Right Start Math-does anyone on here use it?

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Right Start Math was recommended by family members who homeschool when I asked them about Saxon Math. I looked over their website, and I understand their philosophy, but I'm hesitant to try it, especially at the price. It's not in WTM (yes, I know I can go outside the book) and it doesn't go through high school.

 

Please, if you use/have used this curriculum, tell me what you think about it. I am looking for a math curriculum for my 4 year old to start with this or next month. (The Saxon Math Assessment test placed him in Math 1.)

[boscopup]

Lots of folks here use it and love it, though many switch partway through level C. I started using it for my 4 year old (level A), but I really don't agree with the concept of teaching the math facts via visualization first. So I'm going to get Singapore Essential Math K to use, and later switch to Math Mammoth (which my first grader is using).

 

I'm not a fan of Saxon K-3. My son used K and 1 in school and was bored out of his mind because he gets math concepts quickly and doesn't need the incremental approach. I think he would have been bored with Right Start A even at age 4, but he also doesn't needed manipulatives, so that's something to consider. Does your son do better with or without a lot of manipulatives?

 

If your son is testing into Saxon 1 at age 4, I'd seriously consider Singapore. It's cartoony and has plenty of writing space, which would be good for that age.

[EmilyGF]

We use RS math. I love that my son is learning to think about math, not just spit out answers, and that he loves doing math most of the time. :-)

 

It is in the newest version of WTM - it just wasn't in the earlier ones because it is fairly new.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Emily

[Celia]

I'm nearing the end of Level B with my son, and, although the price was high, I've been really impressed by it. We found level A a bit boring, but B has been challanging. Overall, I think it's given him a great foundation. At this point, he's adding numbers on paper in the thousands with carrying, and he just loves it and asks for more when he's done. He can add numbers like 37+69 in his head quite quickly, has a great foundation on place value, and can add large numbers on the abacus faster than I can mentally compute them.

 

I really think it's worth the time and money. You could start with Level B, as it does spend many lessons reviewing what was learned in A, and cut your costs that way, but with his age, I honestly wouldn't as B moves pretty quickly.

 

It's a shame that it doesn't continue all the way up. I'm now in the position of trying to decide when to switch, and what to switch to, and it isn't an easy decision! I think we'll get level C, as well as Singapore, and transition to that throughout the year.

[wapiti]

Lots of people here use Right Start, especially in the early years. I like the heavy use of manipulatives for the early stages of math.

 

IMO, whether a curriculum happens to continue through high school or not is not particularly relevant to whether it's a good fit for K, elementary and middle school math. These are very different stages in math. And for high school, the topics covered are very similar amongst different curricula. I think that factors like style of instruction, conceptual vs. traditional and spiral vs. mastery, in terms of which are best for the student in question, are far more important considerations. In other words, I wouldn't worry a bit about finding a single curriculum taking you all the way through to the end.

 

Try a search for Right Start in the title or RS. Good luck!! :)

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Thank you, boscopup. We've only done math with manipulative so far. Mostly using identical blocks to add and subtract up to 10. He knows numerals. He can look at a number and give you that many blocks, and he can look at a number of blocks and give you the number card. He can't write though.

 

Thank you, EmilyGF, for the WTM update. I wasn't going to get Edition 3 until ds started 1st grade, but maybe I'll get it now...

[Mom-ninja.]

A lot of people here use it and like it.

 

I love it.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

THANK YOU for everyone for your answers. I needed this input.

 

wapiti, I did try to search the forums using Right Start, but all I got was people looking for a way to start homeschooling. But I will try RS. I looked, but it wasn't on the abbreviations list, so I wasn't sure what to search it as.

ETA: I found a good tread searching RS. Thank you!

Edited April 1, 2011 by theYoungerMrsWarde

[houseofkids&pets]

We are using RightStart Level B with our ds. He has a lot of difficulty with math and can't seem to memorize math facts. He seems to be improving at basic addition now that we have been playing the RS games. He also has fine motor delays, so RS is a good fit since it doesn't involve a lot of writing at this stage. Visualization of math in his head (for example, picturing the abacus in his mind to figure out a problem) has been hard for him. We are looking at addressing that through Lindamood Visualizing and Verbalizing, but that is for another thread in this forum!!

 

All in all, we like it, but beware that it is teacher intensive. I pretty much sit with him one-on-one for each lesson. It is not the type of program where I give him a worksheet and walk away.

