BJU Math vs Math U See

[MommyX8]

We just did a few years of BJU Press Distance Learning. I really like it but one of my kids needs a more hands-on approach. He said that he would do the Distance Learning again but if he needs hands-on, he needs hands-on.

 

I am also in the midst of fighting my age-old battle with obesity. So, I need to take a good amount of time for fitness training. The distance learning fits well into this equation, but then again, I will find the time if it will do the trick.

 

Also, my daughter didn't do well with Saxon or TT, so I am wondering if I might have the same issue with her.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

[mom&nana]

I use Bob Jones Math for one of my children. My other two are using Math U See. I like them both. I'm currently debating about which program to put my youngest child into.

 

They are different approaches. BJU is considered a mastery program as is MUS. However, MUS will cover mostly one topic in a book...it covers more than one topic, but what I mean is that one book with MUS will be mostly fractions, or mostly decimals and percents, etc. BJU has a lot of topics going on at once. BJU might line up more closely with the public school's scope and sequence.

 

MUS is not time consuming, I feel like BJU takes a lot more time. I don't use the distance learning though. I use the regular TM and go over the lesson with my dd and then she works on the workbooks. BJU uses manipulatives, and has a ton of practice before the workbook pages each day.

 

With MUS you watch the dvd at the beginning of the lesson. It is short, 5-10 minutes usually. Then for the rest of the week (or however long it takes your student to do the work) you work through the worksheets. There are 6 worksheets plus a test for each lesson. The first 3 worksheets A, B, and C cover the new material taught in the lesson. The last 3..D, E, and F have new material plus past lessons for review.

 

My dds usually take 2 to 3 days to do those worksheets and the test. If they are understanding and doing well we skip worksheets C and F. So our typical schedule is :

Mon- Watch DVD lesson, do Worksheet A and D

Tues- Do worksheet B and E

Wed- Take the Test

Thurday- Watch next lesson on Dvd and do A and D

Friday- Do B and E.

Mon- Take test

and so on.

 

If they need more time, because they are not understanding, we might take 5 or 6 days to do them all.

Mon- Watch Dvd lesson, do worksheet A and D

Tues- Worksheets B and E

Wed- Worksheets C and F

Thursday- Test or more worksheets you can print online at MUS (if they still need practice)

Friday- begin new lesson, etc.

 

We have even gone more slowly just doing one worksheet a day, and working more problems together for understanding, etc.

 

MUS works very easily to move at your child's pace. Whereas, it's a little harder to do that with BJU. For example, with my dd who uses BJU we just started the 2nd grade book (she has used BJU math since K). Many, many pages in the beginning of the workbook are very easy review... (Remember it's like the public school where kids have a long summer break, so they start all over when school starts back, going over stuff they covered the previous year...tons and tons of review.) My dd is very bored right now, even though we took a summer break. She hasn't forgotten any of this stuff and it's just too easy. I'm seriously thinking of switching her over to MUS at the end of this year. She just doesn't seem to need as much review as BJU contains.

 

MUS uses the blocks for manipulatives, and also uses fraction overlays in the Fractions book. That is pretty much the only manipulatives MUS uses. I'm not sure that I'd say that MUS is more hands on than BJU. Maybe, but if you are doing all the things in the BJU TM, there are opportunities for hands on use with manipulatives. I guess the blocks are more tactile, most of BJU manipulatives are cardstock pieces. But they also use Unifix cubes. You could always add more tactile manipulatives to BJU though.

 

Well I hope that helps.

[JaneP]

Kelli had some good points. I especially agree that you can slow down Math U See if your child has trouble with a concept.

 

How old is your son?

[MommyX8]

My hands-on child is 10 years old. He is working through BJU Press Distance Learning now. He complains about the amount of time, but it is what it is. It isn't really all that long, but just too long for him.

 

The boys are really SO solid in math that I really hate to mess with that. He tried TT but asked to go back to BJU Press, so we did.