MUS at upper levels?

[Suzybearybake]

Has anyone used MUS for Prealgebra -Calculus? I have a dyslexic ds and am swiching him to MUS ( Gamma). I am wondering if that will put him at a disadvantage when he gets to upper level math. I am using Saxon/Dive with his brothers but it did not click for him. Will I need to switch back to Saxon or Teaching Textbooks at the upper grades? Does it cover what needs to be covered in an understandable way or does it leave gaps because of the difference in scope and sequence? Would Teaching Textbooks be a better option? I like the fact that MUS has alot of hands on learning to cement concepts and the fact that it is much cheaper than TT, but I have heard that neither of these programs cover what is needed for grade level. Could I get some input from those of you who have used it on whether or not it worked and why?

[Alyce]

Overall I liked MUS better. My dd has used MUS from Alpha to Pre-Calculus and has done well with it. She scored well on her math portion although it was nothing to get excited about. She still has gotten into her college of choice and when she took the math placement test she has been placed in Calculus for next semester. MUS is not as hands on as you progress to the upper levels. By Alg 2 the manipulatives are no longer used but they were used when they got the foundation in Pre-Alg and Alg so they really aren't necessary.

My ds used TT for Geometry and we were not impressed. My son who is not a math whiz said it was too easy and I noticed it didn't seem to cover as much as MUS. It's advantage is that it includes Proofs from the very beginning while MUS doesn't even introduce the concept in until late in the program. Like TT MUS has all the answers worked out in the Teachers Manual or like in Pre-Calculus they are in the Solutions Manual. Doing it over again for a non science or math major I would choose MUS. Since I don't have one of them in my house I can't tell you what's going to happen to my dd when she gets to college math but I have a lot of confidence in her and her math abilities and the fact that she got such a strong foundation thanks to MUS

[Ruth in Canada]

I think you can confidently use MUS through pre-algebra. In fact, I recommend that you don't consider switching until after pre-algebra because MUS has a unique sequence of presenting topics until after pre-algebra.

 

We used MUS algebra I with dd and then moved to Jacobs Geometry, followed by Foerster's Algebra II. This seemed to work fine. I realized, however, that MUS is rather dry--and thought my wordy kids would prefer something else. DS will go from MUS pre-algebra to Jacobs Algebra I.

 

I also didn't like the look of MUS geometry, which is why we switched. However, this is a math-intense household, with very capable kids. Our provincial curriculum no longer covers much of what a proof-based geometry class covers--so its not clear to me that there would be any harm in a less-involved geometry class, particularly if a kid was struggling.

 

We've supplemented with a month or two here and there of Aleks--and have found it good for reinforcing skills.

[sweetbaby]

We are using MUS Geometry and my son loves it. He has a learning disability also so to hear him actually say that he actually understands math is a blessing. I have already purchased the Alg. II for the upcoming year.

 

I love the mastery approach and the many practice problems that's provided. I feel like Mr.Demme is right in our home when we watch the instructional DVDs.