Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

This topic has 11 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 3 months ago by Bookworm.

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

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February 8, 2012 at 6:19 am
Rachel White
Participant
I need some help. I am trying to decide math, long-term; that really involves several questions:
1) should I put my dd in MUS? She is 10 1/2 and is working at a 2nd grade level, doing Math Mammoth (which she likes) and finally getting answers correct. Her learning styles are in order: auditory, kinesthetic, then visual. She struggles with sequential concepts; she is a fetal alcohol baby (being adopted). Although she’s doing well so far in MM grade 2 and I think she would for a couple of years (things that alluded her last year she’s breezing through), I am concerned about future math problems and am wondering if MUS would help her better long-term and would like to swicth her sooner than later. We have an extra set of the MUS blocks whcih have been useful as play blocks.
2) should I switch my son to MUS at Epsilon after doing Developmental Mathematics to Level 12? Although math isn’t his favorite, it comes easily to him. He has been using DM since the beginning and does well at it. I’m thinking the study of fractions would be made that much easier with the manipulatives, even though he’s never been one to use them, just an abacus; but her loves building things. DM goes up to Level 16. I have bought up to level 12. The scope and sequence is:
Level 11 – Three-digit multiplication & division
Level 12 – Thousands concept; all operations
Level 13 – Decimal and metric system
Level 15 – Fractions; advanced skills
Level 16 – Ratio, proportion, percent, probability, number theory, graphs
I have bought up till level 11. I am considering that maybe I should switch at level 12 into MUS (even though I have no reason to think he won’t understand fractions in DM) and hopefully use it through High school. He is visual, auditory then kinesthetic-likes independent work.
Or should I wait, finishing all DM Levels till 16 and the switch him at pre-Alg or Alg? I just don’t want the switch to be a big deal.
Thanks
February 8, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Rachel White
Participant
bump…
February 8, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Bookworm
Participant
I’ve noted the post, Rachel, and I’m trying to think. I want to jump over and glance at the Math Mammoth stuff later as I’ve never seen it in detail–I’ll check the samples and chew and try to come up with an opinion! LOL
February 8, 2012 at 6:43 pm
greenebalts
Participant
Rachel. I’m not familiar with the 2 programs you are currently using. However, we did switch to MUS last year and it’s been a wonderful transition. Our younger children basically started from the beginning so not much to add there. But, our older daughter, who is also adopted and has many issues, was in 9th grade. She had 3 years of A Beka math including pre-algebra. We decided to switch for a mulitude of reasons including the fact that she just wasn’t getting why she was doing what she was doing, if that makes sense. Anyway, we tried Teaching Textbooks and Saxon and neither worked. So we ventured to MUS. She placed in the Algebra 1 book, but really struggled with the first few lessons so we went back and re-did pre-algebra using MUS and what a difference it has made. Long story short, I would definitely start your older child at the pre-algebra vs. algebra simply because every math program seems to teach each concept a little differently and it’s important to understand that base before moving on to higher level concepts.
With the younger child, if you decide to switch now, I would recommend starting with Alpha in order to get that base and understand why they are teaching the way they do. I’m not sure how much time you’ve spent looking at MUS, but it’s a mastery program. So the lessons are designed with extra practice so the child can master before moving on to the next concept. In other words, your daughter can work the first practice page and if she gets it, she can move on. If not, there are extra pages for practice. She may move through the book more quickly, but I still feel it’s important to have that base for understanding.

