Hi Carissa,

Thank you for your prespective. I am on my first year of homeschooling, beyond Kindergarten, with a dd4.5 and dd3! I am gradually working towards doing "less" curriculum and focusing on math, reading and writing, with FUN science and mostly family reading of history books from the library.

It helps to hear from others who use a short Math time! This relates to my question since I do not have the materials in hand yet, though they are on order. What is the recommended time for games? I could see us spending 10 minutes a day, or incorporating it into family game evenings. I've seen you recommend 2-4 times a week on other posts. I would guess repetition is more important, i.e. playing a game for a short time on many days provides more benefit than one long session once or twice a week.

I'm was a public school math teacher, many years ago, so I was intrigued by RightStart program, but had already bought the other for this year and decided to go with Plan A. I'm ready for Plan B so that hopefully both of us will look forward to Math Time. I like math, obviously, and my son understands much, but I love the concept of games as reinforcment.

Thansk again! - Carolyn

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Replying to:

Hello Carolyn,

My story is I was using MUS and switched to RS after six months, as my son completed the first level in that time frame, because it was mostly worksheets so he would just sit and do all the worksheets, as I was going to buy the next level, I found this.

I knew it had the right elements I had been searching for , but at the time no one I knew had even heard of it. But as I am one to break from the crowd I bought this and at first I was wondering why I did, until one day I saw the beauty of the program. With the games and the activities my son was learning and UNDERSTANDING major math concepts in a stress-less environment. He was enjoying the time we were spending together, and he was learning. Granted there are time we were stressed but it was entirely my fault as a first-time mom and first-time homeschooler. Once I learned to shorten my time for each lesson 20-25min for Level B, 30 min for C-E), and to linger longer on some lessons, and to play more and more games (DO NOT SKIP THE GAMES)I knew this was a superior choice.

All three of my kids do very well in math in the levels that they are in.

I think it is fine if you choose to switch mid-year, and since he is 6 you can take your time and do Level B this year and most of next, then when you move on to Level C (which takes longer than a school year to complete) you can finish it the following year.
Please let me know if you have any more questions. You can email me directly at Carissa@alabacus.com .

Thank you for giving your child a RightStart in Math,

Carissa
RightStart™ Mathematics by Activities for Learning, Inc.

For program questions: 888.272.3291
To place an order: 888.RS.5.MATH (888.775.6284)
www.RightStartMath.com

Our Mission: To help children understand, apply, and enjoy mathematics

Hello Carolyn,

I think 10 minutes a day is fine, if you are doing the 2-4 times a week, because I think that less time with more days is better than a long session with many days of no games-- but some games are better then no games.

Remember, the games are more than reinforcement; it is the way the brain will be wiring the math concepts to their brain. Instead, of the brain being wired to rote memorization (like you will find in doing worksheets and flashcards), they will be engaged with the math and thus it will be wired to the logic and strategy part of their brain. This creates a completely different result of the child’s ability to recall the information when they need it.
The best example I can give you is this, Think of being at the grocery store. and you see bananas for 55cents a lb and you need three pounds. If you were a rote child who lived with worksheets, your mind will first try to solve it by thinking 55 x 3= and then proceed to look for a piece of paper or do the carry over in the air. Otherwise, you will get frustrated and you will then decide that you have to add 55+55+55= and you start with your ones place then with your tens place. Now, for the gifted in math who figured out that there was a better way to do this and those who use this program they would proceed to solve it by grouping the ten to make 150, then add in the 15 ones and know they will spend $1.65 for bananas. Of course, I gave a simple problem, for you and I can use simplicity where we can find it, but the reality is in the grocery store and elsewhere we need to understand numbers, and not rely only on our rote memory, this will handicap our math ability and our enjoyment of our math skills. For this reason, I tell you that the games are much more then reinforcement, but the path on which to build functioning math skills.

I am glad that you are choosing this program, as a math teacher you will see how revolutionary this program is and I would not be surprised if you wish you had this program back when you were teaching. There are days, as I research the data on our nation’s test scores, and think if only they would teach this way to children they would perform so much better, but I am glad that we homeschoolers have access to it, this is a great program.



Please let me know if you have any more questions. You can email me directly at Carissa@alabacus.com .

Thank you for giving your child a RightStart in Math,

Carissa
RightStart™ Mathematics by Activities for Learning, Inc.

For program questions: 888.272.3291
To place an order: 888.RS.5.MATH (888.775.6284)
www.RightStartMath.com

Our Mission: To help children understand, apply, and enjoy mathematics