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RightStart Math – 1st or 2nd Edition?
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Which edition of RS Math do you recommend, 1st or 2nd? I guess I am not sure what the difference is. Any info would be great – thanks!
They have a webinar discussing the differences…
http://rightstartmath.com/workshops/past-webinars
I only have edition 1, and have only seen edition 2 samples….
Edition 2 looks great. I believe they added in some more metric, and a bit more word problems.
In Edition 1 it is common for students to take a year and a half on 1 or 2 levels – sometimes stressing out the mom. There will be another level in edition 2, so that should smooth that out. There are a couple of common ‘walls’ in Edition 1 (about lesson 68ish in level b, abt lesson 90 in level c) – I assume/hope they smoothed those out.
The layout is a bit different – to be easier. There is supposed to be more games. Edition 2 was developed with ideas from Dr. Cotter after more research….
Now pluses for Edition 1 – they are known and proven. There is more help out there for them, as there are more moms that have done it. There are videos on the site to give help to teach each level. (Ie a webinar showing how the program works.) And you can buy used.
I’d love to use edition 2, but we own edition 1 and it works well for us.
Hth some!
I used RS edition 1 level A last year with my ds. This year we are using edition 2 level B and I love it! The new layout is so much easier and I like that the manipulatives are used more often. The webinar Suzukimom linked about does a great job of explaining the difference. I will be buying edition 2 level A for my second ds.
Thank you! I just found some older posts on this topic and someone mentioned that they were the concerned about the 2nd edition simply because it lines up with common core. I have to say that I am concerned for that reason too.
Also, I am wondering if there is a cheaper alternative that is just as good. Singapore Math maybe? RS2 Level B costs $265. I know a lot of that is first-time user cost and a lot can be reused with each child and even from year to year but I’m not sure I’ll want to shell that out just for math in the fall! RS1 Level B is a little cheaper, $175. Hmm, decisions… it does look like a great curriculum.
It doesn’t align with common core…. It exceeds it. So it meets the requirements and more. Ed 1 meets almost all of them too. The new edition was created due to more research by the author, not to meet common core.
Personally, I think RightStart math is the best option.
However, I think that MEP Maths is the second best option – and it is free (Except you need to print things.)
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/
There is a “starter – how to” on this blog, and there was a yahoo group for people using it as homeschoolers (I assume there still is) http://ohpeacefulday.blogspot.ca/2009/06/mep-101.html
We just started using RS2A two weeks ago. We have no experience with edition one. I am very happy with the layout of the lessons, and I think my son enjoys them. I can see him picking up new things already.
As suzukimom mentioned, RS1 often takes more than 1 year per level. RS2A has 132 lessons (the last 10 are review and assessments). We school year round, so if we do just 11 lessons a month we should finish in a year. That’s doable, but you never know when a child will need more time in a certain area. If we do need more than a year per level that’s okay, because I believe that if it takes 9 years (K-8) to complete the 7 years of RightStart Math, we’ll be well prepared to begin highschool math in our ‘ninth grade’ year.
As for the cost, it is costly on the front end. I was able to save a few dollars on a Black Monday sale, but still spent $236. You might see if there are specials at conventions or curriculum fairs. For us we spent almost all our budget for the year on this math. This is Kindergarten, so we can rely on the library and other free resources for virtually everything else, and the cost will pay out over several years, so I think it was worth the money spent. We have one child, so we don’t have the benefit of using it for multiple kids.
I am thrilled to have found a math curriculum that is hands on and minimal on pencil work for this stage!
Vanessa
Thank you again. I think that RS is the best option too. I guess I will just have to pay for it. I do wish I had gone that route this year. I wish I did not have DS6 in the math that he is in now! Now he’ll be nearly 7 when we start B. 1st grade, but still feel behind.
You are not behind at all. We did level A when my ds was 5.5yo – 6.5 yo (it took us a full 12 months). He was over 6.5 yo when we started level B. We will probably take over 12 months to complete B. I just go at his pace.
HSMom03 – don’t feel behind! If you start RS2B in the fall, Right Start will be releasing the 2nd edition versions one year ahead of where you are. They are releasing C level this year. You will have a ‘buffer’ year where there will be families ahead of you to glean from! This makes me feel good to know that I will have some experienced families ahead of us, and if there is a delay in a release it probably won’t affect us.
Also, we switched programs to Rightstart 2 years ago, and my then 8yo son tested into level…. B. And level C has taken us 1.5 years (we are about 7 lessons from the end)…. and he is 10 now…
I think RS is great, but I think Singapore is either tied or a very close second. We started our son in RS. The methodology is good, but it’s extremely teacher intensive. I just could not keep up with it this year. We have switched to singapore and our kids are thriving. Either way, I’ll give you my pros and cons.
RightStart has a wonderful Yahoo Group and their customer support is outstanding. The program will give your student a great understanding in math. It is expensive unless you can use with multiple students. However, resale value is fairly good. Buy used if possible. I was blessed to find Levels A-D with manipulatives and extras for $20 at a used book sale a couple of years ago 🙂 These are obviously 1st edition. If on a budget, buy used first edition. As noted before, RS extremely teacher intensive. I do like the look of 2nd edition and I think it will help with some of the teacher intensity. The levels do not correspond with grades IMHO. Use the Transition lessons if beginning with an older child.
Singapore also has a Yahoo Group that has been supportive. I have no idea about customer service. I also think this program will give your student a great base in math. It is much more cost effective and much less teacher intensive. I would highly recommend the Home Instructor Guides by Jennifer Hoerst. You will not get the full potential out of the program without them!! Singapore is advanced! If starting from the beginnning, you would start with 1A & 1B. If jumping in with an older child, don’t assume the book numbers align with grades. Use the placement test and don’t be concerned whatsoever with backing up levels. The program is leveled, not graded.
Both RS and Singapore teach math differently than traditional US math programs. Again, I think the methodology is great. I love that they go deep and not so wide. Some critics argue that concepts are missed in Singapore. So far, I have not found this to be true. I love the review, games, and manipulatives. Singapore is based on the concrete, pictorial, abstract approach, which is recommended by Dr. Ruth Beechick and I believe very closely aligns to Charlotte’s teachings. I am using them interchangablely.
I will get off my soapbox now 🙂 I really hope this helps to clear the water. I gotta run, but feel free to PM if you have further questions.
Blessings,
Melissa
Thank you Melissa! That does clear the water! I will say that Singapore being much more cost effective and much less teacher intensive definitely makes it a very appealing option for me. If we do go with RS, I will look for it used. That would save me a lot of money! Thank you for the reminder to do that, and thank you even more for writing all that on the two programs. Very helpful!
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