Math-U-See Mastery

What is mastery?

Mastery is the idea that you learn best incrementally, with one concept building on the previously taught concept. In a mastery program, a student develops a thorough comprehension of one concept before moving on to the next one in sequence. Mastery is when your student both understands and becomes proficient in a concept.

How do I know if my student has achieved mastery?

We say a student has mastered a concept when they can teach it back. Students should use the Build, Write, Say method to teach back the concepts presented in a lesson. Once you feel confident that your student has mastered the lesson concept, you can give your student the lesson test as an opportunity to show their progress and provide an additional way to confirm mastery. For more about using the Math-U-See tests, click here.

My student is struggling with mastery. What should we do?

Sometimes achieving mastery requires additional practice, reteaching, encouragement, and patience.

If the student struggles to teach the concept at the end of the lesson and on the lesson test, instructors should go back and review the lesson’s concept. You and your student can rewatch the video lesson and use the Worksheet Generator to make some extra worksheets for the student to further practice the concept before moving on to the next lesson.

My student answered all the problems on Lesson Practice A. Can we move to the next lesson?

Only after the student can teach back the concepts with confidence and accuracy and can solve problems without using the manipulatives should you move on. Students should complete at least one Systematic Review worksheet before moving on.  

The Systematic Review worksheets provide the opportunity for the student who has mastered a new concept to integrate that concept with their prior knowledge. It is one thing to demonstrate mastery of a concept in isolation, but it is quite another when multiple concepts are mixed together. Systematic Review worksheets allow you to confirm continued mastery and retention of previous concepts. 

Taking the lesson test is an opportunity for your students to show their progress and provide an additional way to confirm mastery.

Related Articles and Blog Posts

From Math Manipulatives to Mastery
The Case for Teaching for Mastery
Student Mastery Guide
Math Mastery vs Spiral Math

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