Hi,
I am really glad to find some support for this program! I am so excited to get my new box of materials. My son is almost 6 and a natural at math. He just gets really frustrated writing numbers. He wants them to be perfect and throws a fit when they are not. I am hoping that this will work out for him. Here is my question. I am wondering where to start in this level. He knows his math facts and is kind of rolling his eyes at me and thinking it is boring. Should I just skip ahead? I would say he easily knows his math facts up to 10 with no problem. However, tally sticks are new to us, and I haven't even looked at the math game DVD yet. I am kind of at a loss. I feel like I have a kid who genuinely loves math, especially anything hands on, measuring, clocks, etc. I hope someone can help me!
Thanks a lot!
Melanie

Hi, Melanie! My name is Rachel and I am happy to help you.

My son, too, got frustrated with writing numbers. He is a perfectionist and wanted his writing to be perfect. The problem was that his dexterity wasn’t developed yet! I really appreciated this program because we could get to the answers without a ton a writing!

Don’t be afraid to do a couple of lessons a day. Unless it is a new concept, don’t feel like you need to cover every single item in each lesson, either. If he gets the concept immediately, don’t worry about doing all the examples. I would start at the beginning of the Level, covering more than one lesson a day until he is being challenged. Tell him you are reviewing concepts and doing math a new way. Sometimes that helps them not feel ‘belittled’.
Also, I would really start introducing games, especially if the lesson time is short. This will give him more confidence and practice with his math facts WITHOUT having to write his ‘imperfect’ numbers.
I hope this information has been helpful. Feel free to email RightStart at info@alabacus.com or call their help desk at (888)272-3291.
Have a wonderful day! Rachel