Youngest Age for RightStart Level A?

[Macrina]

The first few lessons look like my preschooler could handle them with no problem. But I wonder how quickly it because more advanced? What's the youngest age you started yours on Level A RightStart? And is there a better formal program for a young one?

[Aurelia]

We started at 4.5. It worked just fine, but Ariel is a bit advanced.

[patchfire]

We also started around 4.5, and ds did fine with it. We didn't keep it up because it was "Pre-K," and honestly, I just didn't give it precedence. We picked up the pace after 5 and it's gone VERY quickly (he'll finish it next week). He easily could have done it all before 5, though. HTH.

[give_me_a_latte]

My son will be 4 in November and we're using Level A. Granted, we aren't very far. And we move very slow. But so far so good. I figure we'll probably reach a point where we'll need to hit pause for awhile, and I'm okay with that. But like you've noticed...the early lessons are pretty basic.

 

As for other programs I know many have had success with Saxon K for preschool. We used Lesson Pathways math for awhile too, before starting RightStart. It's free and uses mostly games/activities to introduce math concepts, which I liked.

[Capt_Uhura]

You can always start and if it gets frustrating for him, then stop for awhile. I did RS A with a 4yr old and he was fine. He loved, loved working with numbers and would beg to do it. He's in RS level D now as a 2nd grader and doing well with it. I keep thinking at some point he'll hit a wall and we'll stop but he hasn't. We'll slow down now and do SM CWP and some other miscellaneous math books I have around the house.

[CourtneyChn]

We started at 5 and she's had no problem with it. I bet she would have done well with it at 4 but she was such a party girl that I just didn't have the heart to make her sit for lessons then. My oldest dd has always been very studious and I probably would have started at 4 with her, had I thought of it.

[Satori]

Another family who started at 4.5, glad we did. If anything I wish we had started a bit earlier.

[Mama2two]

Another family that started at 4.5

No problems at all but my daughter did also fly thru Singapore Earlybird first

[MissKNG]

I was going to start my big girl a couple of months shy of 3.5. I actually called RightStart to discuss this with them and the representative said that starting RS A at almost 3.5 was fine. She explained it's best to start them as early as possible before they find their "comfortable" way of counting. That way, you can get them on the "RS" way of counting and visualizing easier.

 

Ultimately, we didn't go with RS but I would have started her at almost 3.5 had we tried.

Edited September 30, 2010 by MissKNG

[MeganW]

I was going to start my big girl a couple of months shy of 3.5. I actually called RightStart to discuss this with them and the representative said that starting RS A at almost 3.5 was fine. She explained it's best to start them as early as possible before they find their "comfortable" way of counting. That way, you can get them on the "RS" way of counting and visualizing easier.

 

 

That helps a LOT!

[siloam]

The first few lessons look like my preschooler could handle them with no problem. But I wonder how quickly it because more advanced? What's the youngest age you started yours on Level A RightStart? And is there a better formal program for a young one?

 

 

I started when ds was 5, but I have a full load and didn't have time to start sooner.

 

Personally I think RS is one of the best programs for young kids.

 

Heather

[Tonia]

I'm another that started when dd was 4 years old. Great program!

[Amie]

I started with my almost 4yo. We do it casually and I have skipped (so far) learning to write numbers--I will work on that seperately with handwriting/penmanship when the time comes. You can pick and choose many of the early activities and play them over again like games, taking it as slowly as you need to. It is a lot of fun and now even my 18-month-old takes the abacus and moves beads over while saying, "two, two, two..." (that's how he counts ;)).

[Aloha2U]

My little man started Level A at 4.5yo, Level B at 5yo, and Level C at 6yo. We really like RightStart here!

 

:001_smile: Melissa

[waa510]

We started at about 3.75 but only because we originally started with MUS and it flopped. It took a while for me to find a replacement to MUS used, which was RS..I haven't found DD to struggle with concepts and she loves the games and abacus, tally sticks, etc. I actually thought it was a pre-k program since the representative from RS manning the booth at the local hs conference we had kept mentioning her teaching A to her 4 yr old kids back in the day. I just recently heard many waiting til 5 for level A, which I thought would be a bit simple for a K program IMO. But each kid is different..if you're not sure I'd take it slow and be prepared to pause if you get the glazed eyes :).

[FairProspects]

Alright, I have tried to hold my tongue but I really must say something here. Can a younger child do parts/all of RS A? Yes. Will they get the most out of it? Possibly, depending on the child, but in a lot of cases probably not.

