McRuffy Math

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  • May 7, 2008 at 12:57 pm
    Kelley
    Participant

    I wanted to share a new math program I have just learned about. I have been really struggling to find a math program that I felt was right for my third child. We love Teaching Textbooks for the older kids, but I have not found an early elementary program that really worked well for my children and my teaching style. We have tried Saxon, Math U See, Making Math Meaningful, etc and have had some success, but have not found one we love like Teaching Textbooks. Well, I asked some girls in my local homeschool group about this and one of them was very excited to share McRuffy Math. She has a son similar to mine who is a visual learner and he has done great with this program. It is great for all types of learners, but especially visual and tactile learners. It uses short 15-20 lessons and seems very CM friendly. Best of all it is affordable! I will actually have 2 children using it this year. I thought others might be interested in this and also hoped maybe some others had used the program and had some wisdom to share. Here is a link to the web site: http://www.mcruffy.com/1M.htm

    Thanks!

    Kelley

    May 7, 2008 at 9:21 pm
    hvfth99
    Member

    Kelley, I just checked out this math, and it really appeals to me. What age will you use it for? I have a soon to be 3rd grader who struggles with math. I love that the lessons are short, hands-on, and always reviewing. Oh, and the price, fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing it with me. I will let you know if I decide to use it.

    Thanks, Faith 🙂

    May 7, 2008 at 9:43 pm
    Kelley
    Participant

    Faith,

    We will be using it for K and 1st. My 6 yr old ds has done well in math but when I looked at the scope and sequence for 2nd it looked to advance for him. We will just work through the 1st grade stuff at our own pace and move to the 2nd when we are ready. The friend I spoke of earlier has been using it with her 3rd grader and has used it for several years. She thinks very highly of the program.

    I look forward to hearing what you decide.

    Kelley

    May 8, 2008 at 12:34 am
    Kara
    Member

    Hi Kelley

    I have just discovered Math U See and was thinking of investing in it for my children. I love that it used the concrete to teach abstract concepts (my children have been educated in the Montessori method since they were 3, so I think they’d like this).

    I noticed though that you said you’d tried Math U See and it didn’t appeal. Before I hand over my money, I’d love to know what you thought its short-comings were.

    Thanks,

    Kara

    May 8, 2008 at 11:53 am
    Kelley
    Participant

    I think the reason it did not work for us is that 1. I did not like having to view the video every time I taught a concept, 2. My daughter got the concept very quickly and found much of the work tedious, and 3. I like something with a greater variety of manipulative. These may not sound like great reasons, but they were enough to sour our love for the program. The one thing I love about homeschooling is that you can find something that not only works for your Childs learning style but also for your teaching style. Don’t let my feelings on this keep you from a program that might be great for your family’s needs. I taught in a Montessori school before having children and there is a similarity to the approach.

    I hope this helps.

    Kelley

    May 9, 2008 at 12:37 am
    Kara
    Member

    They are great reasons Kelley, thanks so much for sharing them with me.

    Kara

    May 9, 2008 at 11:52 am
    Bookworm
    Participant

    One thing to mention about MathUSee–it should NEVER be tedious. If a child gets the concept quickly and can teach it back to you and demonstrate working it in a variety of problems, then even if it’s just ten minutes after introducing the topic, you should move on. It is totally mastery-driven. I’ve had children work through an entire book in a few weeks. 🙂

    Another thing to mention that might be worthwhile–I’m not so much meaning someone who had tried and not liked the program as much as some who might be interested in trying—there is a nice consistency to those manipulatives that extends all the way through higher math and algebra. I’ve found many programs have long since discontinued manipulatives by then, but the MUS concepts of making rectangles out of blocks is something we are currently using with my son in ALGEBRA and it is tremendously helpful, to him AND to me. The other day I was so excited at how much I learned MYSELF using the blocks to understand factoring polynomials that I said I wish I could sue my former school district for not teaching me this simple way, which I would have understood and which would have saved me hours and hours of frustration and worry!

    Just a thought.

    Michelle D

    May 10, 2008 at 2:26 am
    Kara
    Member

    Thanks for these thoughts Michelle. It does appeal to me that MUS and its groundwork can be taken right through the high school years.

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