My son will be done with RightStart math this year, where to go from here?

[jail warden]

He will only be in 5th grade next year. I'm finishing E this year. While RS has helped him tremendously, I would say Math is not a strong subject for him. So I guess I'm saying I really don't think he'd be near ready to go into VideoText like RS recommends. I've thought a lot about going with Singapore 5 and LoF 1 day/week, but are there other recommendations? Something you've done that you just loved. TIA!

[Susie in CA]

HI Lori,

 

We decided to spend 5th and 6th grade on various sources instead of just one. We are going through the Key to ... books. Ds is working through fractions and decimals right now. At the same time we use Challange Math and LivingMath. I have Videotext and RS Geometry and will most likely start incorporating them next schoolyear (6th).

When we get to 7th grade we'll eveluate where we are and decide which route to go. I am leaning toward NEM but that's to be seen.

 

Susie

[FawnsFunnyFarm]

We LOVE Teaching Textbooks.

[Surlygirlie]

We interspersed LOF Fractions, Rightstart Geometric Approach, and some computer generated worksheets on various multiplication, division, and fraction problems.

[Pensguys]

We did the RS series (didn't finish the geometry though). I spent a year or two "messing around". We did LoF decimals, LoF Fractions, even BJU 6 and VT-A. This year (7th) we went back and re-did VT-A (I'm glad we did...he needed the maturity/time) and are on VT-B. I threw in some LoF (the bridges we didn't cover before and some Math Mammoth). I'm very pleased with his progress and feel confident with VT for him and him for VT.

[Debbie in OR]

We went to Math-U-See Epsilon to really solidify his fractions. Math is not my ds' strong suit either but he did great with RS and is now thriving with MUS. We also add in Strayer-Upton for more mental math.

[susie in tx]

My oldest did some of the Math Mammoth multiplication and division worksheets. It helped to solidify her double digit multiplication and introduced long division. Then, she did the two LOF books fractions and decimals and percents. She went into LOF Beginning Algebra after that.

 

Currently, other 11 yo is doing Math Mammoth Division 1. When she is done, she may do more of the division, and I might add in the LOF books and/or the pre-algebra. She also does Singapore CWP.

[Haiku]

:lurk5:

[PeterPan]

We jumped from RS after D and went into BJU. Love it, staying put till it no longer works for us. It was a smooth transition, similar conceptually but with an easy to implement format, clear tm, colorful pages, etc. From RS E I'd go into BJU5 or 6, depending on your student. The new editions are MUCH more rigorous btw. The BJU7 that we're doing now is pretty mind-popping, covering logs and all sorts of stuff.

[buddhabelly]

We were exactly in your position. We went into Singapore 5A and 5B, with LOF Fractions after 5A and LOF Decimals/Percents after 5B. Well, actually, we didn't do it exactly this way but that is what I would recommend. LOF is challenging, so I would recommend doing the Singapore BEFORE each LOF. LOF will stretch the child further (way further) than Singapore, so should be done after.

 

My son still remembers all the set theory taught in LOF. He was impatiently teaching it to me today. "Mom? You really don't know what subsets are??" No. Really, honestly, didn't remember whether an empty set is a subset, or whether the whole set is a subset. (Yes on both counts.)

 

Love it.

 

I also have Right Start Geometry, but it doesn't look like we'll get to it. We might do it as a fun break during the summer, but I'm pretty sure we won't finish it! By the way, LOF Decimals/Percents teaches a TON of geometry. Who knew?

 

Julie

[SBP]

We did the RS series (didn't finish the geometry though). I spent a year or two "messing around".

 

Great way to put it! We spent a year "messing around" after RS, too. We did some BJU (hated it), some of the "Keys to" books, some LoF, etc. Mostly I was biding my time until he was ready for ChalkDust Basic Math, which we tried for half of this year (6th). I loved CD and don't consider it time wasted, but my son just wasn't retaining with it at all. He was holding his own on the chapter tests, but each successive cumulative review was a bigger and bigger disaster. Finally, I switched him to Saxon, and I think we're settled there for a while. My kids just need the continual review that Saxon provides, and the way the lessons are set up - beginning each day with a mental math warm up - actually brings back fond memories of my beloved RightStart TM ;). So if I had it to do over, I'd have just gone straight from RS to Saxon, but if you have a child who does well with a mastery approach, I think ChalkDust is a great option, too. It just didn't work for my particular child at this point.

 

Best of luck to you in your search. RightStart is a tough act to follow!

 

SBP

[Blossom'sGirl]

My oldest went from RS E to Singapore 4B. I only have the text for 4B so we just flew through it over the summer and started 5A the following Sept. using the text and Challenging Word Problems 5. He has been doing CWP since 2nd grade so Singapore is not completely foreign to him. He did LOF fractions over the summer between 5B and 6A.

