Hedgehogs4 Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 I am considering a switch, we are currently on Delta. I find that the MM concepts are so much more developed, and the strategic thinking is more robust than MUS. I have a boy who is potentially gifted in math, but has trouble organizing his thoughts. I think MM could really help. any input is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TengoFive Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 No help, but I'm considering switching as well. My oldest has always struggled with math. MUS has worked the best so far, but when I purchased the fractions booklet from Math Mammoth she understood it a lot better than she has Epsilon. Now I just have to figure out where to place her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 I bought MM to supplement MUS. So far MUS is too simple, or maybe the DVD makes it easy and it seems simple, but I want something to stretch my son in new areas. I figure that if we like MM better or wind up using it the most, we will just gradually make the switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 FWIW, I tried to go in the opposite direction: since MM6b isn't out yet, I ordered MUS Prealgebra to follow MM6a, and ended up sending it back because DS had already covered most of it, and I didn't find the conceptual explanations in MUS to be remotely as deep or thorough as those in MM. We also tried and abandoned TT Prealgebra for the same reasons. I own copies of about 10 different math programs, and IMO none of them explains mathematical concepts as well as MM does. My DS was a year behind in math in PS, and in 2 years with MM he went from barely understanding 3rd grade math to Prealgebra, and he totally gets it. I think Maria Miller is a genius. :001_smile: Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsiew Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 We made the switch over the summer. It was a little tricky figuring out all the "holes" I needed to fill. We switched for many of the same reasons. Mostly, my ds9 started Epsilon and was doing very well. Then I started him in LOF Fractions and he hit a wall. He had the "math" to do the problems, however he didn't know how to apply his knowledge. If he wasn't told exactly. how. to. do. the. problem he figured he didn't know how. I didn't like that at all. Also, I found the word problems to be very mechanical... even my K child was able to plug the numbers in in the Alpha book without really knowing what he was doing in the word problem. There was nothing that s t r e t c h e d them to go beyond and really put the concepts into action. It was also a little boring (and I don't like to use that word) because every lesson was exactly the same format. We got to MM and I loved how every lesson looks different! So... I gave the placement tests to all my kids for the grade level they got out of. Lots (I mean lots) of holes in geometry and measurement. I made packets for them of all the concepts they didn't have. I love the way Maria weaves, especially geometry, through all the books. It will seem so much more familiar when they actually get there. We are going over some things already done, but I'm using it as a bit of review. We aren't belaboring it, but I am making sure they really understand what we've done so far. My 4th grader (who got to Epsilon) was the toughest for me to figure out because he had gotten further in the series. I filled his holes from grade 3 (not too many mostly measuring and geometry) and we are now working through the "holes" for grade 4. I figure that will take about a quarter and then he'll be onto 5th grade. We'll work through 5th and 6th grade in their entirety as even at that he'll be ready for pre-algebra early. :DLet me know if you have any other questions... I just did this so it's all pretty fresh! BTW... my kids are loving MM (except they miss the videos from MUS) and I see that they have to "think" a lot more! In the long run I think it will be a good switch. I'm not intending on switching math again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted August 24, 2010 Author Share Posted August 24, 2010 Thank you so much...this is very helpful. I am giving my son the exit test for 3rd grade, and i'm seeing two problems: a. he's a little rusty from summer and b. he doesn't understand the terminology she's using, which he should. I'm going to go back and do some major hole-filling this fall and hopefully get him up to speed. i think i'm about to make the switch, or at the very least do some major supplementing with MM. i really want to start LOF by spring this year. i have it, and we're both itching to get into it, but i want to make sure he's ready for it. it's the proverbial carrot on the stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsiew Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 Thank you so much...this is very helpful. I am giving my son the exit test for 3rd grade, and i'm seeing two problems: a. he's a little rusty from summer and b. he doesn't understand the terminology she's using, which he should. I'm going to go back and do some major hole-filling this fall and hopefully get him up to speed. i think i'm about to make the switch, or at the very least do some major supplementing with MM. i really want to start LOF by spring this year. i have it, and we're both itching to get into it, but i want to make sure he's ready for it. it's the proverbial carrot on the stick. I found this too! We did a lot of working on terminology. It was a pain to fill holes, but at this point we're doing pretty good. I've got my 1st grader finishing up on some things in 1st grade that weren't covered in Alpha soon to start MM Grade 2, my 3rd grader is done filling 2nd grade holes and is onto 3rd grade MM and my 4th grader is as I told in the last post... my K'er is even able to start in 1st grade MM because he's already been through Primer in MUS. We're just going slow... Hope it all falls in place for you! Don't be surprised if you start out supplementing with MM and just decide to use it full time! That's what happened to me! Wish I had known about it from the beginning!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsden5 Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 He had the "math" to do the problems, however he didn't know how to apply his knowledge. If he wasn't told exactly. how. to. do. the. problem he figured he didn't know how. I didn't like that at all. Also, I found the word problems to be very mechanical... even my K child was able to plug the numbers in in the Alpha book without really knowing what he was doing in the word problem. There was nothing that s t r e t c h e d them to go beyond and really put the concepts into action. It was also a little boring (and I don't like to use that word) because every lesson was exactly the same format. - End Quote This is similar to our experience, in using MUS through Zeta. We are switching to the light blue. My 4th grader will definitely be doing a lot of the 3rd grade work in MM, before moving onto 4th (and yes he's always "plugged" in the word problems for Alpha and Beta, and has not done great with Gamma). I will also be using it to "plug holes" and strengthen my 7th graders understanding of concepts, before moving on to Thinkwell's 7th grade math (where watching the lesson on the computer has great appeal to him). I gave him a practice sheet from 5B on fractions, and he loved how it was demonstrated visually. He never liked the MUS fraction overlays, and could rarely remember how to work the fraction word problems without prompting from me. I had also been considering buying the full program, just so I could use the higher grade materials as supplements for him, but maybe that's not necessary. Has anyone used them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonsden5 Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 He had the "math" to do the problems, however he didn't know how to apply his knowledge. If he wasn't told exactly. how. to. do. the. problem he figured he didn't know how. I didn't like that at all. Also, I found the word problems to be very mechanical... even my K child was able to plug the numbers in in the Alpha book without really knowing what he was doing in the word problem. There was nothing that s t r e t c h e d them to go beyond and really put the concepts into action. It was also a little boring (and I don't like to use that word) because every lesson was exactly the same format. - End Quote This is similar to our experience, in using MUS through Zeta. We are switching to the light blue. My 4th grader will definitely be doing a lot of the 3rd grade work in MM, before moving onto 4th (and yes he's always "plugged" in the word problems for Alpha and Beta, and has not done great with Gamma). I will also be using it to "plug holes" and strengthen my 7th graders understanding of concepts, before moving on to Thinkwell's 7th grade math (where watching the lesson on the computer has great appeal to him). I gave him a practice sheet from 5B on fractions, and he loved how it was demonstrated visually. He never liked the MUS fraction overlays, and could rarely remember how to work the fraction word problems without prompting from me. I had also been considering buying the full program, just so I could use the higher grade materials as supplements for him, but maybe that's not necessary. Has anyone used them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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