Please tell me about Right Start Mathematics.

[Morgan's mama]

What is your experience with it? I am also looking at Miquon.

[sbgrace]

My kids love it (we're doing level A) and I believe it is giving them a good foundation for the why behind math.
I wish I had been taught this way.

[Morgan's mama]

No one else here uses Right Start? I wonder if this math program is better suited for a certain learning style? Abstract learner? I'm also concerned about my own lack of math ability and teaching math to dd.

[skueppers]

Last time she commented about it, dotnetdiva was really liking Right Start Math. You can read some of what she had to say about it in her blog:

http://satorismiles.com/tag/rs/

Regarding your own lack of math ability, you might consider that early math is about number sense, addition, subtraction, that sort of thing. I can't imagine that you don't know these things -- what you probably don't know is how to teach them. Even people highly talented at math aren't likely to just magically know how to teach math to their kid unless they have prior experience. Don't sell yourself short.

[emilys_mom1]

I just started using this program with my girls. They are loving it so far. I started it on the recommendation from two friends. We were using Math U See, but it wasn't working for my 2nd grader.

[lorrielink]

I haven't used it but I plan to. There's a bunch of great info on the site all about the program. downloadable examples, even an online abicus you can play with. you can even call customer service with any questions that you have.

there is a yahoogroup for them too. if you can't find it I'll try looking through my archives for the addy. also there is a forum on the rightstart site itself. you can sometimes find people who are selling their kits or books when they move onto the next level. I've seen rightstart representitives answer posters questions pretty quickly.

while I don't think this program is only for specific types of learners, I know it's perfect for my full of energy, constantly moving, hands-on, right-brained kid.

[sbgrace]

My kids couldn't be more different. One is analytical and left brained and seems math natural. The other is right brained and creative and intuitive. Both are doing really well with it so far.

[sleet76]

We love Right Start Math. It is a great fit for my older two. My oldest is a 1st grade 6 yo is a perfectionistic, shy-with-answers, doesn't-want-to-get-anything-wrong, sit-and-work-on-stuff, creative type. My middle kid is a 4-yo probably-gifted, math-brained, blurt-out-all-the-answers-right-or-wrong (usually right!), not-reserved-at-all, hyperactive ADHD kid. It is great for both of them. My DD (older one) is really liking it, she is working through level B this year. My DS (younger one) will probably start level B next fall. I'm hoping he can skip up through it so they can work together after a year or so.

I really like it for me, too. I did well enough in math, but never really thought in a math language, if that makes sense. It is nice to think in the way this curriculum teaches, and I have liked refreshing myself with it. I really wish I had learned math this way. I can see my DD really understanding it and problem solving so successfully.

[Momma Aimee]

thanks guys

i am really looking into math programs right now

i will have to look at this one too

Aimee

[tbone]

We're using Rightstart B (along with CTC and MEP), and we really like it so far. We're only on about lesson 11, but ds1 really seems to enjoy it and I love the way the mathematical concepts are presented. The lessons are pretty short and can be broken into a couple of days if it takes too long. It is teacher intensive, so definitely not workbook, child does it himself style. up

[Fuamami]

I used Level 1 with my dd and really liked it. I think it's a great approach to learning the relationships between numbers. Interestingly, I just read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and he discussed the studies on Asian-language number-naming that has been accredited for their superior language skills. Right Start tries to compensate for our different way of naming numbers, and I think it's effective.

[annethcz]

I really like Right Start Math. I posted about this a few weeks ago- my kids are currently attending school and I'm currently teaching in a tiny charter school. Dr. Joan Cotter, the author of Right Start Math, recently came to our school and taught/demonstrated/worked with all of the students in their math classes. Dr. Cotter was fantastic, and the methods she used made SO MUCH sense to many of the kids. I also use some of the curriculum and the games with the preschool class I teach, and the kids really enjoy the games.

