Why I Love Math-U-See and 3 Things to Keep in Mind When Using It

I'm sharing why I love the Math-U-See curriculum and 3 things to keep in mind when you are using it. Plus, I have a bonus tip at the very end that I just had to share at the last minute.
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[@kristmarvincent4555]

Thanks for the extra tip! We are about a year behind bc I waited and waited and it was just not sticking!!! I decided to move on and we practice facts everyday.

[@codyaustin8836]

Just found this video and I very much needed and appreciate it! Very helpful. We use Math U See, but we are having some frustration and this video reminded me that it's OK to wait or move on when needed 💙💙💙

[@freetobe15]

Helpful information! Thank you!

[@awallacedoula]

Great video!!! Thank you so much for sharing your tips:)

[@pumpkinvines8131]

Great video and information!

[@lauradzuby954]

can't wait to try!

[@carrieanne8063]

6 and 8 went on a date. They came back as 48!

[@nalanihamby3710]

It was, thank you!

[@LawandaFinch]

My favorite Math curriculum!!

[@emilyhill7622]

8x8 fact... 8 times 8 fell on the floor picked it up it's 64. :) Can't help with the others but hey you can mark 8x8 off your list lol

[@kellytedesche2522]

I use "I ate and I ate until I got sick on the floor; 8 x 8 equals 64".

[@ashleyevans9716]

Great info, thank you for sharing! P.s. love the blooper 😂😂😂 lol

[@JanelleKnutson]

Ha! That blooper really hurt! :)

[@dhvh6580]

As someone getting ready to start Math-U-See, this was so helpful!

[@JanelleKnutson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sherecep]

You are hitting this so well👍👍. We are using the primer right now, and just like you I had to stop the DVD a few times and like wow!! For the most part like you mentioned I use the instructor manual and the blocks to really teach the concepts, we used other manipulative as well to teach the concepts. I love the games suggestions in the manual and my son had a light bulb moment just he other day when we were doing a review. I'm such a happy mom that he gets it. We are going to use alpha and see how that goes, thank you for sharing

[@JanelleKnutson]

I've got one in Alpha this year too!

[@Mariasilva-nn2lh]

Janelle Knutson thank you so much is my first year homeschooling my son he is 6 He was in school last year. I took him to school and I am using primer and I love but as you said my son gets quickly. It is too repetitive and I thought to myself this is enough? And he is so good that in 3 days he did 40 sheets very quickly he is very good at maths. And I heard the spiral programmes that do not let them forget. And I was near to buy another curriculum like horizons,but I live in UK and maths u see I can get here in amazon.co.uk and the other ones no and is a quite expensive. But see you speak gave me more confidence. Maybe is better a Mastery programme that you can really understand the concept. And bought already all programme till epilson.I heard people say that horizon math is a year ahead and that maths u see is too slow Now as you said do not need to do all worksheets. They explain very well place value in a total different way than I was learn. That in beginning I thought before read the teacher manual what they want here? I never use manipulatives before. So it really relate to the manipulatives colours. I see videos of homescholers saying abeka math is one year ahead. But I thought to myself in the end they all get algebra 1 pre algebra and so on. And I bought life of Fred all elementary collection as well. And got Singapore maths first and second grade here in UK cheap like 9.00 Pounds each book 3 books each year, the teacher manual and book a and b.Here call maths no problem. So you will call me crazy and order already first and second level of maths for a living education. But I want him get a good foundation of maths. And I was planning after third grade gave him maths u see and maths teaching textbooks. So is my first year homeschooling I am a bit worried.

[@lucasgrowsbestyt]

Can you review grade 12 calculus textbooks?

[@benkaleykiewiet1988]

Oh my goodness. I needed that bonus section. THANK YOU!!!! New to homeschooling this year. 1st grade (alpha) and 3rd grade and 5th grade tested at the beginning of last year for the AIM program (addition & subtraction). We have been stuck in AIM. We need to move on. Now I'm asking myself, which program do we move on to? If the assessment is necessary we will do it, but I honestly just want to embrace the next program. My 3rd grader flies through concepts. My 5th grader needs more time. Your recommendation would be very helpful. Thanks again! You are the inspiration I needed this morning.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Have them take the MUS placement test but don't get caught up in whether the facts are memorized or not. Then move at their pace through the different MUS levels. You can always continue reinforcing math facts as you continue on in the MUS curriculum. Hope that helps.

[@Simple_Homeschool_Mama]

Hello Janelle, Thank you for your videos. I am planning on using math u see pre algebra next year and I was wondering do you need to buy the manipulates or can you just use the online manipulates that they provide?😁

[@giulialawrence3663]

Thanks so much for this video. New subscriber! :)

[@mariacovarrubias6150]

Hello Janelle, thank you for sharing all your knowledge with me. I am new at homeschooling so I really enjoy watching your videos. You are such a blessing and inspiring. My daughter is a 4th grader this year, but I feel that she needs to work more on me multiplications. I use Bju for math, but I want my daughter to focus on multiplication to master it. Which math u see focuses on multiplication?

