ByGrace3 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Planning to start Right Start A with ds in January. I just need to know what I will need or want to get started. The kit from RS includes: (I have the bolded, either from RS or Saxon manipulatives kit) RightStart™ Mathematics Level A Lessons RightStart™ Mathematics Level A Worksheets AL Abacus Standard (I have the mini, do I need or want the larger one) Place Value Cards Abacus Tiles Cards for Math Games Geoboards Colored Tiles Geared Clock Geometry Reflector Tally Sticks - 50 count Yellow Is The Sun CD Game Instructional DVD RightStart™ Mathematics Math Card Games Book Math Balance Casio Calculator SL-450 RightStart™ Mathematics Levels A and B Appendices Plastic Coins Geometric Solids Also included, but not pictured, are a Dry Erase Board and pen. I plan to get the worksheets, appendices, place value cards, tally sticks So, questions (considering if it is helpful at all I will want it) ;) Is the larger abacus helpful/needed when I already have the mini from the games kit? What is on the Yellow is the Sun CD, is it helpful? what else on this list is necessary or even beneficial? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsrae Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Planning to start Right Start A with ds in January. I just need to know what I will need or want to get started.The kit from RS includes: (I have the bolded, either from RS or Saxon manipulatives kit) RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Level A Lessons RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Level A Worksheets AL Abacus Standard (I have the mini, do I need or want the larger one) Place Value Cards Abacus Tiles Cards for Math Games Geoboards Colored Tiles Geared Clock Geometry Reflector Tally Sticks - 50 count Yellow Is The Sun CD Game Instructional DVD RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Math Card Games Book Math Balance Casio Calculator SL-450 RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Levels A and B Appendices Plastic Coins Geometric Solids Also included, but not pictured, are a Dry Erase Board and pen. I plan to get the worksheets, appendices, place value cards, tally sticks So, questions (considering if it is helpful at all I will want it) ;) Is the larger abacus helpful/needed when I already have the mini from the games kit? What is on the Yellow is the Sun CD, is it helpful? what else on this list is necessary or even beneficial? Thank you! I did not have plastic coins (used real ones), the math balance, geometry reflector (can use a mirror), the calculator, the geometric solids, or the game instructional DVD. The DVD is not needed for A--you'll be able to figure out the games without it :) The other things I mentioned are only used for one or two lessons each, and I skipped the parts of those lessons--no biggie. The Yellow is the Sun CD has the songs you learn for RS A and B--the music and words are in the back of both books, so you only need to purchase them if you don't know how to pick out a song on the piano :) The song is helpful and fun, but I don't think the CD is entirely necessary. The tally sticks are basically just craft/popsicle sticks, so you may already have those. But I would consider them essential. The appendices are nice to have--saves from copying and laminating some things, but again, you can do without them if you have access to a copier. I can't remember if you use the abacus tiles in A...we've used them in B, but I think they are kind of optional with A. Place value cards are awesome and worth the investment. I think I would get the larger abacus too...I'm not sure how the mini one compares in size, but you will get a lot of use out of it if you continue with RS. I am loving RS with DD1, and I plan to continue using it :) HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom'sGirl Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 My version of RS A was 6 years old, and the worksheets were in the back of the book (I think I have since sold it so I am going by memory). I got all of my manipulatives individually from Rainbow Resources. Obviously the abacus (I have 2 big ones and one mini made with beads and popsicle sticks) is important and I do like the bigger one better for little fingers but the little one would do. Other important items are the place value cards, colored tiles, geoboard, math game cards, abacus tiles, and the clock. I bought a bag of craft popsicle sticks for tally sticks, and used a mirror for reflecting. I keep a jar of change for working with money. I also just bought a cheap calculator from RR. I never used the "Yellow as the Sun" poem because it did not help my kids. I changed the lines so that the number would rhyme with what you are calculating. For instance, "Mix the clouds with sun, Six is five and one", Heaven will shine through, seven is five and two" and so on. So I wouldn't bother with the cd. If you are planning on using RS all the way to level E, then the manipulatives are well worth it. I have used this program with all 4 of my boys (the youngest is in level B) and my teacher books are falling apart, and I have had to replace the geared clock and the geoboard, but it has been a good investment. If you think you will continue with this program, I would buy some of the kits that RR has put together even if you may not need it all this year. If I did have to eliminate an item, it would probably be the math balance which I think starts with level B. We have not used it much in comparison to what I paid for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Level A Worksheets Must