Rightstart math?

[monkeymama07]

So I thought I KNEW I wanted it but now I dont know :glare:

 

I got on to finally order it and hesitated.

 

IF you use it do you like it?

 

I like the abacus (my main draw to it)

 

Do you supplement another math program with it?

 

I have a 4 year old and am looking at rightstart A

 

Also do you like the starter kit or the deluxe kit?

[didadeewiththree]

We like Rightstart A, it's got plenty to do for Kindergarten and would be challenging enough for a child younger. We have the abacus, the games, geared clock, tiles, geoboards, scale, cards for the games, etc. It's got catchy little songs in it to make it fun to learn and I'm finding it easy to get through the lessons. we are on lesson 30 out of 70 something lessons, and so far so good. I will probably be looking to get RS B next. My 2nd grade daughter loves to do it with us and also likes the games. It's a worthwhile investment.

[JenC3]

I wish I had done A last year. It' s a bit slow and I should have gone with B. Ds loves his Miquon lesson and so we are blowing through A pretty quickly. I will start dd2 on this next fall. I thnk it's perfect for a 4 yr old who is ready.

[Mama2two]

We love RS. My son has done A and B and is now in C. My daughter has done A and is now in B. I supplement with Singapore for my son, but because he loves math- not b/c I think he really needs it.

[BrookValley.]

I'm glad you asked this, because I am wavering in my Right Start conviction, too. :tongue_smilie: I thought for sure this was "it" and it's been on my wishlist at Rainbow Resources now for awhile, but everytime I go to actually purchase it, I end up in the midst of the same cycle of doubt! My son is also 4, so while there's no hurry, he seems to be ready to start working on something and asks to do math all the time.

 

A lot of folks here seem to like Miquon, which does intrigue me. But I have not done enough research on it. I don't know if it has a level appropriate for one as young as my kiddo. Also, while the geeky side of me likes the idea of it, I think if I am being realistic I need something a bit more straightforward and a little less "weird" (if I am understanding correctly, Miquon is a bit more obtuse and requires a bit more time/energy to implement? I could be wrong about this, just my observation from finding conversation about it around the internet). I work a full-time job at home, a part-time job out of the home, and have a farm to keep up with. I don't necessarily need something totally scripted/open-and-go, but I do need to keep things relatively simple!

 

I'll be :bigear: for more thoughts on Right Start from others, thanks to the OP for posting!

[monkeymama07]

I require easy/straight forward as well .. I work 50-60 hours a week sometimes more and am a single mom.

 

We love what we are doing now -

Phonics pathways

Science is Simple

memory work

outdoor time, art time, lots of games and read alouds.

 

On my list to add still is

Math

Story of the World

and HWOT

 

I love working with my son and enjoy our schooling time and really want a math we both can like.

[melbotoast]

I am using RS A with my 4yo and we love it. He loves all the games and different activities. I like having everything planned out for me. You need to make copies occasionally. I ordered the starter kit and then got a few extra items I was interested in. I haven't used any of them yet, although I know the coins and the scale are used in a future lesson. I am thinking about getting an extra abacus though. That's enough rambling from me, HTH!

[brendag]

I have 4 year old boy/girl twins who are practically opposites including their learning styles. We have started Rightstart A and are moving right along, although I only do 1/2 of a lesson at a time. They love the songs and games and it is easy to see when they have learned the concept.

 

Good luck in whatever you choose!

 

Brenda

[sbgrace]

RS A worked well for my two who are very different learners. One is math oriented and the other isn't. We did B as well following A. One liked it more than the other generally especially as we got into the meat of level B but I'm pleased with the foundation it provided both kids.

Edited October 16, 2011 by sbgrace

[lindsrae]

Did RS level A for kindy last year, and working on level B for 1st grade. I bought Singapore 1A because so many people seem to use 2 math programs (to make sure kids are getting everything, because one is mastery and one is spiral, etc.). We've barely used the Singapore at all. RS is so easy to use because everything is right there in the teacher manual. It is not exactly a script, but it has that "flavor," so it might bug someone who is against scripted programs or who is naturally mathy. I am not mathy, so I appreciate the explanations in the book. I also love that little ones can get started right away at their own pace because there are so few workbook pages. Kids can understand math long before they have the fine motor skills to write numbers!

 

If you are still on the fence, see if you can find someone who has it and page through the book--it always helps me to hold a book in my hands. If that is impossible, order the book and and abacus. (You MUST have the AL abacus--no Melissa and Doug substitute will do.) Almost all the other manipulatives you need for "A" can easily be obtained as you need them. You would only need the "tally sticks"--which are just popsicle sticks you could get at a craft store--and the abacus in the very beginning. You wouldn't even need to get the student workbook right away. There might be a few practice pages in the first few lessons, but it won't hurt to skip them while you are trying it out. If you start using the book and find out it just won't work, I'm sure you could resell it fairly easily on this board and re-coop most of your purchase price.

