So you’ve heard how awesome Math-U-See is, and now you’re wondering how involved your role is as a parent.
First, let me say that every student is different; therefore, every homeschool routine will also differ. What every homeschool family can agree upon is that homeschooling is one of the biggest investments they will make for their family.
When I say investment, I’m not referring to the cost of the curriculum, but the time and involvement devoted to it. If you as the parent are not invested in your child’s learning, why would your child be? Now, Math-U-See doesn’t require constant involvement or hours and hours of parental participation in each lesson. When we say we build lifelong learners, we mean it. We empower parents to inspire a love of learning in their students and themselves, through our unique approach. Luckily for you, Math-U-See makes this involvement easy-peasy by giving you the tools to succeed as an instructor.
The Math-U-See Approach is to Trust Parents
We are trusting you with your child’s education because we know that no one understands your child as well as you. In doing so, Math-U-See aims to teach the parents the math concept provided in each level AND how to best use the manipulatives to represent the math concepts being taught. Math-U-See is an effective curriculum because parents are required to watch the DVD, read the instruction manual, then guide and aid their student when needed. The student can complete work independently, unless they hit a roadblock. Which is when you’ll be readily prepared to step in and provide the support they need.
The amount of independence your student has while completing their work may depend on your child, and the level in which they are working. For example, maybe your son in Zeta gets distracted more easily than your daughter in Delta. This may require you to spend more time with him to keep him on track and focused.
On the other hand, you may find as your student progresses into the upper levels the less direction they need from you. For instance, children in Primer will not have the attention span or cognitive abilities to direct themselves through their work; however, a student in Geometry or Algebra 2 has the ability to understand what the question is asking them, know how to solve the problem, all while staying on track.
Many parents find this approach beneficial for themselves. They get to relearn a concept, or see a problem solved through a new lens. Some even learn concepts for the first time, or finally have that lightbulb moment in their own mind. Even if you’re not, and never were, a math whiz, Math-U-See gives you all the instructional tools you need to educate and support your child through each level. If you still feel unprepared to teach your child a particular concept, we have a team of friendly and helpful customer service professionals ready to assist you.
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What Does an Average Week Look Like Using Math-U-See?
Eatlikearabbit says
Two thoughts: 1) I didn’t have a solid math foundation. I’m jealous of my kids now. I have enjoyed learning with my kids even though I learned faster. 2) My kids watch the video (instead of or with me) and then we talk about it and work through problems together. This offers a) an opportunity for someone else to look like the teacher (Steve) and b) an opportunity for her to “teach” me, which helps her learn better.
Yes, it may feel like a lot of involvement, but isn’t all of parenting and homeschooling?