Anyone switch from MUS... to what and why?

[Lovedtodeath]

Just wondering.

[Karen in CO]

After a few weeks of it, she just cried when she saw the books, the video, or the blocks. I have since learned a lot about teaching elementary math. And my dd is not a straight mastery type of gal. She is thriving in Singapore and loves word problems. But we had to take a 6 month furlough from math and trip trough BJU and Math Mammoth and Rays and me learning how to teach math before we got to her lovong math. The Singapore is something we had tried before MUS and she had hated it the first time we tried it.

So why we left is that it was a bad fit for the way she learns math. What she went to was eventually a math teacher that understood that.

[ElizabethB]

To Singapore.

The IP books are especially good, my daughter loves the math puzzles.

MUS quit working, and through my reading of what most math teachers like and why, I wanted to switch to Singapore or Saxon but knew that Saxon wouldn't fit my daughter well.

After reading Liping Ma's book, I'm more convinced than ever that we made a good choice. They really do explain things several different ways, it's been very helpful. Plus, she loves to color, and there are fun things to color in the workbooks. She likes math again, enjoys math again, and is doing well in math again.

I got Right Start math for this summer. We lost a lot of math facts over the summer last year, and want to cover what we need mostly with games this summer. We'll also do a bit of Flashmaster review this summer. It is an efficient way to do math facts.

I have a bunch of phonics methods, and use bits and pieces of others to supplement when needed...I should have realized I needed to do the same for math, but didn't realize how much went into the teaching of addition and subtraction before trying to teach it. I really do recommend the Liping Ma book for a good understanding of why it's important to teach a full understanding and from several different ways even at the K and 1st grade level of math. (Liping Ma, Knowing and Teaching Elementary Math. My library had a copy, but I think I'll buy a copy of the book for my own use after our move this summer, it's worth re-reading a few times.)

[Amber in AUS]

My DD hated MUS. She thought the DVD's were OK but hated with a passion the workbook. We switched to Singapore before ultimately deciding on MOTL with a bunch of extras.

We are now using bits and pieces from MOTL, Kumon, Professor B, Singapore, MEP and whatever else i think she needs or wants from the net or other books.

As ElizabethB said i take a multi-pronged approach to phonics and i do the same for math.

[HollyDay]

I quit MUS at Epsilon with oldest. She was stuck. Couldnt go forward, didnt need to go back. We stayed there and stayed there. I switched to Saxon for the rest of that year.

Youngest hated MUS and we quit after Beta. She hated doing the same thing over and over again. Subtraction was not an issue for her, neither was adding. She wanted to do something more challenging. We switched to BJU and and plan to stay there for a while.

Now, with older, I am seriously considering MUS for Algebra. I like the look of the program. It seems to explain things well and it is still standing after I have ruled out others for various reasons.

[Lovedtodeath]

What is MOTL?

[StephanieF]

Maths on the level?
Stephanie

[Lovedtodeath]

Oh. I do want to check that one out.

[Sheila in OK]

We did. My dd did okay with MUS up through about 3/4 of the way through Gamma, then she hit a huge wall and could not. go. forward. We switched to Teaching Textbooks and she is liking it so much better (although still not a math lover).

My ds never really got into MUS. I finally gave up last year partway through Alpha. Now he's using BJU Math and loves it.

[Nakia]

We switched to Rod and Staff. I don't like the "different" way math is taught in MUS. I wanted good old-fashioned, nuts-and-bolts math. R&S is the right math curriculum for us!

[Lovedtodeath]

I called my MUS rep and we think that I have been moving her to slowly through it. So we will try speeding up and see how that works.

[tess in the burbs]

he cried daily over Alpha and the math facts. I kept going until we only had 6 lessons left and made the choice to go to Horizons. I thought the color and variety would give him the change he wanted vs doing the same thing over and over in black and white.

once we changed I realized he knew his facts...he had no trouble with the switch. And it was a good change for awhile. Now, however he's struggling with Horizons.....it has so much repetition. He really knows his add/subtract facts so he hates when they keep throwing it in, lol. So MUS would have kept him bored.

But now I think we need something with less drill. We are staying with Horizons through grade 3 and then will move to something else...undecided what yet....but considering Teaching Textbooks.

in the end...we could have stayed with MUS(and sometimes wished we had). but I am learning math is just that subject he doesn't ENJOY. He loves history and reading. I doubt any program would make him happy. so staying put and no going back to MUS or moving on to something else at this point.

[Tammy]

nt

[mnllj7]

I switched from MUS to Rightstart math. After I got it I found they are so very simular that I should have stayed with MUS they are cheaper. nancyt.

[kellycbr]

We love RightStart. It is more spiral than mastery. DS8 was just BORED with MUS. Mom was too. RS has been a fun curriculum, and never boring, and he is learning so much, I'm just amazed. And its layed out so well for the teacher, and whenever I'm confused, I call and have a wonderful conversation with someone at RS who explains everything to me. They are great.

[Jeana]

My son dropped two years after a year off doing MUS. After talking to some of the resource consultants they have found this happens a lot more than people realize. So, the upshot I think is that if you are going to do MUS you have to start it and see it through. However, it is a bit of a red flag if they can't carry over the learning from one program to another. Just my two cents. We are now doing GREAT with Singapore 6. Jeana