If you use R&S for math in younger grades, do you switch, and when?

[StaceyinLA]

I’m just wondering if you have used R&S with elementary age, at what point you jump ship and go to something that will take you through HS. I’m sure one could continue with R&S, but I don’t hear of many using it in upper grades.

[Zoo Keeper]

Well, since R&S does not have an algebra program...

my more advanced (in math) kids did not finish the 7th grade book; they went to something else to finish out Pre-A.  They were ready for a more challenging pace.  One went to Dolciani Pre-A (faster pace, and more challenging word problems) another went to BJU Pre-A (faster pace, and less reivew).  Both kids did very well in their new books--R&S gave them a good base to move forward with.

My slow and steady math kid is doing R&S 8 in 8th grade. The jury is still out on what he will do for algebra next year.  I wish I had made my oldest ( current senior, who is another math struggler) finish the series through book 8.  His base would have been stronger, I think, with that extra year of R&S's steady skill building. 

I think that the 7th/8th grade books *could* be optional for a kid who needed or wanted a faster pace.

Or you could compact the books, to have a younger child finish the series a year or so early, and have them ready for a standard algebra by 8th grade.

Here's another thread on this topic --in which I say the same thing, but at least I'm consistent... 😉

And another one., with more opinions.

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Zoo Keeper

[2_girls_mommy]

Mine both went the way through 8th grade and then straight into algebra. 

[StaceyinLA]

Thank you for the responses!

So if you were gonna use a different program for pre-algebra on up, at what level would you switch? I didn’t use R&S math with my own kiddos, but my dd and I are using it with my grandkids. I’m just trying to get a feel for how for we can go with it. Neither of her kids really like it much, but she does. Since I’m gonna be teaching them several days a week, I want to try and make it more interesting for them, then let her basically just have them doing assigned pages on her days.

My other dd has a daughter doing it as well, and that daughter doesn’t like it much either. I think she’s likely gifted though, and just doesn’t really need the repetition, but also needs more stimulation overall - R&S is just a bit bland.

[SilverMoon]

My younger four all started with R&S and the older two only used the higher grades. One big kid moved for prealg/alg and one moved because a faster track was a better fit. 

#3 was quite mathy and moved through R&S faster than his maturity did. Book 6 has an appropriate volume of work for the average 6th grader, but my boy two years younger was going to drown in the writing alone. So he went to Horizons workbooks. #4 was hot on his heels and went to Horizons around the same time. 

The little two didn't spend much time in R&S, but they both started with "ducky math" though! (old grade 1) They've done Horizons, Singapore/Math in Focus, and Beast Academy. 

[homemommy83]

I switch after Rod and Staff 6 to BJU Fundamentals because I was given all of the middle and High School math free when a school closed down.  I love the looks of the 7th and 8th books and have been tempted to do them with my younger set of kiddos.

[2_girls_mommy]

17 hours ago, Servant4Christ said:

I'd like to know, too. FWIW, R&S is in the process of writing an algebra text, but there's no ETA as of yet.

We read the Sir Cumference books from our local library for fun and there's an activity guide that can be purchased to go along with them. My son enjoys and picks up on algebra and geometry concepts quickly but has been reluctant/ struggling to master his math facts and really needed to focus more on plain old arithmetic which is why we recently switched to R&S.

They've been saying in the process of algebra forever, long before either of mine would have needed it, so I had hoped we'd move seamlessly into it. But both of mine, four years apart from when they each started Alg. 1 both had to use something else. I'm not holding my breath. 🙂

[SilverMoon]

Same. That algebra is coming has been said since my graduates were around the 6 or 7 book. Don't put any eggs in that basket unless there's a real release date with it. 😄

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Switch after 6th if you want to do pre-Alg in 7th.

Switch after 7th if you want to do pre-Alg in 8th.

Switch after 8th if you want to skip pre-Alg (there's quite a bit in the 7th and 8th) and go straight to Alg in 9th. You might do this if you felt there was a developmental reason to spend another year on solidifying arithmetic...if you did this, you could also start Alg at the semester point, by skipping a lot of the interest and farming type chapters in the 8th grade book.

In other words, you can switch anytime after the 6th grade book. Make your decision based upon whether you think your child is ready for pre-Alg/Alg yet. To make that decision, you might use the various placements tests out there -- Sonlight has free placement tests for Saxon and TT, that might give you an idea.

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What to switch TO:

I think Foerster's Algebra is the best follow up to R&S. Familiar teaching and explaining style, a very good teacher's guide...if you are teaching, yourself, you can continue as you have been doing with R&S.

For Geometry, I like vintage texts or Teaching Textbooks 2.0.

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Another option: After the fourth or fifth grade book, switch to Math Mammoth and continue through pre-Alg (grade 7) with MM. Then switch to Foerster's.

 

 

[2_girls_mommy]

13 hours ago, Servant4Christ said:

I noticed on the 1st grade planning thread that you have experience using the R&S grade 1 BNRS. I started another thread asking questions about their program and am hoping you'll chime in.

Ok, I will look for it. I am using it right now with my dd5. I have used it twice before, but it was ten years ago then, so Its been awhile. I am just getting back into the groove.