Do you really need to buy the extra manipulatives for RS?

[gandpsmommy]

I'm trying to decide what all to buy if we decide to use it. I would be starting dd at Level C, so I'd be buying the starter kit. I'm just wondering if we really need the extra things like the math balance and the 4-in-1 ruler? Thanks.

[OhElizabeth]

The starter kit is a good deal, so it really is the easiest way to start. The math balance is really cool. You're going to use it to explore addition and subtraction (C does a LOT of subtraction). It's one of those things some kids really get into and some kids less so. My dd enjoyed it but didn't need it a ton. I don't regret having it, but she didn't need it for long. But I'll tell you, at the conventions boys and men LOVE playing with it. So it's one of those things you're going to use for C with your dd and doing level A and B with your ds as well. So yes, get it.

Oh, you know what else? Have you already bought your level A starter kit? You'll want to play around with the math and see which is the cheapest way for you to start (buying the level A kit with just the few extra things for C, or vice versa).

[gandpsmommy]

The starter kit is a good deal, so it really is the easiest way to start. The math balance is really cool. You're going to use it to explore addition and subtraction (C does a LOT of subtraction). It's one of those things some kids really get into and some kids less so. My dd enjoyed it but didn't need it a ton. I don't regret having it, but she didn't need it for long. But I'll tell you, at the conventions boys and men LOVE playing with it. So it's one of those things you're going to use for C with your dd and doing level A and B with your ds as well. So yes, get it.

Oh, you know what else? Have you already bought your level A starter kit? You'll want to play around with the math and see which is the cheapest way for you to start (buying the level A kit with just the few extra things for C, or vice versa).

Thanks for responding. I was trying to experiment with which way was cheaper, buying kit A or kit C, and then adding in the missing items for the other child. But the website kept doing funky things with my shopping cart, and items kept disappearing and then reappearing. So, I gave up until I can go back with more patience to try again.

[Plaid Dad]

I didn't get the math balance at first, but then I broke down and bought it - and I'm really glad I did! My dd loves it and asks to play with it almost every day. She's already figured out how to use it for multiplication. It was well worth the extra money for us.

[Misty]

The math balance is not used a lot in the program, but it is nice to have. There are only a few lessons that require it. My girls love to play with it. When I worked the RightStart booth at our convention, the math balance attracted a lot of attention. You can do a lot of things with it.

For example...

You can put 3 weights on the 10 peg on one side, then hand your child 5 weights and ask him to balance it on the other side... They would all go on the 6 peg. Then you would ask your child how that equation would look if you wrote it down and then ask him to write it (5X6=30). There are many ways to play with the balance. You could also put a random number on one side (i.e. 5 weights on the 9 peg) and give your child 7 weights and tell him he has to use all 7 weights. He might put 5 of them on the 7 peg and then 2 on the 5 peg. Ask him how those equations would look on paper... 5X9=45 AND 5X7+5+5=45. When children explore math in this way, they are learning to think mathematically, which is RightStart's goal!

As we played these "games" with the kids at the convention, you could tell which kids could think mathematically and which kids learned rote methods. Some had a harder time than others.

I'm not sure about the ruler. We haven't used ours much, but that doesn't mean we won't. We're up to level D. I'm sure you could get by with whatever ruler you already have.

You might want to join the RightStart yahoo group and ask questions. People also sell their used sets on their so you could save a buck or two!

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/RightStart/