Math-U-See

[jmomma1203]

My DD turns 5 this summer and I'm planning to do Kindergarten with her in the fall so I can keep her and DS back to back. Is it a big deal to skip the Primer in MUS and start with Alpha? We already have all of the materials for Alpha.

[ballardlm]

I don't have children that old so take what I say with a grain of salt BUT I remember reading somewhere on the MUS website that everything taught in Primer repeats in Alpha so it is completely okay to skip Primer.

[IHaveNoIdeawhatIAmDoing]

I struggled with whether to do the Primer as well. We ultimately ended up doing it and we don't regret it at all. If money is an issue for you, I suggest going right to Alpha. If you don't mind spending a bit more, I would use the Primer to lay a more solid foundation for math. My daughter loved it, and because it began so easily, she started off with some major confidence. Math quickly became her favorite subject.

[Sweepy]

We did Primer but we breezed through really fast. I say do it unless it's not budget-wise. There's alot of the same stuff but it's just less on a page and larger print so it may be less overwhelming for a beginner, especially if you haven't already been doing something along the lines of "lessons" already. Otherwise, Alpha doesn't really start with anything that would be too difficult without the Primer introduction. In fact, (it's been a few months so don't hold me to this) I think some of the videos that introduce a new skill are the same exact one for both DVDs.

[NoseInABook]

I am pretty sure that it's taught again in Alpha. However, I learned that after purchasing Primer so we went ahead and used it before Alpha.

[PentecostalMom]

I struggled with whether to do the Primer as well. We ultimately ended up doing it and we don't regret it at all. If money is an issue for you, I suggest going right to Alpha. If you don't mind spending a bit more, I would use the Primer to lay a more solid foundation for math. My daughter loved it, and because it began so easily, she started off with some major confidence. Math quickly became her favorite subject.

 

 

What age was your dd when you started it? I just invested in the newest version of Alpha for my 1st grader, and was thinking of getting Primer for my 3yo (soon to be 4). Not to rush her, but for her to use when she wants to "do school" like big sis.

[Coco_Clark]

I would do Primer, just because she's a young kindergartner and so many Math concepts require a certain maturity level to grasp. I feel like there's a tendency in homeschool circles to rush ahead, but just because your child CAN do something doesn't mean they SHOULD. A lot can be said for building confidence and a very strong understanding of basics, especially in the beginning years when they are still learning to write the numbers, sit still and concentrate, follow directions, ect.

 

All that being said, everything in Primer IS reviewed in Alpha. So if money is a big issue, you arent skipping concepts by skipping the primer book. and if she can recognize and write all her numbers, count to 100, skip count, and understands the basic concepts of addition and place value she is most likely fine to start first grade math (Alpha). For full disclosure I'll admit I recently bought Primer for my five year old, thought it was too easy, and then gave him the math-u-see placement test. He tested into Gamma :/ (Kid loves Math). So we are skipping Primer ourselves and starting with Alpha/Beta at double-time. But when my younger hits K, im sure I'll use the Primer :).

[classicmommy]

I would go with Alpha and not rush it. That is what we are doing. It is working great!