Tiramisu Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 We will start attending another coop in trying to deal with the needs of two of my dc's. We will try it for a semester especially to discern whether or not it would be appropriate for high school next year for one dc who really needs outside motivation and accountability to keep on track. The coop uses Math U See and I'm considering adding that in with my younger two, 8 and 6. I wouldn't have to have them take the math class, but it would be much easier if they could jump in. The level or where they are in the book wouldn't matter because the class is run like a homeschool.:D Dd6 is fast with math. She's using Horizons 1, and I think she could easily add MUS without a problem. I'm not so worried about her. However... Dd8 recently hit a wall with A Beka, which over the last year brought her from a struggling math student to a rather strong one. She is using a CLE light unit right now and I love it (and she doesn't complain except for the really-make-you-think word problems). Because she struggled with several curriculum before finding A Beka, I hate to play around but now I don't know if A Beka will continue to work for her. MUS might really work... I know MUS is a great curriculum. I have friends who love it. I've recommended it to others without hesitation. And, I used pre-algebra with dd13 who is now having great success with Foerster's Algebra I, having gone straight in after it. But, I've seen that at the pre-algebra and algebra levels, it's not up to par with other programs, so I'm afraid it might be weak at the lower levels as well. I never got this impression from any reviews I've read here so I know my fear may be irrational. I wouldn't mind some feedback from those of you very famliar with MUS. Is it a strong enough program up to pre-algebra to use alone? Also, if dd6 adds it on top of Horizons 1, should she start at Alpha and aim at fact mastery? BTW, I tried Miquon and both dc hated it. They seem to hate manipulatives which could be a problem with MUS. (I have successfully used some since when needed.) Could we use MUS without the blocks? Thank you for reading this. The coop decision is rather emotional for me. I would appreciate any feedback that could make part of it seem more manageable. :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I wouldn't mind some feedback from those of you very famliar with MUS. Is it a strong enough program up to pre-algebra to use alone? We've used MUS from K and are in Algebra now. I think it is a strong program in elementary, but no so strong Algebra and up. I have a degree in math, if that matters. You may read my lengthy review of MUS in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan A. Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 FWIW, we use it without manipulatives without any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 But you haven't explained why you think MUS might be the answer.:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted December 14, 2008 Author Share Posted December 14, 2008 Thank you for your responses. Your review was helpful, Sue in St. Pete. Susan A., Thanks for the heads up about the manipulatives. But you haven't explained why you think MUS might be the answer.:confused: I really have no idea whether MUS might be the answer. It's only that I'm in a decision-making mode right now, due to some pitfalls with A Beka, and I'm probably joining a coop that uses MUS. It might seem logical to try MUS under the circumstances. I might find that it works for her; I might not. The truth is that I really like how CLE is going. If it were not for the coop question, I would try to continue with CLE. Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Well my newly turned 5 yr old is doing 1 pg per day in MUS Alpha and 1 lesson per day out of Horizons K and it hasn't been a problem at all for him. It gets done rather quickly. So I don't think it would be too difficult to do both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 The truth is that I really like how CLE is going. If it were not for the coop question, I would try to continue with CLE. Does that make sense? Well, actually, what makes sense to me is that you like how CLE is going. I don't understand trying something that you don't know whether or not your dc will like when they're already using something that works. A co-op wouldn't be a draw for *me* under those circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Why not let her try MUS at co-op and continue CLE which you know is working at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 Well, actually, what makes sense to me is that you like how CLE is going. I don't understand trying something that you don't know whether or not your dc will like when they're already using something that works. A co-op wouldn't be a draw for *me* under those circumstances. The draw for me for the coop is providing some needed motivation for dd13, and more accountability for when she starts high school next year. It's a test run. Also, dd6 has had a hard time this year because she likes a lot of activity. She's energetic and finishes her work quickly, but we have had to cut back a lot on the fun stuff this year to make sure dd13 gets her work done. This coop would provide more activity and "social" time for dd6 and dd8 while making sure their older sister gets her academics. I would much prefer to keep things the way they have been, but I've really started to think I need to address these issues for everyone's sake. Doing MUS at the coop would ensure that math gets done on those days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 MUS is a *very* strong program up to prealgebra (I've only used to Zeta). After Zeta my son scored >99.9%ile on the Woodcock Johnson math achievement test (this test goes up to "adult" level; he scored at "adult" level, which might say a bit more about the math skills of the average adult than my son's math achievement!). I would not use MUS without the blocks or fraction overlays, but it would be ok without the decimal thingies. As far as hating manipulatives, my son has some motor planning problems which made dealing with the blocks problematic. I would frequently let him tell me what to do with the blocks (with me doing it) rather than actually have him do it because that seemed much easier. If you cannot find a way to work around the manipulative issue then I would not use MUS. My understanding is that MUS is considered weak by some people after the Zeta level. I don't know if this is true because I have never used it past Zeta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 Thank you EKS! Very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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