Do you think R&S math-concepts vs memorization

[Ginger]

I'm using Arithmetic 2 with ds this year. I feel like he isn't learning concepts, just how to do the problems. Math doesn't come easy for him and even with all the repetition R&S has, it still doesn't seem to sink in with him. The other day he was adding double digit numbers with carrying, and he forgot to carry, giving him an answer in the thousands. I tried to make him see that if you are adding a number in the 30's to a number in the 20's that your answer couldn't possibly be in the 1000's. But he had no clue what I was saying.

 

So I am just concerned that R&S is simply teaching him how to do the problems and that he isn't getting a good understanding. FTR, I used Rightstart last year, and that didn't work with him either. It was too much conceptualization...he seemed to need something where he just learned how to do the problems. Which is why I think he has done so well with R&S-as far as getting him to do the work, he enjoys it more that RS. I think he just can't tolerate me trying to teach him, so he blocks out any instruction. He wants to learn independently...which would be great, if he actually 'got' the concepts.

 

Another thing about him is that even after using that Right Start Abacus for the past two years(which he hates when I pull it out), he still does not 'see' the groups of numbers. If he works a problem on it, he still counts the beads, instead of moving them in groups of 5's etc.

 

Should I plug away at R&S, which seems to be working, minus him getting the concepts--he is learning HOW to do the problems. Does the approach change in subsequent levels? Or is their another program that might be better suited for him. I really hate to change curriculum again, but I'd rather do it now when he is younger than older.

[jeri]

I have four kids and except for one, all seem to shine with Singapore. But one dd was just not getting the Asian math thing. i tried regressing her with Rightstart, tried SM, then finally just had her use R&S. This actually worked really well, even though it sort of drives me crazy since I'm a math "purist." It was pure memory, but if that is what it takes, I'm happy.

 

jeri

[Penny]

I would guess that his brain is just not developed enough yet to handle the conceptualization. I would stick with R&S and just teach him how to do it. Meanwhile, I would stick with the Right Start method of counting and carrying/borrowing so he may eventually understand our number system. Right Start also has a wonderful way to count money, and understand doubles, evens and odds. Right Start saved me when teaching multiplication by one word, "taken". When I started saying 5 taken 3 times for 5x3, all conceptual problems were solved at our house! That was worth the price of the book!

 

I have bought MUS, RightStart, Saxon, Singapore and Rod and Staff. I have been trying to find SOMETHING for my math challenged child. I think Right Start has the best method to teach our number system but expects too much higher order thinking at a young age. Rod and Staff simply teaches them to do the work. I believe it may come together when they are older. My ds is in 4th grade and we are sticking with Rod and Staff.

 

 

Blessings!

 

Penny

[Beth in Central TX]

My youngest is doing R&S 1 this year. When the lesson introduces a number family, I supplement it with counting bears to illustrate the math facts of the lesson. For example, we are doing subtraction for the 7-family right now. The lesson introduces the subtraction family with ducks in a pond, but it's only for the first lesson of the family. I continue the visualization with counting bears. For each lesson, I put 7 bears on the red lid, and we take out the number of bears shown in the problem. He sees the math in action. Once he has memorized the math facts for that family, we put the bears away and bring them out again when we get to a new number family. For some number families, he rarely uses the bears; for other families, he uses the bears a lot.

[Ellie]

with young children learning to memorize basic arithmetic facts. The truth is that they actually do learn the concepts as they go along, even if the text doesn't spend a great deal of time counting teddy bears and whatnot to teach concepts. Really.

 

R&S's arithmetic is solid. I'm thinking that you might do better just to follow R&S and not add in anything else. Do the oral classtime faithfully, maybe add in the blackline masters.

[Mom0012]

With him, we did Rightstart A in kindergarten. It was too much for him. I moved to Rod & Staff in first grade and what a relief that was. All the stress was gone!

He is about 3/4 of the way through Rod and Staff 2 and I am still very happy with it.

 

However, I have just started going slowly through Righstart level B with him because I want to strengthen his understanding of the concepts. So far, this is working very well. He already knows all of his addition and subtraction facts, so now he can just focus on the concepts with Rightstart. I don't know what I'm going to do next year yet, but I may just continue on with Rod & Staff 3 and then follow up with Righstart level C.

 

Lisa

[BizyPenguin]

We're using CLE math and love it. If it's working, stick with it, if not move on. It is a very good math program, but it was too dry and repetitious for our tastes. All the best!

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

I feel like he isn't learning concepts, just how to do the problems.

 

So I am just concerned that R&S is simply teaching him how to do the problems and that he isn't getting a good understanding.

 

Ginger, you know your son best, I would listen to your gut instinct. I just went through the same feelings, but with a little boy who IS very math oriented...so I understand what your saying.

 

I can't say if I think you should drop the math in lieu of something else, or keep going but really add in some manipulative type games to learn concepts.

 

I think BOTH are important: memorizing procedure AND learning concepts, but never one without the other. For me, it is rather a question of WHEN to memorize procedure.

 

Feel free to email me, I have a couple (huge) files that would really help you with that, *if* you want to try it, and you wouldn't have to buy anything else or switch curriculums.

[Colleen in NS]

with young children learning to memorize basic arithmetic facts. The truth is that they actually do learn the concepts as they go along, even if the text doesn't spend a great deal of time counting teddy bears and whatnot to teach concepts. Really.

 

R&S's arithmetic is solid. I'm thinking that you might do better just to follow R&S and not add in anything else. Do the oral classtime faithfully, maybe add in the blackline masters.

 

Ds is using R&S 5 now, dd is in R&S 2. R&S does teach the procedure, but to add to Ellie's comment about the oral classtime activities - if you do everything in the TM, you'll cover the concepts simply, too. As for difficulty in getting the concept of carrying over in addition - I have found that when I try to explain the concept to my young child, she gets more confused than if I just go over the carry over samples in the TM with her. I just talk her through exactly what the TM tells me to say (the bolded words), problem by problem, until she can do it herself. And I do it again and again, day after day, until she finally tells me she can do it herself. I've also found with the later levels of R&S, that the concepts get revealed bit by bit. Meanwhile, the kids have the math facts and calculating procedures memorized, which makes understanding the concept easier.