MUS questions

[homefront]

Sorry I'm frustrated the search function is not running 3 letters right now.

 

I'm adding another little boy to our homeschool this summer. His mom picked MUS and I've never worked with it. She starts this fall for the first time homeschooling and is afraid of math.

 

How long does it take your child to get through a MUS lesson? I don't see this child needing the extra practice. He does well with racing the clock. I don't want to short change him because I don't know the program. He starting on Beta and his dad wants him starting Delta before next May.

 

And what your favorite supplement program for MUS? His dad is willing to take over a supplement one or two times a week. Dreambox is something I'm looking into for him.

 

Links to good MUS threads are welcome.

[sleeplessnights]

My kids do two pages a day, typically a new lesson page and a review page. For each lesson there are 3 new lesson pages (A-C) and three review pages (D-F) and a test. When they do two MUS pages, it usually takes them about 20 minutes.

 

This strategy uses 4 days per lesson times 30 lessons in the book (+ 4 unit tests + 1 final test) = 125 lesson days. Of course, this is if you do every page.

 

My second son started Beta in Feb and is almost done. We skip everything that I know he has down pat (like clocks, money, skip counting, etc) and only do the review pages for these lessons.

 

As long as the child is willing and able, there should be no problem Beta and Gamma in one year. The end of Gamma gets pretty tricky (multiple digit multiplication), so he will have to slow down here.

[Peaceful Isle]

My daughter was behind in math when we started 4th grade. She did MUS gamma and delta last year without a problem.

We love MUS! It was the first math program that clicked with my dd.

[Pen]

We didn't learn about MUS till gamma stage. I had a set amount of time per day for math. Some parts went very fast, some slower. Whenever he knew a part we moved on. The ends of the books are harder (and thus go slower) than the beginnings. Beast Academy could be a good supplement once he is at that stage. We used Singapore word problems as a supplement formerly, though my son did not really like them, I would still recommend them. Zacarro's Primary Challenge math could also be a good supplement for the child and dad.

[YHZNS]

So far, my girls have been completing two levels of MUS each year. We supplement with Daily Word Problems by Evan-Moor and flash cards. You can print extra practice sheets off the MUS web site but we haven't found them necessary.

[raceNzanesmom]

I think it depends on how old he is and where he's at now. If the plan is Beta and Gamma as catch up/review or math comes extremely easy to him, then I think you could get to Delta by May (depending on when he starts and how much is done everyday). However, I don't think Steve Demme wrote MUS to be used that quickly unless it is truly at the child's pace. MUS is mastery and Demme wrote it that way. Also, as slow as MUS may seem to those not using it, kids do end up at the same place in the end. I wouldn't rush it. Perhaps she could call and discuss those expectations with MUS. They have excellent CS.

 

FTR, we do a lesson a week. If he masters the lesson before that we use the time to practice other math skills, play math games, etc.

[homefront]

MUS sequence is so different from what he coming from that we did drop a level. I think he has 50-70% of beta mastered already. We are looking at a full year not a school year. Plus he already has all of his math facts memorized.

 

I hope that MUS is the right fit for him and his mom. She afraid of messing up her STEM directed son. (Normal new homeschooling mom feeling, she'll do great after she gets her feet)

 

Now I need to figure out a supplement for his dad.