Math U See (MUS) is an unique homeschool math program based on the concept that
a deeper understanding of math concepts is more beneficial than rote memorization
and drill. The program was developed by Steve Demme, a math teacher who has taught
and tutored students from Kindergarten to College.
According to the MUS philosophy, the purpose of learning math is to be able to apply it to real life
situations and critically think and problem solve effectively. To meet this goal,
Demme designed a math program that uses manipulatives that allow children to “see”
the concept and understand the “why” behind the mathematical operation or formula.
With his use of the “build it, write it, say it” approach the child first uses
hands-on activities to build and concretely understand the concept and then
solidifies it by writing and saying the equation, operation or solution. This
program is available for all grade levels (K-12). You can buy the packages locally or online direct from the author. Or you can get great deals on new and used packages on websites like eBay and Amazon. So far I have only used
the K (Primer) level and read user reviews of other levels. Insha Allah I will
discuss some of the benefits as well as drawbacks of this curriculum.
What You Get
The MUS program consists of several different sets of materials that are purchased
separately although, it is clear that in order to effectively teach the program you
would need to purchase most of the materials per grade level.
Teacher Pack: contains the Teacher Manual and Instructional Video in either DVD
or VHS format
Student Kit: contains the Student Text and Student Test Booklet (except in the
Primer Level)
Manipulatives: choice of the Starter Set, Completer Set, Fraction Overlays, or
Algebra/Decimal Inserts
Accessories: Various extras such as the Song CD and Songbook, Wooden Storage Box
for Blocks etc.
A Closer Look
The good thing about MUS is that you can easily order the free demo video . After viewing it I was convinced that this program
could be a great fit for my children, insha Allah. In the DVD Demme presents
math topics from simple addition to trigonometry using his teaching philosophy of
“seeing” the “why” of the problem in order to truly understand it. I must say I
was impressed. He only gives a brief overview of various math concepts but in even
that short amount of time I was able to understand- “see”- things that were
completely obscure to me in school! So I ordered the program and have been
generally pleased, masha Allah.
I must say I
was impressed. He only gives a brief overview of various math concepts but in even
that short amount of time I was able to understand- “see”- things that were
completely obscure to me in school! So I ordered the program and have been
generally pleased, masha Allah. 
I ordered the Starter Set which is a set of 80 color coded base ten stacking
blocks representing numbers from 1-10 and 100. The ones (or “units” as MUS calls
them) are green, twos are orange, threes are pink etc. My kids loved them from the
beginning especially my very hands-on and active 4 year old boy. These blocks are
used to teach counting, place value and arithmetic in the Primer level and I
believe the Alpha level as well.
The teacher pack included a handy teacher guide that gives suggestions for
presenting each lesson to your child as well as games and masters of a few
important diagrams. Although I have not used it much on this level, I do
appreciate that it explains, to some extent why you are teaching your child a
concept in a particular fashion. For example, Demme writes in Lesson 9: Place
Value: Units and Tens:
“You’ve probably noticed the important relationship between language and place
value. Consider 42, read as forty-two. We know that it is four blue ten bars
(for-ty, ty for ten) and two units. When pronouncing 90, 80, 70, 60 and 40, work
on enunciating clearly so that 90 is ninety, not “ninedee”. 80 is eighty, not
“adee”. When you pronounce clearly not only will your spelling improve, but your
understanding of place value as well. 70, seventy, is 7 tens; 60, sixty, is 6
tens…”
I also found the instructional DVD useful as well. Not only do you as the teacher
get to see the lesson presented correctly allowing you to model this with your own
children, your kids can watch it as well, as it seems many MUS users do. There is a
short video for each lesson lasting from three to ten minutes each. As the lessons
get more complex in higher levels of the program the videos get a little longer.
Although I found the manipulatives and teacher pack great, I had reservations
about the Student Text. I knew before ordering that the layout was very plain: a
simple black and white text with very few illustrations. No bells and whistles
here. This may be a turn-off for some parents and students as well. But the
benefit in simple text is that the pages are not crowded with useless pictures,
bright colors and excessive problems that can be a distraction or confusion for
many children. The pages are also very easy to reproduce since the book as spiral
bound. And as my husband mentioned to me, plain textbooks are good training for
our children since the Qur’aan, books of hadith and the books of the scholars are
not brightly colored with scores of illustrations!
Aside from the look of the text I liked the way it layed out each lesson. Three
worksheet pages are focused on practicing the current lesson being taught and
three more for review of previous topics. The review section is essential since
most kids would forget previous material without it. And if you feel your child
needs more practice, there are online drills and a worksheet generator available
on the website. The text also contains daily word problems starting about 2/3 of
the way through the Primer level.
What Do Others Say?
My impression of the program is basically positive. I love the fact that my 6 year
old daughter can now add hundreds, read numbers into the hundreds and will begin
to find the area of a rectangle in her next lesson, masha Allah, TabarakAllah. She
has even been introduced to algebra in a concrete manner through the “solving for
the unknown” lessons. I find that the manipulatives are a great resource and used
very wisely. They are not a crutch but more of a bridge to deeper understanding.
And with Demme’s “build it, write it, say it” approach I believe my children are
understanding math on a whole new level.
But what about other users? Are most people generally pleased with the program or
do they find faults or shortcomings in some areas? I did some research on a very
useful website www.homeschoolreviews.com and found that the majority of people
liked the first few levels of the program but reviews were varied for the higher
levels. Some people expressed that the higher levels did not explain concepts as
clearly as in the lower levels and that the manipulative are not as helpful. A few
users even commented that the teaching approach did more to confuse their child
than to help. Some stated that it was a bit pricey especially since the books are
simple black and white spiral bound copies while others asserted that is was
either comparable in price or a better bargain than competing home school math
programs (The Primer level Teacher Pack, Student Text and blocks costs $70 plus
shipping). Additionally, there were many users who loved the program and stated
that their children are excelling in math throughout the higher levels.
It seems that some of the variation in reviews is based on the learning style of
the child, not so much the quality of the program. As a parent you must evaluate
this on your own, after Allaah subhana wa ta’ala you know your children best. My
advice: if this program has piqued your interest, order the demo video and see it
for yourself! Then trust in Allaah that you will make the best decision for
your family.
Written by Umm Aasiyah Aminah
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