Another is MUS enough thread…

[Rebekah]

We switched to MUS mid year last year. I love how easy to use it is, finally something that was actually written with the homeschooling parent in mind! Overall, my kids like it too (for math. Lol) because it’s one page a day and the clean, uncluttered look. BUT I keep worrying whether it’s ‘enough’ iykwim.

My oldest did MEP at first, but it took waaaaay too long each day in 2nd grade (45-60 minutes). I tried right start with my next kid, but the number of manipulatives drove me crazy and the games every day too. It just wasn’t doable, for me, with toddlers around. Then we went to Singapore math. I liked that and used it for two years. The switch to MUS was prompted by a couple things. Mostly the book shuffle, and trying to add in review, plus some 1yo baby craziness going on. I really like how Singapore teaches. It teaches how I think, lots of things I’ve done since a kid, that I considered cheats to make math easier, it teaches. I practically laughed out loud when I noticed that. Lol

Anyway, it’s not like we have ivy league aspirations. Lol. I figure our boys will go into the trades same as my hubby and all our friends. So maybe I’m just letting all the ‘everything has to be the best’ atmosphere of online homeschooling communities get to me?? Right now, in addition to MUS, I’m reading beast academy guide books with my 5th grader and Singapore grade 2 textbooks with my 3rd grader. These don’t take that long each day, but still they complicate our day. And right now I’m rotating between Singapore 1 and MUS with my 6yo. Because I have some regrets over leaving Singapore, I’m debating over whether to use it with him rather than MUS.

But sometimes I think I’m overcomplicating this and should just use MUS and drop everything else.

[Tristan]

Your post made me laugh, truly! Go back and count how many math curricula you have used in your short homeschool career.  I say short because your oldest is just 5th grade, right? I counted 5 (MEP, Singapore, MUS, Right Start, and Beast Academy). It sounds like you enjoy math personally, which is lovely. BUT math is one area where I firmly believe curriculum hopping repeatedly does more harm than good. Yes, it may take a try or two to find something feasible for mom to teach and kid to learn with, but really, once you have something that works then stick with it.

I don’t care which you use. Truly. But if at all possible choose based on the following: 1. Can you do it for all the kids without it taking hours a day (since you have several kids)? 2. Does it cover math in a solid, reasonable way?

Then choose one curriculum and use it. I use MUS with my kids, so currently 6 of the 9 kids are doing math, 3 are too young for formal math. It’s doable and has a multisensory component so different learning styles are addressed (build/write/say/teach plus the dvd for more auditory input if desired). But there are other math curricula that could do the same I expect. We tried Saxon for 3 years with my now 10th grader. Spiral was not a good approach for her, she needed mastery based. All the other kids have done well with mastery based.

[sarah2106]

We have only used MUS, my oldest is in Zeta. I feel that it is enough, that it is a solid program.

Not sure what the future holds, but I have no desire to switch. I am actually looking forward to relearning math with my kids as they continue through the program. I feel that it is a strong program and my kids really know their math. I like that the lessons are not long and drawn out. I don’t feel that doing math longer in a day makes it a better program 🙂

We do yearly testing (an option for state requirements) and my kids do well in the math portion. I always ask my oldest if she felt prepared after the test and she always says yes, and what she hadn’t learned yet she just made a good guess 🙂

I think MUS can feel like not enough because it works in such a Mastery based system, where the student learns really well each concept but learning only one concept per year. So my ODS is focused on Division this year and my DD is focused on Fractions. I feel like this is actually a great base. They are going to have those skills DOWN before moving on in higher levels of math.

Personally I like it because it is easy for me to teach, and I am learning a lot too with the kids. Different methods and “tips” that I wish I had learned growing up.  I grew up using Saxon from 4th grade on.

 

I also agree with switching programs all the time can often cause more confusion. Math is so specific by program with each having their own scope and sequence. By switching the scope and sequence gets all mixed up. Also methods for teaching are different. If I was to switch my kids right now they would be “behind” in some skills and a head in others because the scope and sequence that MUS is different. I think it would really confuse them. I have a friend that every year has switched math programs, her kids really struggle because it is the constant relearning and trying to fit what they have learned into a new sequence of learning.

I think sometimes a switch has to happen, but math is math. It isn’t flashy or exciting 😉 I would try hard to find one program and works for you and your children.

[Rebekah]

Your post made me laugh, truly! Go back and count how many math curricula you have used in your short homeschool career. I say short because your oldest is just 5th grade, right? I counted 5 (MEP, Singapore, MUS, Right Start, and Beast Academy).

 

LOL. You are so right. FIVE math programs. Dare I admit to owning a couple more? 🙂 None of the kids have actually used all five programs (And beast academy was only ever a fun Friday thing).

But if at all possible choose based on the following: 1. Can you do it for all the kids without it taking hours every day (since you have several kids)? 2. Does it cover math in a solid, reasonable way?

Good points. I think in the past I haven’t I didn’t really take into consideration what was doable for me. In most of our homeschooling areas I’ve (finally) settled down into something good that gets done, and given up the pursuit of ‘the best’. I need to do this in math too. MUS is the first thing that feels really doable with four kids. Is it perfect? No, but it’s good and it will get done. And sticking with it will probably accomplish more than bouncing around between ‘better’ programs. I think I need to take even our few minutes of other, oral math out of our day. Maybe I just really need to focus on doing MUS well, rather than spreading us thin.

My son enjoys the beast academy comic books, I can switch to just letting him read them on his own, for fun, instead of reading them together. When I told my friend I was dropping the beast academy workbook, she says she thinks of it as logic and counts it separately from math. Where does logic fit in a CM school? Is it even studied formally?

Sarah- my kids have to do yearly testing as well, it’s reassuring to hear your kids have done well with MUS.

[petitemom]

I think MUS is enough. The only thing I would add is maybe extra practice to learn facts, we used online practice and another program (I can’t remember the name right) just focusing on multiplication facts. Also Right Start games are good for extra practice.

As a program I really like MUS. My 2 oldest are in private school for high school and I believe it was enough to prepare them.  One of them really struggles with math so I am not sure anything else than skipping math altogether would have made him happy but my second one is sailing through.

[Rebekah]

Maybe I just really need to focus on doing MUS well, rather than spreading us thin.

I kept this thought in mind when teaching my 6yo today. And you know what? When I viewed MUS as his only math, then I took the time to just play race to a hundred. It was fun and I could see how much he was learning from it. Last week I would have skipped it because ‘he knows how to make ten’. But even though he has addition facts to ten down, he just struggles with the kind of thinking Miquon and Singapore are asking of him. (Yes I did just mention a sixth math program. Lol. I tried Miquon with him a couple weeks because he loved and learned so much from playing with c rods last year. After just a couple weeks I knew it wasn’t going to work for us).

He’s a very bright but but he just doesn’t get the little jumps Singapore seems to ask, but the kindergarten math is too easy. The straight forward step by step teaching of MUS seems to work for him. He’s very independent, so at least with MUS he can work on his own because it’s laid out so clearly. I do sit with him, but he loves to tell me not to look till he’s done to ‘surprise’ me. 😀

OK I’ve wandered off. But I’m just trying to say that a light bulb went off today that I can do a much better job of teaching the math if I’m just using one math program and focused teaching my kid, rather than trying to fit multiple pieces in. 🙂