Math - MUS + Mastering Mathematics

[Time4tea]

I have decided to start my dd 11 in MUS since TT and Saxon's spiral is not working. I had originally planned to bring her upto speed in multiplicatons over the summer and then move to division in the fall and start Episilon at the same time since the beginning of Epsilon is all review for her.......but I have serious doubts that she will be able to go past the first 1/3 (lesson 9 could be as far as we get) to 1/2 of Episilon in the next year. A friend has loaned me her Mastering Mathematics (MM) for the summer and it is set up like MUS with mastery in each subject but it also gives the plan for what would be grade appropriate for each math function. I am considering doing MUS in the same way and using MM for determining mastery and drill. I feel like if I wait for her to master one skill we could stay there forever! The book Homeschooling Children with Special Needs lists MM as their top math program for special needs. MUS is also recommended and provides the visual instruction.

Anyone ever done anything like this - working on MUS until you hit a brick wall and then coming back to it later. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

~Tea~

[Momto2Ns]

I'm on the yahoo group for MUS and people post about doing things like this all the time. Kids hit walls in mastery and get frustrated. Some people deal with it by using math games others do it with supplemental curriculums. I would say it is the most common issue that comes up though. Most kids hit walls and kids with LDs hit them harder and stay there longer.

I can't speak from btdt experience, but I wouldn't let my kids stay stuck. I'd supplement somehow to keep them moving.

[Dobela]

When my son hit a wall with MUS we had to switch. For a while we did Rod and Staff, now we are using BJU and he likes it. Often, if he doesn't understand how a skill is taught in BJU I wil pull out the DVD for MUS and that usually makes sense to him.