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Ask Steve – Episode 9 – Am I Behind?

October 24, 2008

Steve answers a question from the forum

Steve,
I homeschool three special needs kids. My oldest is 14 yo (last month) and is mid-way through Delta. We will be continuing over the summer hoping to finish so we can start the next book for 8th grade next year. However, that still puts us a whole book behind for high school. I would like to have her do pre-algebra for 9th, algebra 1 for 10th, geometry for 11th and algebra 2 for 12th. How can I make that possible? Do I skip a book or combine books next year? She likes MUS by the way!

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Tagged as: Ask Steve, curriculum, home, home school, homeschool, math, mathusee, school

  • Mimi

    Where would you recommend I start to see if this is the right program for a 9th grader who needs more time to understand concepts. She is in a Christian school, always has been, but I have never been happy with the math teaching. It just seems helter-skelter. Your comment to the mother with some children who she thought were “behind,” I LOVED your answer about not having to go to college right at 18 yrs old…We have spent a fortune trying to educate our daughter, who is the most precious child, a pure heart, and works very hard but seems to just fly out the window when it is time for any test. She has really learned how to take notes and so many things necessary TO study, but hasn’t mastered studying. I am spending so much money on education for her, and to have a social life, which is minimal (9th grade has 52, largest class)- she is SO concerned about her grades – but the stress of doing work all the time, barely having time for a balance to do other things, we don’t know what to do….I passed Algebra I/II but that is as far as I went. I can’t remember how to do Algebra now, and I do find it dull! Dad can comprehend it for the most part, but is not skilled at teaching. The pressure is so great, we do not know which way to turn…..Sincerely, Mimi, mother of JP!

    • mususers

      Hi Mimi,
      I also went to a small Christian school way back in the 80′s. The education and guidance I received was very good, however every child learns differently, so what they are using might not be right for her. It sounds like you have a wonderfully sweet daughter who just needs a different approach to learning mathematics. When math is taught to a large (or small) classroom where everyone learns the same material taught in the same way, some students inevitably struggle. Even though I felt I was good in math in High School, when I saw Steve’s videos, I was amazed! My thought was, “I would have gone much further in math, had it made this much sense!”

      My recommendations would be to watch the “Demo Video” with your daughter. It is located in the “About” section of our website. Then, I would have your daughter take our Pre-Test. This can also be found under the “About” section under “Placement Tests.” The Pre-Test will give you a very good idea of how strong her basic math skills are and if any concepts need to be recovered. If she does well on the Pre-Test, then have her take the “Pre-Algebra Competency Test.” This will let you know if she is ready for Algebra 1.

      Because Math-U-See if manipulative based, it allows the student to “see” how the math concepts work, instead of just being told how to get the right answer. This is huge! When the student is able to understand the concepts , their confidence and ability grows. The DVDs are awesome because as you watch Steve, math comes alive for the student. Plus, she can “rewind” him as many times as she needs to grasp the concept. Also, our Customer Support is great. If she is struggling with a lesson, we have our Upper Level Specialists who can help her.

      Should you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Support at 888-854-6284 or you may e-mail me directly at ASinclair@mathusee.com.

      Angie :-)
      Homeschooling Mom of 18 years and Customer Service for Math-U-See

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