Blessings to you in your decision, Melissa
http://reflectionsfromdrywoodcreek.blogspot.com/
February 8, 2012 at 7:05 pm
chocodog
Participant
Rachel,
My thoughts are if she is starting to get it then maybe you should change at the next book. However, a change could bring on some problems because she is not use to the change and may be in the habit of this curriculm. Sometimes they don’t like change. You are wise to pick up on that part of the change.
If it was me I think I would go with the change earlier rather then later. The more you prolong it the more difficult it will be for her to change. FAS children usually don’t like change. You may experiance some problems switching anyway. I would definately wait until she was in the next MM book and/or maybe show her where it fits into
her new book (MUS). She may like the MUS better than what she is doing and naturally switch on her own. However, if she doesn’t like it because it is a new concept, that she isn’t understanding, then it may be a little more difficult. I think I would probably work the two curriculms together for a few weeks easing into it. I am not sure how far she is in 2nd grade math in MM but Alpha is addition, Beta is subtraction. Gamma is Mutliplication, Delta is Division. If you were finishing up a MM book in subtraction you could switch at Multiplication then you wouldn’t have to buy the Beta book. However, I think it would be good to get a few pages to see if they will mesh well with her. I would definately change your son at Epsilon if you are going to do the fractions. They come with fraction overlays to help with understanding the manipulatives. I think this is a wise choice to change him at that time. I wish you all the luck on this decision and hope it goes well with you. Let us know well she took to it. 🙂
Blessings!
February 8, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Bookworm
Participant
Hmm. I don’t know for sure whether you should switch your daughter, I have such limited experience with FAS (had a friend with a daughter once) and I know so little about approaches most likely to be helpful. If you are going to switch her, it seems to me that earlier would be better as that would give her the most time to adapt to thinking the MUS way about math. Be sure and focus on oral practice, telling and showing with the blocks before going to those plain worksheets as she needs it.
Son. I really, really like MUS’s fraction manipulatives. This is something I remember struggling with in school and I was amazed at how much easier my kids got it than I did. I would definitely lean toward moving to Epsilon for that. After Level 12 sounds like a good time as DM’s level 13 is largely covered in Zeta, done after Epsilon. I think it’s useful to be somewhat used to the MUS manipulatives before doing the more advanced manipulative work in Pre-Alg and Algebra.
Take all with a grain of salt as I am a confirmed MUS girl–I do believe there are many good programs but I found this one my second month homeschooling and I haven’t budged since. LOL The only thing I’ve never changed!
February 9, 2012 at 1:15 am
Rachel White
Participant
Thanks everyone. Ya’ll have been very helpful.
For son: I’ll switch him to Epsilon after he finishes Level 12. I’m glad to hear that Epsilon and Zeta cover the topics that he would’ve covered in DM’s Levels 13 -16. I also like that MUS is very reasonably priced, unlike other hs programs I’ve looked at for him. Plus, I stink at math, so I need someone else to teach it, basically. He likes going at things independantly.
DD: she’s not a full or even a diagnosed FAS; she has just always shared behaviors that are associated with it. We knew her biological incubator (my husband’s niece) and she drank, smoked cigs and other things-probably crank, too-while pregnant; then dd stayed in foster care from 7 mths. to three yrs. old, living in 11 homes during that time. My dd has multiple sensory issues, impulse control problems and other odd behaviors; but she is amazing considering.
She likes MM; it’s colorful and clear in it’s instructions, but she’s been stuck at a 2nd. gr. level since she started her “schooling”. I tried her on Teaching Textbooks last year, but that didn’t work. She would get the computer part mostly correct and do well on the games, but then mess up in the book. I don’t think she really knew why she was doing what she was doing and over the long-term, that’s bad. Plus, it went too quickly- too spirally (is that a word?). I want a mastery based, like DM.
If I’m excited about the change she’ll follow my lead, though she would prefer TT again, because of the “fun” aspect.. I already talked to her about being able to use the blocks; she saw him using them on the sample and she thought it was a good idea; she likes using blocks (though not an abacus). Although, like I said, addition, subtr. and telling time is finally clicking, I just KNOW in my gut that she will begin to stumble in MM later; and we’d have to transition to something else anyway, since MM doesn’t go up through High School, so I agree that the sooner the better. I pray this is the last change.
She’s doing 2A right now which is place value (which has been very tough for her, she’s just now getting three digit numbers), adding and subtracting of two-digits, minutes and hours, and money. However, 2B gets into geometry, fractions, 1000 place value and measuring.
Question: won’t they (Demme and the materials) instruct how to use the materials in Beta, too; not just in Alpha? I was looking at the competency tests and she couldn’t do the Beta one, but the Alpha one is easy, so I think she should start in Beta (that’s what the directions say). I can let her finish MM 2A and then test her to confirm.
Rachel
February 9, 2012 at 4:11 am
Rebekahy
Participant
Rachel – there’s a MUS yahoo group where you could get some really specific help. Do a yahoo search for it and it should pop right up… You’ll get lots of experienced users to comment… like Bookworm!
February 9, 2012 at 6:21 pm
Rachel White
Participant
Is each worktext meant for a year or just half a year? I know one can work at one’s own pace, but generally speaking, how long does it take to go through one text?
Thanks
February 9, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Bookworm
Participant
It varies ENORMOUSLY for us–I once had a child take two years to do one book. And I once had a child take four months to do one book. One a year is perhaps an average, but an average with lots of asterisks. A lot depends on how quickly the child learns. Books that take longer, in my experience: Gamma, Algebra and Algebra II. Quicker books–Beta, Delta, Geometry. The rest in the middle somewhere.
February 9, 2012 at 8:57 pm
Rachel White
Participant
Great! Thanks so much; hoping to post this time next year with success (if internet service is still available in this country)
February 9, 2012 at 9:34 pm
Bookworm
Participant
LOL, yeah, well, there is that. We were really excited when Congress decided to drop SOPA but now they are fiddling with the same ideas in other legislation <sigh>.