Math U See My Children's First Choice for Math

by Heidi
(Greenwich, OH)

Math U See has a way of explaining math in a way that I hadn't heard or read before. They encourage the "build, say, write" approach. The videos explain everything to either the parent or child if you need them. In most cases I was able to glance over the teacher manual and explain the concept to my child once a week.

The pages are easy to read with enough space, but not too much space. I feel that there is enough practice in each lesson. You can purchase extra practice sheets if you find that your child is not getting enough practice. They stress applying the concepts you learn to story problems. There are usually 4-5 pages per lesson labeled A-D or A-E. When the student has a "A" page the parent or video should explain the new concept to them. They do 1 or 2 pages with the new concept and then the rest of the pages have the new concept plus review of what they have been learning the previous weeks.

Math U See is different from a textbook approach in that it encourages you not to move on to the next "A" page until you are sure that your student understands the concepts he has been taught so far. They use manipulatives to help understand math concepts. You don't have to use them, but they are pretty easy to use and really help the child understand math so much better.

Math U See is similar to a textbook approach in that the student needs to do at least 1/2 page of math per day.

I really like the way they explain place value, multiplication, division, fractions and multiplying fractions. If your child doesn't understand the way that you explain something, they can watch the video and hear the author of the program explain it.

Dislike - The only thing I can think of is that it might move a little fast for a 5-7 year old. We just took it much slower at that age. We didn't do a page a day. We just worked on the concepts until we got them.

A few years ago I asked my children what they wanted to use for math the next year and most of them said, "We like Math U See. Why would you want to switch to anything else?" If they understand their work and like doing it, then I'm very happy.

This is a great program that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a first rate math program.

This review was written by homeschooler, Heidi Johnson. Heidi specializes in helping families find resources to simplify and improve their lives. For more tips on homeschooling, grab her free report "How to Homeschool using the Best Resources" at Homeschool How To.