I'll probably be homeschooling 1 or 2 of my kids again next year, and I'll be using Right Start for math. We used Miquon and Singapore in the past. Although those programs worked well enough for my kids, Right Start makes more sense and my kids seem to grasp the concepts better.

[Morgan's mama]

Thanks for your replies! I purchased level A this morning!

[momofmine]

I love the foundation of Right Start math! Several years ago I was trying to decide between Right Start and Shiller math, and I chose Right Start. I feel like it gave my son a really firm foundation, and he is really good with numbers now. We didn't use it every day, and we stopped for long periods of time, (in fact we are trying to return to it now). The whole premise is that it groups numbers by 5s and 10s, and it's very visual. Counting is de-emphasized. The number five is the highest amount you easily recognize without some sort of "counting" quickly in your head. But you can look at a group of 5 objects and recognize that there are five of them. So then you learn that 6 is 5 and 1, 7 is 5 and 2, 8 is 5 and 3, etc.

I think it's a great choice for any type of learner,as long as you aren't trying to push any part that the child isn't ready for.

It has given my son a great foundation for math, and he really understands math. This is my goal, for him to have a solid foundation with no holes, and to understand why and how, not just memorize math facts, as I did as a child. because when I got to higher level math like statistics and calculus, I really had to go back and figure out a lot of basic stuff. Once I did, I realized how fun math is, and I am discovering that again with my kids now.

We do other math too, and we really do not do this as a strict curriculum, but it was a good foundation.

We also like books like Family Math and The I Really Hate Mathematics Book.

[True Blue]

We haved done B, and part of C so far...we love it. I got A for DD1, but it was boring...for me LOL. I'm just going to wait til she's ready for B to really use it, but it's nice to have something to pull out when she wants to do math. I really believe in the way RS teaches math, and I see my son able to do things in math so, so well, and using algorithms I had to teach myself over years and years to use as shortcuts...but he is taught that way first. He also UNDERSTANDS what the numbers mean, and place value, etc. It doesn't teach just rote memorization...I love it.

[Momma Aimee]

thanks

it seems most peoplei see posting -- in any mother thread -- use more than one "program"

??

is that generally correct?

[True Blue]

I think it depends. I don't really fully use anything else. I do have a Singapore workbook for word problems...just to mix it up for us, really. I thought it would be good for DS to have some extra problems, and also for days when I am too busy to do a sit-down lesson, I can pull out a workbook for some practice instead..because, as mentioned before, RS is teacher-intensive.

[umsami]

I used Level A last year and couldn't recommend it more. It was perfect for my son. At the time, he didn't like to write (although this year he writes all the time)...and there was very little pencil/paper work. A lot of it is games you play to reinforce facts.

I think in hindsight, I would have bought B and used it over two years... but I don't regret purchasing A at all. Well worth it. My son couldn't wait to "play" math...and his little brother wanted to play math too.

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by umsami

I used Level A last year and couldn't recommend it more. It was perfect for my son. At the time, he didn't like to write (although this year he writes all the time)...and there was very little pencil/paper work. A lot of it is games you play to reinforce facts.

I think in hindsight, I would have bought B and used it over two years... but I don't regret purchasing A at all. Well worth it. My son couldn't wait to "play" math...and his little brother wanted to play math too.

you would have bought B in place of level A and used it last year and this year? Is that what you mean?

Thanks

How old was your son last year? when he really liked level A?

[umsami]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

you would have bought B in place of level A and used it last year and this year? Is that what you mean?

Thanks

How old was your son last year? when he really liked level A?

Yes. Everything in level A is repeated in Level B. Level A is a much gentler pace... which was probably better for us, but still I know a lot of Mamas who do Level B over two years. He was 4 when we started and turned 5 shortly after. I will tell you we were really sporadic with it. 2-3 lessons/week. I wanted it to be a gentle, introduction to Math. You'll find some Mamas on the RightStart group will go through 5 or more lessons per week, so they finish very quickly. WE would do 2-3 max...and then do games and such throughout. It worked really well for us. (RightStart Group is the RightStart Yahoo Group)