 

Have you looked at the RightStart website? I just checked, and they have samples of each book--table of contents, the overview of how the curriculum was developed, and a nice sampling of lessons.

 

That's my 2 cents!

[FairProspects]

I require easy/straight forward as well .. I work 50-60 hours a week sometimes more and am a single mom.

 

Well, you know your situation best, but in this case I might suggest you look at other programs. While it is scripted, RS is known as one of the more time/teacher intensive programs around.

 

And just to give a little variety to the responses, while I know some people use it with their 4 y.o., neither of mine would have been ready to do it at that age. It is still pretty complex conceptually, despite not requiring a lot of writing - in fact several parts of Math Mammoth 1st grade have been easier for ds than RS A.

[Kirch]

I've used level B and am currently using levels A and C. I love RS. It's giving my kids a really solid foundation in understanding how numbers work. It is very teacher-intensive, and there is a bit of a learning curve with using it. Occasionally there are things that aren't as well explained as they could be. I'm definitely looking forward to going through B and C again when my younger ds does them--I think they'll be easier to use the second time around when I "get" the program better and know where they're going/why they're doing things the way they are.

 

So it's not a perfect program (what program is?!), but I think it's worth working through the imperfections to use it. Like I said, my kids are learning how numbers work--they've both made mental connections that I know come specifically from the RS approach and that I would never have expected most kids their ages to make. The games are wonderful and much more fun for reviewing/practicing math facts than constant worksheets or flashcards.

 

Ds 5 was 4 when he started A. As far as ordering, we just got the basic (starter?) kit--I don't see any reason to get the deluxe kit unless you just want to.

[Spy Car]

A lot of folks here seem to like Miquon, which does intrigue me. But I have not done enough research on it. I don't know if it has a level appropriate for one as young as my kiddo. Also, while the geeky side of me likes the idea of it, I think if I am being realistic I need something a bit more straightforward and a little less "weird" (if I am understanding correctly, Miquon is a bit more obtuse and requires a bit more time/energy to implement? I could be wrong about this, just my observation from finding conversation about it around the internet). I work a full-time job at home, a part-time job out of the home, and have a farm to keep up with. I don't necessarily need something totally scripted/open-and-go, but I do need to keep things relatively simple!

 

 

We started Miquon the day my son turned 4. It is a very exciting program to use at this age. I know it was written as a 1st-3rd program in 1964, but IMO it is magical as a pre-K/K program to start.

 

Miquon really isn't that weird, except some of the pages in the first (Orange) student book instead of having flowers and bunnies to separate into "sets" instead have strange alien shapes. It throws some people. Me, at first glance. But the "weirdness" is superficial.

 

Most of the children's work/play is very hands on. I prefer the C Rods over the abacus at this age as I felt the need to control the abacus (least it become a plaything), where the C Rods are intended to the playthings. You can spill them out and say: Have at it! To me that's fun.

 

To get the most out of the Miquon program a parent does need to commit themselves to study off-hours. There is a lot of deep mathematics to be imparted to children (in easy ways for them). The teacher education is something I really appreciate about Miquon. Without a good teacher who can make "complex" ideas simple for children they won't get a great math education.

 

Miquon is a really natural and effective way to teach young children. It usually takes a little reading (First Grade Diary) before it "clicks" as a method, but once it happens you are off and running.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bill

[Crimson Wife]

I love, love, :001_wub: Right Start B and also really like the first part of C. However, I don't care much for the "spiral" format of A. The later part of C & the higher levels I found were not a good "fit" for my oldest. It remains to be seen if I'll use them with DS or switch to Singapore. RS is a solid program and I'd have no hesitation taking DS through E. It just didn't have the right challenge level for oldest DD.

[2squared]

IF you use it do you like it?

 

Yes! My oldest is in Level D, #2 is in Level C, and #3 is in Level A.

 

Do you supplement another math program with it?

 

I supplement with Singapore CWP as soon as they are in Level C and they are fluent readers. For #1, this was in 3rd grade 1/2 way through Level C. For #2, I expect this will be at the beginning of 3rd grade when he is in Level D.

 

I have a 4 year old and am looking at rightstart A

 

I enjoy using Level A with my Ker's. I think Level A is fantastic for the teacher and fun for the kids. If I hadn't gone through Level A, I don't know that I would have fallen in love with RightStart. I needed Level A. I'm not sure if the kids did, but I sure did. :001_smile:

 

My goal in A is to spend 2 days/week on math for 15 min/day. I do NOT try to finish a lesson. We work for 15 min and may do part of a lesson or may do multiple lessons. We go at the dc's speed.

[jenbrdsly]

I love RS! Here's my review of Level C and some pictures from Level D.

[Coffeemama]

I started RS B with my dd for K last year. Since it was K, we went slow, enjoying the games. It helped me to spend the money on all the manipulatives knowing they could be used with other programs as well.

