I’d like to THANK YOU for everything you have done for our family. My daughter is LOVING and looking forward to the math classes. She is already talking about wanting to do your program next year. You have taken the yelling and tears out of math and for that I am eternally grateful.Not exactly sure what she is learning as I see her drawing and cutting things out like she was in Kindergarten (LOL) but I am trusting the process. The games we play are teaching me.May you be richly blessed. I am glad we choose RightStart Math.
I’d like to THANK YOU for everything you have done for our family. My daughter is LOVING and looking forward to the math classes. She is already talking about wanting to do your program next year. You have taken the yelling and tears out of math and for that I am eternally grateful. Not exactly sure what she is learning as I see her drawing and cutting things out like she was in Kindergarten, but I am trusting the process. The games we play are teaching me.
May you be richly blessed. I am glad we choose RightStart Math.
When I started homeschooling my son, I did not have any experience whatsoever homeschooling. I started checking videos on YouTube about curriculums and came across some videos about a curriculum and how this math was advanced and how homeschoolers in the US were drawn to it as it is one of the highest rated countries in Math.
Soon after watching those videos I went to that curriculum’s website and initially it took me a long time to decide which program to go with as they had (have) different editions, US edition, Standard edition, and also a 2022 edition (which is the one I ended up purchasing). On top of that they also have home education edition and school edition on the instructor’s guide. (I bought both). In addition to the four instructor’s guide I bought (for only one year, as I bought the homeschool edition as well as the classroom edition and the student workbooks, I also bought yet another curriculum as well as another workbook. I ended up spending on our math curriculum over two-hundred dollars, not including manipulatives just for a one year program.
Unfortunately, it did not work for us. First I was trying to use both the homeschool and the classroom instructor’s edition as each guide had variations in how they presented the problems to the child. At least for me, understanding the scope and sequence was not as clear. But what did feel strange was that doing math with my son did not feel exciting and I could see that in my child. I was also bored out of my mind.
Then, I came across a YouTube video about RightStart and I don’t know how, but I just knew I had to get that program. Even though I had spent a lot of money on the other curriculum, and we were on a budget, I understood that finding the right curriculum for my child (children now) was a top priority. Unfortunately because I had spent so much money on the first one, I was trying to still use it and in the process I delayed my son from just doing RightStart Math from the beginning and RightStart Math only. But as my son played the games, used the Al Abacus, and did the activities, my number sense started to make sense. Not only was my son learning with RSM, I was learning too. This was amazing and I said to myself “If I would have been taught math this way when I was a kid, I would have been a genius.” I stopped using the other program and just focused on RM. I started my son on level A (which is the level K with a lot of 1st grade and some 2nd grade). I had my son take the State Exam here in Florida and he scored above average on first grade USING RIGHTSTART MATH LEVEL A. My son’s favorite subject is math. Level A always felt easy for him but it’s easy because the child sees the math. He sees the numbers on the Abacus which has two simple colors to show the 5s. The place value cards are another hit. My son can read high numbers because he sees the 1s, the 10s, the 100s and he also sees the 1000s and it’s just genius that he doesn’t even have to write it because it’s already there. I think this is genius because not having to write these high numbers (for little kids) allows the child to focus his attention and energy on understanding the number. The writing process is not a natural process. It takes a lot of mental energy and effort (and of course every child is different, hence it varies), but focusing on understanding math at a deep level with the manipulatives and without having to do so much writing is genius. It is so genius that I wish I could have found or known about this program when my child was younger because this program (due to the way it is designed) can be done by very young kids (since they don’t have to do much writing when those fine finger-motor skills are not yet developed). RightStart is the math program I wish I had. My love for mathematics had long been gone and I even thought I was not good at math. I will never say that again. My love for math came back with this program and that is very important because I enjoy doing math with my kids. I already bought RightStart Levels B, C and D and I was going to skip B, but I’m deciding that I will not skip it, we may just go on this level faster (we’ll see), but the truth is that I want my children to learn math and not just check a box that something was done, and this skills build upon one another. I am so grateful for this program. Thank you for RightStart Math for creating a program that is a blessing to children, parents and the world. What a legacy — Thank you. Thank you again.
