CourtneySue Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 We are currently using RightStart B. I started supplementing Right Start with the SM workbook and the Miquon Red book this year because I felt like my DS needed extra practice that he was needing. I believe RightStart is a good program, the problem is that I really don't enjoy teaching it. My question is what would I be missing if I dropped it and just used SM and Miquon, both of which my children and I enjoy (and find challenging in their own ways)? One thing I do like about RightStart is the mental math games that they play at the beginning of each lesson. Do the SM HIGs have something like this? Thanks for any input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnaShoo Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I am of the mind that you can drop whatever you want if it's not working for you. If it frustrates you, it's going to bleed over into your son's reaction. In truth, I'm sort of baffled at why people use so many programs at once - it seems exceptionally confusing and like far more math than I want to be doing every day. If you have two other programs you love, why not just hang onto the Right Start games and drop the rest? You should know pretty quick whether or not it's working by how your son is doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I can't tell you what you'll be missing, but I will tell you that I desperately wanted to love RightStart. I bought both A and B and read over the manuals several times. We attempted lessons, but it drove me nuts. So, finally we dropped it in favor of Miquon. Eventually, after a lot of rod play, we added in some SM and finally made the full transition to MEP (which I LOVE). I feel like my oldest has a great understanding of numbers. She's not scary good at math, but she enjoys it and MEP Y1 has been awesome for giving her a challenge, but staying with the smaller numbers. I know I hear that kids who complete RS B can add four-digit numbers in their head. My girl can't do that...but I'm feeling pretty good that, at the end of her K year, she can add two-digit numbers mentally, she understands numbers up to 100 (we haven't extended really past that), she can tell time in five-minute increments, she can do simple multiplication and understands half and fourth. I don't think dropping RS B was a disservice to my daughter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 My middle son learned more when we dropped RS A and switched to Singapore, along with C-rod use. Frankly, RS drove me nuts. And it's not the only way to a good conceptual math foundation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Your child will never learn math and will end up in prison. :lol: Seriously, if it isn't working for you, just move on. Singapore and Miquon is a great combination! Go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Plenty of good math programs out there. Nothing bad will happen. But I would suggest to try to stick with a curriculum once you've found one that works for your dc. Bad things happen when we switch too often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourtneySue Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 Your child will never learn math and will end up in prison. :lol: That's what I was afraid of! I think I was just so convinced that RightStart was *the* program, and I was feeling guilty for not loving it. I also have become frustrated when the book expects me to have manipulatives that didn't come in the package. And sometimes I wish it would provide manipulatives for things like 1s 10s 100s 1000s instead of using these weird paper versions. I really didn't mean to buy so many math curriculums. I had bought SM as extra practice for my son. And decided to buy the orange Miquon book for my 4yo who was begging to "do school." When my son saw us doing it, he asked if he could have a book like that too. Since it's not expensive, I got it for him, and he really loves it. He likes to try to figure out what he's supposed to do before I tell him. I can tell that it really makes him think. Anyway, thanks for the comments. Sometimes I just need to hear that everything really will be okay if I don't follow the plan I had two years ago that I thought was perfect. :chillpill: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poetic license Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I was in the same boat... I really wanted to love Right Start (mainly to justify to myself the 100+ dollars I convinced dh to drop for it) but just couldn't get with it. I am telling myself that we might take another look at it this summer (mainly because of the adding 4 digit numbers bit) but I'm doubtful... MEP and Miquon have been pretty stellar so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I am using Singapore 1B and Right Start B together for my DS and they are both strong programs. Right Start is stronger in some areas and Singapore better in others but either one will provide a solid foundation in math. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 The worst thing that will happen is you might wonder if you shouldn't have dropped it. Your kids will be fine though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 You'd like math again? LOL. Rightstart made dd math phobic and gave me the heebie jeebies. It still makes my skin crawl to think of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourtneySue Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Thank you so much for the encouragement everyone! I don't know why these decisions seem like the end of the world sometimes:banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 We went from RS B to MEP 2 and have never looked back. I do still use the RS abacus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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