Why We Use RightStart Mathematics

RightStart Mathematics

I have no doubt there is a lot I do wrong when it comes to homeschooling. However, there is one thing – and one thing ONLY – that I am completely positive I do right: math. It is so right, in fact, that making the jump to homeschooling altogether has been made totally worth it, purely because my kids get to learn math THIS way. RightStart Mathematics is truly the right start I wanted my kids to get in math.

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What Is rightstart mathematics

In a nutshell, RightStart Math is a different, more visual, and applied way of learning mathematics. In other words, this is not your usual homeschool math curriculum. When I first started homeschooling, my parents would ask if my kids were more advanced in math than children attending public school. The way my children learn math is just too different to compare, so my reply was always, “That’s like comparing apples and oranges.”

For example, my oldest kid spent several months in the first level of the RightStart Math program, studying the addition of the numbers under 10. If my parents would have asked me that question then, I would have been like, “Probably behind…she can only add to ten.” Then, all of the sudden, she was adding numbers in the thousands with ease. I would have needed to call my parents back to say, “Nope, I take that back, she is WAY ahead.” How do I compare THAT to how the American education system teaches math?

I didn’t realize the foundation the program was laying and the things they were teaching would come together in one lesson like that. See? It’s impossible to compare the way RightStart Math and the American education system teaches math.

Wait…Did you answer my question?

You might be thinking, “That’s all well and good, but what exactly is RightStart Math? You still haven’t answered my question!” That’s because it’s hard to explain. The web page states, “It is an elementary and middle school math program that uses visualization of quantities, de-emphasizes counting, and provides strategies and games for learning facts.” Confusing, right? I was confused, too, but purchased the program anyway, with no idea what it was really about.

When it arrived in a big box, with what felt like a ton of manipulatives (the hands on items they use to make math visual such as tiles and cubes), I read the intro to the program, a few lessons, and played with the manipulatives. Yet, I STILL had no idea what I had gotten myself into. I didn’t have much of an understanding of how the program was going to work together until we were a solid few months into it.

Even then, I didn’t fully understand why they were teaching what they were teaching until a couple of years in. Now I can clearly see how all the lessons are working together. The concepts that seemed out of place in level A (the first level of RightStart) have woven nicely into level B and so on. That’s the thing with the program, you won’t ever really understand it until you experience it, you simply have to follow the program and trust the process.

You just have to live it

Until you have jumped into the lessons yourself, trying to describe what RightStart is exactly, or even showing video of us doing it still wouldn’t help you comprehend what it’s all about.

Level A with my 5 year old

That’s a scary thought when you’re looking at curriculum that costs around 300 dollars (don’t worry, after the initial, start-up cost each level only costs 100 dollars and can be reused for all your kids with no additional fee), and your child’s precious education. But what I can do, is tell you some things I adore about the program that will hopefully ease your mind. Then you will see that RightStart Math is 100% worth the expense and leap of faith.

Things I Love about this homeschool math curriculum:

Hands on

Math was always such an abstract concept to me. As a person who struggles with visualization, learning math was that much harder. This program has a manipulative for everything, and yet a surprisingly succinct amount considering it spans several grades. I took the opportunity to purchase all the manipulatives for the entire program up front, and I have been surprised by how versatile they have been.

My kids have not struggled to learn a single abstract concept. The most ingenious manipulative provided is the abacus, hands down! It has been amazing to watch my kids grasp numbers and groups of fives and tens using this tool. My oldest barely uses hers now because she can visualize the abacus in her head – a skill the program encourages.

Last year I tutored a 13 year old who struggled in math. When we started, and I would ask her to add something, she would count it out using her fingers. After less than a month of tutoring, she was adding like a pro – no fingers needed. In less than two months, she rarely used the abacus for basic addition. Her mom was shocked and relieved, because she had been battling with her daughter to quit counting on her fingers for years! The 13 year old felt proud. RightStart Math built that confidence.

Pro-Tip: Organizing all the manipulatives efficiently took me a long time to figure out. Eventually my best friend came up with this great idea, and it has changed my life. My pegboard is so big we also use the bags for other subjects such as handwriting and science.

How we organize our math manipulatives (and other random subjects)

Related Post: How I Organized My Homeschool Room

Games

Instead of using worksheets to reinforce concepts, RightStart has a book filled with hundreds of games to play. The manipulatives used to teach concepts are also used to play games like Go Fish, War, Solitaire, and so many others!

My kids and I love playing games. I hate playing most kid games, in general, but I enjoy playing these games. Almost every day, we play a game. Not every lesson calls for one, but the games are such hits we use them as rewards. We create quality memories and have so much fun playing together. Not to mention, the games work like a charm for getting the kids to understand mathematical concepts. The lady who wrote this program did not lack creativity!

