Homeschool Math Programs: Math-U-See Review
by Becky
My two little math bugs!
We have been using Math-U-See for one year. We are educating our children using the classical method...one that usually promotes Saxon math. My husband is an engineer, so math is (obviously!) very important to him...but since I am doing the majority of the teaching, Saxon was not the right choice for us. I ordered the "Primer" level just to ease into math skills. My daughter completed the entire Primer program before her 5th birthday. On the days we did not do math for one reason or another, she complained. She absolutely *hated* skipping math. The concepts are just so simply and logically taught that one can't help but learn. The fact that the teacher, Mr. Steve Demme, is teaching an actual class of real students on the DVD's makes it far more "organic," if you will. Primer does not require mastery of the concepts; it is meant as a simple introduction to math. When moving on to Alpha, the student must master the concept of each lesson before moving on to the next. Thanks to her introduction with Primer, my daughter was breezing through her Alpha lessons in no time. And what was really exciting to me was seeing her actually USE the math in real life...we have observed her creating her own "story problems" around her play, and logically applying the math skills she has learned. Her math skills come into play while we are cooking together too. As for the manipulatives: I have found that having one set alone is more than enough. However, my 3 year-old enjoys "doing math" with her older sister--she comes to the table on her own steam almost every time, and voluntarily watches the videos almost every time my 5 year-old sits down for math. Eventually I just bought another set of maniuplatives, it has made things just a tad easier. I don't regret getting those! Excellent review of Math-U-See, Becky! I love all the great details you provide. Your review will be so helpful to parents looking for homeschool math programs for their family, and for those who are wondering if Math-U-See is a good fit for their child/ren. Thanks for helping others! Blessings, Heather :) PS I LOVE the picture of your kiddies doing Math-U-See together - so cute! :) Find home school math help and tips, or read additional homeschool math curriculum reviews. Would you like to share a comment, or write a review about your favorite homeschool math program? Use the links below... |