 

We are now at the end of RS A, working on volume, fractions, comparisons, estimations etc. and there is NO WAY my 4 or even early 5 y.o. would have gotten the depth out of these lessons that we are getting now at 6. There is a difference between checking the box for finishing the lesson, and throughly understanding the concept. I really couldn't care less that ds mixed water around in different glasses (ie completed the lesson) if he can't understand that the volume in two glasses can look different, still measure the same and estimate equal & missing volumes (which are some pretty abstract concepts for preschoolers).

 

Just because you can start earlier doesn't always mean that you should. If someone is looking for a math program for preschool, personally I would start with MEP reception and work on the informal puzzle/discovery aspect of math and then move into formal math later.

 

I do not find anything about the program to be "too simple" for K, in fact many of the mental math problems are complex conceptually and we had to put parts of it away at age 5 and pick it back up after months of development.

 

What's the rush? RS A is K level and it covers K level material. I'm not sure it does you any good to cover it with youngers and it may make them math averse if they aren't ready for a "formal" program.

[Macrina]

I just want something that gives me pre-k math ideas daily. She doesn't need to be writing or memorizing. So I am just trying to find the best avenue for that.

[FairProspects]

I just want something that gives me pre-k math ideas daily. She doesn't need to be writing or memorizing. So I am just trying to find the best avenue for that.

 

Ok, personally, I would use MEP reception for that (that is what I plan to do for ds #2 next year).

[Macrina]

Ok, personally, I would use MEP reception for that (that is what I plan to do for ds #2 next year).

 

I don't know that one. Link?

[FairProspects]

I don't know that one. Link?

 

Sure! The best part is its free!

 

Reception is the U.K. term for Pre-K/K4 or kids who are 4 turning 5 during the school year.

 

It starts out simple, but gets much more complex with mathematical patterns & puzzles as the year goes on.

[JenC3]

My ds 4.4 is very into writing his numbers up to 100! Counting to 100 adding, counting everything, etc. He is already understanding multiplication concepts and basic addition. Now I don't think he is a math whiz, I do think it's because he is my dd's main playmate and he absorbs so much by being with her. I'm starting him on RS A next month because he wants more math and has asked for it. I plan on doing a lesson 2 or 3 times a week unless he wants more.

[waa510]

Alright, I have tried to hold my tongue but I really must say something here. Can a younger child do parts/all of RS A? Yes. Will they get the most out of it? Possibly, depending on the child, but in a lot of cases probably not.

 

We are now at the end of RS A, working on volume, fractions, comparisons, estimations etc. and there is NO WAY my 4 or even early 5 y.o. would have gotten the depth out of these lessons that we are getting now at 6. There is a difference between checking the box for finishing the lesson, and throughly understanding the concept. I really couldn't care less that ds mixed water around in different glasses (ie completed the lesson) if he can't understand that the volume in two glasses can look different, still measure the same and estimate equal & missing volumes (which are some pretty abstract concepts for preschoolers).

 

Just because you can start earlier doesn't always mean that you should. If someone is looking for a math program for preschool, personally I would start with MEP reception and work on the informal puzzle/discovery aspect of math and then move into formal math later.

 

I do not find anything about the program to be "too simple" for K, in fact many of the mental math problems are complex conceptually and we had to put parts of it away at age 5 and pick it back up after months of development.

 

What's the rush? RS A is K level and it covers K level material. I'm not sure it does you any good to cover it with youngers and it may make them math averse if they aren't ready for a "formal" program.

 

 

Since you referenced what I'd said about it being too simple for K I'd like to expand on what I'd said earlier. I agree wholeheartedly that there's a difference between doing the lesson and the kid actually 'doing' the lesson..I catch your drift. I should have mentioned that my kiddo is a bit advanced (almost done with OPG, for example) so maybe my barometer for what a Ker can handle and what is simple or not may be off. However, as I said, you need to judge readiness by the kid. In my dd's case, yes, she is 4, but she can handle A and by the time we reach the end, she'll be at least 4.5 if not 5 since we're going slowly and methodically so she should be able to grasp the concepts you spoke of above. Also, it's been said on the Rightstart yahoo group that B is very much a review of A, at least initially, and that that level is more for the actual mastery whereas A is seen as simply an exposure level. That may be an opinion of a yahoo grouper rather than RS's intention for the curriculum's use, I really don't know. All that to say, again, gauge it by your kid. Only you know what they can handle :)

[MeganW]

Alright, I have tried to hold my tongue but I really must say something here. Can a younger child do parts/all of RS A? Yes. Will they get the most out of it? Possibly, depending on the child, but in a lot of cases probably not.

 

...

 

Just because you can start earlier doesn't always mean that you should.

 

...

 

What's the rush?

 

In our case, the rush is a younger child who REALLY wants/expects to be included, as well as this being my only opportunity to prove to my husband (before kindergarten) that I am disciplined enough to homeschool, and that I can provide an education that is actually better than what they would get in the public school system.