Righ Start Math Games? Abacus?

[ExcitedMama]

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/041356

 

Is this the right one? I've seen RS games mentioned a lot as a great resource. I was surprised by the price but it does come with an abacus which we don't have. DS is currently working through Singapore Essentials B and almost done with Mathematical Reasoning Level A. I am planning on moving onto Miquon Orange and some sort of Singapore math level 1 next (not sure if MIF or some version of Singapore?). Are the games pretty straight forward? Is it worth the price? I am not mathy at all so I want to make sure that DS is getting a good foundation. I would definitely not be coming up with math games on my own.

 

There is also a separate manual and work sheets it looks like for the abacus. I've never used an abacus, are these worth purchasing? Or is it enough to use it with the games?

[Jackie]

Yes, that's the set. As for it being worth the price, that's pretty subjective. We got ours as part of manipulative kit, so I didn't have to think of the $60 separately. Think of the card games as an enjoyable way to replace drill or flash cards for math facts, and then decide if that's worth $60 to you.

 

For the manual, I'm guessing you mean Activities for the AL Abacus? If so, that would be overkill IMO. The Activities book is meant to be a full curriculum, just without scripted lessons. The abacus we got from RightStart came with a little pamphlet tucked in that explained the basics of how to use it, which would be plenty to get you up and going for use alongside the games.

[Ms.Ivy]

I use the Abacus to supplement Singapore.  I read the instructions here and only bought the AL Abacus, since I was very short on cash at the time.  I also watched the Education Unboxed videos and read the book Arithmetic for Parents to become "mathy" myself, and now I feel pretty comfortable explaining and demonstrating concepts on my own.  I most often use the Abacus in K-2.  

This link includes the instructions for using the Abacus to show skip counting and the "Go to the Dump" game, for which you can make your own cards easily.  

 

And here is where you can see how to use the abacus for adding and multiplying less than 100.  There is also an app.  

 

I would say that if you are going to use Miquon and Singapore, you won't need the whole RS kit and caboodle.  I think it's better to get one manipulative, and learn to teach well with it.  I have one kid that much prefers base ten blocks over the abacus, but most of mine use the abacus exclusively for a manipulative.  The only game I felt we needed was one very similar to "Go to the Dump" where they memorized all the pairs that make 10.   

 

 

[scoutingmom]

I think there are also game kits for just specific things... like Addition game kit, or Fractions game kit....

 

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[Jess4879]

We have the games book and the abacus.  We haven't used either very often.  The abacus is just not our manipulative of choice for some reason.  None of the kids have been really interested in it. 

 

There are a ton (and I mean a ton) of games in that book.  We wanted it mainly for math facts. For me, my patience level for reading through lists of games and sorting out rules just wasn't very high.  I also found a lot of the games, especially when it got into clocks, decimals, fractions sort of made me say "Huh?"  I just couldn't be bothered to sort out how they worked.  I had better success going on to Pinterest and finding games there. 

 

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I am considering this set too. What makes this set different in the way they use games for math facts compared to other math games? If we use place value blocks already, is that sufficient?

[Jackie]

I am considering this set too. What makes this set different in the way they use games for math facts compared to other math games? If we use place value blocks already, is that sufficient?

So, I have mixed feeling on the RS games kit, though I love and recommend RightStart often. For the most part, the games themselves aren't anything special. What is great about the kit is that there are *so many* games in the book. So, if my daughter doesn't like one game regarding addition facts, I can quickly and easily find another to try. Corners is a great game (and one of the few you can't replicate with a regular card deck), but my daughter hates playing it. All right, we'll stick with Addition War, which she loves.

 

I like RS in general because it tells you to play a game with most lessons, so it becomes part of the routine. And for some people, that's what the kit does - just having it reminds them to play math facts games really often. If you can build it into your routine and find good games, there's nothing worth $60 in this kit. In my opinion, of course. But if that $60 kit sitting on the shelf will be what makes math fun and easily accessible, then those advantages would be worth my money.

[Sarah0000]

I got the games kit along with the Activities manual for $30 on Black Friday, so it was definitely worth it to me.

 

The games kit is just a part of our regular games. Its just something we sometimes choose when we want to play a game, and then I go through the book looking for what my child has the necessary skills to play. I don't schedule it in or try to match it up with our other math work.

 

You do not have to use the abacus with the games if your son happens to not like to. I prefer my son to use a variety of manipulatives, because I feel like that really demonstrates full understanding. He also plays with Miquon Orange and Red, sometimes solo and sometimes together but always through discovery. Every now and then I sit with him for a "real" math lesson in Singapore 1a Teacher book.

[RKWAcademy]

We abandoned rightstart very quickly but use the abacus still for singapore. And we did Go To The Dump for making tens. That's all that we liked. Well to be honest, that's all we actually gave a chance.