Thank you! Most of the moms I’ve seen on RU-vid mix and match MP with other resources so I think that’s why there isn’t much out there on this aspect of it. It’s also hard to do a DITL or sample lesson without going against the publisher’s wishes. A bit of a catch-22!
I'm so glad you made this video! You've answered many of my questions that I had about R&S before I even asked. I really appreciate you sharing your experience here or in social media!
Thanks for this video. I have never used this curriculum, but the school I’m teaching at is having me teach third grade math, English, Latin, Bible and homeroom, so I’m trying to learn about this math curriculum. My kids used “The Good and the Beautiful” for math when we homeschooled. This was really informational and helpful for me. It will give me a good running start when I go to the “hand off” meeting on Tuesday with the former teacher.
I am so excited to have come across your video. I have felt so frustrated teaching 1st grade. I came from other math programs created for homeschooling so this has really thrown me for a loop. Do too buy the practice sheets? We have them but find we don’t need them.
I’m so glad it helped! We had the practice sheets but I found my youngest doesn’t need them so I passed them on. With the older kids we only used them if they needed extra practice/review for a concept.
We jumped into homeschooling this month (January) bc of an out of state move. Bc Memoria Press builds so much, we started at the beginning of the 1st grade curriculum, even though our child was already half way through the 1st grade year before we moved. Then I realized that Memoria Press has first graders go through Part 2 of 1st grade Rod and Staff Math and Part 1 of 2nd grade Rod and Staff Math. Any idea why they do this?? Is it just to keep a rigorous pace? So unfortunately, it feels like we are way behind in math (2 semesters behind!!) bc I started at the beginning of 1st grade Rod and Staff Math. The concepts build and I didn’t want to jump in the middle of the book. It’s really easy for him right now. And we easily go through 2 lessons a day. Sometimes I wonder if we should do 3 a day to catch up faster. But I would love the clarification! He’s our oldest so we wouldn’t have this problem with our other kids if we continue! I do love the curriculum from Memoria Press overall. And I am not even really teaching him anything from the Rod and Staff math curriculum yet, but having him do the work book so he understands concepts and gets stronger in just knowing facts immediately. P.S. Thanks for this video! There’s not a lot of videos of homeschool moms using Memoria Press so I appreciate this break down
There are a couple of things at play: R&S is a Mennonite publisher and, from what I understand, Mennonite schools don’t start until first grade. So, generally speaking, their Math 1-Book 1 is covering what we would regard as Kindergarten math and Math 1-Book 2 is first grade math. As for the combo of Math 1 and part of Math 2 in first grade, this is what I’ve been able to piece together from forum conversations: when R&S updated their second grade math program, the first workbook in it was further practice of first grade skills. So MP opted to use that book in first grade rather than having the review in early second grade be overkill. There’s still review at the beginning of second but students get to new concepts more quickly. I hope that makes sense!
That makes total sense! We’re scheduled to start Workbook 2 of 1st at the end of February so I’m hopeful we’ll be up to speed by the end of this semester. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question!
Could it be used as a non-consumable or are there too many... How do I phrase this? Things in the workbookd that would be too paintstaking to write out by hand, or that have to be a certain size (such as measuring problems)? I've been using a similar program called CLE and I love it, but inflation has caused the workbooks to shoot up in price. We do school year-round and in a couple of years I will have 4 in the program, so two levels each year per child. That's $400 just on workbooks! 😵💫
It depends on age. The first and second grade workbooks are meant as consumables and would definitely be too much copying for little hands. But the entire 4-workbook set for Grade 2 is only $30 from MP and even less, I believe, from Rainbow Resource. That doesn’t include the Teacher Manuals but obviously that part is a one-time only purchase. For grades 3 and up, the student book is a hardback and it’s meant to be non-consumable. Some families use them as consumables though (we do that as long as there is room, as copying would be too much for some of my struggling learners). But the Teacher Manuals for Grade 3 do explicitly teach how to format a notebook page and copy the problems correctly.
Math was my weakest subject as well. R&S takes everything step-by-step so I truly believe you’ll do great! The biggest thing I’ve found with my special needs kiddos is that - even if correct placement puts them in the same level as a sibling - I HAVE to teach them separately in skill subjects. One of my sons is 15 and I’m just now able to teach him and his 13yo sister together even though they’re almost always on the same books. It sounds counterintuitive but this actually SAVED time as I was able to meet each of them where they were at that day and not have to navigate competition, distraction, frustration by one that we were going too fast or by the other that we weren’t going fast enough. It also helped preserve my struggling learner’s confidence. After teaching them together for two years when they were younger, it took another two years for him to rediscover that confidence. If I had taught separately from the beginning it would have saved a ton of heartache - and retraced steps.
