Is MUS Geometry too different?

[journey00]

I have read that it's just straight gentle Geometry and proofs do not come until much later in the book. My 10th grade DD hates math & is not stem oriented. She just needs to pass the class with a "B." I know nothing about Geometry so I will not be any help.

 

Is jumping into a program so different as MUS going to be a rough transition? Thanks!!

[JanetC]

Math u see has good placement tests. If she tests as ready, she should be fine.

[Lori D.]

I have read that it's just straight gentle Geometry and proofs do not come until much later in the book. My 10th grade DD hates math & is not stem oriented. She just needs to pass the class with a "B." I know nothing about Geometry so I will not be any help.

 

Is jumping into a program so different as MUS going to be a rough transition? Thanks!!

 

Yes, MUS is very gentle Geometry; proofs are only at the very end, and are very much hand-holding. (Not sure I'd quite call them proofs, even -- more like fill in the missing parts of a pre-written proof.)

 

JMO: Because MUS is mastery-based, I would hesitate to skip parts at the beginning, even if the student placed further into the program from a placement test. And esp. if the student is weak in math, or is math-resistant. If you go with MUS, you can pretty easily do the entire program in less than 1 year. My math struggler (visual-spatial learner) flew through MUS Geometry in one semester. (In contrast, MUS Algebra 1 and MUS Algebra 2 EACH took him 1.5 years…)

 

The reason he did so well with the Geometry is that it is a very different type of math topic -- very visual and 3-dimensional (area, volume, shapes, lines, angles, etc.), which means that students who do well with art, puzzles, and other 3-D thinking often do well with Geometry, whereas the abstract (non-visual / non-concrete) topics of Algebra are very difficult for them to grasp. So there's a good chance your student might do better with Geometry than with other high school maths… Here's hoping! :)

 

JMO:, I'd choose MUS or ANY math program for a math-hater on the basis of whether or not it would be a good fit with my student's learning style.  Even a math-hater will find math less horrible if the program "clicks" with the student's learning style. :) Questions to help pinpoint what program might be a good fit:

 

- Does your student do better with spiral-based, mastery-based instruction, or discovery-based instruction?

- Does your student learn math better with visuals and hands-on manipulatives, or by listening to/watching teacher instruction and examples?

- Does your student retain math better with many practice problems or just a few?

- Does presentation of material on the page matter? (some students are overwhelmed by a "busy-looking page")

- Is your student do better with math topics that are visual/concrete, or abstract?

 

BEST of luck, whatever you end up going with! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Mom22ns]

I have read that it's just straight gentle Geometry and proofs do not come until much later in the book. My 10th grade DD hates math & is not stem oriented. She just needs to pass the class with a "B." I know nothing about Geometry so I will not be any help.

 

Is jumping into a program so different as MUS going to be a rough transition? Thanks!!

 

No, MUS Geometry stands alone. It doesn't require any of the manipulatives and isn't at all "different". My kids used MUS for several years, switched to Lial's for Algebra, but came back to MUS for Geometry. There are several levels of MUS that I don't recommend jumping into, but Geometry is no problem at all.