Good luck!!

Michelle:001_smile:

[kristin0713]

We're using Level A and love it. My kids are 5 and 3. I started it with my DD when she was just under 4.5 and my little guy tags along. I think they are getting an excellent foundation with this program and I am so glad I started with this. The kicker for me in choosing it was when we were at a conference and DH and I spent a lot of time talking to the RS lady. After getting a good feel for the program, my DH (who is very much a math person) said, "THIS is what I do in my head and what I am always trying to explain to you." Math has always been a challenge for me and I am hoping to give my kids the skills they need early on to think mathematically in a way that I never did.

[ChrisB]

We are RS users and love it! I think some of the strengths of RS are how it covers place value, uses the abacus, focuses on quick mental math, and uses the games, among others. You can research it at the website. If you click on the RS Level A Sampler on the bottom left of the page, the sampler gives a good overview of the vision of RS. GL in your research!

[ChrisB]

my DH (who is very much a math person) said, "THIS is what I do in my head and what I am always trying to explain to you."

 

I feel the same way. Actually, I've always been very impressed with my dad's mental math capabilities and RS does math his way.

[Mommy22alyns]

We started out with Saxon 1, but dropped it very quickly. After a foray into Singapore, I went back to RS A with Rebecca with great results. We're in C now, but we won't continue with D because of the reviews I've seen here.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

If you click on the RS Level A Sampler on the bottom left of the page, the sampler gives a good overview of the vision of RS. GL in your research!

 

Somehow I missed this. Thank you!

 

Thank you everyone for the feed back. I think I will go with this. Now I have to chose A or B. (And convince dh to spend $50 more than we originally thought...)

[ScoutTN]

We love Right Start!

DD is just starting level B. I like how it teaches her (and me!) to think.

This is our first year of hs (DD is a K'er) so I don't have experience with other math curricula to compare to RS.

 

** Before your decide: try reading Liping Ma's Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics. It really helped me to understand more about what I wanted in math materials.

[kitten18]

Somehow I missed this. Thank you!

 

Thank you everyone for the feed back. I think I will go with this. Now I have to chose A or B. (And convince dh to spend $50 more than we originally thought...)

I think at your kids' ages, I would definitely start with A. The first 15 or so lessons are likely to be easy but it picks up after that.

 

My DS is 5 and I am doing RS-A with him. He is a squirmy little guy but RS is engaging enough to keep him occupied.

 

My DD is doing MM (Math Mammoth) 1B, she will finish that in a couple weeks. I'm going to do RS-B with her before we move on to MM 2A.

 

You might consider checking the for sale board here. You can search for RS.

[Dolphin]

I would start with A. My daughter turns 4 tomorrow and we just started last month. We are moving very slowly through it. I was not planning on starting with her until the fall, so we only "do school" on days she asks and only for about 15 min. She is not too into reading, but really good with numbers. A is perfect for her. The thing at this point, is that you want Math to be fun, to be easy and for it to be something that they want to do. RS A will do that, and give a good understanding of numbers at the same time. We are planning somewhere around level C to switch over to Singapore Math which my son is in and loves. RS is a great lead into to SM from everything that I have read. I *think* SM is cheaper than saxon (although I might be wrong). If you are going to go that route you can show dh how the price of Math will go down after the first few years.

 

Nicole

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

I *think* SM is cheaper than saxon (although I might be wrong). If you are going to go that route you can show dh how the price of Math will go down after the first few years.

 

Nicole

 

Good point! I think he'd like that. :001_smile:

[Dolphin]

I just checked as well. Without buying any manipulatives, Saxon Math Homeschool kit for 2nd grade is $100.40 SM is $84.80 (that is 2A and B, text, workbook and home instructor guide) With all the manipulatives that you have from RS, I would think you could make do with what you have.

[ChrisB]

Now I have to chose A or B.

I'd choose A for a 4 yr old. Actually, here we start A with 5 yr olds.

[Snowfall]

I definitely wouldn't do B with a 4.5yo. It starts out slow and easy, but it's NOT easy by the second half. In fact, I think the second half of it is advanced stuff for a first grader. I originally purchased B for dd in K, based on the RS placement test, and let me just say that they were wrong. She was not at all ready for B at age 5.

