Joyful_Journey Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 We are expecting baby #4 within a month, so I NEED to make this final decision on math asap. I have three kiddos coming out of MM 1, 4, and 6 this year. Before MM we tried: RS - Did this with oldest DD through 4th grade, but we moved out of it since it was becoming too teacher intensive after her younger siblings began moving into it also. Loved the hands-on, visual learning it provided though as well as really helping her understand the why behind math. Singapore - Tried it for half a year as we moved out of RS, but it just seemed to require too many conceptual leaps for my kiddos. Enter Math Mammoth - I put all three kids in it this year, as I really liked the approach of the program. Oldest dd did fine with it, but I had mixed results from the younger two. My youngest especially seems to need something very visual and hands-on, and my middle one would benefit from this as well. MUS has been suggested to me by numerous people within my local homeschool groups. I'm so weary of jumping math curriculum, and I would love to find one that works for us! In my perfect world, I guess the program I'm looking for is: 1) Mastery based but has some review thrown in 2) Hands-on and visual - my kids really need to "see" in order to understand I think 3) Teaches them to really "understand" the why behind math 4) With a baby here next year, it can't be heavily teacher intensive Does such a program even exist??? MUS seems to be the answer here, but it is so difficult to figure out from just the samples on their web site. If we went with their program, I would be moving kids into the Beta, Epsilon, and Pre-Algebra levels. Any MUS users care to offer some feedback from their experience with the program? Pretty, pretty please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Rose Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 We did MUS half of this year then switch to MM. I feel like she is learning a broader range with MM. How about sticking with MM, but just add in some manipulatives like rods, pennies, beans, dominos, ect.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 We tried MUS based on how it looked and it did not work. We switched to Saxon. Its a much better fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 In my perfect world, I guess the program I'm looking for is: 1) Mastery based but has some review thrown in 2) Hands-on and visual - my kids really need to "see" in order to understand I think 3) Teaches them to really "understand" the why behind math 4) With a baby here next year, it can't be heavily teacher intensive Well, MUS does seem to fit your list. I didn't use it in the lower levels, we switched over at the pre-algebra level. I picked up a DVD for Epsilon just to cover fractions to go along with it (Pre-algebra does a review of both fractions and decimals, and I wanted my kids to have a better understanding of fractions, so we viewed a few of those lessons). For us it's been a great fit. But I would also think through: -If Math Mammoth is working for your oldest, I wonder if you should consider just switching your youngers. -Would RS still be too much for you if you did it with only one or two younger ones while your oldest continued with MM? With MUS, my son and I watch the DVD together (about 5 minutes long or so, once a week) and then he does the work. I correct it, and answer questions if he has any, but usually he understands from the DVD. Since he's older, if he misses a lot on day 1, I might have him watch the dvd again on the 2nd day without me. Very little teaching on my part, just the usual helping over trouble spots that we have had with any math program. HTH as you decide what will work for you! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 They'll also send out a sample disk if you ask - http://www.mathusee.com/about-us/demonstration-video/ We've used MUS from Gamma to Pre-algebra, and will use it again for Geometry. It is exactly as you describe: hands on, visual, mastery, non-teacher intensive. I credit it for the way my son understands math now. A normal week goes like this: Day 1: Watch the video together and have the blocks handy. We pause at every problem so that he can work it along with Mr. Demme. Do a page of practice. Video: 10 minutes with all the breaks, worksheet 10-20 minutes. Day 2: Have the blocks handy, start reinforcing verbally what is going on and asking him to tell me as he's working, what he's doing. Do a page of practice and one of review. 30 minutes. Day 3: page of practice and review. Day 4: last page of review. Day 5: Test. Have him teach teach me the lesson using whatever materials he wants (whiteboard, blocks..) and then take a written test if he can sufficiently explain the concept with me asking silly questions. If he cannot, print out practice pages from the site. Some lessons he skips to test day because he knows the material well, some lessons we slow it down to one page a day and practice, practice, practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyful_Journey Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 Thanks for the replies! Bumping this for the morning crew... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEK Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 MUS seems to fit your criteria. We are in our K year and are using MUS, DD5 is loving it. She loves watching the DVD, loves the blocks (as does DD3) and I love that she can mostly work independently as this is her style (and the baby keeps me very busy). Our maths lessons look something like this: Watch DVD together on my computer All head to school room and get required blocks (and spares for the 3yo) Me (usually while feeding baby): go through first question to make sure she knows what it is asking. dd5: completes pages (we do between 1 and 3 per day depending on how quick/easy she finds them), all that is required of me is to suggest using the blocks when she gets stuck or nod whenever she writes down the correct answer. Simple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 We are expecting baby #4 within a month, so I NEED to make this final decision on math asap. I have three kiddos coming out of MM 1, 4, and 6 this year. Before MM we tried: RS - Did this with oldest DD through 4th grade, but we moved out of it since it was becoming too teacher intensive after her younger siblings began moving into it also. Loved the hands-on, visual learning it provided though as well as really helping her understand the why behind math. Singapore - Tried it for half a year as we moved out of RS, but it just seemed to require too many conceptual leaps for my kiddos. Enter Math Mammoth - I put all three kids in it this year, as I really liked the approach of the program. Oldest dd did fine with it, but I had mixed results from the younger two. My youngest especially seems to need something very visual and hands-on, and my middle one would benefit from this as well. MUS has been suggested to me by numerous people within my local homeschool groups. I'm so weary of jumping math curriculum, and I would love to find one that works for us! In my perfect world, I guess the program I'm looking for is: 1) Mastery based but has some review thrown in 2) Hands-on and visual - my kids really need to "see" in order to understand I think 3) Teaches them to really "understand" the why behind math 4) With a baby here next year, it can't be heavily teacher intensive Does such a program even exist??? MUS seems to be the answer here, but it is so difficult to figure out from just the samples on their web site. If we went with their program, I would be moving kids into the Beta, Epsilon, and Pre-Algebra levels. Any MUS users care to offer some feedback from their experience with the program? Pretty, pretty please? MUS certainly fits what you give as your criteria. It worked well for my son for Gamma/Delta, and I wish I had known about it for alpha/beta. (He is currently on a break from MUS using Key to etc. for the summer. Key to is quite visual, but has not got the hands on manipulatives of MUS, and is only for fractions and higher level.) MUS has a pretty good return policy as I recall. You could try it and see if it seems right for your children, maybe before new baby arrives, or when you start in again if you take a summer/new baby break. I don't think it is really possible to know without trying something how it will be in reality....but...it does fit what you say you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sew happily ever after Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 After trying many of the same math curriculums that you did, I took the plunge an switched to MUS. I will never look at another math curriculum in my life! It's so simple and it WORKS! You really can't ask for any more than that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyful_Journey Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 I appreciate all of the replies! In addition to MUS, I'll take a look at the "Keys to..." books. I don't know why, but math curriculum stresses me out more than any other school subject!:willy_nilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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