pocjets Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 My 5th grader seems to need more help understanding decimals and fractions. We have been using Horizons (k-4) and are now using CLE. Is there something I could use to supplement to help her understand? Has anyone used MUS for that reason? Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinRTX Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 I would use the Key To books on fractions; there is also a set on decimals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abeilles Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 Did you see CLE math has a 1 book Fractions Review - it reviews fraction and decimal principles from the 300-700 series. My children did it over the summer and it was a great review before heading into Pre-Algebra/Algebra. Also the Keys To Series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 (edited) Another vote for Keys to Fractions, Decimals, and Percents. I suggest that because all 3 are related, and it can be helpful to think of decimals and percents as "special kinds of fractions". Yes, we did use MUS for our math struggler -- but not because fractions were a struggle area. Weirdly, fractions were one of the math topics he did NOT struggle with (not sure why!), so I honestly don't know if it was because MUS was a terrific fit for him, or if fractions were just not one of the math topics he struggled with. Because he flew through MUS Epsilon with no problems... (yea! one of our rare smooth sailing moments in math for that DS!) At the time, we were also supplementing at the time with the Keys to... books, and the year or two before we had done some visual/hands-on simple fraction work with manipulatives and an accompanying booklet were -- so maybe the various exposures/perspectives allowed it all to come together well for DS?? Epsilon is the one MUS program out of the series up through Pre-Algebra that some people find to be "different" or "frustrating". Perhaps a year-long focus on just fractions is not a good fit for some?? Also, more than once, I've heard people say that Epsilon was going great -- until lesson 25 (I think), and some students hit a hurdle they can't get past. So Epsilon is a help for some people, and not for others; it may also link in to the mastery basis of MUS, and Epsilon especially extremely focuses on the mastery topic (in this case, fractions) all year. And that reminds me of this thought -- with our math struggler, sometimes when he "hit the wall" with a math topic, presenting it from a different viewpoint helped. But sometimes he just needed to set that topic entirely aside for awhile and let it "simmer on the back burner" while we did other math resources on completely different topics; when we came back to our "spine" math program and the "struggle topic", often it was no longer troublesome -- somehow, something "clicked" during the break away from that topic that allowed him to move forward. Don't know if that is the situation for your DD, but just passing it on in case it's a help. :) Just a few rambling thoughts, FWIW. BEST of luck in finding what works best to get over the hump of fractions! Warmest regards, Lori D. Edited September 3, 2016 by Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 I'll second (or third) the Key to series. The Fractions books were very good - very slow, methodical, step-wise. I appreciated the fact they caught multiplication and division first because they are easy to understand. Addition and subtraction are much hard for fractions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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