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3ringcircus
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| Posted: Jan 14 2013 at 4:47pm | IP Logged
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I spent 2 mo. on Right Start before it just stopped working. Love the concepts, the games, the abacus, the approach.
Here's the problem: the lessons are too much. Each one has a thorough review, followed by (usually) two fully developed lessons on separate topics. I can't do that with him. He can sustain attention for no more than 2 topics, including the "warm-up". There are just too many transitions, and his peak learning window gets wasted while I change up the activities so many times. He'd get a better grasp of the concepts if we spent longer on one for an entire week than with all this jumping around (which likely benefits other learners).
I started LoF as a way to get something happening, and he's doing pretty well with it. Thing is, I feel he's drawing on the skills he learned with RS, and when we get beyond the topics he's familiar with, I don't think he'll have as thorough a background as I'd like.
I ended up buying the RS games book (covers lots of topics: time, fractions, money, etc.), and I got the arithmetic set which has a book and the workbook.
In the end, though, I feel like I'm going to have to re-invent the wheel and put together lots of lessons piecemeal. And since I'm already fooling w/ Noeo science to fit him a bit better, I'm getting tired.
Has anyone taken the RS lessons and done only certain topics as they come up? If so, did you go back and do the skipped portions later?
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Christine
Mom to my circus of boys: G-1/06, D-1/04, S-4/10
Started HS in Fall'12
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: Jan 14 2013 at 6:07pm | IP Logged
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I'm new to RS and I haven't used it in first grade, so I could be way off.  There can be alot of of review and warm up activities. I would skip it completely or do only one of the activities. Focus on the new teachings. If there is too many new teachings then split the lesson to two days. I would have a day of review once a week. It may take longer to get through a book.
I've used several different math programs in finding one for my oldest ds. Most have two much review or not enough and I think you will run into this same problem with other programs. Tweaking RightStart my be easier than switching. If this problem continues with him you may look into a mastery program.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
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Betsy
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| Posted: Jan 14 2013 at 7:04pm | IP Logged
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Are you using Level A or B right now?
My advice is to stick with RightStart and go at you own pace. Take two days one each lesson. Or, only do a few lessons a week and take two years to finish it. What ever works. RS is really a great program, but there is a lot to each lesson, especially in the beginning.
I have written many posts on how much I like RS, but my one observation is that is really pretty aggressive at the younger ages. My first two kids are really good at math and never had much of an issue with it, but looking back I would have taken more time going over the first few levels.
To prove it I am using Level B with my 2nd grader. He is very good at math as well, but I want him to really suck the marrow out of each lesson so I waited for Level B until this year. Her fundamentals are so good that I really want him to understand what she is teaching not just be able to get the right answer.
I hope this helps you....please ask more questions if I can help in any way!
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When handcrafting my work, I always pray that it will raise your heart to all that is true, modest, just, holy, lovely and good fame!
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 14 2013 at 7:39pm | IP Logged
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I agree with Betsy.
I would also insert that playing the games is so important. I'm bad at it, but it's really the heart of the program.
When RS offers their online seminars for free, I highly recommend them.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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kristinannie
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| Posted: Jan 14 2013 at 8:57pm | IP Logged
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I almost always spend 2 days on each lesson in RS, especially now that we are in the second half of B. I always do the worksheet on a separate day. I just do about 15-20 minutes or until I see that I am going to start losing DS and then I stop for the day. He really likes doing most of it orally. He loves the mental math.
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John Paul 8.5
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3ringcircus
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| Posted: Jan 15 2013 at 8:58am | IP Logged
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So, could I get away w/ skipping the little parts of review? Once he gets something, he does internalize it pretty well. I know that the topics might be a little harder if I have to re-teach a bit, but expanding one topic is easier than skipping around.
And I like the games a lot! It's one of the reasons why I want to stay w/ the program w/o going nuts on re-working it.
We are on level B. Hopefully dividing the lessons and sticking with one topic per. day will help us get back some momentum.
Betsy, I wonder if it would have been easier to do it as written had I started when he was a year older?
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Christine
Mom to my circus of boys: G-1/06, D-1/04, S-4/10
Started HS in Fall'12
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Betsy
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| Posted: Jan 15 2013 at 9:23am | IP Logged
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3ringcircus wrote:
Betsy, I wonder if it would have been easier to do it as written had I started when he was a year older? |
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I am finding that to be true in my situation. When my older two did the lessons I remember some concepts being a bit difficult for them to wrap their brains around.
This year, with my 2nd grader we breeze through lessons and we have usually have time to talk a bit about the more complicated things that I think are important for understanding...rather than just the "right answer".
I have talked to many people about RS and I think that most people---even if they are good at math---would be better suited to start Level B in second grade.
People look at me like I am really, really crazy when I say this. It's not that your kid isn't smart enough, it's that this program is SOOO meaty I don't want anyone to miss any of the important points AND I don't want kids to struggle with math and get a bad taste in their mouth early.
AND, mostly, I don't want people to end up where I am today. I taught my first two kids RS together. One child was 7 and the other 5.5 when we started. We did one level ever year. We are almost done with Geometry......they are in 5th and 6th grade. Now what?
I purchased the pre-algebra for them this year and the 5th grader didn't have the reading skills to do it yet. And, both were a bit immature for the work to be done well.
So, I look back and wish that I would have spaced out the levels more. This year has been a waste for math. Sure, I should of, could of, supplemented with some other math, but it really hasn't happened.
And, I want to reiterate...these are kids that are really good at math! They learned the material well. They have done good on the standardized test that they are required to take. BUT, I still think that going slower with them would have been better, or at least not produced this dead time where they aren't mature enough for Algebra and mom it to busy to create an interim year!
