My 8yo son is currently using Horizons 3rd grade math. We both like the worksheets and that it has built in review. He's moving through it fine, but I feel like we're reaching a point where he is looking for more of the "why" not just the "how". I'm not looking to abandon the curriculum entirely, but I'm looking for something to add to round out the conceptual side of math that I feel is lacking. I've seen a lot of people talking positively about RightStart, Singapore (I see there are 2 options, Dimensions Math and Primary Math - happy to hear about both of these), and Math in Focus and would love some feedback. In my mind, the ideal situation would be for him to complete 1 page of Horizons a day as review work (he really goes through them quickly) along with 1 lesson from something more in depth. I don't mind spending 30 or so minutes a day of active teaching time on math, so if something is more teacher-centric that's not a deal breaker. We tried Beast Academy and he was luke warm about it, and to be honest I was too. I think it's a great program, just not a good fit for us. I had seen in another post that someone was using a RightStart/Horizons/Singapore Challenging Word Problems combination which (without actually doing it) seems very well rounded. I'm open to any thoughts and suggestions! Thanks!

I know these editions are new. Has anyone done RS and gone on through levels G and H? My son is in level F (fifth grade) and I'm trying to figure out what to do for middle school and beyond. I emailed RS asking about the progression they used to recommend (starting videotext midway through the old level G) and I got the following response. We now have a Second Edition Level G and Level H that has taken the place of First Edition Level G. There was a lot of work done with the First Edition Level G that provides the teacher and the student with many improvements that help the student work through the program. The improvements are so vast that we are no longer selling the First Edition Level G.. In addition, more lessons have been included in Level H that will include the final elements to Pre-Algebra. So, when the student has completed Levels G and H, they will then have the Pre-Algebra math credit and are ready to start high school Algebra. No longer does the student need to work through any RightStart Math level along with VideoText Algebra Here is a sample schedule that your son can use: 5th Grade - Complete Level F 6th Grade - Level G 7th Grade - Level H 8th Grade - Algebra program of your choice Now I'm confused because the Videotext algebra sequence includes prealgebra so if we do both G and H we would have to skip the Videotext prealgebra course. I think that might be a bad idea. It makes sense to stick with the same curriculum for prealgebra and algebra so the teaching method is the same. Has anyone done RS through middle school (G&H) and gone to something besides videotext for HS? The question I'm asking may be unanswerable simply because the new edition hasn't been out long enough.... Just looking for input/suggestions from anyone who has been there. Thanks so much!

So...I went to a homeschool conference this weekend where RS was one of the vendors, and Dr. Cotter was covering their vendor table. I was able to get my hands on the new fraction lesson kit that RS put out a few weeks ago. Most of what's covered in these lessons combine the fractions lessons in the Level or Games books. Mostly there was an introduction and explanation of the topic, sometimes a worksheet for further practice, and then a game to help reinforce the topic. I put the bug in her daughter's ear, she was there too, that there are many people who'd like to see online samples especially of the TOC and a lesson or two on multiplication and division. Personally, I didn't find the need to purchase it since we've been through all of the levels sans level G and have the games book. I could see purchasing it if you want fraction review from the very basics all the way through simple fraction division. Dr. Cotter is a nice, nice lady who is passionate about what she does;it was a joy to talk to her. I told her I was anxiously awaiting Level F, and hoped she would get to it on schedule. :D :toetap05: :D Thought I'd report back with my findings... :thumbup1: CMama, have you received yours? What do you think?

Has anyone tried RightStart math? Who loves it? Why? I'm agonizing over whether to try RightStart C next year instead of Saxon 3. (I picked C instead of B based on the site's recommendation.) It's not that my DS7 has a big problem with Saxon. He does fine and doesn't complain most of the time. But he doesn't have that mythical "love of math" I've heard so much about. Maybe because I don't have that, it's hard for me to imagine, but if it's real, I'd like him to have a chance to develop it. And Saxon isn't really inspiring. I would describe it as thorough and adequate, but it's not making anyone around here EAGER for math. So, I took a few learning style quizzes on behalf of my son, and he is mainly auditory, and secondly kinesthetic. So I thought RightStart seemed to fit well with that. Is there another math I MUST investigate? I need something complete...I don't want to have to piecemeal it. Any suggestions?

Is there anyone here on the HS forum that has successfully completed the RS series? My oldest is almost finished with level E, and I am coming up with a game plan that hopefully takes us through the middle school years and into high school. If anyone is interested, here is a recent thread on the Logic Board that talks about RS to Pre-Algebra. There are many of us finishing RS-E soon, and, if they're anything like me, I want to know our best course of action going forward. The company recommends VideoText (through Algebra) to use with RS-G (Geometry), but I'd like to explore other options. If I like the way RS approaches math, what will I like for upper math? What have you used to bridge between RS and Algebra? TIA!