[Kirch]

We use it and love it. We're just finishing level B this week with ds6, and it's been wonderful. I feel like he has a really good beginning understanding of how numbers work, including concepts that I figured out on my own MUCH later, as an adult. It's very hands-on, and most of the time you're leading them to discover concepts themselves. That makes it a snap when you then teach it more explicitly--they already understand it. The games are fun, and they really cement the concepts and facts. It's expensive, but IMO, it's worth it, especially if you have more than one child that will be using it. The worksheets (there aren't many in A or B) are reproducible, so once you buy one level, you're set. Most of the manipulatives (for A & B, anyway) are the same, so again it's a one-time investment.

 

It is teacher-intensive--you can't give it to them to do on their own, at least not at the lower levels. But it is very easy to use--clear instructions, even scripting if you need it.

 

There were times that I wished there was more review or practice (especially w/word problems). I was able to come up with stuff on my own, but it would have been nice to not have to do that. There were other times that I didn't understand why they did something the way they did (taught things in a certain order, included things in the review section, etc.), but then it became clear a few lessons later, and I was glad that we had followed it as written.

 

I agree with the others who suggested starting with level A. My almost 5 yo is doing level A, and it's a perfect fit.

[hmschooling]

We started out with Saxon 1, but dropped it very quickly. After a foray into Singapore, I went back to RS A with Rebecca with great results. We're in C now, but we won't continue with D because of the reviews I've seen here.

 

 

Can you link or explain? I'm not finding the reviews...so many posts come up with the search!

[Sevilla]

Right now DS is using Rightstart Al Abacus Activities + Workbook in lieu of the whole curriculum. We alternate it with Singapore Essentials B (their K curriculum). I'm really impressed at how comprehensive the mathematical thinking is even with just the abacus. We also have the math card games and those are fun, but DS isn't at a place to really use them right now b/c he's mastered the earlier skills and isn't quite ready for the later skills in them (multiplication, divison).

[Nikki -TX-]

You can easily find Level A used... We're using Level D now (started with B) and I just bought Level A for my youngest. In the beginning, I bought the whole kit for Level B off Ebay for a little more than half price of a new kit. Since then, I have found used Teacher Manuals here on the WTM For Sale board. Worksheets are what I've bought new, and then I find them at the book fair so as not to pay shipping. I'm cheap, I know!

 

RS is one of the reasons I homeschool. We love the way it trains them to see 5s and 10s. Great foundation.

[learningmama]

We've used it the past three years. Started my 4-year-old dd in A. I will be doing A with my Kindy son this fall. I love A and B, but we came into problems 1/2way into C. I will be switching to Horizons for my dd. I love all the concepts, but she was not handling it well. She's actually good in math, but gets frustrated easily. Her favorite part was the games. I think my son may do better with it than she. I've tried a few level A lessons out on him already and he really flies through them. With my dd, we did each and every lesson very throughly, but I think I can go faster with him.

No matter what, the program does give a wonderful start to math. Kids learn advanced concepts at an early age. I wish there was a bit more repetition on some topics. I really like the manipulatives, but was disappointed that some don't get used in lessons very often (like the big scale that collects dust on my bookshelf). It's pricey and I always bought mine through Rainbow Resource and ebay. It is nice though that I can get my $ out of it with both kids and then re-sale it.

[Aloha2U]

We started with Saxon K (for K4), used it, hesitantly started into Saxon 1 (also had 2 & 3 ready and waiting, but realized that I was not a fan of Saxon-at least not these early levels), almost immediately ditched Saxon 1 and sold everything Saxon, switched to RightStart, and haven't looked back. That said, I took the good I learned from Saxon K (it was a great first math program for both of us, completely scripted and such) and applied it RS.

 

We've used RS Level A (finished out our K4 school year and summer w/it), Level B (K5), and are currently in Level C (G1). I have read of some who switch after B or partway through C, and although I don't plan on making any switch away from RS... partway through this year I did began supplementing with Math Mammoth to add in some review via independent rote work (concepts learned first thru RS, but later reviewed w/MM... and eventually some SM IPs & CWPs as well). I find this combination to be a perfect fit for my little man.

 

:001_smile: Melissa

 

ETA: I much prefer the RS manipulatives (:thumbup1:) to the Saxon manipulatives. My little man enjoys playing/learning with them on his own, even when they are not scheduled in a lesson.

Edited June 4, 2011 by CMama

[Mommy22alyns]

Can you link or explain? I'm not finding the reviews...so many posts come up with the search!

 

 

It's come up several times in RS discussion that D & E look like one year's worth of material spread over 2 books. There were also some questions on how far into D division is covered.

