Right Start Maths -should've started in B?

[Momma4]

Im working my way through RS 2nd Edition Level A with my 6 year old. We're on lesson 48 of 132 and doing 4 lessons a week. He's getting most of it and we're aiming to be finished by August this year.

 

But, I just read that level B covers most of level A so now I'm worried that we will have wasted this year and have to spend a lot of time just reviewing in level B. Am I right to be slightly annoyed that this was not pointed out on the RS website? At least I don't think it was 🤔

 

I feel like I may have put him a year behind, that he'll be doing 1st grade maths in 2nd grade. He's not an accelerated student by any means but he's not behind in his development either.

 

Should I buy level B and just jump into wherever I think he can handle it or should I aim for more lessons in a week or just keep plodding on.

 

Also I keep reading about other moms doing lots of maths facts drills - RS doesn't have any of this, how best could I supplement this....or is the warm up considered as math facts drill?

 

I've been considering the light blue math mammoth. Thoughts?

 

TIA.

[Jackie]

Level B of RS is the best level! Especially since you already have the manipulatives (I assume), continue on with B. B does cover what is in A, but in only a few of the lessons, then there's more a lot of new information. The card games are the fact drill in RS. There's far less of it in A than in B.

 

Now, I can't say the same about level C, which has so much review that it derailed RS completely for us. And when I later rethought my decision to jump ship and had DD do the placement test again (after about 1/2 of C and a year-long break), there was only one concept that kept her from placing into E (skipping D entirely), so my impression is that there can't be enough new in D, either.

 

But wait until after B.

[domestic_engineer]

Only in 1st edition does Level B cover lots of the same things in Level A ... so no, don't be worried and don't be annoyed at RS.

 

Math facts drill ... RS doesn't drill them via worksheets or flashcards.  The RS philosophy is that you will play games, lots of games, and that's how your child will master their facts.  Game play is really started in Level B.  You can play lots of the number sense games for Level A, but the absorption of math facts will come in Level B & C once you've taught the child the different strategies of addition and subtraction.  

[Kiara.I]

If he's getting "most of it" then it sounds like he's in the right level, regardless of age.  (Hint: that's why it's levels, not grades.  The idea is that the child be in the lessons that are appropriate for them, even if it doesn't match "grade level.")

 

For math facts, card games.

 

If he's doing really well with the lessons, you can certainly go through them faster than listed.  If you know he's already mastered a topic, do pieces of it and pieces of the next lesson as well.  Speed through until you hit something that will take more time.  That's fine!  If you want to accelerate more, you could do 5 days a week, of condensing lessons.  

 

Remember to make the curriculum work for your child, don't let your child be a slave to the curriculum.  You can feel free to skim lessons and get a few tidbits out to make sure your child has grasped them, and then move to the next one.  But do make sure that you're not pushing him ahead beyond where he's comfortable just because of his age.  There's no gain in putting him in "the right level" if he then struggles and doesn't learn it well.

[Momma4]

Thank you. That makes me feel calmer now!