Hello all, I'm trying to get a head start on some curriculum purchases for the upcoming fall. I'm happy with a lot of what we have been using, but it's been difficult to find a good fit for math for my oldest. He's a very bright 9-and-a-half-year-old, entering 4th grade. The first couple years I did a combo of Saxon and Singapore. Saxon is too easy and repetitive for the most part, but he still needed some reinforcement on arithmetic facts, which is why I included it. I wanted to switch math curricula this year for his younger brother, so I went ahead and switched my oldest, also, to RightStart Math. We're a Montessori family, so I appreciated how the author incorporated Montessori ideals into this curriculum. I started my 9-year-old on Level D, based on the brief placement test. He recently said that math has been too easy this year and a waste of time. I have been so wrapped up in everything that I really didn't pay too much attention to this, but he's probably right. So, my question is, what do I do for next year? My two main priorities are: -that he be able to do most, if not all, of the work on his own, without my assistance (having to read problems, etc.) RightStart Level D still expects me to teach concepts and read portions to him. We're adding child #3 to homeschooling in the fall, and I'm going to be pressed for one-on-one time. -that he not be bored, but be engaged and challenged. Does anyone know about RightStart level E, or the levels after that? What grade levels is level G equivalent to? What happens after that? Should I just skip a couple of grade levels ahead with Saxon? Or keep it close to grade level but supplement with something? I assume I shouldn't get too far ahead with grade levels because he wouldn't be ready for the abstract concepts of algebra, is that right? I would appreciate any recommendations. I feel guilty for not doing a better job with meeting his math needs this year, especially since I'm a certified math teacher! (high school, though) Thanks, Erin

I just finished doing Right Start C with DD8 last Friday...:party: It took us 12 "school months" of new lessons (we only reviewed over the summer), and it was hard work and had its ups and downs, but in the end I felt like it was great and DD really learned a lot. I just assumed we would use level D, and bought it at convention last spring. I pulled it out last night to read through the first few lessons and I was shocked. Really shocked. I got the impression there was some review at the beginning, but wow...we're back to doing mostly addition and subtraction, and just writing a few multiples out. Full pages of multiplication practice don't come back into play until lessons in the 60s, and that is after writing out the multiplication table, again (we did that in C!). I'm tempted to skip a bunch of level D, except for the fact that there are random lessons mixed in about things we've never done before, like liquid measurement and some new addition/subtraction strategies. I was tempted to ditch it all together and find something else, but DD begged me not to (I asked her what she thought about leaving RightStart). She really doesn't like change! :lol: And I already have D, which, as much as it seems like it is going to drive me crazy, is simpler and cheaper than having to find something else. Some days it does seem like RightStart is a poor fit for her (she just hates questions like "what pattern do you see here?" or when the lessons have us jump through a bunch of hoops to discover some new principle or method -- she would rather the lesson just explain it to her up front!). But on the whole RightStart has been good for us. So...now that I have all that off my chest...If you have done level D, did all this review drive you crazy? Or will there be enough new stuff in there to keep it interesting? Did you skip/combine lessons? Or did all this drive you away from Level D all together? I feel like at minimum I need to have DD do multiplication practice via practice sheets or iPad apps, or she will forget the multiplication facts she has learned. Sigh. It's so annoying that D doesn't just pick up right where C ends.

I just started Rightstart A with my almost 6 yr old son. The first few lessons were great! I still like it, but my son is having difficulty "seeing" the numbers. He really wants to count. He can recognize up to 5 pretty well, but he rarely gets 6-10 right. Since I have not allowed him to count, he thinks it is a guessing game. When he doesn't instantly know the number is, he starts guessing. When I ask him to stop guessing and think about it, he says, "but you won't let me count!" I'm not sure what to do to help him see the numbers as a quantity of 8 or 6 or 9 without thinking it is a guessing game. I really like the program, but I feel like we are stuck at recognizing numbers beyond 5. I did go ahead to lesson 11, because he gets tired of doing the same thing, but should I stop until he gets it?? Will the continual review help him to eventually see the quantities? Any input is appreciated!

