I've been thinking about MUS next year for Blake. He'll be 3rd grade and has trouble grasping abstract concepts like multiplication. Even when we use manipulatives he struggles.

It sounds like it would be a great program for Blake. But I have concerns. My only experience with MUS is with my niece who came to visit. She is in 3rd grade and wanted to "do school" with Blake. (He's 2nd grade.) So I photo copied his 2 math pages so they could do them together (which they thought was super fun!:rolleyes:) She had so much trouble with his math. She didn't know her math facts well, and didn't even know how to carrry when adding 2 digit numbers. Granted, maybe she wasn't up to grade level or something, who knows. But it really turned me off to MUS. Does MUS have grade levels, or "at this age you should be in this book"??

The whole premise is that they should be memorizing their fact so they are immediate recall. They have an online drill page that anyone can use - and it helped my kids a LOT. They try to beat their time. Go check it out - and have Blake do it. Also, if you are having a hard time with the upper times tables, check out Make Multiplication Fun! Times Tales Only $13.95 (http://www.timestales.com) they REALLY work. I totally recommend them to anyone who hasn't learned upper times tables yet, or is having difficulty remembering them. ;pot: (is that being a bad influence... yet one more thing to buy)

Adam is in Beta (the second grade book) and he just learned about carrying. It's in the first 7 chapters...

A neighbor told me that if you plan on homeschooling for a long time this is a wonderful curriculum because it lays a very firm foundation in understanding numbers and how they work. But if you plan on putting your child back in school, then they might not be 'up to grade level'. By the jr high years, though, it evens out.

You can also print extra practice sheets from the MUS website. We also do free online multiplication games for reinforcement and fun. MUS may not go in the same order as public school curriculums, but they learn why, how and when to apply mathematical equations. Everything is reviewed, so nothing is forgotten. The free demo DVD really gives a great overview of the program.

Hmmm... it sounds odd that she didn't know her math facts. Her mother may not be using it as they recommend, or like you said she may not be up to grade level. However, my ds just finished the first grade book, and throughout Steve Demme said, "Do not go on until your child knows these facts." So before moving on to subtraction we made sure he knew 1 digit addition inside out. Same thing after subtraction. We've just started the 2nd grade book and have skipped quite a few of the beginning chapters, as he knows skip counting really well. My third grader is not math inclined and though she was already regrouping in her math curriculum I had her watch his video with him yesterday. I could tell then that it really clicked into place with her.
MUS is careful not to label their books 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. as they don't want a child who is behind to feel behind. I value that. However, they do have a placement test to place your child.
In school I think that kids might be exposed to things earlier than in MUS, but with little mastery of it. MUS encourages mastering a concept before moving on, which is what my kids need. So, if your kids were going to go into school, they may not have a clue what say division is, but they would be able to add, subtract, and multiply better than the rest of the class.
Okay, hopping off the soap box now LOL.

FWIW, when my nephew completed second grade, the teacher send home addition tables for the students to review over the summer. I was suprised there zero tables on there, too:"0+2=2, 0+3=3..."