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How to survive RightStart Level C?


Greta
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I loved RightStart A and B, but I'm having issues with Level C. This has come so naturally to her before, but she's having a harder time with this level. And I'm concerned that she's just not getting it "down". Maybe I'm not emphasizing the practice sheets and card games enough? Maybe we need to add in some practice from another source? Any advice for me on getting successfully through this level? And will Level D get any better?????

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When my kids get stuck, or seem to hit a wall with Right Start, we put it aside for a few weeks. We do Singapore workbooks, but you could do other things, or informal math, or maybe Aleks ... or just a few weeks of RS games.

 

Sometimes mine need that break to have the concepts mentally sink in. Usually we start back up and life is much better.

 

HTH

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We do Singapore workbooks, but you could do other things, or informal math, or maybe Aleks ... or just a few weeks of RS games.

 

 

Not to step on the OP's toes...but how do you incorporate Singapore with RightStart?

 

I did at the beginning of Level B, but now the two are not meshing. Singapore introduces subtraction way before RightStart does.

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Not to step on the OP's toes...but how do you incorporate Singapore with RightStart?

 

Not at all -- that's a good question. If we were going to take a bit of a break from RS and use Singapore, should I get 2A or 2B? (We're at Lesson 94, so almost 2/3 through.)

 

Thanks MamaLynx! So can I take this to mean that you have survived Level C? :)

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That's why we finally left RightStart entirely, and that's where it started, in level C. If the facts aren't becoming fast for her, yes you'll need to add stuff. Some kids just need a LOT more practice than what RS gives. The games didn't help my dd either. Maybe they're too auditory, I don't know. We stuck it out through level D, but I wish I had pulled out after we covered the 4 digit subtraction in level C. We went to BJU and haven't looked back. It has the visual my dd needed (lots of color, interesting themes and art), tons of drill when you use all the available supplemental books, and is extremely similar conceptually. It allowed me to keep the RS methods I like but get a format that works better for her. I also have her doing a Flashmaster (bribery, rewards, whatever it takes) and the Abeka Tests and Speed Drills books. Like I said, some kids just need a lot more written work than what RS builds in. My dd always got the conceptual quite quickly. It was just getting the facts fast that was the problem. Singapore, which we tried, wouldn't have fixed that as it was more conceptual and not particularly much drill. I now have her doing the Reviews, Spring, and Stretch workbooks for BJU (all 3 main supplementals they sell) plus the student text plus Flashmaster plus the Abeka Speed Drills. I'm not saying she loves so much work, lol, but I'm FINALLY seeing her facts get fast.

 

If your gut says it's not working anymore change. I like the conceptual approach a lot, but we would have done better to have changed a lot earlier, rather than sticking it out. You can always get the Activities for the ALAbacus book and use that to explain things the RS way while using another curriculum (BJU, Horizons, whatever). If it's just hitting a wall where she needs a break, that's one thing. But if it goes on and on and you see things not quite right, you may have to make a real change.

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OhElizabeth -

 

Are you saying that RS got difficult because the games weren't cementing the math facts? Or was it more than that? I have a daughter halfway through level B and because of some of your posts, we've been working away at her math facts since the spring. I'm doing this in the hopes of avoiding some of the problems you've talked about, but it's not clear to me if there were other issues with RS as well.

 

Sorry I can't comment on Level C Greta. We're just not there yet.

 

Thanks!

Lisa

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I would slow down level C. Play more games and just move slower. Give it time to sink in. Level C covers a lot & is long. I started researching just this same thing last year. I discovered that after RightStart E they are ready for Alegbra, so I see no need to push through level A-E. Slow down, review more with the practice sheets and the games. If it takes 1.5 years to get through that is O.K.

 

After we finished I found level C to be every bit as good as the earlier levels! The way my boys can do mental math is amazing! They just think mathematically. I wouldn't give up yet, slow down, review and play games. Even take a week or two off of math and try it again. Good luck! Level D isn't nearly as long as Level C. :)

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Not to step on the OP's toes...but how do you incorporate Singapore with RightStart?

 

I did at the beginning of Level B, but now the two are not meshing. Singapore introduces subtraction way before RightStart does.

 

No, they don't mesh, and I don't try to make them. We use the Singapore books pretty casually, mainly for the word problems and for breaks from Right Start.

 

When we're at a point in the Singapore books where they're doing something that hasn't been introduced in Right Start, we try it. If the kid gets it pretty easily, we continue on. If not, we wait until Right Start introduces the concept.

 

Right now I've got a rising 2nd grader in level B. When we get to the bits in Singapore with the subtraction he just refuses to do them. That's okay. So we skip them, go on to what he feels comfortable with, and after Right Start introduces subtraction we'll go back.

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Lisa, I was differentiating difficult, as in hitting a wall or needing time for things to click, from difficult or muddying up because the facts aren't getting fast. With my dd, she almost didn't need the lessons because she would see the strategies and whatnot as soon as you asked. It was the type of practice that didn't fit her.

