RightStart Math recommendations

[Grantmom]

I have been searching for threads on Right Start math, and reading through them. In some of them, some people allude to switching out of RS in Level C or D, or kind of allude to Level D and E not being very good. I couldn't find anything more, and it's also hard to search for since "right" and "start" are such commonly used words in a homeschooling forum! :001_smile:

 

So, I was just wondering if anyone could share, are there some negatives to levels C, D, E? I feel like it seems like a good solid program, but we only have A and B.

 

Thanks!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Here's the list of posts tagged as "When to stop Rightstart"

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/tags.php?tag=when+to+stop+rightstart

 

HTH!:auto:

[besroma]

I have been searching for threads on Right Start math, and reading through them. In some of them, some people allude to switching out of RS in Level C or D, or kind of allude to Level D and E not being very good. I couldn't find anything more, and it's also hard to search for since "right" and "start" are such commonly used words in a homeschooling forum! :001_smile:

 

So, I was just wondering if anyone could share, are there some negatives to levels C, D, E? I feel like it seems like a good solid program, but we only have A and B.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Try searching for RightStart (both words together).

 

You are correct in that some people go through level C and switch to something else (usually Singapore Math, I believe). Others stick it out and are very pleased that they did.

 

We are on level B now with my younger kids. Based on what I read, and the fact that I already own Singapore Math for the older children, I bought levels A, B, and C and plan to see what I think after C.

[Cassy]

We've done RS A, B, C and E with our boys, but not D so far. I love RightStart. DS8 got very bogged down for a while with RS C half-way through last year, so I slowed right down with it, supplementing with Singapore 2a. He's now just 20 lessons from the end of RS C and thoroughly enjoying it; I've just ordered RS D. DS11 started homeschooling doing the Transition Lessons and RS E, he also really enjoyed it, mainly because there is a lot of teacher involvement and he liked to have me working through it with him. After RS E he moved on to Singapore 5a and 5b and did very well.

 

I think both RightStart and Singapore are excellent math curricula. I feel that RightStart stretches my kids a bit more, Singapore leads them gently from very simple concepts through to quite complex problems with the minimum of pain. I chop and change a bit between the two, as you might have gathered, depending on how we're all feeling at the time, but we do maintain a steady progress as we go.

[PeterPan]

Well since I'm the one (or one of the ones) who has talked about switching out after C, I'll bite. If you're doing B and it's working, keep going. To me, the 4 digit subtraction method covered in C is *fabulous*. I would not change till you've done that. At that point, it's really a matter of looking at your kid and seeing how it's working. If it's WORKING and everyone is HAPPY, STAY PUT. If it's NOT working and you're seeing signs of problems, then you change. Don't change what is working.

 

ALL the levels of RS are fabulous. We had to change because of things specific to my kid. If you look at my sig, we're now doing spiral math (TT) and are FINALLY resolving the problems I was seeing all those years ago when we switched out of RS. We went from RS to other fine math curricula that, again, were good but left that problem of her differential between computation speed and conceptual. Conceptually, dd was faster than RS, but computation-wise she needed way more work than it provided. The games weren't going to get here there either. It was almost bizarre how she could do the card games and NOT have it transfer over to her written work AT ALL.

 

But that was totally obvious, and the problem was something I could see happening every day, was frustrated over, and was seeing in her standardized test scores. I didn't change just because I read that things fall apart in a level ahead. They don't. Math curricula either fits a kid or it doesn't. If you're not seeing signs of problems, STAY PUT. :)

[Haiku]

I switched my dd 2/3 of the way through C and didn't put my son in C at all.

 

The negatives, for us, were too much geometric drawing (dd found it boring, ds wouldn't have had the fine motor skills) and no division. My dd was chomping at the bit to do division, and, if level C even introduced it, it was at way too low a level for dd, and level D didn't start it until over 100 lessons in.

 

I loved RS A and B. Then my love affair ended.

 

Tara

[Haiku]

To me, the 4 digit subtraction method covered in C is *fabulous*.

 

Oh, I forgot about that. It WAS good (once I figured it out!) and I wish I'd been taught to subtract that way. I think it would have confused ds, though. He needs to be able to see the crossed out and rewritten numbers in the traditional algorithm. The older he gets, the more I suspect he has working memory issues.

 

Tara

Edited September 7, 2012 by TaraTheLiberator

[PeterPan]

Oh, I forgot about that. It WAS good (once I figured it out!) and I wish I'd been taught to subtract that way. I think it would have confused ds, though. He needs to be able to see the crossed out and rewritten numbers in the traditional algorithm. The older he gets, the more I suspect he has working memory issues.

 

Tara

 

Don't know. My dd definitely has issues with working memory, and she was fine with it. Remember you do all the trades ahead. Trying to remember. I *think* she did the underlining as Cotter specifies and didn't actually cross out and write the new number. I think that underlining was enough to get here there, iirc.

 

Division was another story. Liked the idea of short division (what RS teaches), but she really did better once she started writing it all out. As you say, the working memory catches up with you.

[Tonia]

We're just finishing up level C and will begin D shortly. So far I have no desire to abandon ship. ;) But, like previous posters said, use it until it doesn't work for you anymore. The methods for addition and subtraction are fabulous and my dd is doing fairly well with multiplication. I think it totally depends on the child if/when you jump ship. It's working for us and I'm actually glad that division is held off for a bit because my dd still needs practice with multiplication.

 

BUT I do add to the program - I wanted more word problem practice than is offered so I add in Singapore Challenging Word Problems. I also think that continual practice in small doses of learned topics is beneficial (for my dd at least) so she does a page of Horizons math each day. I don't make her do every problem, just enough to keep things fresh in her mind.

[Soror]

I agree with the idea to do it until it stops working. I almost switched after B, as that is what a lot do, but decided to go ahead as we still enjoyed it. We liked C as well, even the drawing which a lot of people hate, ds loved it. We are now in D. I've added on Beast Academy as I thought it might be something he would enjoy and have in mind that perhaps AoPs will be a good program for him when he is older(thus starting BA now and continuing it would be helpful for that transition). Right now we are doing both. We will just see where that leads.

 

Posters often mention word problems and extra fact practice being needed, I think that is individual. It seems to me in RSD at least there is a decent amount of word problems. Ds has been just fine with learning his facts from RS, so that has never been a huge concern.

[2squared]

Agreeing with the others - keep going until it doesn't work anymore. Don't switch just because others do.

 

My oldest is in E, and I am very, very pleased with the fraction work thus far. My dd is understanding fractions with ease.

 

Even though my oldest is working a year "behind" grade level - she's in E in 5th grade - she tested in the 75th percentile last year. Math is hard work for her, but RS is really working well.