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Activities for the ALabacus (that I have) versus RS A (that I'd have to buy)


forty-two
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My 5yo really, really wants to do regular school work, just like her sister ;) (otherwise I'd do nothing formal).  I've been playing around with SM 1a and LoF Apples, but 1a is going too fast and while she enjoys LoF, it's, idk, a bit abstract for her or something - she's not getting all that much out of it.  I've thought about doing MEP reception, but I think she'd really enjoy and benefit from tons o' hands-on work.  I've got the Activities book, but a) I didn't manage to use it with dd7.5, and b ) tbh I really want something entirely open and go (as older sis cannot use any curriculum as written for more than a few days, and I've resigned myself to parent-intensive major modifications there, and I'm not up for doing the same for dd5, and winging it is just not cutting it in terms of doing something every day, which is really important to dd5).  Since I've already got just about all the necessary manipulatives for RS A, I'd just need to buy the lessons and worksheets, which makes it not so bad in terms of cost.

 

I'm really tempted, because of the ease factor, but a) would it really be open and go easy? and b ) I really like to buy more than use what I have, and I'm a sucker for impulse buying stuff - don't need to add to the pile of unused curriculum, kwim?

 

So, what's the Hive's opinion about what factors would make RS A a reasonable purchase in this situation?  (Or something cheaper that was open and go.) :bigear:

 

ETA: I'd also welcome advice on how to plan out the Activities book, or the Kitchen Table Math book (which I think would be good, if I could figure out how to make it happen).  I'm willing to do quite a bit of advance planning, so long as the day-to-day experience is pretty close to open and go.

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I own RS A and B but I didn't like teaching it so I dropped it.

 

Have you thought about Miquon?

 

FWIW I spent almost a whole year with DS doing SM 1a, just took it really slow. Then he did 1B in about 3 months and he's been cruising along since then. It's like a flip switched and he was just ready for math.

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I own RS A and B but I didn't like teaching it so I dropped it.

 

Have you thought about Miquon?

 

FWIW I spent almost a whole year with DS doing SM 1a, just took it really slow. Then he did 1B in about 3 months and he's been cruising along since then. It's like a flip switched and he was just ready for math.

I have everything for Miquon, teacher's books and everything, but I have not been able to wrap my brain around how to do more than play with the rods (which is really fun and awesome, actually, and we do it a lot), nor muster up the will to study it until it makes sense. That day may well come, though, but it is not today ;).

 

I'm not sure how to stretch out 1a, especially with dd5 wanting to keep moving on in the book itself, although come to think of it, she'd probably be willing to go back to old stuff if the new stuff was too hard. And there's lots to do with number bonds, which is where we are, too.

 

I looked at the samples for RS A, and I did like them. Thought I might try teaching the first few lessons from the sample and see how it goes.

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a) It is not open-and-go easy. Managing all of the manipulatives is a pain and it requires organisation and keeping the baby out of the millions of piles of little things. It's also so spiral that you don't know what's going on some days.

b) I'd just do a few RS/Miquon/Montessori style games/work every day.

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I do find RightStart to be open and go easy. I organized the manipulatives in labelled Snapwares and have them together on a shelf, so they can be grabbed in a moment. Though for an eager 5 year old, I would consider starting with B instead of A and just taking the lessons marked as "review" lessons slower than recommended to let it all sink in.

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Well, today I did LoF Apples with dd5 with the ALabacus and the RS method of counting (one-ten one, one-ten two) and she got it so much better :). Don't know why I didn't think to try that before, as I really love the ALabacus. So I think I'm going to continue with that for the time being. Thanks for helping me think it through :).

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