My daughter covered this worksheet today - I think it's Lesson 66.

She measured the rectangles, and I'm not sure if it's our printer or a RS error, but they were coming up
smaller than they were supposed to.

I was dismayed, thinking, oh no, she's going to be juggling fractions here, and we haven't really covered that anywhere (except cooking). I'm sitting there stewing, trying to decide if I should just give her the measurements that are SUPPOSED to be found, or not, and then I looked back up and she was already adding the sides to get the perimeter.

She had no trouble adding the halves, that was a piece of cake. But then she had to add 5 3/4 twice (or something and three-quarters, I'm not sure). She hesitated and then took the plunge.

"Ok, so three quarters is a half and a quarter. So two halves make one, and two quarters make a half, so three quarters and three quarters makes one and a half...." and she just plunged on, adding that into the mix.

If I had ASKED her to add fractions intentionally, we might have had a drama, or world war 3, I'm not sure. But she just stumbled into it accidentally, intent on finding perimeter, and just dealt with it. Accurately.

I wonder. Maybe it's because so far, fractions have all been VERY positive - needing them for baking cookies and other delectable stuff, so that she loves fractions? In any case, what I thought would be a problem was a great experience.

So if it's my printer error, it's just an interesting story. If it's Right Start's mistake - well, um....thanks!

Thanks for the great post! Along with you making baking with your child and everything else you do I also think how Dr. Cotter presents fractions is also behind how easily your daughter took to "problem solving" how to get the perimeter by adding fractions. And, I believe because of how RS teaches children to problem solve and use strategies your daughter was able to apply her reasoning skills to the solving of this problem.

Certainly you can feel very good about your child's ability, your teaching ability and your choice of RS as the math curriculum you've chosen to give your child a RightStart in math.

Thank you for sharing this exciting story.

Sincerely, Rosine