Spicing up Math U See Epsilon *and* math supplement suggestions

[napualani]

My 5th grade daughter is almost midway through MUS Epsilon. I like the format of it. My daughter understands the video lessons and can do the work, and though she doesn't always use the manipulatives, they are helpful to her when she needs and uses them. When she "gets" the material, she likes to move on, and I appreciate that she'll still get the review that she needs as she moves on in the course. However, she is a very visual girl, and I've found that she needs more color and excitement than the black and white workbooks provide.

 

Does anyone have any ideas to make this program more colorful? We tried colored pencils, but the writing is difficult to erase. She enjoys using the whiteboard with colorful markers, but I like for her to show her complete work and she'd complain about having to re-write her work on he worksheets. She's started using graph paper to work out her problems, and that helps, sort of. She's asked me to use colorful stickers when I correct her work, but that doesn't solve the problem of her taking much longer than necessary to do her work because it looks so drab to her.

 

I was thinking of switching her over to Thinkwell's 6th grade program, but I keep going back to the fact that MUS is working for her, it's just visually DULL. I know it's not going to be all fun and games all the time, but I think she won't have a problem continuing MUS if it looks more fun.

 

I would also like to add in a math supplement program, and I am looking at IXL or MathWhizz. Any thoughts on these, or has anyone used any fun workbooks? She'll be working on fractions and decimals this year, but review work is fine too.

 

Thanks!

 

Darlene

[serendipitous journey]

Other than using pretty stationery, I'd say your best bet would be to (if you don't want to switch) treat it as a dawdling issue and address that. Perhaps set a generous amount of time for her math work, 5 or 10 more than it should take, and set a timer: when she finishes NEATLY AND CORRECTLY she gets to spend the rest of the time doing something fun -- reading, an activity book, an iPad app, whatever suits.

 

You can also break the work up, doing a problem at a time btw. other activities, which helps keep them from getting mired.

 

Another one I learned from Simply Charlotte Mason: if they are dawdling/staring into space, jolt them awake by having them run up & down stairs or around the house or something. This only works a little for us b/c Button loves running around!

 

just thoughts. my oldest is 6, so we are not 5th-grade yet :).

 

ETA: supplement once weekly with Life of Fred? not colorful per se, but story-based and interesting.

[truebluexf]

I was going to say LOF. That is our plan this year, MUS 3 days, LOF on Fridays. Different perspectives on the math and less monotony. DS actually doesn't complain about MUS, but since each level has taken us less than a year anyway, I wanted to add more without trying to jump ahead. LOF takes such a fun approach!

[Hedgehogs4]

I was going to say LOF. That is our plan this year, MUS 3 days, LOF on Fridays. Different perspectives on the math and less monotony. DS actually doesn't complain about MUS, but since each level has taken us less than a year anyway, I wanted to add more without trying to jump ahead. LOF takes such a fun approach!

 

I agree...we use LOF to supplement MUS and it provides a different slant and often a challenge that MUS lacks at times. My ds 11 is enjoying it. We are currently in zeta and LOF decimals.