have, but I think you know that. You can also look at buying the CD, but it is not cheap. AL Abacus Standard (I have the mini, do I need or want the larger one) I assume the mini would work fine. Place Value Cards Must have to teaching place value. Abacus Tiles Never used them, but I do have a set of interlinking blocks I used instead. Cards for Math Games Take a look at the break down of games, this includes not only general number cards, but time and money. You might have it covered and you might not. Geoboards Not used a whole lot, but the kids love to play with them. I am sure what you have is fine. Colored Tiles As long as you have at least 2 colors I think you are fine....there might be times when you use more than 2 colors, but I am not remembering any now. Long term in level B or C you need them to be exactly 1" square because they are used to introduce measuring before you cover the use of a ruler...I don't remember it being an issue in A. Geared Clock What my kids like about the RS one is that it will hold the time. It doesn't move around on its own, you have to turn the dial. And it shows night and day. I am sure you can make what you have work through. Geometry Reflector Used to show symmetry. Honestly never got one, or lost it. We have always made due without it. Tally Sticks - 50 count Popcicle sticks. Necessary, but you can buy then elsewhere if you want. Yellow Is The Sun CD Never used it here. I personally don't like using songs to remember things because you store it in a different part of the brain and it requires singing it to remember it. One does not want to have to sing a song to remember in the middle of a high pressure situation. You want to work in instant recall without the song, which RS does. I just didn't see the need. Game Instructional DVD They used to be on ytube, and didn't exist at all when I started RS. If you are really visual you might adore it. RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Math Card Games Book This is not needed now. Level A and B have all the math games listed in the TM. Starting in level C the TM refers to the Math Game book. That said there are additional games you can play that are never assigned in the TM, so it really is up to you. I suspect the Saxon games you have won't do...maybe at first, but long term RS is teaching specific games to teach specific skills. My guess is a lot of them you can find a Saxon substitute, but probably not all. It also depends on how much time you want to spend finding the substitute. If you want open and go then you will want the RS game book. Math Balance I have a love hate relationship with this thing. It is very cool. It is large, expensive and hard to store. It uses a system of weights to show how equations "balance". So you put a marker on 5 and 6, then on the other side you put one on 3 and two on 4 and you will see it balance. Casio Calculator SL-450 Any calculator will do, but I really like the RS ones because they are solar. No batteries, and I haven't had one die on me yet. RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Levels A and B AppendicesPlastic Coins They didn't offer this back when I started, but I bought my own elsewhere. I would recommend them, or real coins if you have them. Geometric Solids Again wasn't offered when I started. Nice visual aid, but not necessary. Let me know if you have questions. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 thanks everyone for the input, very helpful! I have the Right Start Games kit so a lot of it I have from that, we also have the Right Start balance that we have already got a lot of use out of. I am leaning towards buying what is left in the kit: (I have the bolded in my cart) RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Level A Worksheets AL Abacus Standard Place Value Cards Abacus Tiles Geometry Reflector Tally Sticks - 50 count Yellow Is The Sun CD Casio Calculator SL-450 RightStartâ„¢ Mathematics Levels A and B Appendices Plastic Coins Geometric Solids Also included, but not pictured, are a Dry Erase Board and pen. So, only not getting calculator, coins, and dry erase board from the delux set. It kills me with all the manipulatives I have to be spending $62 on more :001_huh: Especially, when I am only certain we will use RS A (possibly B, but not thinking so unless I just love A) since we plan to use MM after RSA. Seems like a lot to buy for a year. However, since I have most of it, I guess I should just be happy about only spending $62 :tongue_smilie: though if I took off the geometric solids we would be down another $15. They look fun, but are they worth it? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsrae Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 The geo solids are only used for one lesson. If you don't plan to continue with RS, then skip the geo reflector (I think you use it for one lesson--just as easy to use a small mirror); skip the appendices, because you already have them in the teacher manual; I would skip the CD because there is only one song on it for A--the others are for B; I can't remember how much the abacus tiles are used in A (a friend has my copy right now), but it is used to illustrate 100. If you already have the mini abacus, you wouldn't need that as well. Save yourself a little more cash :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 We never really used the CD, the lyrics were in the TM, if I recall correctly. I also never used the geometric solids or the geometry reflector - a small mirror works better for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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