Math-U-See Elementary

This curriculum really works! My daughter struggles with math, but this program, especially the manipulatives, helped her become much more confident. We took a year off in 3rd grade to try a different approach (more workbook type) and boy, did I regret it. She even asked to get back to Math U See at the end of the year. I love it!

My children and I love this program! I love how the creator of the program presents the topics in a way that is very easily understood. My children and I watch each video lesson together and then each child works on their workbook independently. I have learned a lot with my children working through the curriculum. My son said to me how he wished he had Steve Demme as his teacher when he was still in public school!

My son enjoys the mus series. Like that it is to mastery.

My daughter struggled through Math the first year of homeschooling. We tried different math programs and nothing really worked. I actually won a Math-U-See pack from a homeschooling blog. I fell in love with the program. You watch a video, do some worksheets, has blocks to help with the programs and even a teacher's textbook. Math is so much better for us now.

My only issue would be that it can be costly as it teaches by concept and not so much by grade-level. For my family, the cost is worth it as we no longer cry through math. :)

Math-U-See has made math possible in our home. Mr. Demme is engaging and his approach has allowed me to learn math in a way that I understand it better now.

This mastery-based curriculum effectively teaches math concepts and skills. We've been using this curricula since my daughter was a toddler (Prima). She zipped through the first couple books. She always asks me to start the next level even though some concepts are difficult. She's 8 years old and will start ZETA next year. She retains MOST of the information taught. The more advanced concepts may require extra practice, but MUS has an Online Worksheet Generator to help you with this. My daughter watches Steve's video lessons with me and sometimes independently. The concepts taught have given her a strong foundation in Math and prepped her for advance math courses. I believe the math manipulatives are essential especially when working with younger learners - they help reinforce and solidify their learning concretely making it easier to move into abstract thinking. They may eventually outgrow the blocks. :) She uses them for the first couple pages and then only uses them when needed during systematic review. Yep! The curricula includes built-in review, tests, unit tests, and enrichment pages. There a fewer problems to complete in a day when compared to other curricula options which makes the lesson more manageable. You can work at your child's individualized pace . . . slowing it down if needed or speeding it up if the materials is already mastered. We love this curriculum!

This is one of those programs that may work for some people and not others. It didn't work for us. While my son did LOVE the dvd's for Alpha the work itself was just not what he was interested in, he had started with singapore math in kindergarten and moving to this with him was a huge mistake, way different way of teaching and the manipulatives made no sense to him whatsoever. For my daughter we tried starting her with Primer and she was just really not interested in the DVDs and only wanted to build houses with the blocks. Bummed it didn't work for us since my son likes the DVDs, but it works for most people so it is what it is, maybe just not the right program to go to after starting with a different one.

Math U See is very thorough, easy to understand, with lots of practice sheets and review. Each concept builds on the other. You master one level prior to starting a new level which allows for the child and parent to see math and not just memorize it. Both of my children learn differently yet Math U See teaches to all four methods of learning enabling you to use it for each child. The DVDs are wonderful to watch with your child and sometimes they may not even need your help. If you run into a subject that is difficult their support personnel is extremely helpful. My father that was a professor of math looked at several different curriculum in order to help me select the best one for our family and Math U See was his first choice. It has truly been a blessing.

We've used MUS since the beginning with Primer. We're now on Gamma. My son likes the DVDs, the blocks and the overall approach. We watch the DVD together on Monday and do one page of work each day M-F. The lessons are clear and concise and in an order that makes sense to this past PS teacher/current HS mom AND to my 7-year-old son. Occasionally, Steve {the author} will go off topic a bit in the DVD lesson and talk about a way to use the particular skill in a more advanced way...and that can be a bit confusing. But, I just tell my son to delete that part of the lesson from his brain. ;) Another con {but it's really just a caution} is that, though it's designed to complete in one school year, you {the teacher} must hold yourself and your students accountable. If he/she is not ready to move on bc she has not mastered that particular skill that week, DON'T move on. Steve is assuming you have mastered it and that skill might not receive any more attention in the following weeks.

The only con I've found is that at times, they can be behind the "norm" of public school and it might effect year end test results. For example, here in 3rd grade kids learn single digit multiplication and division and then in 4th grade go back around the learn double digit multiplication and division. With Math-U-See, you learn single and double digit multiplication in one book and then single and double digit division in the other. So a child may struggle with single digit division on the end of the 3rd grade year test (if your state requires it) but would already be able to do double digit multiplication. And then in 4th grade it all comes back together. Hopefully that makes sense - it's not a con of the curriculum, just something to be aware of!

Overall, we're very happy with Math U See. My son was struggling in public school so I pulled him out and started him with this, and we've never looked back. It's been very easy for him to understand and his retention has improved.

I think that Math U See can be great for certain learners. My older daughter who needed to see the concepts displayed really got lots from using Math U See. She was to the point that she could complete multi step math problems and get the right answers, but she couldn't tell you why. after she used Math U See, she had a much better concept of what she was doing.
My son, however, hated the methods and the video lessons. He didn't like focusing on one skill and not cycling through and covering other skills at the same time.
We ended up not staying with the curricula. It was a large investment to use with only one child.