 

As we were going through the lessons last year, I decided that she would transition to SM (like her older bother and sister) for first grade, but since my DD loved the program so much, we decided to continue with the RS games almost every day, and work through the remaining lessons once or twice a week.

 

FWIW- We worked through rs B up to lesson 65 last year, then went right into SM 1B (supplemented with RS B, we're now on lesson 80). I'm thrilled with the base she has and we'll likely move into SM2A in the spring. At this point she is far ahead of where her older siblings were at this stage of first grade, definitely due to RightStart.

 

Three reasons I'm not sticking with RS: not crazy about the scope and sequence for level C, very teacher intensive, and I love SM.:D

Edited October 16, 2011 by Coffeemama
Sp

[BrookValley.]

We started Miquon the day my son turned 4. It is a very exciting program to use at this age. I know it was written as a 1st-3rd program in 1964, but IMO it is magical as a pre-K/K program to start.

 

Miquon really isn't that weird, except some of the pages in the first (Orange) student book instead of having flowers and bunnies to separate into "sets" instead have strange alien shapes. It throws some people. Me, at first glance. But the "weirdness" is superficial.

 

Most of the children's work/play is very hands on. I prefer the C Rods over the abacus at this age as I felt the need to control the abacus (least it become a plaything), where the C Rods are intended to the playthings. You can spill them out and say: Have at it! To me that's fun.

 

To get the most out of the Miquon program a parent does need to commit themselves to study off-hours. There is a lot of deep mathematics to be imparted to children (in easy ways for them). The teacher education is something I really appreciate about Miquon. Without a good teacher who can make "complex" ideas simple for children they won't get a great math education.

 

Miquon is a really natural and effective way to teach young children. It usually takes a little reading (First Grade Diary) before it "clicks" as a method, but once it happens you are off and running.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bill

 

Thanks for your input. I am glad to hear that others have used it (successfully) with their 4-year olds. We have been playing with cuisenaire rods for a couple of years now, and my son has a good time with them, so it may be a natural extension of what we have already been doing. Extra study on my part is not a big deal. After all, I spend a large portion of the time I should be sleeping reading instead. That part I don't mind, and actually something that draws me toward Miquon. I think I'd enjoy figuring it all out. I just don't want something that I have to plan extensively for ahead of time.

 

Of course, I am still no closer to making my decision as to exactly what to buy. :tongue_smilie: I may go ahead and order the Miquon orange book, the lab sheet annotations, and First Grade Diary. It's a lot less of an investment than Right Start, so if I try it and it's not right for us, it's no huge deal.

 

OP, sorry for the blatant thread-jacking. Hopefully the extra discussion is helping your decision, not muddying the waters... :)

[Spy Car]

Thanks for your input. I am glad to hear that others have used it (successfully) with their 4-year olds. We have been playing with cuisenaire rods for a couple of years now, and my son has a good time with them, so it may be a natural extension of what we have already been doing. Extra study on my part is not a big deal. After all, I spend a large portion of the time I should be sleeping reading instead. That part I don't mind, and actually something that draws me toward Miquon. I think I'd enjoy figuring it all out. I just don't want something that I have to plan extensively for ahead of time.

 

Of course, I am still no closer to making my decision as to exactly what to buy. :tongue_smilie: I may go ahead and order the Miquon orange book, the lab sheet annotations, and First Grade Diary. It's a lot less of an investment than Right Start, so if I try it and it's not right for us, it's no huge deal.

 

OP, sorry for the blatant thread-jacking. Hopefully the extra discussion is helping your decision, not muddying the waters... :)

 

To further muddy the waters for you (:D). If you enjoy reading there is the precursor program/book to RightStart called "Activities for AL Abacus."

 

It has the core of the RS method without the scripting. In our "hybrid" approach to early math I read and borrowed heavily on RS ideas, accepting many and not using a few. But with C Rods and base-10 "flats" (100 values) being so natural for my boy (where the abacus wan't) I just transposed many of the lessons to rods and blocks.

 

With the RS games, place value cards, base 10 cards, and some abacus work I feel like we got a strong taste of the best of RS without doing the whole program. Abacus purists might object. I do think RS is very smart to work on place value understanding early.

 

For me being able to "see" the relative value of a "hundred" block vs a 1-Unit C Rod was more comprehensible than beads on different wires having different values, but the "fusion" of AL/RS with a Miquon-like approach really had value for us.

 

Bill

[tlcspcarcetc]

We used RS B with my 8 yr old last year (she was a bit behind in math). While I feel that it was foundational, it was very difficult for her. She is not an auditory learner and I found that she really had a hard time focusing on it because there was a lot of scripting. Some things she really got and others she didn't. I think she learned a lot, but we're going back to a more traditional approach now with CLE because she was just getting too frustrated. She also has asperger's, so that may have played a role. It took us too long and was very difficult for her to attend to....but again, that was probably just her.

 

We are using CLE2 with her this year and she seems to be doing much better with it. She needs the visual/reading which RS didn't have. With dd2 we are using SM1A