Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do people do RSM only if their kid is super good at math? Our DC is in 3rd, very bright but doesn't love the academic aspect of school and scores in the lower "at grade level" range in math. We think it might be a self-confidence issue (gets bored/doesn't try very hard/refuses help from us). Looking for ways of making them feel better about their academic skills.

Or it might be that math is not her strength and she’s doing her best. She’s not failing so that’s a good thing. If she doesn’t like the academic aspect of school she would probably hate going to another school after being in her school all day.

At this age you can find workbooks and games that you can do together. Or ask her teacher for any suggestions.

Anonymous wrote:A struggling student would be placed in the lowest class. Kids are placed based on ability, mine was placed in the highest level when he started and was moved up a grade level a month later.

Anonymous wrote:Do people do RSM only if their kid is super good at math? Our DC is in 3rd, very bright but doesn't love the academic aspect of school and scores in the lower "at grade level" range in math. We think it might be a self-confidence issue (gets bored/doesn't try very hard/refuses help from us). Looking for ways of making them feel better about their academic skills.

Anonymous wrote:As much as I love RSM, i don't think it would be great for a struggling student. What about Beast Academy online, and starting a few chapters back so your child gains confidence? It's a self-paced gamified program and it's very well done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If child doesn’t like academic aspect of school and doesn’t try, I don’t know if RSM is the right fit. The don’t really encourage and coddle. It’s pretty dry. There are three different levels though. Remedial, grade level, and above grade level.

I don't think those are the levels. RSM doesn't cover the same content as what they teach in public schools so the lower level for a third grader is introducing new concepts like variables, negative numbers and order of operations. None of those are remedial concepts for a third grader.

Once a kid has done the lowest RSM level for third grade, they generally move up to the middle level. I think the lowest level is probably better defined as "intro to concepts not yet taught in public school." The upper levels are for kids who have already done other math enrichment outside of school.

The lowest level for third grade doesn't re-teach any concepts that were taught in public school. My kid who took the lowest RSM 3rd grade class last year tests at 99th percentile in math, so not remedial.

That’s not what my RSM principal told me, but I only have experience with the mid and upper levels. I was told that the lower level is for kids who are middling math students who can use remediation. I think they can also be put in a lower grade (2.2 as a 3rd grader).

That's just not true. Our RSM center told us that almost no third grader who is new to the program is placed in the middle or top level because they aren't familiar with variables or other topics covered at RSM. That explanation was consistent with the work my kid did last year. Nothing she did at RSM was math that had been covered in public school. She came into the program at 95th percentile and looking for more challenge and left the year at 99th+ percentile. Her beginning 4th grade MAP score was a 244, so not remedial.

Having seen the homework last year, I wouldn't send a kid to RSM for remediation. I don't think that's what's provided in any of the levels. It's all enrichment. In third grade, at least, the lowest level just introduces new concepts (e.g., distributive property, balancing and solving equations, writing equations with variables from a word problem) and notation (e.g., two variables next to each other are being multiplied even though there isn't a multiplication symbol, how parentheses work). The middle level this year really doesn't seem significantly harder than the lowest level last year. It all just seems to build.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If child doesn’t like academic aspect of school and doesn’t try, I don’t know if RSM is the right fit. The don’t really encourage and coddle. It’s pretty dry. There are three different levels though. Remedial, grade level, and above grade level.

I don't think those are the levels. RSM doesn't cover the same content as what they teach in public schools so the lower level for a third grader is introducing new concepts like variables, negative numbers and order of operations. None of those are remedial concepts for a third grader.

Once a kid has done the lowest RSM level for third grade, they generally move up to the middle level. I think the lowest level is probably better defined as "intro to concepts not yet taught in public school." The upper levels are for kids who have already done other math enrichment outside of school.

The lowest level for third grade doesn't re-teach any concepts that were taught in public school. My kid who took the lowest RSM 3rd grade class last year tests at 99th percentile in math, so not remedial.

That’s not what my RSM principal told me, but I only have experience with the mid and upper levels. I was told that the lower level is for kids who are middling math students who can use remediation. I think they can also be put in a lower grade (2.2 as a 3rd grader).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If child doesn’t like academic aspect of school and doesn’t try, I don’t know if RSM is the right fit. The don’t really encourage and coddle. It’s pretty dry. There are three different levels though. Remedial, grade level, and above grade level.

I don't think those are the levels. RSM doesn't cover the same content as what they teach in public schools so the lower level for a third grader is introducing new concepts like variables, negative numbers and order of operations. None of those are remedial concepts for a third grader.

Once a kid has done the lowest RSM level for third grade, they generally move up to the middle level. I think the lowest level is probably better defined as "intro to concepts not yet taught in public school." The upper levels are for kids who have already done other math enrichment outside of school.

The lowest level for third grade doesn't re-teach any concepts that were taught in public school. My kid who took the lowest RSM 3rd grade class last year tests at 99th percentile in math, so not remedial.

Anonymous wrote:If you have access to mathnasium, that might be a good option if you want to make it more fun. It really turned around my kid’s interest and confidence in math. She went from pretty average to above grade level in a year or so. They gamify things and have awards, incl candy, which I have mixed feelings about but I am comfortable with under the circumstances.

Anonymous wrote:If child doesn’t like academic aspect of school and doesn’t try, I don’t know if RSM is the right fit. The don’t really encourage and coddle. It’s pretty dry. There are three different levels though. Remedial, grade level, and above grade level.