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Using a unique approach to math by focusing on mastery of concepts combined with workbooks and hands-on manipulatives, Math-U-See provides courses from preschool through to high school.
This program uses a skills mastery approach, focusing on a single topic per level instead of focusing on multiple skills based on grade level. Books are given names like Primer, Alpha, Beta, etc. to mark order of sequence instead of a specific grade levels.
The heart of this program is found in the manipulatives that are used all the way through: Blocks, Fraction Overlays, and Inserts, making the program very tactile and interactive.
Math-U-See’s high school courses include Algebra, Geometry, and Calculus. DVDs featuring program creator, Steve Demme, offer teaching guidance to parents, although some families find them useful to use as instructional videos for their children as well.
- Print Workbook with DVD Lessons
- Visual and Hands-on Program
- Not Organized by Grade but by Level
- Preschool through Grade 12
- Mastery Method
- Christian Elements in Stewardship Course
Want to check out other math curriculum options? Start Here.
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MATH-U-SEE REVIEWS:
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My parents used this with me growing up back when it was called Mortensen Math. Getting out the blocks and lining them up with the math problem I was working on helped me to understand and picture what I was doing. It felt like a mental break to me because I didn’t have to do everything in my head.
Love this Program!
I can’t say enough good things about this program.
It’s easy to use and the explanations given on the video are well done (though it might feel dated if you don’t like a teacher standing at the front of the room teaching). The lessons build on each other and at the end of each section review questions are given to master previous concepts. My kids went from not really understanding what they were doing to knowing how to do multi-column multiplication and long division with no tears or frustration.
The only downside is that is it pricey - especially if you have kids in different levels, but the level up package makes it more affordable once you purchase the initial kit.
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I used Math U See with my severe ADHD child for Grade 1. I loved it. It flowed really nicely between concepts, the manipulatives were wonderful, and the progression was nothing short of brilliant especially for a kid who is not good at math. My son still uses skills he learned from Math U See with great success.
However, he hated Math U See and at the end of Grade 1 held a dedicated revolt against it… So with some sadness, we moved on. In essence, he found it boring and repetitive - which for ADHD can be quite the interest killer. It is repetitive and basic in it’s presentation which is ironically one of the reasons I tried it in the first place. Some kids with ADHD do well with the pared down approach because it is less distracting, but my son did not.
One thing to note is that Math U See approach is very different from other curriculums as it covers roughly one major concept per year vs. a little from each realm of Math. This makes it difficult to switch between curriculums as your child will be ahead in some things and not as far as ‘normal’ grade level in others. This makes it better to try in the early grades where switching over is easier, because after those you are somewhat committed to it until junior high.
I’ve used Primer through to Gamma so far and hope my kids stick with it all the way through. For myself it feels so logical compared to how I learned math, my kids don’t love the videos but it is nice to be able to present it that way with less prep, otherwise you can just teach concepts from the manual. It doesn’t try to spice up math very much, but the manipulatives make it very hands on/practical. The program feels competent, and makes me feel like a competent presenter.
Good for some Kids
I heard lots of great things about this program. I think it would work really well for some kids but it wasn’t a hit in our family. Some things I liked was that it focused on one thing at a time (mastery) and that it included review and extra practice. I LOVE the blocks. They are great although it would be nice if they stayed snapped together. They are all coloured differently for each number which is really great. We still use the blocks for other math programs even though we don’t use the Math U See anymore. What I didn’t like about it was that sometimes it seemed that they explained it in a more complicated way than was necessary, at least from our perspective. I found it confusing at times. My children who used it also found it confusing at times. I also didn’t like that the workbooks are black and white. My kids and I all found that too boring. It would be great for kids who are distracted by colour. I also found the videos not the greatest quality and fairly boring. I wish they were more engaging. You can just watch them yourself as the teacher and then teach your child without them watching the video, but even then, I found them boring myself. We decided to switch to something else that met more of our needs. However I do think that the mastery based program and black and white workbook would work great for some kids.
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I have a Hands on Learner. I’ve known this about my child since he was a baby. If you want to teach him a concept, make it a game, add some dice, a puzzle, or a pop-up book and it was committed to memory. Which is why I don’t understand why I had not tried Math*U*See by Demme Learning (https://demmelearning.com/ ) before now.
Math*U*See by Demme Learning uses a unique set of manipulatives that teaches not only the “how” of math, but the “why”. Don’t worry about rote memorization – using foundational principles Math*U*See gives your learner the tools to solve problems systematically and transfer those concepts to higher levels of math. Math*U*See covers grades K – 12, but don’t get caught up in the numbers and subsequent math anxiety – instead, place your child in their correct “level” by using their online placement test. This curriculum uses the Greek alphabet to define the different levels and Cash and I began with Gamma, Single & Multiple Digit Multiplication (https://store.demmelearning.com/gamma-universal-set.html).
If you’re new to Math*U*See, start with the complete kit for your level. For Gamma we got an Integer Block Kit, hardback Instruction Manual, sturdy Student Workbook with perforated pages, a Test book, Lesson DVD, and Digital Access to video lessons, digital manipulatives, and worksheets to make on-the-go learning a breeze. To get started, you prepare your lesson by reading the manual, watching the video, and make sure you know how to demonstrate the concept to your child. Next, have your child do the lesson. They will first build it using the manipulatives, write out the problem, then say it aloud. From there have them practice in their workbooks. If they’ve mastered the concept have them complete the systematic review pages and then test. If they are having any trouble, just reteach the concept. From start to finish a lesson should average about a week.
Need Help? Not sure how to teach a lesson? Just contact Customer Service via phone, chat, or email. Yes, they have teachers for YOU, the teacher. Still aren’t getting your point across? Their learning experts can help with your child’s questions as well. This outstanding support truly makes their curriculum invaluable, especially for parents that aren’t very “mathy”.
Cash really enjoys Math*U*See. It takes a lot of effort on my part to keep the manipulatives out of his hands outside of our math lessons. He thinks they are blocks he can play with whenever. By the way, if you lose some bricks they can help you with that too. Also, if you have a set already that can be used for the next level, you don’t need to order a full kit. The lessons are rigorous and my son really enjoyed how the lessons were laid out and presented.
Thank You so much Demme Learning for this wonderful curriculum as well as for the informative parent and teacher Zooms that you offer for additional enrichment. It made me feel like a part of the process and not just someone looking into how you teach.