[Aloha2U]

I definitely wouldn't do B with a 4.5yo. It starts out slow and easy, but it's NOT easy by the second half. In fact, I think the second half of it is advanced stuff for a first grader. I originally purchased B for dd in K, based on the RS placement test, and let me just say that they were wrong. She was not at all ready for B at age 5.

 

I just want to share that the RS Starting Level Questionnairre had placed my little man in Level B as well, but I'm glad that I had him start w/Level A instead (@4.5yo).

 

:001_smile:

[cat]

I remember being in your shoes.... and I purchased the whole thing! Yep!

 

It is wonderful and my kids get it....the biggest problem I have had is the time it takes for teaching 2 kids at 2 levels.

 

It is laid out nicely and easy to follow along..... because I was struggling to get to both of their math lessons each day my oldest didn't get a lesson in a lot of the days.... and we are behind.

 

Because of this, I purchased MUS because it had videos..... it was hard to transfer over into a new math curriculum.... so then we moved on to TT. I purchased up a grade because I heard it was a little behind in grades and then I realized it was right on par for him...... so this summer we will be going back to RS and finishing it before he moves on to the TT that I already bought.

 

My suggestion,,,,,just buy for the first year only(used) that way if it doesn't fit your child you can pick something else the next year without a lot of money sunk in it.

[2GAboys]

I have taught RS levels A-E.

 

I suspect (haven't taught any other math program) RS levels A-C are superior to any other program. My complaint with D and E is not enough practice and had I figured that out earlier I would have supplemented but I still would have taught D and E.

 

Pursuant to brain research, (The Minds of Boys by Michael Gurian) boys learn best when they have strong visuals and get to manipulating objects and move. Both my boys are phenomenal in math and I believe it is because from the very begining they were taught to manipulate numbers (by learning specific stategies with the RS manipulatives-especially Dr. Cotter's trademark abacus-a must have). If you use this with your 4 year old, he is going to learn (instead of memorizing math facts) how 5 is special and to see numbers 6-10 as 5 and 1 for 6, 5 and 2 for 7, etc. He will learn how to add 4+3 by making that 4 a 5 and the 3 a 2. RS is all about teaching children to understand, not memorize. Ask a RS student why 8+7 is 15 and they will know two strategies (take 2 from the 7 and give it to the 8 and its 10+5 or 8 is 5 and 3, 7 is 5+2, the two 5's make a 10 and 2+3=5, 10+5=15. Both B and C are phenomenal at teaching strategies. (A was good too but didn't finish it. My first did ABeka kindergarten math and I started A with my second but he was going to my church for a young 5's class and my heart wasn't in it to teach it and preferred to wait and do B this year. It is not necessary to do A before B but with your son being 4-Definately start with A. B is for 1st.

 

Teaching math the RS way takes commitment from the parent because most of us did not learn math this way. We were taught rote and to stack and do columns-of course losing understanding of place value in the process. Many parents drop out of the program in frustration because it is mentally demanding of the child and parent. If you do decide to use it, my advise-have fun and go at your child's pace-don't try to rush it to finish the year's curriculum (In fact after level E 4th grade, there is Intermediate Math from RS that takes about 2 years and Dr. Cotter says at that point they have gotten all the math they need through middle school. Now, my son has finished E in 4th grade. I have 3-4 years to do Intermediate. Obviously, I will be doing other programs until he is ready for pre-Algebra. Had I known, I would have woven in some supplemental materials to reinforce what he was doing in D and E. My second son will benefit from what I've learned doing RS with big brother.

 

By the end of 1st grade, my sons had such an awesome understanding of place value and could mentally calculate 2 digit numbers as well as add 2 digits numbers to 4 digits numbers in an ongoing math game used in RS called corners. The subtraction strategies cemented in level C are so important and I can't even begin to explain how RS was so amazing in teaching multiplication with the abacus. Yes I highly recommend it if you can commit to it.

[Aloha2U]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience w/RS, 2GAboys!

[LizzyBee]

I use Right Start Math with my 9 yo. I wish I'd used it with my 14 yo. We are using Level C and we both love it, so I'm not sure why so many don't like that level. I like the level of review, because it's there but not to the point of being tedious. It works well for my dyslexic dd because it teaches things in small chunks and the lessons are short.

[rockermom]

I just want to share that the RS Starting Level Questionnairre had placed my little man in Level B as well, but I'm glad that I had him start w/Level A instead (@4.5yo).