Minimal worksheets

This goes hand-in-hand with the games. Since concepts are enforced with games, there are very few worksheets, and they’re quite short. I would say in the 132 lessons in the first book, we completed 60 SHORT worksheets, if that. It was never a battle getting the kids to complete them either.

Makes math easy to understand

This program has filled in so many gaps in my math education that it’s embarrassing. Though I struggle with math, I was never bad at it. I was always in advanced classes and got mostly As, but it was hard. After teaching my kids using RightStart Math, it makes sense now why I struggled with math…I simply did not understand it.

The way I was taught, math was based on memorization. According to the author of RightStart, “Only five percent of mathematics should be learned by rote; 95% should be understood.” Now that I have been through 3 levels of the program, I understand this means kids need to be able to see, touch, and clearly visualize abstract mathematical concepts. Watching the program, and my children, achieve just that is nothing short of amazing. This program thoroughly lays a solid foundation for higher math! I feel so blessed I took a chance on it.

No technology

The overuse of technology in the public school is the number one reason I decided to homeschool. We are a low-tech/no-tech family. Even if you aren’t, don’t let that scare you away! I understand the allure of letting your kids learn everything from an iPad, sometimes its hard to get free time to sit down and teach your kid. But know that if I can do it, you can, too. When we first started the program, I had a 15 month old baby who got into everything, and a 3 year old who was still reeling from the terrible twos.

RightStart is a parent-intensive program. You do have to stop and focus on teaching your kid one-on-one. The games will require all of your attention. This will be a personal sacrifice and some days it will be hard to pull off. Overall, however, the whole process has been mostly painless because the games are fun, the worksheets are minimal, and it is easy to teach and learn the mathematical concepts.

Scripted

RightStart Math requires less than 5 minutes of prep work each day. The only thing I do to prepare for the next day is lay out the manipulatives we will use, bookmark the page we are on, and lay out the worksheet (on the rare occasion there is one). That’s it.

The next day I open the book and start reading. It tells you exactly what to say to your kid. In the sidebar there might be notes to help you, the parent, understand why they are teaching what they are teaching. Sometimes the notes are simply reminding you to be patient while the child discovers the concept.

The lesson book is extremely user-friendly. I’m relieved to not have to plan what I will say, or how I will teach a concept. Since it is a no-brainer to teach your kid, you can have a million interruptions and not lose your train of thought. It is so easy to implement this program, and only requires your time commitment.

Short

One of my firm educational beliefs is that lessons for small children should be short, and I’m not alone. Charlotte Mason, a late 1800’s educator, believed kids should be taught short lessons.

As a former public school teacher myself, I believe in the power of short lessons. Kids’ attention spans are lacking, but their ability to learn is great…when you have their full attention.

RightStart is great in this regard. A lesson taught straight through, in the absence of a game, takes 10-20 minutes. If there are worksheets, they are short and my kids finish them quickly and accurately.

Some of the games are short, but some are complex and take a bit longer to play. It’s easy to keep your kid engaged and you can come back to the game later, separate from the rest of the lesson if time is an issue.

I often saved the game for when my youngest child was napping, out of convenience. I’ve also been known to pawn the games off on my husband when he gets home from work. (Quality time with dad, right?) Best of all, if you get through the first few levels of the program and have multiple children, your older kids can play with your younger kids. Win-win.

One last thing

The author of the program is Dr. Cotter. She has an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Mathematics. She has taught math, both in school and at home. On top of her education and teaching backgrounds, she has also worked with special needs children. I can’t think of anyone more qualified to create a math program. She wrote the program, created the games, and created the abacus and several of the other manipulatives. I trust her, as well as her program.

RightStart delivers a quality mathematics education that I believe to be unparalleled by any other math program out there. With this scripted and well-researched program, your kid will succeed. All you have to do is show up and implement it.

Final Thoughts

Had I learned math the RightStart way, I would not have hated it as much as I did in school. I’m not at all surprised that my kids love math after learning it this way. They love math because it is fun and easy for them, despite the fact they are learning big things.

The program is fun, yet advanced. And although it is advanced, the concepts are presented in such a way that they are pretty easy for kids to grasp. Sometimes I find myself painfully sitting in silence, holding my tongue to avoid over-helping while my kid thinks. And just when I think they surely won’t get it right, they come up with the answer! When this happens, I react with pure shock and excitement – it’s fun for all of us!

Whether you were on the fence about the upfront investment of RightStart, or not sure you could handle a program like this, I hope some of those fears are alleviated. It is 100% worth it, and you can do it. Take the leap of faith and try RightStart today.

If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments and I will get back to you. I am happy to help! Hopefully, this information gives you the confidence to make the right decision to use the RightStart Math program. I love RightStart Math so much, I think everyone should teach math this way!

P.S. Of all the homeschooling curriculum I use, this is the ONLY one I recommend. That should tell you something.