 

Everybody's kid is so different. There's another person around here who swears up and down that their kid gets lightning fast on the facts just by seeing the strategies. My dd is the exact opposite, where she sees the strategies but just doesn't memorize those bits very well for fast recall. If the op using C has hit a wall and just needs a break, take it. But if the problem goes on and on and doesn't get better, then that's different. Don't worry about problems that aren't there for you, hehe. If, with the added drill, it's working for you, then it's working! RS *is* great, which is why I stuck with it so long. My dd just started doing better with something else, that's all. She needed more practice and more visual stimulation than what RS was giving us. Those aren't flaws in the concept of the program, just practicality stuff.

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No, they don't mesh, and I don't try to make them. We use the Singapore books pretty casually, mainly for the word problems and for breaks from Right Start.

 

When we're at a point in the Singapore books where they're doing something that hasn't been introduced in Right Start, we try it. If the kid gets it pretty easily, we continue on. If not, we wait until Right Start introduces the concept.

 

Right now I've got a rising 2nd grader in level B. When we get to the bits in Singapore with the subtraction he just refuses to do them. That's okay. So we skip them, go on to what he feels comfortable with, and after Right Start introduces subtraction we'll go back.

 

Makes sense. My 7 yr old in Level B does not really like the subtraction in Singapore. He can do it but reluctantly. It makes sense to just skip it for now.

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We have gotten through Level C and are sailing through D. For us, though, it was Level B that was the kicker. It took us forever to get through that book. What I did with B was when we hit a wall I took a break and did some living math things and just played the games. The games helped my dd. I would try taking a break. If you are still having difficulties then maybe you need to switch to something else.

 

You asked about D-- I love D and my dd is doing very well in this. D is alot of review but it is fun review.

 

We are just getting ready to start Level C with my 7 yr. old so it will be interesting to see how he handles this as he is totally different from my oldest.

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Maybe it has something to do with the age they go through things at as well. I pulled dd from the beginning of Gr. 3 and started her in Level B RS. We sailed through it pretty quickly and got to lesson 100 in Level C at the end of the school year. This school year if I "just" get D done I am happy. She's picking stuff up fairly easily (though she still has to master multiplication facts), and I think it has a lot to do with her age.

 

I looked at what is covered by the public schools in my area and even though RS Level D is Gr. 3 level, if dd finishes it all by the end of this Gr. 4 year she will have met (and exceeded) almost everything covered in the school system. That made me relax a lot more because originally I was hoping to plow through D & part of E this year. If we do that is great, but at least I won't stress as much about getting more than one level done this year.

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I loved RightStart A and B, but I'm having issues with Level C. This has come so naturally to her before, but she's having a harder time with this level. And I'm concerned that she's just not getting it "down". Maybe I'm not emphasizing the practice sheets and card games enough? Maybe we need to add in some practice from another source? Any advice for me on getting successfully through this level? And will Level D get any better?????

When my dd was working on Level C, I was concerned that she wasn't getting it, and we seemed to be bogged down a bit. We went on to Level D, and it was amazing to me how it all clicked, and we breezed through D. Level E is definitely a step up, but my dd worked through it, loved it, and is now confidently using Singapore 5 (a program she despised when she was younger due to its quick pace).

 

My son is ESL and has a few LDs, and he too used RS very successfully through Level D, but after using E with my dd I knew it would move too quickly for my son, and I've switched him to CLE which is a *great* program with lots of built-in review (no supplements needed).

 

Right Start laid such a great foundation--both my kids, very different learners, became proficient & confident using RS alone. If your child isn't as quick with the facts as you'd like, I'd either increase the games, or add more drill (RS pages, Quartermile, whatever). My kids can "see" math in a way I never learned--I just love the program. Best of luck!

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RS C is long. My 8yr old is on lesson 127. It's hard for him to do a whole lesson in one day. There is the worksheet for that lesson and a multiplication rectangle and sometimes a subtraction rectangle. I've found that I need to break them up in the day or split across two days. He's not a fan of drill so it takes a bit of pushing for him to do them although he needs them. And there are the other review sheets in the back....so I see now why many take 1.5yrs to get through C but I know it'll be worth it in the end.

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I've been away from the computer for a few days, but I read through all the replies and wanted to thank everyone who took the time to advise me. I really appreciate it! I am weighing all the advice, still, because I'm honestly not sure what to do.

 

I was thinking of supplementing with Singapore, so I gave her the placement test. I was certain that she would breeze through the 2A test and test into either 2B or 3A. Well, I was wrong. She bombed the first page of the 2A test!!!! And this is stuff that I know she knows, so I couldn't believe she had such a hard time with it.

 

Obviously she needs a lot more practice that what she's getting right now. And *maybe* she even needs a different approach entirely??? It's so hard to know! I'm going to have my hubby read through the advice that you all have given here (thank you again!) and see what he thinks. And please if you have anything additional to add, I am all ears.

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