Remediating fractions--MUS, Math Mammoth, Key To, something else?

[lispy]

After working side by side with ds every.single.day for a long while now, I've decided we just need to go back and really work on just fractions. 

 

I really would like to do MUS epsilon because he is a kinesthetic learner.  But, I don't know how easy it is to speed through the parts he does know.  And I'm also looking at math mammoth fractions and the key to fractions.

 

ds is 14 and dyslexic if that matters.  He's being tutored/in therapy for reading/language issues, but it's just us for math....at least for now. He does well (slow, but successful) for all other pre-algebra topics.

 

Suggestions?

 

 

 

[mama25angels]

I would probably use the Key to books

[Farrar]

Yes, definitely the Key to books. They are so simple, so perfectly pared down, have just the right amount of practice and the problems help solidify and build understanding. They're perfect for this situation and they're cheap.

[Farrar]

Adding... for the hands on element, I'd look at using the fractions activities on Education Unboxed with the Cuisenaire rods if you feel that's an element that's needed.

[ChrisB]

You may want to start with RightStart's Fraction Kit for a quick review of the basics in fractions and then move on to something like Key To.  RS has that hands on element that you are looking for and would be good for a kinesthetic learner.  The way RS lays out their fraction chart makes comparing fractions and understanding simplifying more intuitive, and RS really builds a good foundation for further fraction study.

[lispy]

 I'll definitely look into the Key To...again.  And I had not heard of the education unboxed, so I'll look into that.

I've used some right start games (with all my kids) for early learning math, but haven't thought about them in a while.  I will look at that fractions kit also. 

thanks everyone!

[rebcoola]

Shiller math also has a fraction only kit that would be hands on.

[HomeAgain]

We loved MUS's fraction book.  The manipulatives really help to show why things happen.  The books are very easily to accelerate.  The lessons are 4 parts:
See it (watch the video or a parent lesson)

Do it (practice with the manipulatives)

Write it (book work)

Teach it (give the lesson back to the parent while the parent plays student)

 

There are 6 or 7 pages available (3 new material, 3 new&review)  for the Write it portion, plus a test.  For stuff my kid knew I would expect 100% on the first page, then him doing a review page, and then test.  He could do the entire thing in 2 days.

[Annie Elle]

The Key To series is excellent for remediation and I used them for my son. I am not a math person but have enjoyed it with my children. The MUS fractions explanations with their manipulatives were confusing to me.

[Momto6inIN]

I wouldn't use it for teaching or remediation, but a supplemental fun reinforcement tool for us after they had the concepts down was Life of Fred Fractions.

[happymom2four]

I concur with all that HomeAgain said about MUS--

 

I used MUS with a dyslexic learner as well and found it to be the only thing that really worked for us.  In my experience the Key To books have met with significant resistance from my kids, and the connections I hoped they'd make through using them didn't seem to materialize.

[Janeway]

Keys to is excellent for this. The pages give clear directions in a bigger font that is clear, and clean drawings of the fractions. There are not distractions on the page. MUS would be good too, but costs more and I do not think it would be better.

[marylandhsmom]

Does anyone use Keys To... as a stand-alone for those subjects, or is it piecemeal and mostly for supplementation?  

[Kat w]

I concur with all that HomeAgain said about MUS--

 

I used MUS with a dyslexic learner as well and found it to be the only thing that really worked for us. In my experience the Key To books have met with significant resistance from my kids, and the connections I hoped they'd make through using them didn't seem to materialize.

Same was true here . mus has been very helpful .

[Kat w]

Does anyone use Keys To... as a stand-alone for those subjects, or is it piecemeal and mostly for supplementation?

Keys to is a supplement , tho I suppose some could use it as stand alone . that would be a lot of work in parent part tho, teaching, teaching tricks, etc.

 

For a supplement they are awesome.

I had a teen that had the whole alphabet soup of issues do very well with keys to. Nothing else got through to him , plus others alot of practice.

 

They take a concept and practice, practice, practice.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Kat w

[BusyMom5]

I got MUS, and plan to add it to our days soon.  I was suprised that we slowed down at the very beginning!  By lesson 5 or 6, we had to do several pages to 'get' what was going on.  I do highly recommend the visuals for a kenesthetic learner.  We stopped there, and I plan to pick back up again maybe next week.

[Farrar]

Does anyone use Keys To... as a stand-alone for those subjects, or is it piecemeal and mostly for supplementation?  

 

It's not piecemeal at all IMHO. And the teaching is really solid. It could absolutely stand alone.

 

The problem is that they don't cover enough topics to cover everything for the level of math they're at. So, I would say the fraction books are at a 4th-6th grade level. Great. So are the measurement and decimals books. But kids at that age are typically doing other math as well, like solidifying long division skills and doing some basic geometry and some beginning algebra and so forth and there isn't really a Key to book that fits all those sorts of skills. As a result, the age at which kids need the Key to books usually they need other math resources as well.

 

So it's not that it's not good enough to stand on its own. It's just that I'm not sure what you would pair it with to make it complete for other topics. I guess you could use the Math Mammoth single topic books with it maybe. Just such a different approach in some ways.

 

The Key to Algebra and Geometry books could be a stand alone. However, they're super light. I mean, the whole series is on the easy side - none of the books are challenging. They're really focused on getting kids to get the fundamentals of a concept, not the finer points, not the tricky ones. But the algebra and geometry series are both even more on the light side, IMHO. Ds is doing Key to Algebra as his easy, take a break math while he's doing more rigorous pre-algebra work.

[Kat w]

Yes fararr , that's what I didn't convey well I don't think.

It's very good on the concept practice , but it doesn't cover all that a x grader would normally do.

That's what I meant about not being a stand alone. You want to have the other things in that grade/year worked on too. L