Hi all – we do use Right Start. I think you could incorporate the math games and abacus into your daily schooling without using the rest of the program.
Here is a link to the math card games set. The book is very substantial.
http://activitiesforlearning.com/mathcardgames.aspx
In the program they tell you which games are appropriate for the lessons, but that really isn’t necessary – you can just choose the skill you want to reinforce.
It would be worth just buying the decks of cards instead of trying to make your own – it would take forever! And they are pretty nice quality laminated card stock, for the most part.
The other manipulative we love is the math balance. For math play value – I have never seen anything like it. Every visitor to our house has handled this thing – adults and children alike. It is awesome!
I read recently that games are to math instruction what reading books is to phonics instruction. I guess that goes along with what I have found over the years – usage is superior to drill.
Good luck! I sometimes wish RS had instructional dvds like mathusee – teaching it makes me tired, and I wish I could put that responsibility off onto someone else. I imagine learning it is just as (mentally) tiring as teaching it, so I guess we, me and the kids, that is, are all in this together.
Gem