[@JanelleKnutson]

Math-U-See Gamma is all about multiplication. :)

[@bytheway.family7362]

So thankful for this video! Thanks for sharing. My questions is...I keep hearing that MUS is "behind" in the older years I guess compared to public school? Did you find that to be true? I love MUS I am so happy to have found it. Thanks for he tips and tricks!

[@JanelleKnutson]

It did NOT seem behind to me. MUS made it easier to understand difficult concepts which in turn makes math seem easier because you actually understand it. :)

[@amybeth2379]

Hi Janelle! For the child that you have taken all of the way through, did he have good scores for college exams such as ACT and SAT? I am so wanting to use this for my youngest child. I used Saxon for all of my older children, but am so drawn to MUS. Thanks for your videos!

[@elizabethglowacz5615]

Hi I used MUS all the way through and at 15 I had finished trigonometry and took my local college's placement test for math. I didn't really want to place into college level math because I was nervous it'd be too hard at 15 so I purposely didn't study at all or try super hard, I still placed only one below college level and took that class my second semester of sophomore year so as a junior (16) I could start college full time with all college level classes. My class sophomore year was super easy for me and I even ended up tutoring people in my class and often had the highest score on the tests in the class.

[@dawnlouiseofficial]

Question. I am going to be starting homeschool with my kids this summer and I really like math u see but math for a living education intrigues me too. Which do you prefer using? I will have a 5th grader, third grader , and a preschooler. Thanks for all your helpful videos

[@JanelleKnutson]

MUS and MLFLE are both excellent curriculums just different. It really depends on your child and what clicks with them the best. I prefer MUS just because it clicks with me and I've been using it for so long that it is easier for me to implement. We tried MLFLE over one summer. My older child (girl) enjoyed the stories but felt like there wasn't enough instruction for her to really understand the harder concepts. My son tried level 2. He really enjoyed reading the stories....for reading. He did not want to read stories for math though. He wants no-nonsense instruction. Just give him the facts/instruction as quickly as possible and let him do worksheets so MLFLE bogged him down. Another daughter tried level 1 and loved everything about it. We might have stayed with it but she could not read yet and it was taking too much of my time to read the stories and help her with the work so we went back to MUS and then eventually switched to BJU Press Distance Learning math. All that to say... they are both great! You have to figure out what your child will do better with and what you can implement on a daily basis. Oh, one more thing.... I think MLFLE starts with Level 1 which is really meant more for 1st grade (although kinder could do it). MUS does have a Primer level that works great for preschool. Hope that helps!

[@joshuaford7961]

Thanks for the review! My daughter finished the Horizons kindergarten Math... but I'm interested in Math-U-See. Which book would we use for 1st grade Math?

[@JanelleKnutson]

Joshua Ford 1st grade usually starts with Alpha but it really depends on what your child already knows. MUS has an evaluation on their website to help you determine which level to start in. 😊

[@amaam89]

Can you please do a video review of the upper levels? A lot of people do reviews of Alpha-Delta, but I'm particularly curious to see PreAlgebra-Calculus. Could you please do a review showing the student texts and looking through the books? I've heard that those levels are "lite" and don't include enough review, but I'd like to see them for myself if it's at all possible.

[@JanelleKnutson]

amaam89 I’ll try my best to get an upper level review or look in the book. My challenge is that my daughter did those levels on her own with very little input from me so I would need to get her feedback first. 😊 I’ll see what I can do. 👍🏻

[@amaam89]

Thanks! I look forward to your updates! I'd really curious to know what role the manipulatives play in the upper levels and if the students feel they've been given enough review/application. Thanks!

[@JanelleKnutson]

Going from my fuzzy memory.... pre-algebra used the manipulatives but after that they are not used much if at all. And pre-algebra, my daughter did not need to use the manipulatives herself. Watching the instructional video with Mr. Demme using them to explain the concept was enough for her.

[@bwallace1205]

How does it work starting mathusee in a upper grade?

[@amybeth2379]

Can you do a video on how you organize and store your math u see? Do you pull the workbook apart or just let them work through it? I am going to start it this year. Also, did you supplement with any thing else for math other than xtramath?