 

:001_smile:

 

Same here... my son placed into Level B, but I'm glad we're using A. The early lessons are pretty simple, but they're laying a foundation for the later ones. I've perused the entire Lesson book and I know that he will learn a ton of new things this year without being overwhelmed. Plus, the lessons are short... perfect for my boy's attention span. :)

[black_midori]

I loved RS A and am using it for my 5yo now (already used it for the 7yo - he is 3/4 through B). I like B as well, but it is definitely more difficult - the 7yo does well and is learning a lot but he actually has to work for it now (not a bad thing for him - he's too used to blowing through things easily!).

 

I did eventually add Math Mammoth 1a/b and, as soon as the 7yo finishes catching up on 1b, 2a/b. The biggest thing lacking with the RS, I found, was the practice my son needed to consistently retain the information. He would get it very well during the lesson and during the "quickie reviews" in the following lessons, but eventually he will forget (when it hasn't been touched on for awhile). Then they suddenly jump back to it and expect him to remember, but I would have to flip back to the original teaching and go over it again. I found that doing the Math Mammoth worksheets allowed a more constant, flowing reminder - RS to teach the math, MM to review it.

[Soror]

We use and enjoy RS B. I started my 6 yo this year and it has went well. There was some tedious lessons and we did have some points were we stopped to do some review on topics(specifically place value w/ MM). However, I cannot see us switching he enjoys it and is getting it and I am impressed I am confident by the time he finishes B his mental math will be as fast as dh and maybe as fast as I am. I plan on starting my 4 yo at 5 with Lvl A though, we are doing MEP this coming year as I think it would be good and easy prep. It is especially great for those kids whose writing ability does not match up their math ability- besides the fact that it just teaches things well. As a pp said it is how I do math myself and I love talking those things with him and helping him figuring out, the lightbulb moment.

[EKS]

I used RightStart B and thought it was excellent. It does a great job introducing math concepts to young children without dumbing things down. I prefer it to Singapore EB/1A/1B and Saxon K-1.

[Satori]

We did RightStart A and about half of B. I'm so glad we did, it's an amazing program and lays a great foundation. Even I learned tons and think about numbers in a new light now. You can see our RightStart lessons I blogged.

 

Unfortunately, in my case, I wasn't the best RightStart teacher, as you'll see in the blog that I went long periods without doing math. It isn't the most pick-up-and-go, so I tended to skip it too much. I never knew what a particular lesson would encompass. That fault is only mine, other teachers may have much better success than I. Halfway through B, I realized that if something wasn't getting done, maybe I should make a change. So I switched to Singapore Primary Math 1A/B.

 

Much easier for this mother to teach! Instead of slogging through a 20 minute RightStart lesson, we enjoyed the predictable pattern of Singapore math - HIG, Text, then workbook. We still used manipulatives, but used the same ones mostly. I also realized that my daughter now was thriving in math with Singapore. We could go at a slightly faster pace, perhaps covering 2 lessons. If she needed more practice, we have Extra Practice book. For more challenge, we do the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems. She really enjoys these.

 

In a nutshell, it was the right time for our family to switch to Singapore. It was fun and easy to teach, yet provides more challenge, allowing my daughter to blossom. We now do Singapore math everyday, and both of us look forward to it, have fun doing it, and have no problem finishing a lesson or two.

 

If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely still start with RightStart A for kindergarten. I wouldn't slack on it and would get through it faster. I'd try to get as much of B as I could, maybe finishing it. Then, I'd switch to Singapore Primary math 1-6.

 

Keep in mind, that's just what worked for us - a mom who floundered for some reason getting to RightStart lessons, but still valued them, and a daughter who seems to thrive faster with Singapore, but I thank RightStart for giving her a great sense of numbers in the beginning. You can see our Singapore lessons by clicking the link in my sig.

 

Both are the best math programs we've used, love them both! We may still go back to RightStart and finish B and try some C yet. We're on a math kick this year.

Edited June 5, 2011 by Satori

[Soror]

Well, to be honest we spend 1 hr a day on Math, which likely seems excessive but that is what it is. We do not seem to be having burnout issues or anything. I am adding in Challenging Word Problems as I want to cover that, so we are slowing down the pace of RSB. I am thinking of making it 3 days/CWP-1 day and games 1 day. I think that would really cement the concepts. Right now we just do RSB 4-5x a wk- 1 hr day.