Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Homeschooling: How to handle math?

Sort of OT but following along the arithmetic and various curricula....

I've been using Rightstart math with my boys. It's similar conceptually to Singapore Math but differs in scope and sequence. The entry levels A and B (you can start in B w/ a 1st grader or A with a Ker) goes all the way to 4 digit addition. Every so often RIghtstart includes some conceptual tidbit which goes beyond arithmetic. I'm always surprised when my boys make that leap and it's easy as pie. It offers things like tangrams and lots of geometry. The drawing tools are fun to play with. It includes a drawing board, 30-60 triangle, 45-triangle, and a T-square. It's first introduced in level C. Level E begins w/ several lessons on magic squares. Tessellations come up at some point. It also uses check numbers for checking answers to add/sub/multi/div which I've never seen in any other program. It's in Singapore Math but it's one of the supplement problem solving books. the last level, the Geometric approach has units on Koch snowflake, Pythagorean theorem, Fibonacci spiral, Escher, reflections, symmetry etc. I don't have that level yet but it looks intriguing!

the issue I've had w/ RS is that it moves a bit slow. ALthough I think that's b/c I've always been trying to catch up to my son. THe way RS is written, it's not easy to compact or skip around like SM. But I love how it gives a problem that the child has to use all available knowledge to figure out - the strategy wasn't taught explicitly.