Math-U-See (A REVIEW)

I have been eyeing Demme Learning's Math-U-See program for many years. I've never taken the plunge to get it because I just didn't understand it, and was never sure if it would work for us. When the opportunity to review their digital packs came up I was super excited to finally give it a try, and now I'm wishing I had tried it a long time ago!

Since we have never used Math-U-See before, we received both of the Algebra 1 physical books and the Algebra 1 digital pack. For this review I will focus mostly on the digital packs and the features we found there, but I will also touch a little on the program overall and how we like it.

So, what is a digital pack? For each level it is 12 months access to all the streaming instruction videos, instruction manual PDF's, lesson and test solutions, Math-U-see digital manipulatives, and other online resources such as extra worksheets to print. Each level varies with options according to what is being learned. For example, some of the lower levels have mp3 songs to help with skip counting, etc. The digital packs are meant to be used in conjunction with the books. You can purchase the digital packs with the books in a set, or if you already have the books and just want the digital portion, you can purchase it separately.

I was able to print up extra practice pages, and even a record keeping chart to help me keep track of scores for lessons and tests from the digital packs.

The nice thing about the digital streaming videos is that you can access them from any internet connected computer or device. No DVD's to worry about chasing around. The streaming played back nicely, and you can easily stop and go back if you need to hear something again.

How did we use this program? My daughter would watch the video instruction either online or with the DVD if she didn't have access to online, and then she would complete the sections for each lesson throughout the week. Usually 1 section per day. We might double up eventually, but she is still getting used to this program, so it has been a little tougher completing all the problems in a timely manner. I also watch each video for each lesson so I can refresh my memory and be able to help her. I have found the instructions very helpful in the videos.

At the end of each lesson there is a test. I love how these tests are multiple choice. I am not sure if it is that way with all the levels, but it is for Algebra 1. It is great practice for a high schooler to test in this way, and it encourages her to check her answers immediately if she doesn't get any of the choices given. The unit tests are not multiple choice though. She hasn't made it to a unit test yet, so we'll see how she does with that when she gets there.

These are the first 2 tests from for lesson 1 and lesson 2

Overall Math-U-See is a great program, and the digital packs add some great features and ease of access to instructional videos. This was a great switch for my daughter at this time in the school year. She was using a different math program, but wasn't getting the concepts down solid and really understanding everything she needed to be successful in algebra. I really feel like this program has given us the tools, features, and methods needed to make it a successful course for her. My daughter is very happy with this math as well. I am thinking about using this for all my children next year!

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