Calizzy Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I am starting Rod and Staff math with my dd’s, grade 5 and grade 2. Odd has had a variety of math programs, Miquon, public school, and math mammoth. We started math mammoth this year with grade 4- so a year behind. We are about 1/3 of the way through the book, we started in August. I have purchased grade 4 Rod and Staff for her. I am wondering if I should start at the beginning, or skip ahead a bit. She is already a bit discouraged that this is her 3rd time starting a 4th grade math program, and she is in 5th grade. And R&S seems easier that MM was, so she could definitely do it. But the strength of the program seems to be the drill, and I’m wondering if we need to start at the beginning of the level? Similar question for 2nd grader, the beginning of the book is on 2+1 and seems really simple. Should we skip ahead of do the program as designed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I think it would depend on why you switched to R&S to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 They have a placement test that might help you figure out if ahe's mastered some things and can move on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calizzy Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 We switched because we needed more instruction. I understand math naturally and am not good at communicating how things work. Also, I think my girls will do better with more concrete math vs. conceptual. Is the placement test online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 33 minutes ago, Calizzy said: We switched because we needed more instruction. I understand math naturally and am not good at communicating how things work. Also, I think my girls will do better with more concrete math vs. conceptual. Is the placement test online? Here is a placement test..https://www.milestonebooks.com/bin/Placement_Test_Math.pdf Grade 2 can be SLOW moving for a child that gets math easily--but it is also easy to compact lessons if needed. The Teacher's Manual has a chart that tells what lessons introduce new concepts (pg 15 and following in mine). One of my children *needed* to do each and every page in those workbooks for it to stick. With other children I have done the lessons orally and wrote select problems on the whiteboard or another sheet of paper. I would also sometimes use the Blacklines (extra worksheets) as their written work for that lesson. Grade 2 has a LOT of writing--be selective if you need to. One of my math strugglers switched to R&S 4 in his 5th grade year--he was initially discouraged to be "behind", but it was exactly where he needed to be. He did the 4th grade book as written all that year, and then we compacted some lessons (odds on one, evens on another, and sometimes did two lessons in a day) during the next two years so that he was in the 7th grade book to begin his 7th grade year. You can also skip some of the end of year reviews if it is not needed. The oral drills in the TM are good--skip some of the written work in the lessons, if you need to, but don't skip the oral drills in the TM. I think R&S is a good program that builds a solid base for most kids in elementary math. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 3 hours ago, Calizzy said: I am starting Rod and Staff math with my dd’s, grade 5 and grade 2. Odd has had a variety of math programs, Miquon, public school, and math mammoth. We started math mammoth this year with grade 4- so a year behind. We are about 1/3 of the way through the book, we started in August. I have purchased grade 4 Rod and Staff for her. I am wondering if I should start at the beginning, or skip ahead a bit. She is already a bit discouraged that this is her 3rd time starting a 4th grade math program, and she is in 5th grade. And R&S seems easier that MM was, so she could definitely do it. But the strength of the program seems to be the drill, and I’m wondering if we need to start at the beginning of the level? Similar question for 2nd grader, the beginning of the book is on 2+1 and seems really simple. Should we skip ahead of do the program as designed? Have you looked at R&S's scope and sequence? Did you look at the curriculum samples? Why didn't you start with the fifth grade book? If R&S seems "easier" than MM, why not start with the fifth grade book? You did buy the teacher's editions, yes? The TE is essential for the first three grade levels, as all of the instruction is there; the seatwork only provides practice and review of what was taught in the oral lessons. Unit 1 of "Working Arithmetic" reviews addition and subtraction facts through 10, as well as other things taught in "Beginning Arithmetic" (counting to 250; skip counting 2s, 5s, 10s, 25s), cardinal and ordinal numbers, place value to 100s; single column addition with 3 addends; two-place addition and subtraction; fractions 1/2 and 1/4. The TE is not as essential for fourth grade and up, as everything the children need to know is in their textbooks, and the oral lessons in the TE do not provide any new information; the TE does have the answers, of course. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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