra I and then switch my older mathy dd to Chalkdust and my younger non-mathy dd will stay in MUS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightly Salted Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Can you stick with MUS, which has the mastery based approach you say you want to stick with, and then just use Math Mammoth and perhaps LOF to fill in your gaps? that's what I'm doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Saxon is not mastery based. It wouldn't work here because none of my kids can learn in itty-bitty steps. We need to see the whole picture. Saxon isn't just spiral, it's incrementally spiral. Have you actually looked at a Saxon text? I couldn't make any sense out of Algebra 1/2. Topics are randomly scattered through it with no organization whatsoever. Can you stick with MUS, which has the mastery based approach you say you want to stick with, and then just use Math Mammoth and perhaps LOF to fill in your gaps? If I gave my dc Saxon they would revolt but have had no problem integrating LOF and I have plans to purchase gap fillers from Math Mammoth Blue Series. We also use a large book I purchased at a teacher store that is filled with high-interest type word problems. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovedbyGod Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 I have used Saxon with my two oldest sons for grades 1-4. My second son started grade 1 math while in SK as he quite liked numbers and he did fine. I tried this with my third son (grade 1 in his SK year) and although he was able to do it if I pushed he wasn't enjoying having to do the worksheets so I didn't push it (we got to about lesson 55 out of 120). I'm not really familiar with MUS but have glanced at Singapore in the older grades and did have my third son try some of the Kindergarten stuff at one point as a time filler and he didn't really "get" some of the subtraction material even though he did wonderfully with the same material in Saxon. I've never thought about the order in which Saxon topics are presented but I think it's an excellent program - I love the incremental nature of it, think it's just fantastic, and there is continued exposure to other topics for practice. And it certainly is thorough. The kids have done really well with it - I think their grasp of math is very solid. My 2 cents anyway! Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovedbyGod Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 BTW not all years have 120 "lessons". Level 5/4 (what we used for grade 4) and Level 6/5 (the next one) have 159 or so "days" if you include lessons, tests, hands-on practical lessons (called "Investigations") etc. I one of Levels 2 or 3 had 140 lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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