Our Experience with Right Start Math

Last year we used Right Start Math. If anyone is interested in this program and curious what comes in the manipulative set I did an unboxing video you can see below.

Things I liked about Right Start Math…

👍Hands On

This is a visual and hands on program with lots of math manipulatives.

👍Few worksheets

The focus is not on writing things down but instead on playing games and using the math manipulatives to learn the material.

👍Game Heavy

There is a separate book filled with math games as part of the daily lesson. Super fun for kids who like to play games.

Things I didn’t Like about Right Start Math

👎Many Math Manipulatives

This is a good and bad problem. A large number of manipulatives is great for kids who like hands on math but it also meant a large number of things to organize and care for.

👎Learning Curve

This is not a pickup and go math program. The parent needs to spend some time learning the math games and how to understand the program in general.

👎Hard to Start Later On

Anika was in third grade when we started using this program and it felt harder to get use to it because of this. This program would be perfect for a homeschooling family who is just starting out with a child in kindergarten and plans to use it with multiple kids. This wasn’t the case for us as I didn’t plan to use this with Jake at all.

Final Thoughts

My final thoughts on Right Start Math are that it is a comprehensive, all in one math curriculum that is about as hands on as you can get. I think it would be a good fit for those with kids who are just starting out, if the parent has the time to spend learning the lessons and all the games. This feels like less of a good fit for a parent who is looking for something ready to go. My perception was this program is best for someone who is in it for the long haul with multiple kids.

However that being said, after a year of homeschooling I’m hesitant to recommend much to anyone. I’ve learned that every child and family is so different. Something that works well for one child may be a horrible fit for another. That’s one of the beautiful things about homeschooling. I am able to customize my child’s education to work best for their personalities, interests and learning styles using what tools that work best for them and our family.