[@JanelleKnutson]

Hi Amy! I hope you and your kids love MUS as much as we do! You can see how I store all of my MUS curriculum and manipulatives in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5ikqZutptJ1nJo I do not pull the workbooks apart. I have a checklist for my 5th and 7th graders that they work through and pull out the needed MUS pages. I pull out the sheets I want my 1st and 3rd grader to do and put them in their binders. Next week (Lord willing) I will be uploading how I organize all my kids school work and I will go into detail about how I do that with MUS. So keep an eye out for those videos. :) I added in Xtramath for additional drilling on the facts. I also used Kumon's time and money workbooks to give my younger ones a little more practice in time and money as this is one thing I think MUS doesn't do enough of. I will link to the Kumon books I have used below. (They are Amazon affiliate links.) My Book of Easy Telling Time amzn.to/2wcJN3d My First Book of Money: Counting Coins amzn.to/2vKlLta My Book of Telling Time amzn.to/2vKjSwM My Book of Money: Dollars and Cents amzn.to/2i8PdpC

[@randomjam9244]

Hi! Do I really need the integer block set? My son is 12 and it's my first year teaching him. So nervous, thanks for your video! XD

[@JanelleKnutson]

The blocks are really important in the first few levels. Some of my older children have been able to grasp a concept just by watching Mr. Demme use the blocks in the lesson. Other children need to use the blocks themselves to really grasp a concept. What level will your son be in? Upper levels (pre-algebra and up) might be fine without using them. It really depends on the child and what level you are doing.

[@SuperTopher01]

I love your review but even more your experience using this curriculum. We are a first time homeschooling family with a grade 5 student in Massachusetts who struggles in math. Which book do I purchase?

[@JanelleKnutson]

Check out the MUS placement test to see which level to start with.

[@priscillashaw5715]

can you potentially use one student book for 2 kids. i find theres so many pages that repeat...and both my kids catch on fast.

[@JanelleKnutson]

Well, us homeschool moms can make just about anything work if we put our minds to it! ha! ;) You could probably make it work, especially if you use the tests as additional worksheets.

[@priscillashaw5715]

Janelle Knutson thank you Janelle! i never thought to use the teat booklet as addition sheets. thank you!

[@metal1mark73]

Does this program use the Texas TEKS requirements?

[@JanelleKnutson]

I am not familiar with those requirements so I can't say. Try contacting MUS. They will know. :)

[@kimberlysmith673]

My daughter is currently halfway through her school year with Teaching Textbooks. She is doing well but really struggles with grasping multiplication concepts. She can get the right answer but it's just not "clicking" for my little hands on learner. She wants to switch to Math U See next year. My question is do you suggest switching her now or letting her finish her current curriculum for the year. Also she is in 4th grade and I don't want her to be behind but I really feel like Gamma is where we need to start so she can master multiplication. Would that be appropriate?

[@kimberlysmith673]

I'll also add that this is her first year homeschooling so we are still filling in gaps left by "common core".

[@emilym4890]

Thank you for your video!! I am still on the fence with MUS because I don't want my kids to become dependent on the manipulatives to be able to solve the problems. Was that ever a problem or concern for you?

[@JanelleKnutson]

That was a concern I had but after using MUS for 15 years with numerous children, I have not had a problem with any of them becoming dependent on the manipulatives. The manipulatives are really there to help show the kids the "why" behind the concept. :)

[@Bluesky-fx2sj]

Nice blooper, lol

[@chasepybus4125]

How many videos do you watch a week? Thank you!

[@JanelleKnutson]

It works out to about 1 video a week.

[@shalon4jc2]

Do the answer keys have step by step on how to work the problems or does it just show the answers? Do we keep the DVDs?

[@JanelleKnutson]

Yes, with MUS, the answer key has all the problems worked out for you. And, yes, you get to keep the DVDs. So for each new student you only have to purchase the student workbook set since you would already have the DVDs and teacher's manual.

[@MsBlue68]

Could you please open a book and show us examples of how it works in detail.

[@ERIN_198]

Do it yourself

[@GodTurnItAround44]

@@ERIN_198🙄🙄 what a ray of sunshine!

[@ERIN_198]

@@GodTurnItAround44 Thanks. So are you

[@unpoedic]

My daughter finished Beta without grasping her addition facts. Would you still recommend we move on to Gamma, which would add multiplication facts alongside her addition facts? We do utilize Reflex Math and math games. Thank you for your review!

[@JanelleKnutson]

Hannah A. (mommyshortlegs) does she understand the concept of addition and is just struggling with memorization? If so, I’d move on and continue reviewing those facts as much as possible.

[@unpoedic]

Oh yes, she comprehends addition and subtraction and can easily perform multi-digit subtraction with borrowing; it's just those darn math facts. 🤦‍♀️ Thank you for your advice!

[@cygnetschoolhouse2047]

My son will be 3rd grade level, would you suggest starting with primer and just let him work through it and then move on? Or start higher up? Bc it is mastery I hate to not start at the begining

[@JanelleKnutson]

B Swanson primer is for preschool so definitely don’t need that one. Alpha is single digit addition and subtraction so you can skip that too for sure. 😊 I believe they have a placement test online that you can use to determine the level.

[@chocolateangel8743]

As long as kids (or adults) know some math facts and understand the Distributive Property, they don't actually have to memorize all of the math facts. They can just figure them out as they need them.