Thoughts on using MUS algebra as a semester course before another alg program

[jkl]

Ds13 will be finished with CLE 700s before Christmas.  He does well on the tests, but struggles to really understand the information/concepts. I had planned on having him do CLE 801-805 and then doing CLE Algebra in 9th grade.  However, I really feel like he needs a more conceptual grasp of some of these concepts, and I am not a good math teacher this year (I am struggling with some health issues and I have a daughter struggling with a variety of issues as well).  I am reading that MUS Algebra seems to be a little light to many, and I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to have him work through it before switching to a different Alg in 9th grade.  We school year round, so he would have longer than a traditional semester to finish it. Thoughts?

Edited October 17, 2019 by jkl

[Lori D.]

You might check out Keys to Algebra series.

That said... DS#2 used MUS Algebra 1. Yes it is light. And it also does not have quite the depth of explanation for some of the topics that would help solidify concepts. However, if you're more using it as an introduction to Algebra before doing a different Algebra later on, then it might be find. MUS is very visual, and if that's where you DS struggles -- needs visual/concrete to understand the very abstract concepts of Algebra -- then MUS might be a good fit. And, it has the instructional videos, so you could watch alongside DS to help you keep up easily to help DS as needed, since you have a full plate with other things going on. (Sorry you are having health issues!)

[jkl]

Thanks!  I'll check out the Keys to series as well.

[....]

My high schoolers all use MUS.  I'm actually getting ready to buy the precalculus.  If you like it, you feel like they're getting a good math education and it gets math done, I woulduse it.  If you're doing the review pages, honors pages and tests, I don't see how you could get through the algebra courses in one semester - you probably could get through the geometry course pretty quick.  The geometry is probably the lightest out of all the high school courses.  The algebra 2 is hard...as in, yesterday,  even I couldn't figure out one of the problems and we had to just cross that problem off.  

It is our favorite high school math program out of everything we have used (we tried Saxon and Life of Fred).  My kids have been the most consistent with MUS.  The videos where he teaches the lesson really makes the program.  Oh, we didn't use the blocks for Algebra 1 (I know they say it's required, but my kids didn't need them).

My oldest starts college in January and had to take the math placement test at the college.  She tested into the highest math possible.  The advisor said the only math class she has to take is Statistics - which she's taking in January.

*shrug*