Math has been hard for Sandra these past few days as she crashes headlong into the hard, cold fact that multi-stage questions require you to pay attention and check your answers. A mistake in one step can mean that every following step is correct in method yet still wrong. She’s not a girl who likes to write out what she’s doing in math, preferring to think it all out in her head. This is wonderful as it shows a comfort and confidence in wrestling with the concepts that I didn’t have at that age.
She’s doing what the program calls multivides: you start with a number, say 4, and then you multiply it by 2, then multiply the answer by 3, by 4, etc. Once you have completed x9, you begin dividing by 2, then by 3, etc. One little mistake and you’ve really buggered yourself. RightStart has a neat math trick to check your answers (really, so cool it’s like arithmancy) but the fact that she needs to do it seems like a slap in the face to her.
It’s an interesting side lesson that math teaches – your procedure can be correct and yet you can be wrong; all it takes is a false assumption or one small inaccuracy. In math there’s not really such a thing as ‘close’. The numbers match or they don’t. It’s a cold, hard fact. The bald fact of her wrongness staring at her isn’t something Sandra manages well these days. And that’s another one of the things that math teaches: It’s not personal. That’s a lesson she’s still learning, as the poor workbook can no doubt attest as it is once again slammed onto the desk or across the room.
Handmade Homeschool 
We are LOVING RightStart. So far, my girlie doesn’t seem to dislike writing things out, but I surely did as a child.
Oh my, maybe that was my problem in math. I took the wrong answers too personally. Seriously, you might have really hit on something there.
We love RightStart too. I am still in the beginning stages with my little ones, but it makes math more fun for us all.
What lesson/level is that lesson?
It sounds like a good one for my son, and I would like to go back and find it (we ended up leaving Rightstart somewhere in 3rd grade when for a variety of reasons it no longer fit us.)
Carrie
We’re Right Starters here too. Just in the beginning…I love, too , what you said about math not being personal. I never knew that before. Math always gave me red marks on my papers and staying in from recess or after school to work with teachers on my lack of interest/ability in math. I am just (at age 39.5) realizing math can be my friend. It’s not that I “wasn’t good at it”….but just not taught a good method. Right Start is changing my life…too early to tell about my dd…Hang in there Sandra!!! You’re learning more than math!
Carrie – it’s #83 in Level E.
You’re ahead of us! I was just flipping through Aidan’s Level E, and was reading that lesson. It looks really neat.
I am constantly AMAZED at how well Aidan knows math, and it’s all because of Right Start.
FYI, Connor also hates to write out his steps in math. I confess to letting him slide, but now that he’s getting closer to algebra our Instructor of Higher Mathematics (dh) has cracked down hard. It’s been painful. With the others, I will start earlier.
Thanks- but bummer, we only have Levels B-D here. But that is okay- I understand the idea of “multivides” from your post. Is the neat trick to check your answers something you can explain? Or should I search around for a local hs buddy who has Level E for me to look at.
Level D 47 and 49 do explain the basics of the check numbers, but not as they relate to the things like multiplication or division. It’s also covered in the Math Games book, I believe.
We were just at our annual conference and one workshop I took was all about gaining mastery in math without the drill and kill method. Her idea for similar exercises like the one you mentioned was to place a playing card facing out on your forehead and have the kid give you hints until you guess the number. Ie; “If you subtracted 5 from this #and added 2 you’d have 6.” complexity of equations depends on the kid’s level of understanding of course. I haven’t tried it yet but I have tried other games she mentioned and we’ve had so much fun instead of my head exploding as usual…
Thanks- I have the Games book, so I will start there.
I LOVE RightStart too! We just started using it this year after I struggled just to teach the simple concepts in kindergarten. I have 2 degrees in engineering and wasn’t enjoying teaching math – until RS! My 6yo ds loves that he can deal with large numbers in his head after so much practice with the abacus and the games are his favorite. But I’ve noticed the same thing as you – it’s not personal when they get it wrong but he doesn’t yet realize that yet.
Nice to meet you! Lovely blog -I’ll check back again!
Andrea