[ViolaMum]

Your situation has been niggling in the back of my brain when I'm off the computer. I don't think my previous post was all that helpful.

Based on your sig, I'm assuming you have a 3rd grader working at about a 2nd grade level for math. Is that right? (Or am I about a year behind? Fourth grader working at a 3rd grade level) So addition, subtraction, multi-digit, maybe starting multiplication? She likes manipulatives, uses them for conceptual understanding, loses patience with long problems, but has a pretty good grasp on the concepts and the logic behind the operations. And you think that's likely because she doesn't have the math facts readily accessible. If she's having to work out each time that 7+6 =13 when she's adding columns of numbers, that could certainly slow her down and deter her from longer problems. So essentially you want something that reinforces, possibly drills, basic math facts but also teaches the reasoning and allows for discovery aspect of learning. Is that close?

One approach could be that you just do activities that drill the facts - math games, Wrap-ups, grids she fills out. Twister, four-square, and hopscotch with math facts are fun this time of year. And there's always Khan Academy, if you can stomach some media.

The MUS approach is systematic. It introduces and reinforces the facts in a logical order and in context. The word problems are centered around the fact families learned in that lesson. (I could stand for the tests to be a little more random in fact recall, though.) The AB&C pages for each lesson are just the new concept while the DEF pages include review, so it's easy to figure out where to skip ahead and where you need to spend more time. Other programs tend to have more specific Review Lessons, but spaced further apart.

I don't think you're going to see as much of the logical reasoning in MUS as in Mathematical Reasoning or Miquon. It's more concrete. You get the explanations followed by facts. "This is how it works, so we do this" as opposed to "hmm, these numbers do this, why do you suppose that is?" BUT MUS lays a good foundation for building that reasoning later on. And, to be honest, kids need both. My Math teacher friends say that their biggest problem in teaching upper level math classes is that kids don't really know the facts. But I've heard people get irked when their kids can parrot back the facts, but have no idea what else to do with them.

The other big question is how much time do YOU want (and have) to spend teaching math and preparing for a lesson?