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Math woes--MUS to CLE, perhaps?


julikins
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My son is in 1st grade and using MUS Alpha. He just doesn't get it. There are tears, there is no desire or urge to get any work done. Laying all over the work, dropping pencils continually. Everytime he watches the video, he says, "I don't understand." I went to MM from the beginning of the addition book, and he hates it too, it's like pulling teeth to get him to do the next problem, let alone a whole page.

 

I'm not sure what to do for him. Maybe it's an attitude issue, but I'm hoping that finding something more along his line of thinking will help him find joy in it.

 

I've always defended MUS because it's been wonderful for my daughter. Now I wonder if it has more to do with learning styles. She needs mastery, but perhaps he needs spiral?

 

So my thoughts are, I'm wondering if the gentle spiral approach I hear of with CLE with be the ticket. He's a smart boy, learned to read early, but maybe math just isn't his thing. Just not sure where to go from here. He seems very visual. Would the CLE book appeal to him, or is there something else?

Edited by julikins
correct spelling and add explanation
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We switched from MUS to CLE after Delta for the very same reason. CLE has been a real blessing. It is gentle, yet thorough. I honestly wish I had found it and started it sooner. My middle son switched halfway through Alpha and he excells w/CLE. The flashcard system is genius. He has his facts down cold. And it is not just rote memory because the lightunits have them apply the facts to their work in different ways, including word problems(which are oral in 1st grade and maybe 2nd). I think because they are oral, they really have to pick out which operation to use based on the wording and it really gets them to think about the problems. It also begins teaching very preliminary geometry in 1st grade in a very gentle fashion and the spiral is also very gentle, unlike saxon. Because of the spiral, they do not forget anything. I think placement is the key, though, so I would recommend take the diagnostic test before beginning. Also, you really do need their add/sub flashcards, as they are grouped according to sets used in the lightunits.

 

hths!

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Why not MEP, which is free and excellent? though you'll prob. want to print things out. -- it has a very different approach than MUS. If he just hates Alpha, I bet he'd have so much fun with MEP. Be sure to look at the lesson plans as well as the worksheets ...

 

ETA: I see that SuperDad, who was also interested in CLE, has MEP and SM in his siggie. So he may have insight into the usability & desirability of MEP.

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Yes, there are many memebers at the CLE Yahoo group that are non Christian and use Christian light. There is really very little Christian content in the Math anyways. I've seen some non Christian families say that its not an issue to them. Some have blacked out content. Everyone is different. But you use what you need to.

 

CLE is created by a Mennonite company. We're Catholic and we use it. I'd much rather use something that works then something that doesn't.

 

I think CLE will fit the bill. I can say its not a colorful curriculum but in the same breath it is visually appealing.

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We switched from MUS to CLE, and I wish that we had switched way before we did. We switched when my older daughter was in Delta and my younger was starting Beta. Having used CLE for two years now, I really wish that I had known about CLE from the beginning. My daughters are thriving with it, but I really feel that my younger daughter has a much more solid understanding of math than her older sister since she benefited with using it from a younger age. :001_unsure:

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We went from R&S to CLE back to R&S. CLE just was too many concepts at a time for mine. Too much, too fast, too abstract. We really like how R&S is gentle and mastery at these younger ages. That said, I will likely do what I did with my older two. Stay with R&S for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd then move to CLE at the 300 level. We will see as these last 3 are different animals.

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My dd's problem was maturity. I tried lots of different math curriculum in which she ended up in tears.(MUS,SM,RS,Ray's,CLE,MEP) I like Jump Math because it gave my dd lots of lightbulb moments which helped her to finally see what SM was trying to teach her. But...for this age I would try to bring in some enjoyment for math. I let my dd use dice to create her math problems. For addition: she would roll two dice and add them up to get the sum. For subtraction: she would start with a specified number(10 for example)and roll one of her dice(example of 6) and subtract that number from the 10. Or reverse the problem and say ___+6=10

 

My dd loves dice and will normally do problems without fuss when done this way. More fun than a dull worksheet.

 

HTH,

 

Penny

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