Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I see a lot of people LOVE A and B, but switch to Singapore or MM or something else once these two are done. Just wondering why, or if anyone has stuck with RS through Algebra? Monica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Well, I'm not sure if we'll finish C. It meanders a bit, has a huge drawing section in the middle, and teaches subtraction in a very odd way. The pace seems really slow on its own and I'm glad we also do CLE. But I loved and adored A and B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 It's a great program overall, and there are people here who have stuck with it long-term. Hopefully they will jump in here and tell you about its strengths. We absolutely loved it for levels A and B. With C, my daughter wasn't enjoying it as much any more, but I couldn't really put my finger on why. We slogged through it, though. Then with level D, we absolutely hit a wall with division. The way it was introduced was very non-intuitive, and my dd was frustrated to tears. I had no choice but to look for something else for that concept, and so we ended up just using the other materials since they were working. But if RS works well for you, and you are prepared to supplement when you get to division, I don't think that would have to disrupt things for you as much as it did for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I have taught RightStart A & B, and I am in the middle of C. However, I also own and have previewed D & E. I think RightStart's unique strength comes from its early emphasis on place value. The deep understanding of place value is the key behind how RightStart teaches addition and subtraction. The manipulatives are integrated in a way that (IMHO) uniquely supports teaching place value, addition, and subtraction, unlike other math programs. However, multiplication and division are not as deeply rooted in place value. That is why RightStart's advantages over other programs shrink once past multi-digit subtraction. The RightStart manipulatives for multiplication, division, and fractions aren't any better than the manipulatives used by other programs. The drawing sections distracts from arithmetic, and the parent intensive nature of every lesson becomes burdonsome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I used A with my oldest and moved to Singapore for two reasons. The thought of eventually teaching 3 DC (now 4) with it made me want to cry. It's very teacher-intensive, and I don't particularly enjoy math. When we finished level A, I didn't have much money to spend on the next level (DH was a student at the time) so I went with Singapore because it was much cheaper. Our lessons go much quicker and it's more independent. If I'd only had 1 DC (or even 2), I probably would have stuck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfall Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I asked the same question (although differently phrased) a couple months ago, so you can probably find it if you search for it. The general feeling by people who had dropped it was that RS became somewhat disjointed in level C and it moved too slowly after B. A lot of people like the first half of C, but not the second half or the upper levels. I've also heard that levels D and E seem like one year worth of work spread out over 2. HTH some. :) I decided to go ahead and start C once we finish B in a couple months. I have it and I want to cover subtraction with it. If at some point we start hating it, we'll switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) There are at least two factors that I can think of. One, many people on this board seem to like an advanced curriculum. RS B is very advanced. After that, the program really slows down. Two, it is very teacher intensive. I can see where a lot of people might use it with their first and then once the younger siblings start to hit school age, they realize it will require more time than they expected to teach all their children the RS way. Personally, I used the program almost to the end of C. We loved the drawing lessons, but I felt like my daughter wasn't getting any systematic written practice. The daily written work was minimal and I never knew which practice sheets to add in. At that point, we began supplementing with CLE, and dd did so well with that, we just dropped RS. So, no regrets about the levels of RS we used. I think it is a great way to begin math. If I had another little one coming up, I'd do things the same. I do also plan to use RS's Geometry program a couple of days a week with my daughter once she's ready because she really enjoyed all the drawing lessons in RS C. Lisa ETA: I do have a friend who loves RS and has used it all the way through with her oldest. Her other son is following in the same path. The boy she did all the levels of RS with is now in 5th grade and taking a very rigorous pre-algebra course and will go on to algebra next year in 6th. For them, it's been a perfect fit. Edited February 20, 2011 by LisaTheresa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 Next question- if you go through RS A and B, what level of Singapore do you start with after? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Next question- if you go through RS A and B, what level of Singapore do you start with after? One. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 :bigear: We plan to finish RS B (we did A last year) and then move to a different program. Singapore (at the moment) seems to be our top choice, after my husband and I discussed our next math program just this weekend. They have placement tests on their website. 1A looks way easy. I'm deciding between Singapore 1B or 2A. I plan to get her to do the Assessment Tests for 1B tonight... If she passes 70%, we'll start with 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 My 6 yo is flying through B and Singapore 1 is too easy for her. She does it for fun and extra practice. I will probably switch her to just Singapore when she's done with RS. It's sooooo much work for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfall Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I definitely couldn't see switching to Singapore 1A after RS B. It would be WAY too easy. I really can't even see switching to 1B. I don't think my dd is particularly mathy, but we're not even finished with RS B and Singapore 1A and 1B look too easy for her right now. She does do the Singapore CWP for 1, but she's not having any problem with it at all. We're only lesson 70-something of RS B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 These responses have been so helpful. I think I will go with RS A and B, and then try C out until it stops working for us. I'll throw some Miquon in for good measure. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I used RS B & C with my oldest and then switched to Singapore. We :001_wub: B but C was just okay and then looking ahead to D & E it seemed like there was way too much review and not enough new material covered. I found RS difficult to accelerate because of the scripted nature of the lessons plus it's a very expensive program to be doing more than one level per year. Singapore is much easier to accelerate plus the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems books can be used to up the challenge level. Another impetus to switching was because my 2nd child was going to be starting math the following semester and I didn't want to be doing two levels of RS. As it turns out, I ended up shelving RS A and switching to MEP Reception but I may pull out RS again if he hits a wall in MEP Yr. 1 (which I've heard is fairly common). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 RS C takes more diligence on the parents part, while it's much too easy on the student's part. I would look at a RSC lesson and the warm-up would be too easy (count to 100 by multiples of 10.... etc.) So I would pick something to warm up that I know he knows, but could use a little repeating. I never had to do that with B. So, right from the warm-up, I had to think of something. OFTEN, at the beginning of RS C, that would be getting the clock out for ds because, he covered it in B but I wanted more practice.... sooooo, when we got to all the lessons on time, my ds could already tell time and was checking the time each day on his own because he has a watch. So that was a bunch of lessons skipped. IF that had been the only thing, it would have been fine, but it seems like it did that too often. I eventually skipped to subtraction, which IMO, should have been the first chapters in the book. Subtraction flows so well with the way addition is taught that it would have started the year off well. I love the addition practice sheets and the card games, so I would have loved these to be the warm-ups instead of doing 3 months of addition as actual lessons. RS C starts off interestingly with Roman Numerals, then hits addition, then introduces multiplication, then moves way to quickly from that to subtraction, then time, then back to multiplication, then the drawing lessons (Which ds LOVED, so I will definitely get geometry). This is a little disjointed to me and I'm disappointed because it has the potential to be amazing! Now if Dr. Cotter would hire me as a consultant, I could re-work C into something great. :tongue_smilie::tongue_smilie:;):D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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