 

Now my 2nd ds is finishing RS E. I think I want something more "structured" for him. I want regular tests and reviews and unlike the way Singapore (US) is set up there will be a bunch of new stuff covered and then huge review lessons and no tests. I have been using the reviews in the workbooks as tests for my oldest. I tested 2nd ds for for the CLE 400 level which he easily passed. I am thinking of testing him at the 500 level just to make sure he really needs to start there. If I do go with CLE, I will still be using some of the Singapore lessons especially the speed and circle chapters. He would also do CWP slowly. This ds will be doing LOF fractions this summer.

 

It seems that Singapore standards is set up more like I want, but the HIGs are not out for the levels I need, and I need the answers. I don't have time to be solving problems to check.

[Capt_Uhura]

My 4th grader is finishing up RS E in next couple of months. Plans are to go into SM 5A/5B, do LOF along w/ CWP and SM 6A/6B. We'll dabble in RS Geometric approach (maybe SM 3days and Geo 2days). I have VT A on hand which I need to watch to see if I like it (I did love how he said he won't teach via - invert and multiply - but rather WHY that works. I also have Foerster's on hand which I need to read through as well.

[Mom-ninja.]

We were exactly in your position. We went into Singapore 5A and 5B, with LOF Fractions after 5A and LOF Decimals/Percents after 5B. Well, actually, we didn't do it exactly this way but that is what I would recommend. LOF is challenging, so I would recommend doing the Singapore BEFORE each LOF. LOF will stretch the child further (way further) than Singapore, so should be done after.

 

My son still remembers all the set theory taught in LOF. He was impatiently teaching it to me today. "Mom? You really don't know what subsets are??" No. Really, honestly, didn't remember whether an empty set is a subset, or whether the whole set is a subset. (Yes on both counts.)

 

Love it.

 

I also have Right Start Geometry, but it doesn't look like we'll get to it. We might do it as a fun break during the summer, but I'm pretty sure we won't finish it! By the way, LOF Decimals/Percents teaches a TON of geometry. Who knew?

 

Julie

 

This looks like a good choice. I haven't looked at anything out there yet, but this sounds like a good plan.

[jail warden]

Julie, Are you thinking of sticking with Singapore or eventually going to VideoText? I'm so glad to see someone has done what I'm thinking of doing. Do you really like that approach? Would you do it again? Thanks so much!

[Tea 4 Three]

My dd did the one year of the geometric approach combined with Challenge Math. She seemed to really burn out on the geometric approach so after Christmas this year (6th grade) we started Videotext Algebra. LOVE it! The explanations are so clear and concise.

 

She still struggles with having the basic facts memorized and I am a little uncomfortable that she has not done a lot of long division, so I am considering Mammoth Math to supplement here and there. I am also considering the LoF for a few topics.

[krisp]

I'm about to order RSE, so :lurk5: (The Singapore/LOF approach sounds very interesting....)

[buddhabelly]

To answer your question, my son is going to school in the fall. :crying: If he weren't we would definitely look at Video Text. I've seen it at conventions and my son was mesmerized by it. Oh, and to answer your other questions, I was EXTREMELY happy with both Singapore and LOF. It was a seamless, beautiful transition from RS E to Singapore 5A. LOF was mostly doled out like candy. "You can read some LOF after you finish the next unit of Singapore."

 

As far as future plans, if he weren't going to school in the fall I would probably just ask Laura Corin what she did with her boys. :D

 

 

Julie

Edited March 7, 2010 by buddhabelly

[jail warden]

Julie, Thanks so much for the reply! I'm glad to know you loved this path!

[lauriej]

I think Life of Fred is in keeping with the spirit of RS (thinking out of the box) and is a nice filler before going into Videotext Algebra. We tried going straight to VT and it didn't work, but my dd has come back to it now after LOF and is doing much better with it. I'd love LOF as a long-term program, but I just don't feel there is enough practice there. I did notice, however, that the CLEP exam folks recommend the LOF Calculus book as a good course to prepare for their exam.

[emmsmama]

My dd is nearing the end of E and then we will likely zip through Epsilon (friend is loaning me hers) and then I bought Zeta used. I just want to solidify everything for dd with fractions and decimals. Then I hope to have her go through RS Geometry along with VT Algebra if I can find a good used copy. Dh is out of work right now though, so if I can't find a good used copy of VT, then I'm going to have her go through LoF Fractions and LoF D&P along with RS Geometry because I can't afford VT new right now.

[Reya]

We did Singapore.