TracyR Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 A friend of mine let me borrow her Alpha and Beta set of Math U See today and I've had a chance to watch a little of the first DVD and was impressed. I would love some reviews on this math program. Anyone else here using it? Is is effective in teaching math? Would love any feedback before I buy the student workbooks. Also do I need the blocks too? Does this at all prepare kids for testing well? We live in a testing state. This is the newer version I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 You can see my lengthy review in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 My review is here: Show and Tell- Math U See I really like the program, my kids don't groan over math like they used to. I am homeschooling 5 kids, I love that they can watch the video for their lesson and I just help really. I like that they concentrate on a set of skills repeatedly to achieve mastery. We homeschool through a charter school, and our new ES was just commenting today on how impressed she is with Math U See. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 We just finished the primer and really enjoyed it, but since they are very much a mastery program, your kids probably won't test well in the early grades because the scope and sequence is different from the traditional scope and sequence. You could combine it with another math program to cover the more traditional topics for the tests. I do not like their Algebra program. I personally would only use the elementary levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 We are using it and my two are very happy. They love math. This is our first year homeschooling and I have a 5th grader and a 3rd grader. My 10 year old prefers MUS over the everyday math program they were using in the public school. He struggled with a couple of the lessons so far this year and to hear him say how much he loves math after he gets it is amazing. Being a math dunce myself I am also enjoying the program. We watch the dvd together and then do the lesson. I can honestly say I have learned a few things this year that I never knew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 I borrowed it and tried it out with dd11 last spring - she didn't like it. She thought the guy on the video was "boring" and didn't like the plain old black & white workpages very much either. This is, however, a child who had been in ps for 5 years and was quite used to the more traditional text/workbook format for math...that might have had something to do with it. She *did* like handling the manipulatives - so we use those sometimes still. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 We just started using MUS this year after struggling to teach our DD8 basic addition. The abstract was just not working for her, and my brain does not work like hers when it comes to math. Something clicked when we started MUS, and she went from barely adding while using her hands in Sept. to multiplying by the end of Oct. in her head. We use the manipulatives because it is concrete for her, and she really needs the see it, say it, build it, write it method to catch on, but not all kids need that. Wendy - Mommy to 3 munchkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 We use it, and my younger two watch Mr. Demme themselves. I use it in conjunction with Singapore Math, however, which I like. It's been a good combination. If you like it, I think it has a lot of merits, but I recommend supplementing the word problems with Challenging Word Problems as I think that's one of the best sets of word problems out there (at least that I've seen.) It isn't all challenging--they have practice problems first which are still better than most texts I've seen short of SM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 We are using it as a remedial programme for ds who managed about 7 public schools in about 3 years in several countries and both north and south hemispheres. needless to say there are some gaps........ We have gone from Alpha to Epsilon in nearly a year. I expect to move to zeta soon and that will take us into next year. I would not recommend this speed with a younger child but it shows how you can speed though MUS if necessary or slow down. Some lessons we just watched the video and discussed (often 2 or even 3 lessons a day in Alpha. This kid is 12 was 11 when we were in Alpha) Other lessons have taken over 2 weeks..."it takes as long as it takes"! Willow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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