My oldest just started in a private school for 9th grade this year after going through all of RightStart. The teacher told us after conferences last month that she has never seen a homeschooled student come into her class so well prepared and grounded in Math. So thanks for having a great curriculum.
This curriculum is REALLY filling in the gaps for my son in a way that other curriculums have just not done. We are so happy with it!!!!!
I don’t think I’ve ever written a testimonial before, but I am so pleased with RightStart Math for all kinds of reasons, one of which is the program’s underlying respect for children’s intelligence and innate mathematical thinking. The curriculum works with, not against, children’s problem-solving abilities and avoids many of the common pitfalls of curricula which either confuse or bore kids (or both!). The RightStart curriculum is in some respects very sophisticated and goes beyond what children would normally be exposed to; however, it is also very straightforward for both child and adult and easy to incorporate in a homeschooling curriculum or as an adjunct to regular schooling for children who need or want more math practice. All of the introduced concepts are logical, clearly presented, and can make sense to children on multiple levels as they gain understanding. The hands-on manipulative materials (including the genius balance) and the focus on numbers as visual quantities (of fives and tens) all reflect best practices in mathematical teaching. The card games are not only an excellent teaching tool in themselves but also serve to remind children that math has everyday, practical applications (eg winning a game!) and that math can truly be fun. I’m especially grateful to have discovered RightStart Math because I have struggled to find a math curriculum for my bright 10 year old with dyslexia who has strong conceptual understanding of mathematical ideas but nevertheless struggles mightily with basic computation and working memory. As a result of this mismatch, he’s been frustrated and discouraged by math instruction in school, thinking he is a “dummy” because he struggled to memorize basic math facts while at the same time intuiting that he actually understands many complex concepts, particularly in geometry, which elude his peers. This was a setup for needless math failure, something I’ve long observed (as an educator) in many children who don’t readily fit a narrow educational mold. But RightStart Math offers a valuable approach for many children of varying abilities and learning profiles because it reflects scientific thinking about the developing brain and makes mathematical learning enjoyable and empowering. Thank you, RightStart Math!
RightStart Math has changed my life! We switched to homeschooling when my kids were in 2nd-grade math (during the pandemic). We weren’t quite up to speed with the RightStart Math way, so we played the games listed in the RightStart Math Blogpost “Dr. Cotter’s Game Picks.” That list of games helped us understand groups of 10 and place value. It helped us improve our math facts so we knew those at the same level we understood math concepts. It really helped solidify mental math skills too.
I have recommended that RSM blog post and the AL Abacus to tons of homeschooling families! It’s definitely a great way to visualize and understand math. I wonder if that blog post can be pinned to the facebook page or something? Or reposted more often? It definitely was the key in helping us get up to grade level.
I’ve got nothing but great things to say about RightStart Math! We’re homeschoolers and have used RS every year and every level (A-H). We’ve looked into other programs that were not as time intensive for the teacher/parent, but we were super disappointed with their programs. Back we ran to RS. We’ve done the online live classes every year offered too, which were great. The teachers and customer service have always been great too! Highly recommended for a different and wonderful hands-on math experience. My child is about to finish the last RS level, and we’ll miss you RightStart! : )
I have to take a minute to tell you how thankful I am for your program. Our son has dyslexia and executive function challenges. Traditional math wasn’t working and he wasn’t retaining what he was learning. It was a daily struggle, and his confidence never grew – he thought he was “dumb.” After a lot of research, I switched to RS 6 months ago. Last week he told me he loves math! He is remembering things now and progressing! His confidence is up and it is so exciting! The regular daily review, visual and hands-on approach, sprinkled with just a few worksheets, has been transformative in our homeschool. I find your program very easy to teach which is also a big win, and I love that I can easily order individual replacement manipulatives at a reasonable price for my used set.
I just wanted to thank you for having an excellent math program! As a former math teacher turned homeschool mom, I have really appreciated the depth and rigor of your program (I switch to RightStart Math this year for my kindergartner and second grader). The hands-on nature is wonderful for every type of learner. I appreciate the teacher’s book that explains the “why” that most people might not realize. I’ve found this at a minimum matches the rigor but provides much better understanding of the concepts. It also includes more geometry and measurement which the other program lacks. All that to say, THANK YOU for creating a truly great math program!!!