Right Start Math Users - Question about pacing

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

Hi there!  We just starting using RS this year for my 2nd grader DS.  He is LOVING it. We are doing level C and we did the review lessons in the few weeks leading up to starting school to get him familiar with the abacus, balance, etc.  We are loving all the card games and strategies to addition and stuff.  I do feel like there have been a lot of addition strategies thrown at him back to back and his little head needs to figure out which one to use when.  He is doing GREAT, but just needs more practice 

 

So...coming from ABEKA....I always just plowed through because the spiral was so tight!!  I always knew there would be opportunity to practice. However, looking at RS I'm seeing the next 3-4 lessons on Roman Numerals and then 2 digit addition.  Should I pause and just play games until he can sort out which strategy to use when and really be more confident??  OR will it sort itself out?  This is just so different than memorizing math facts (which is why we ditched ABEKA because he wasn't good at that).  

 

Thanks ladies!!

[mommysanders]

Hi there!

 

We have done RS from A and are now at C. We love it too! I know what you mean about the several different strategies of addition being learned in a short time period. We are just past that and into the Roman numerals now. I thought my son understood the different strategies, but just needed practice. Then, while we were doing one of the games (addition war while filling in the addition chart worksheet) he had a big light bulb moment doing 7+9 and said "Mom! It's easy! All I have to do is take a 1 from the 7 and give it to the 9. So really the answer is just 1 less that 7 with a "teen" added to it. Seventeen!" Haha! I thought he had it before that, but now I KNOW he has it. So I guess I'm just sharing that yes, the practice during the games really does help. And I made sure to remind him as we played not to count out the answer but to figure it out using the strategies.

 

All that being said, our past experience has also taught us that we don't need to dwell on a topic. It will come back around, and his mind will be fresh and ready to learn it again. So don't stick to it for too long.

 

I think the most I have done when I think he needs extra practice is give him "homework". I will say "Your homework tonight is to play this game with Daddy". And after that I move on to the next lesson.

 

Hope that helps!

Sarah

[HomeAgain]

We are starting RS this year, too.

 

From my understanding after looking at it thoroughly, it is rather like MEP in format in the way it presents new concepts.  It has a few pieces that work together: the warm up review spiral that uses past work, and then the new work spiral that presents concepts learned in different ways and add on slowly, plus the games that spiral through as well. I have to look at each part separately - if the new work is too much you can spend more time with the games and warm up work.  If they are rather confident in the review/games, continue more in the new concept work.

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

Thank you!! That does help.  I may just add in some addition games while working on the Roman Numerals the next few days and see what happens.  Thank you for your response!!  I will keep moving.  

 

Oh...and yes...the games are awesome!  My 4th grader who is doing Saxon even asks to play which is fun.  "Um no honey....you may NOT play a math game!!"  ;-) So we have a good time with it!

[nixpix5]

Absolutely agree with mommysanders. We will just add in more game play and go back and review games as we go along. I can only think of two times when I spent more than one day on a lesson and he just wasn't getting it. In both of those instances I pulled out other math materials and came from a different angle. By and large though, maintaining the one lesson per week day has been working for us. Sometimes I will feel like he just didn't get it and then later he will be doing mental math and blow me away. I have decided to trust the process. I hope you both enjoy it this year! It is so fun and such great bonding time :)

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

Absolutely agree with mommysanders. We will just add in more game play and go back and review games as we go along. I can only think of two times when I spent more than one day on a lesson and he just wasn't getting it. In both of those instances I pulled out other math materials and came from a different angle. By and large though, maintaining the one lesson per week day has been working for us. Sometimes I will feel like he just didn't get it and then later he will be doing mental math and blow me away. I have decided to trust the process. I hope you both enjoy it this year! It is so fun and such great bonding time :)

 

Yes!!  So I only have been doing this for a few weeks, but spending time with him one on one is just awesome.  He is the middle child and I feel like he really loves it. I also want to use it with my youngest....then it could get dicey but we'll make it work.   

[nixpix5]

Yes!! So I only have been doing this for a few weeks, but spending time with him one on one is just awesome. He is the middle child and I feel like he really loves it. I also want to use it with my youngest....then it could get dicey but we'll make it work.

I use it with my "middle" child too. Technically he is a twin but he is a fraternal twin with his twin being on the spectrum so he has taken the role as middle child with our 3 kids still at home. He just loves it immensely and I think his deep fondness for math now comes from pairing it with mom/son hang out time. That gives me such joy :) It is something he sees as special and "ours" which is darling ;)