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Second guessing myself on using MUS...input?


avazquez24
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We just started two weeks ago, so I haven't been in the program very long...we didn't use Math U See last year, so we are very new to it. I used Horizions with dd last year, but she dreaded doing math time, as she found it to be way too boring and repetative....so I first looked into MUS when looking for something more "hands on" for her.

Things have been fine so far (she really is enjoying the program!), but I start to think about the future and just worry. I know MUS is taught in a "different" way, so I worry if I ever switch programs, dd and ds will be completely lost or have a hard time:confused:

 

I had also heard some mention about "gaps" with the program, so that's another concern.

 

Of course I would LOVE for math time to be fun, but at the same time, I want to make sure they are getting a "solid" education

 

So, I guess what I'm looking for is any sort of input on MUS (both positive and negative)!

Edited by avazquez24
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We LOVE MUS here. Ds has been doing it since kindy when he started with Primer.

 

Actually he went to public kindy for half the year and when I pulled him out his teacher warned me that ds was very behind in math and would have a lot of trouble. Then we started MUS and zoom he took off. The kid never had an issue in math at all - in fact it's his best subject. He's in 3rd grade now working through Delta.

 

Personally the actual gaps to me are small ones that are easy to fill IMO. For us it was money and measurement which were easy for me to teach just in our day to day life.

 

I've heard many say there's not enough review but IMO if you do the review pages of each lesson there's plenty of review. I always have ds do at least 2 of the review pages before we move on to the next lesson.

 

It's so solid on teaching the concepts IMO that I would think the switch to something else later on should go smoothly. Ds is doing Beast Academy this year too just to add in some fun stuff and while the geometry is challenging for him (geometry has not been introduced yet via MUS) he's able to do the other stuff quite easily/quickly.

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I love MUS. It absolutely saved math for my dd, who really struggled with a different program.

 

Generally when people complain about gaps, they do not understand how MUS works. The sequence is different than a spiral program, but it covers what is necessary. In the end, it stands just fine in comparison to other programs.

 

My dd has stuck with it, loved it, and tested well on standardized tests for years.

 

I feel that my ds could use a more challenging math program for high school. He has done MUS for grammar school because I had the materials, so why not. He is transitioning just fine over to Chalkdust now. (He is not high school age yet, but the next step for him is Pre-Algebra.)

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We are have used MUS all the way through from Primer to Pre-Algebra with our ds11. He seemed to do fine with it. The only downside I've noticed with is that MUS wasn't the most challenging in terms of problems. So we supplimented some with LOF and a little with Singapore Challenging Word Problems (CWP). CWP were obviously much harder than anything in MUS. I was really torn after Zeta whether to continue with it. But because Scope and Sequence is so different from other programs we wanted to fill those gaps with things left out until Pre-A. Once he gets ~ half way through MUS Pre-A I plan to double up with another Pre-A program to cover anything which may have been missed or forgotten before proceeding with Algebra using a different curriculum.

 

With our middle daughter it just wasn't a good fit as she was forgetting too much and getting frustrated with math in general. We eventually switched to CLE which is spiral vs. mastery and she is doing much better with it. She also finds it more enjoyable than MUS. Switching mid-stream during the elementary years can be challenging because the scope and sequence is different. We took a step back from MUS to CLE to really make sure we cover areas not introduced yet in MUS. But the switch was worth it as she's doing better and moving quickly through CLE. Since CLE was such a hit with our middle dd we switched our youngest as well this year.

 

I still recommend MUS to certain parents depending on what they are looking for. Like with any program I think the parent/teacher needs to be somewhat flexible if something is not working for one where it did for another. Each child even in the same family can learn differently.

Edited by dereksurfs
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We have used MUS for over 12 years and loved it. My kids are waaay ahead in math (above grade levels). Math is so abstract and hard for the child to "grasp" and "see" and MUS helps that. They transition over very easily from the rods. the fraction overlays are fabulous. Why didn't I have those in school. :001_smile:

My kids never use all the reviews. As soon as they master the lesson, I move on. Why beat a dead horse dead?! So for us, enough review, and no gaps for us. If you use the program, and understand how it works, NO gaps. I also likes how he teaches so differently. right now I can't think of exact examples, but as I am watching the DVD (which are short and sweet 2 or 3 min long max) with kids, I think "That is sooo much easier to understand when explained that way!"

My DS had a learning issue earlier on, so MUS was essential for getting the earlier math concepts down.

I took my oldest DD to Va Tech this week for her freshman year studying Chemical engineering and I believe that MUS helped to get her there.

HTH,

Amy :001_smile:

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My son uses MUS and it has been perfect for him. It would be hard to switch curricula midway through, at least not until after zeta I think, but I am not concerned bc he is thriving. Math used to be a fighting, screaming, cry fest and when we switched, that all stopped. His test scores are superb in math, even in math conceptions, so even though it seems they are lighter in word problems, *something* is working out right. This year for fractions we are adding in LOF for a little something extra and different.

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We love MUS here too and plan on continuing through Zeta at least(in Delta now). My dd thinks Steve Demme is funny and the way he explains things makes sense to her..

 

I think if your dd enjoys it and is mastering the concepts, you should stick with it. It is very easy to supplement to fill in any "gaps".

 

We personally supplement with TT, mostly because we are able to borrow it:D Most of it is very easy after a mastery approach, so I just have her watch the lectures and do the quizzes and only actually do the lesson if it's a concept she hasn't been taught yet.

Edited by tomandlorih
clarity
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MUS??????

Math U See

 

We used MUS from Gamma to Pre-algebra. It took my son from thinking he was no good at math and hating it to loving it and wanting to figure out problems himself. We've just switched to AOPS (art of problem solving)'s Intro to Algebra and he's having no problems at all.

 

The math is taught in a different order, but I found no gaps in my son's curriculum when compared to the public school's. The year we put him in I put their end of year goals in a spreadsheet and crossed it with the years of MUS. The only thing he hadn't covered was multiplying decimals. He learned that quickly (less than a week) and was at the head of his math class all year.

 

I've used MUS to tutor other kids when *they* have gaps - namely through curricula that uses drill and kill style - they have the mechanics but no understanding. The only potential pitfall I found to our MUS years was that there were few word problems each day for the under pre-algebra crowd. By pre-algebra there's an extra page in each chapter with more of those. My son also did well adding in Hands On Equations when he hit pre-algebra in order to see the equations another way than what MUS teaches - preparing him a little more for approaching math from a variety of place.

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