Hi everyone, My dd4 would like to start doing some "school" work in the fall. I don't want to buy anything too early and miss out on deals like free shipping. If anyone has some advice, these are the things I would like to buy: * Bible Study Guide for All Ages (probably Rainbow resource) * All About Reading Pre-K (from the All about learning website) * Rightstart Math (if I decide to get the basic level, I'll probably get it from Rainbow Resources, or I would get the deluxe kit from Rightstart directly. Do anyone have any advice about this?). * Handwriting Without Tears Pre-K (probably a Rainbowresource purchase. I will have to figure out what manipulatives I really need, because this one looks like a potential money pit. That's probably another question all by itself). I am going to skip the homeschool convention this year, because I know what I want and having someone hover over me while I am looking at something freaks me out a little bit. Also, I think the convention might do serious damage to my budget. :tongue_smilie: As a side note, I am trying to decide on a curriculum to round things out. I do like the looks of Sonlight, but I am also considering a curriculum from Wee Folk Art: http://weefolkart.com/content/homeschool-companion-guides Has anyone tried the Wee Folk Art curriculum out? What did you think of it? Both my daughter and I have a very serious book addiction, so I think we'd both enjoy wallowing in some good books! The overall theme might tie in well with our new home. We just moved out on 18 acres, which I think will provide some nice outdoor learning opportunities. Thank you so much for any advice you might have.

I've been working through RSB with my ds, and it's been going well. So far he really enjoys math. The problem is that I have both RS and SM. I love both the approaches. I thought he would benefit from learning with a more hands on approach, but I also love the mastery offered in SM. I wanted to get through a significant portion of RS before beginning SM. We're almost on lesson 60 which is where I want for RS to wane and SM to increase. I think I'm going to do the rest of RS through the year maybe once a week, and finish it through the summer. I have the SM HIG, 1a, 1b workbooks, textbooks, CWP and EP. After doing RS, I'm wondering how you all juggle all the books? It seems clumsy to me to have all these books so separate. I am totally sold on them, but I'm wondering if you get the hang of it to where the lessons seem more fluid rather than choppy as you are switching from one book to the other. I feel I need to invest in a bunch of post-it bookmarks to make this work. I think I will probably not worry so much about the extra practice unless I feel he is struggling with a concept. I know tons of people love CWP, but it seems like a lot to add on top of it all. Or is it just me? Anyway, I'm I perceiving all these components to be more complicated to work with than they are in reality?

I want to order Rightstart for my upcoming first grade DD to supplement her PS Everyday Math curric. Just read a thread where a lot of parents gave up on it because of the way it is organized. Now I'm unsure. Does anyone have success stories using RS?:confused:

Years ago I purchased everything one would need to use RS A-C but it didn't work out. I was still in the stage of three toddlers and I was just plain tired all the time. I didn't have the energy to use RS. I gave it all away and really don't want to spend that kind of money again (now I can't afford it anyway ;)) but now that I plan to have group math sessions with my children I'm wondering if I can get away with purchasing the teacher manuals only. I don't want to use the whole program per say, just get some ideas and presenting math in a different light for my kiddos. I have many manipulatives and don't want to purchase an abacus (I had four RS abacuses at one time :banghead: and again don't want to fork the money out again). Would only owning the TM work for our group sessions?

I'm wondering your opinion about the math program you're using and why you chose it. The programs that seem to be popular are Math-u-see, Singapore, and Rightstart, but without access to the actual curriculum, it's difficult to choose. My daughter is six in August and we will be beginning first grade this year. Last year we used Saxon K. Thank you for your help! Jani

DD8 has completed RS levels B and C, then we took a much-needed break using CLE to solidify math facts, but have recently jumped back into D. At our current pace, dd will finish up level E sometime around the beginning of 4th grade (although we'll likely take some bunny trails with HOE, MEP, etc.) I know that many of you do other types of math for a couple of years before starting Algebra because your dc are not ready for Algebra maturity-wise. I've seen that some do Singapore 5 & 6, and then jump into Algebra. It is my tentative plan to dabble in some other things like CWP, LOF, RM6 and maybe some MM for a couple of years after RS E. But I'm curious about Dr. Cotter's recommendation that after RS E children should begin the Geometry program and then half-way through begin VideoText Algebra. (Is Videotext not as rigorous an Algebra program as some others, and that's why children can go right to it? I think I read that module A may be more of Pre-Algebra program???) So, what I've been wondering is...with children's mental readiness for algebra aside, does RightStart teach all the math concepts needed for Algebra?

I have been using Rightstart math A and B for my kiddos who are K and 1st. Well, next year I will be adding another child in and then every 2 years adding another. I spend a lot of face time with my kids, which I don't mind, but RS math is not getting done. I LOVE the way RS works, but I need other suggestions. What do you use and how much time does it take with you and without you? I don't mind worksheets, I think my kids would dig them. Thanks hive...