RightStart - tips for juggling multiple levels

[Mom2Es]

If you have multiple children doing RightStart math on different levels, how do you keep the plates spinning so that you get it done without feeling like you spend most of your (the parent's) time every day teaching math?  We love Right Start, methodology-wise.  I feel like my kids are better at and more confident with arithmetic than I was at their ages, but by the time I get through doing everyone's individual math lessons, particularly if the lessons have extra games, I feel drained and want to go hibernate in my Mom cave for a while.

I have a 9 y.o. who is about to start level E, an 8 y.o. who is about to start level D, and a 5 y.o. who has been working through MEP Reception, but skill-wise is probably actually ready for RS level B.  I thought maybe I could make it happen by switching the 9 y.o. to something a little more independent and we tried Beast Academy for a month or so, but she hated Beast Academy (I suspect because she doesn't like being corrected after she tries to fly through without reading the directions closely).  We're in a holding pattern at the moment doing some review to keep fresh while I work up the motivation to order the level E materials.

RightStart is the only math program that we've used long-term, so maybe this is an issue with math in general and I just don't realize it, but I have found that I tend to gravitate toward scripted/parent-intensive curriculum in general so I'm never sure if it's the curriculum or if it's me.

[Kiara.I]

I gravitate toward scripted curriculum too.  I only have two doing Rightstart at the moment, D & B.  Right now I tend to hand D the warmup to do independently (many of them are on the worksheets) and start with B.  By the time we get B through the warmup and onto the worksheet, I go back and help with D.  I also sometimes just have another child do copywork or writing practice or piano practice while I'm working with the other on math.

 

I know a lot of people have their children do E independently.  I think what I will try to do, and what you could do, is have your E child read it over, while you get the D child started.  Then go back to the E child and start looking through and see how they're doing.  Reading the instructions carefully is important, and from reading the RS lists, E is where the kids start to learn to do it.  "Mo-o-o-om, I don't understand!"  "Read it out loud to me."  "I DID read it, but <grump, grump, grump.>  FINE.  <Read, read, read.....>  Oooooooooh."    LOL 

[kalusignan]

I haven't encountered this yet, but I'm  :bigear:

[sunshineslp]

I haven't figured out a good way yet:) I have one in B and one in A, so very mom intensive. I just have one child working on something they can do alone, while I do the other, then switch.

 

 

Homeschooling mama of 4... Preschool 3, preschool 4, 1st, and 2nd:)

[give_me_a_latte]

It wears. me. down. Gah. For real. 

 

I have one in B (who really needs me to double time and get her to more challenging place). And one in C (who breaks down every time a new concept is introduced, and needs LOTS of time to marinate on things before moving forward. I feel like we've been in C FOREVER). 

 

I don't see any way around it, though. It's a time consuming program, but SO WORTH IT. I alternate with the kids...I try to do two subjects with one, then switch. Back and forth until we're done. Math is just one of those subjects. If there's a worksheet, I do walk away and let them do that on their own. And practice/review sheets too. Sometimes when I just can't seem to get past a learning hump, or I need a break, I do a games day. Or just give practice sheets and read some Fred. Maybe you could schedule one of these "light" math days for each child, to give you a little break three days of the week? 

[Goldilocks]

There is a lot less teacher instruction in E. On some days you may spend just 10-15 minutes (including warm-up) with the child and then they practice the skill with a worksheet. 

 

It is a big time commitment, but worth it!

[ScoutTN]

I only have two and one is through with RS now and on to MM. In a year, you will have one graduated from RS too. :)

Don't bail if it's working.

 

Echoing the pp about E being a get 'em started and check back later deal. In D, they do spend more time on the worksheet than the earlier levels, so you can be free there. Also your older two can probably play their games together, without you.

 

But there is no way around it, RS intensive.