SO....I will get off my soap box done and just say that RS is a great program but don't get hung up on doing a Level/per year! Take your time and really enjoy the math....because if you follow this program you will KNOW your math!
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When handcrafting my work, I always pray that it will raise your heart to all that is true, modest, just, holy, lovely and good fame!
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Jan 15 2013 at 11:21am | IP Logged
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Chiming in...
I love RS! I love the way it teaches my dc to think and not just memorize.
Like many others, we approach it very slowly. Right now I am still in level B with my dd. We started level B when she was six. Yes- that's right. She and I are in our third year of Level B!
I go very slowly with her- I never skip the warm ups. I simply make the warm up the lesson for the day if that is all she can manage. Short lessons. We have also taken breaks from the lessons to play games and read living math books.
For awhile I supplemented some with Math Mammoth, and though she liked it a lot at first, she quickly became bored with the endless work sheets.
We always come back to RS. And I am so very happy to say that now, at age 8, she is doing so much better- picking up concepts much more easily. I am so glad we stuck with RS and did not give it up in discouragement.
My ds took two years for level B and now is in level D. I still do all the warm ups and review and frequently split the lessons into two days.
Also, as mentioned, I am not afraid to have the worksheet be the whole lesson for the day.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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DominaCaeli
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| Posted: Jan 15 2013 at 1:42pm | IP Logged
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I am about halfway through RS Level C with my two first graders. I was actually not planning to do any formal math at all last year for their kinder year, but I ended up getting RS just to check it out and all of us loved it. Anyway, I break the lessons into two parts VERY often--both of my children love math so far and "get it" easily, but (particularly for my daughter) it is essential that I keep the lessons short or their attention dulls and their excitement fades. But I'm not comfortable skipping, because at least for my kids, I see each lesson part (even the warm-ups and whatnot) building on the prior parts. (Not that we do every lesson exactly as written, but I don't like to skip on a regular basis.) So sometimes we do the warm-up and a practice page in the morning, and then the rest of the lesson during our usual afternoon math-block. Often we split it over two days--lesson on one day, workbook page and a game on another day. We do math year-round, so I'm not worried at all about working through it slowly.
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Celeste
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Betsy
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| Posted: Jan 15 2013 at 2:06pm | IP Logged
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I wanted to add a bit more of my reasoning to really taking RS slow.....
For the most part all of the "arithmetic" type math that you learn is done between 1-5th grade, maybe 6th grade. That leaves 6-8th grade to just review and maybe approach Pre-Alegebra.
I have read quite a bit of information from middle school teacher that flat out say that middle school is just a sort of maturing grounds for the kids. The kids have so much hormone stuff going on that they are just letting them mature to being new material in High School.
Now, I am sure this isn't totally true everywhere. But, what I have taken from this that we can spend years 6-7-8 reviewing OR we can just move more slowly and deeply and arrive at the same place in 8th grade or when the child is ready for pre-algebra or algebra!
With that being said. I am not necessarily advocating going slowly for speeds sake, although I am more of a "better late than early" believer. However, RS is a really good math program (I want to add that isn't not the only one that is good, just one that I have used and believe it) uses manipulatives in a profound way, covers concepts really well and provides all of the foundation a person would need to be successful in math. I just don't see the need to rush through this program only to finish and have to find something else to "review" for a year or two.
Okay, I just had to get that off my chest. 
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MNMommy
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I have to agree with the others, take your time! When my kids are in 1st grade, I do 15 minutes of math. It doesn't matter how far we get in the lesson. I close the book after 15 min. In second grade, I increase the time to 20 min.
My oldest took days to get through some lessons, and the time was well spent.
Also, the warm-ups are important review. If you child is truly getting the concept, you can skip them. But, you know what? My 8yo is gifted in math (100% on his standardized testing last year), and he often still needs the review. He gets concepts so very quickly, but he still needs the brain gyrations the review give him. Part of it is that he excel in mental math, but is slower with written math, but either way he needs the review.
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Jennifer
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Maggie
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| Posted: Jan 16 2013 at 8:31am | IP Logged
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Betsy wrote:
Are you using Level A or B right now?
My advice is to stick with RightStart and go at you own pace. Take two days one each lesson. Or, only do a few lessons a week and take two years to finish it. What ever works. RS is really a great program, but there is a lot to each lesson, especially in the beginning.
I have written many posts on how much I like RS, but my one observation is that is really pretty aggressive at the younger ages. My first two kids are really good at math and never had much of an issue with it, but looking back I would have taken more time going over the first few levels.
To prove it I am using Level B with my 2nd grader. He is very good at math as well, but I want him to really suck the marrow out of each lesson so I waited for Level B until this year. Her fundamentals are so good that I really want him to understand what she is teaching not just be able to get the right answer.
I hope this helps you....please ask more questions if I can help in any way!
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I think this is good advice.
For both of my dc (one in A and one in B), I almost ALWAYS divide up the lesson over a course of bare minimum 2 days...and even over a week...or two!...if I feel a concept is too tricky and is best taken in small amounts.
I LOVE the concept of RS. I have seen my children really blossom in their understanding of numbers.
I CANNOT reinvent the wheel.
So I take it at my own pace.
Case in point, we have been working on level B for 2.5 years. In retrospect, we should have started with level A, but we were too gun-ho (and trying to save money) and just bought B instead.
For my youngest, we did buy A, not making that mistake again...but really, I divide up those lessons over a few days more often than not.
Stick with it if you can. The foundation of RS is incredible...just go at your own pace.
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Wife to dh (12 years) Mama to dd (10) ds (8), dd (1), ds (nb) and to Philip Mary (5/26/09), Lucy Joy (12/6/09), and Margaret Mary (3/6/10) who entered Heaven before we had a chance to hold them.
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Topic: 1st grade math revisited (RS)
