RS Math games & learning math facts

[jenL]

I'm not really for the drilling of the math facts method because I've tried it with my son, and he shuts down and becomes frustrated if he's not fast enough, etc. So, I searched math facts on here and found many mentions of the RS math card games.

 

I'm interested in them; however, in googling them, I see they come in a kit that's pretty expensive for us right now. Is it possible to buy the games separately somewhere that I may have overlooked? Any other suggestions to implement the RS games (or other math games) to help my son learn his math facts?

 

TIA!

[hsmom23]

:lurk5:

[Kuovonne]

You can buy all of the items in the RightStart Math Games Kit individually. For example, you can buy the basic/green deck with numbers 0-10 for $5 and the card games book for $25. Look under "classroom" on the web site.

[Blossom'sGirl]

I am not sure I would buy the games just to learn math facts. My oldest has completed RS levels B-E, Second DS is in level E, third is in lev B so I am familiar with the whole program. RS emphasizes learning the skip counting patterns as a precedent to memorizing multiplication facts. The games seem to help some but I just could not get the time to do them enough. The scope of the games is also much larger than that so it may be overkill. RS does have practice drills built into many of the daily lessons so I don't think they use the games to learn facts.

 

I will say that all of my children loved the game called "Go to the Dump" (go fish) and learned how to make ten.

 

You may want to google for some math game ideas 1st.

[Osaubi]

I used the games in RS to help my ds learn math facts. We played addition war, corners game, go to the dump, and swim to ten to help cement the addition facts. He thought it was fun, and for me it was painless compared to flashcards.

 

I just found the math games book and all the cards for $25 used on this site. See if you can find it used.

 

You could also try Peggy Kaye's math games books. My library has them and I looked at them awhile back.

[corbie]

We like the games. If your dc likes card games, I'd get the set. There are tons of games, and they really are fun!

[kclopez]

WE do like the games. I went round and round about it because of the price. Finally did it and am glad I did. 300 games! covers money, facts, fractions, time and more. I realized we weren't doing it enough so my new goal is introducing them to a game a week. Then the boys have to play it together during the week. I put them in their workboxes.

[Crimson Wife]

It's expensive upfront, but you've got 2 kids and the games cover math through 4th or 5th grade. So over the long run you should get your money's worth.

 

I wish I'd bought the set earlier instead of waiting until we were halfway through RS B.

[greenmamato3]

i have emailed directly the gal at ALabacaus before on several occasions asking questions about our son who comes and goes with his attitude about math, esp in the area of math facts/math drill. in my most recent discussion with her, she reminded me that 15 min of a game is equivalent to one math worksheet or math drill. i try to remember as a guideline ....

 

we DO love the math games and i would highly recommend using them if you're a RS user, but somehow i think that b/c of the way RS introduces concepts, it could potentially be overkill to buy ALL of the math games, etc, just to drill math facts. it would be much easier to do something where you take number an egg carton tray 1-12, put two rocks in it and practice adding the numbers together where the rocks land when you "roll" them. {or you could multiply them, etc} .... to increase our DS's challenge, i've done a competition with him using 2 dice. he has to add the number on the dice to the cup it lands in, then add the other dice to the cup it landed in. that's his sum for that round. i do the same. whichever is the greater answer is the person who is awarded a point for that round {and we mark them in roman numerals on our white board]. he LOVES this game, and it's WAY more challenging than a simple math drill sheet.

 

you would have almost no cost of investment in that .... and you wouldn't have to sift through all the math games.

 

now, having said all that, we remain fully-devoted diehard RS fans ... and will probably have played every game in the book before it's all said and done :) if your budget allows, buy them & do the egg carton idea :) :tongue_smilie: there are also games like Sum Swamp and Flip 4 that can be used for math time .... {which our family has just recently discovered, though that is probably not news to you ladies! :) } :lol: