Rod & Staff Math Users - more answers to my questions please

[dorothy]

I bought the basic books for Grades 1 - 5. I also have the tests, speed drills, and blacklines for Grades 3, 4, 5.

Are there other things that are necessary in order to succeed with the program? Flashcards, bee poster, manipulatives......

How are the blacklines actually used?

Do you do the before, during, after exercises or just the during?

Do you go through the lesson first and then have the student work on the problems independently?

Please tell me -with specifics - how you teach the lessons. I need context to understand things.

Many thanks.

[Beth in Central TX]

I bought the basic books for Grades 1 - 5. I also have the tests, speed drills, and blacklines for Grades 3, 4, 5.

Are there other things that are necessary in order to succeed with the program? Flashcards, bee poster, manipulatives......

How are the blacklines actually used?

Do you do the before, during, after exercises or just the during?

Do you go through the lesson first and then have the student work on the problems independently?

Please tell me -with specifics - how you teach the lessons. I need context to understand things.

Many thanks.

I make flashcards for the math facts that don't stick. These are reviewed daily. I don't use the R&S flashcards or bee poster set. I also don't use the blackline masters. I think there is plenty of drill already in the daily lessons.

This is grade dependent, but usually, I have my son read the chapter (if he's able), then we have math time together. I do the mental math with him orally, and then I explain the current lesson. We do sample problems on the blackboard to make he understands the concept. Then I do the review material orally, but I might not spend as much time on this as indicated in the teacher book. I time the speed drill, if applicable, and then he starts his lesson. From reading time to lesson completion takes about an hour.

Right now, I do a modified version of this procedure with my youngest. He doesn't have a textbook, so there's nothing to read. He also doesn't do speed drills. I spend more teaching time with him and review more of the concepts that he is having difficulties with. I also sit with him while he does his math worksheet. As we have moved through the year, I've let him do the work on his own more ("Okay, what do you think you should do for this problem?"), but I'm right there to help if needed.

Because I have 3 boys, math time is staggered for each one, but it is always done when they are fresh in the morning.

[Dawn]

Hi Dorothy,

We've done R&S Math through grade 4. I'll try to help as best as I can...



Are there other things that are necessary in order to succeed with the program? Flashcards, bee poster, manipulatives...... Yes, you'll need flash cards. The Bee Poster is really good. You'll need to make some of your own blossoms (they're in the back of the TM to photocopy and cut). The Bee and Blossom poster is really a great tool - SO helpful! I wouldn't skip it! For manipulatives, we just use counting bears for the younger grades (1 and 2).

How are the blacklines actually used? I never use them. They're for extra practice, but R&S has so much extra practice built into daily lessons that I don't see the need for it unless there is a real struggle in an area.

Do you do the before, during, after exercises or just the during? Um...none. :o OK, sometimes the before and during. Rarely ever the after. R&S is really so incredibly thorough with just the daily lessons and the repetition/practice of concepts that they are really only necessary as needed (i.e. learning a new concept or enforcing memory work for multiplication etc).

Do you go through the lesson first and then have the student work on the problems independently? For my fourth grader, I have her read the beginning section and see if she understands. If so, I have her do the work (and I never make her do all the problems from every lesson - IMO it is way too much seat work. I usually have her focus on things she needs practice on or just do the "all evens/odds" deal.

Please tell me -with specifics - how you teach the lessons. I need context to understand things.

Depends on the grade, but I usually use a white board to go over something new. Follow the TM - it's all scripted. As you use it, you'll tweak it to fit your style and your child's needs.

HTH!

[cin]

My dd is a smart cookie and loves her schoolwork, so I don't do much with her at all. Over the weekend I grade her work from the previous week and write out her assignment for the next week (M- 41-42, etc). I also check to see if there are any new concepts that are introduced so I can teach it to her, but otherwise, we don't do much.

I have used the blacklines once in a while to reinforce a difficult concept (telling time...ARGHHHH!!!!!!). The teacher's manual is the most valuable extra for me.

[chiguirre]

We're doing R&S1. I do go through the TM and do the applicable exercises. For instance, a lot of the drill work would require more than one student to do it as written, but we make up our own games. Right now we build a road with the flashcards that ds answers correctly and then he drives a truck around it. We do the counting practice and any skill work that's in the TM. Then we work through the workbook page. I sit there while ds works to keep him on track (and draw gold stars and rocket ships for getting a whole row or whole page correct :p). I do use the blackline masters for extra practice as needed. Those we don't use get added to a worksheet stash I keep for review when we don't do a lesson. I love the R&S flashcards, they're very sturdy and big enough to flash from across the room if ds wants to jump on the sofa while we drill. I bought the bee and blossom chart for next year so I wouldn't have to make it myself, but if you're crafty you could skip it.

[Malenki]

We're using level 1.

We've made our own flashcards with index cards and use those. I also use manipulatives in teaching concepts but we easily made the ducks from the teacher's manual and used those from many things. We also have blocks, frog counters, etc. to use as necessary.

It looks like we're one of the few ones who use the blacklines but we do. DS really needs time for some things to cement. If it's obvious something isn't sticking we've stopped progress in the lessons and just used blacklines for a few days to a few weeks. In fact, that's all he's done last week and this week.

There are some blacklines like coloring the right coins and the dot-to-dots that he was glad to have... just something that seemed like a fun reward at the end of the lesson. (Not sure what they have in the higher levels.)

We do *some* of the extras. They have helped. I just choose to do them when I know it is helpful or he'd enjoy them. If we do the extras we do them all first and we use a little lap white board to write them out. Concepts are introduced in that way before they show up on their worksheets, and DS has loved being familiar with something when he did have to do the problem.

He's a very auditory and social learner so for now he's not doing it independently. I sit right with him. On things he knows he zooms along but for things that he is learning he vocalizes the problem and I talk him through it. I don't expect that's how most kids are but this is an area he has struggled in (math).

The basic summary: we do flashcards, then the speed drill if there is one, then we do any of the extra before/after activities, then the worksheet, and finally any fun extras like the dot-to-dots. If he needs more practice we'll do a blackline sheet the next day. I correct on the fly as he's doing the work and he erases and fixes immediately.

Hope that helps!

[Angel]

with dd7. Here's what's worked for us.

No blacklines...only once or twice have I felt that dd could use an extra worksheet...usually when I need a day off teaching :rolleyes:

Speed drills...we sometimes use these, dd likes them, but I usually forget

Flashcards...we have used what we could pick up at the dollar store, nothing fancy...we don't use them as often as we should

Duck Pond (1st)/Bee Poster (2nd)...my dd LOVES the duck pond. She's very hands on and loves moving the ducks and saying the facts. We used an old 12x15 feltboard and made our own lake with blue felt and ducks (smaller than the book says) with yellow felt. Cost about $1 or $2. Because she loves this so much, we will purchase the bee poster for 2nd. If you have hands on kiddos, these are worth the $$.

Daily Lessons...here's how ours goes...I read through the Class Time to see what we need to cover. I pick out the brand new concept and go over that with her on a white board (small travel one), if that requires working with the duck pond then I have it on hand. If something in the Class Time corresponds with the Before Class, then I'll do those exercises with her on the white board as we come to them in the Class Time. After we are done with Class Time, I usually peek at the After Class and see if there is anything I want to quickly introduce. I rarely do the After Class because the After Class exercises are usually introduced in the next lesson or two. I come back to it if the wording happens to be easier (that has happened a couple times). I then turn dd loose on the workbook pages and then we're done. If dd has something down pat, then I will skip it in the Class Time and only go over it every couple lessons. Every once in a while, if there are no new concepts on the workbook page and I'm in a hurry or pressed for time, I just have her complete the workbook page. Math time usually lasts 20-30 minutes for us. I do not do things that are obviously meant for the classroom.

Hope that helps somewhat!

Angel

[Ellie]

The first grade flash cards, the ones listed with the other first grade materials, really are required. They're more than just math facts (you'll notice that there are 208 of them).