RightStart Math users - manipulative questions

[eclipse]

My charter school is buying RightStart Levels A and C for my two youngest kids, but they don't want to buy the manipulative kits because they already have many similar things in their own inventory (things like tanagram pieces and geoboards and centimeter cubes (and even an alabacus) ). If I can't convince them to buy some of the more unique things (like the math games kit) I'll probably buy them myself. But I was wondering if the place value cards are something that would be easy to make - they look like they would be easy to make on card stock. The abacus tiles also look like something I could construct with the hundreds tiles I already have - by coloring dots on the squares - and they would hold up better than the card stock tiles they have for sale. Is there any reason I would need the ones sold by RightStart?

 

And is there any reason I would need the following as sold by RightStart rather than one the charter might have in stock as generic items?:

 

geoboard

tanagrams

color tiles

fraction chart

geometry reflector

geared clock

individual items in the drawing kit - t-square, trangles, or Safe-t compass

 

It would be easier if they would just order the kit, but it doesn't seem like it will happen! I'm hoping I can get them to order the math games set, or else I'll order it myself :)

 

Thanks

Edited August 19, 2010 by eclipse

[Homemama2]

Here's my opinion...FWIW ;)

 

geoboard

tanagrams-

color tiles

fraction chart-

geometry reflector-haven't had to use this yet

geared clock

individual items in the drawing kit - t-square, trangles, or Safe-t compass

 

 

I think you could use generics for these...I did not buy the drawing kit, tanagrams or clock-I bought similar stuff at my local teachers shop for much cheaper. Look at the fraction chart online and see if it what the charter school has is similar. You can make the place value cards (I did this at first) but then I got a bunch of RS manipulatives used and these were included. The ones they sell make it much easier to use because they are plastic, but not necessary.

 

IMO-you must have the kind of abacus RS uses. There are alot of different kind of abacuses...some have each row of beads a different color..that would not work. The RS abacus has 5 blue beads, then 5 yellow in the row...so make sure it is the right kind of abacus. I like the math games kit. Some of the games you don't need to use their cards, but some games (like the Corners game) you need their cards to play.

Check out homeschoolclassifieds.com if you want to buy RS materials used. I was able to get my manipulatives for a very cheap price.

Edited August 19, 2010 by Homemama2

[nansk]

...I was wondering if the place value cards are something that would be easy to make - they look like they would be easy to make on card stock....

 

I am surprised that the printable Montessori number cards are no longer freely available; they used to be available at more than one place a few years ago. I had to search long and hard to find these...

 

Anyway, here are the free printable large number cards. You can print them on cardstock and laminate for durability.

 

If you need the small number cards, you may be able to tweak these to print 2 pages on one A4 cardstock paper.

 

If you prefer making them using wooden or plastic tiles, here are instructions to make them.

 

Some printable ones to buy here. These include the small number cards as well, although I don't know if RightStart requires them.

 

The AlAbacus itself is cheap (I think the junior one costs $10) but if shipping to Mexico is an issue for you, try to look for any 100-bead abacus that has 5 beads in one colour and 5 in another colour on the same row.

 

For most other manipulatives, Learning Resources in the US has the good quality ones at reasonable prices. Do check to see if there is a distributor/stockist for LR items in Mexico.

 

HTH

[eclipse]

Thank you SO much for the number card link! That will easier than writing them up myself. Thankfully, the school actually had an alabacus in their stock room (or, if it's not made by RightStart, it looks just like the ones they sell. I have them hunting for a second one so my kids can each use their own). Shipping isn't an issue - we live very near San Diego and have a post office box to ship to.

 

Two more questions - how important is the "Yellow is the Sun" cd? It's really cheap and I can order it - I'm just curious how necessary it is. Also, though the games look fun and I think my kids would enjoy them, how necessary are they? I will probably get them regardless, but how frequently they are used might dictate how quickly I get them.

[campmom]

My dc enjoyed the yellow is the sun cd. But it is not necessary, I have an older RS A and the words and music to the song in it so you could sing it that way. Maybe someone with a newer copy will let you know if it is still in the book. I also read somewhere that someone took a wooden abacus and repainted the beads yellow and blue to match the RS abacus.

[Satori]

I just got done answering your question on the MDC board. :)

 

Nah, you don't need the CD. The book has the music notes so you know how the melody goes. I also just found a few cute YouTube videos of kids singing it if you want to hear it.

[nansk]

I just got done answering your question on the MDC board. :)

 

Nah, you don't need the CD. The book has the music notes so you know how the melody goes. I also just found a few cute YouTube videos of kids singing it if you want to hear it.

 

Angela,

 

Just curious, what else does the CD have (apart from that one song)?

 

We don't use RightStart, but I played those Youtube videos for my dd and she loves this song! (She loves all sorts of jingles in general, incl. Multiplication Rock.)

 

TIA

[siloam]

geoboard-Nifty but not used a lot. My kids play with them though.

tanagrams-forgot we had them and just made do without them.

color tiles-These I think were worth the money. We use them for lots of things.

fraction chart-There are some games that use the plastic ones, so just buy that.

geometry reflector-just used a hand held mirror.

geared clock-Love this, this was a must for my kids.

individual items in the drawing kit - t-square, trangles, or Safe-t compass-I don't think you need the compass till level E, but the rest you need and are hard to find similar items locally.

 

Personally I felt both the place value cards and games cards worth the cost. The place value cards are very important and are durable hard plastic. The game cards are cheap for what you get. My kids have been playing with them almost daily for 4 years, and they are tattered but still going.

 

Heather

[siloam]

Angela,

 

Just curious, what else does the CD have (apart from that one song)?

 

We don't use RightStart, but I played those Youtube videos for my dd and she loves this song! (She loves all sorts of jingles in general, incl. Multiplication Rock.)

 

TIA

 

I have never used the CD, but I am not big on using music for remembering stuff. Generally one has to sing the song to remember it (because the brain stores music in a different place from straight memorization), and as an adult I hardly want to sing those type of songs, right? We just memorize without the CD.

 

Heather

[nansk]

I have never used the CD, but I am not big on using music for remembering stuff. Generally one has to sing the song to remember it (because the brain stores music in a different place from straight memorization), and as an adult I hardly want to sing those type of songs, right? We just memorize without the CD.

 

Hmm.. You're right, and I agree. It's just that my dd likes songs and seems to be able to memorize better with them. She learnt the skip counting by 2, 3 and 5 using Multiplication Rock.

 

Thanks all the same, Heather, for your reply.