[Cake and Pi]

My DS#1 finished level E while DS#2 was in level B-ish (I think.  It's getting hard to keep track!).  I think E can be much less parent intensive, IF you have a kid who can be sent off do do a worksheet alone, which my DS#1 just isn't there yet, even having moved on from RS.  I know G is meant to be entirely independent for the child.  My DS#1 is doing Beast Academy now, with DS#2 in RS level C and DS#3 in RS level A.  I find I must work with each of them individually every day.  I try to give the others stuff they can do independently when I'm not working with them, like copywork, keyboarding practice, chores... or I just let them play!  The older boys can play the games with the younger ones, so I really only HAVE to play games with my oldest, though I do often end up playing them with DS#3 as well because no one else has the patience to deal with his antics for very long.  I set a timer for each kid's math, so it CAN'T take us all day.  

[Mom2Es]

Okay, that's good to know about Level E!  I might have found my motivation, then.

I've been going back and forth between a "Here, you have your screen time [or whatever] while we do math" one-at-a-time rotation method and trying to run everybody at the same time.  With the timed practice sheets, it does buy a bit of time to focus on somebody else moreso than the A and B lessons do, but still somebody usually ends up twiddling their thumbs waiting on me to be ready for the next thing OR they see it as an opportunity to dawdle even when they know there's a timer running.  Maybe I need to just plan for needing Mom-cave recovery time.

My husband's idea was the possibility of slightly slowing the pace for my 9-year-old while accelerating it for my 8-year-old until they are on the same level so I'd only be doing two separate math lessons a day instead of one.  My 8-year-old "gets it" pretty easily and also we've found that some of the exercises intended for discovery are overkill because she already understands the concept from having overheard it when I did the lesson with the 9-year-old before.  The perimeter and fraction lessons at the end of C felt like busywork and sometimes we'd cut out the warm-up and do two in a sitting to keep from getting bored.  I haven't decided yet whether I'm on board with that.  It sounds good in theory but I'd rather not slow down the 9 y.o. if it's not an academic need.

[scoutingmom]

I have 4 in RightStart. They each have a seperate time thst they work with me, and independent stuff to work on otherwise. I mostly use a timer, and we end a lesson when it goes off until the next day.... If a student has a review sheet, I generally have them do it while I do another student's math lesson. So, 5yo in Level B, 7yo almost done Level C, 10yo in Level E, and 12yo further in Level E. I'm not perfect at this, but in theory they all do a math game with someone each day....

 

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[newhsmom]

I had three in RS at a time. I feel like it is actually faster and easier to teach in the upper levels. I don't know if that is because I was so familiar with the approach at that point or if it is written to become more independent. I actually think the fact that it is scripted is a huge advantage. I just open the book and go. If I need to make something I do it when they are working on something else. I don't play games will all of them everyday, but I will pull out a game if someone is struggling with something.

[Squawky Acres]

I have three children in RS, and will be adding a fourth soon.  I'm not sure I have any great tips or tricks, as I actually do not find it more time-consuming than any other math we have used in the past (Singapore, Saxon).  Teaching math to elementary students just takes time, and I love the intuitive scripted nature of RS (just as complete as Saxon's scripting, but somehow less annoying). I combine my students for games when possible, and sometimes skip games if they are just math fact practice, as the kids do Reflex Math on their own for fact practice.  If there is a worksheet, I try to have the students work through it on their own.  At least in the 2nd edition I have, there are assessment lessons at regular intervals that are just worksheets, so completely independent except for a suggested game or two which could be done with combined children.

 

Two of my children are in the same level, just a few lessons apart, but I do not find it helpful to combine -- particularly for this program.  Many of the concepts are learned through discovery, and it can be difficult if one kid makes the discovery first.  I also like asking the questions of just one kid.  We did combine levels in Saxon last year, but that ultimately did not work out.  It was too difficult to tailor the pace to each child, and left the older one feeling inadequate when the younger one answered every question first; and then the younger one got bored with the more involved explanations needed for the older one.  Now both children are doing RS level C, but my younger child just works through his lesson more quickly.

[frogger]

Can you have an older child do the games with the younger child? I honestly save review sheets rather than do them when they are scheduled and have the child do them when I don't have time to do an actual lesson. I only have two in Righstart though and haven't used either the lowest or highest levels so maybe that is not helpful. I just started my boys in the transition book and went straight to book C since I don't do formal math with really young ones.

[lacell]

After advice from this forum, I read the lessons, made notes and then do individual tutoring my way, which is faster.