RightStart Mathematics is a program that eschews memorizing the math facts (or "kill and drill" in their parlance), and places the focus on understanding how numbers work together instead. The goal is to learn mathematics using a "visual, auditory, and kinesthetic experience." I have used this method for one year with my oldest child, and have eventually rejected the method.
I am an engineer by education and trade, and my wife was educated in physics and mathematics, so we have a special interest in the best way to teach mathematics. The general theory of RightStart Mathematics, to use visual strategies and avoid wrote learning to learn mathematics, was indeed intriguing. Initially, this made enough sense to us enough to give it a try.
However, we experienced a fatal flaw in this theory. Once the student begins to "think" about the basics, this tends to slow him down when he considers the actual problem itself. Using the traditional memory method, we discovered an "understanding" of math develops much better as the student can now focus on the actual problem at hand, creating a more enjoyable math experience. The memorized facts always exist in the background, providing a continual benefit in allowing the mind to focus on the problem at hand. The RightStart student must always decide: how am I to solve this operation? Meanwhile, the student who has memorized his math facts is racing ahead on the problem. This is not a trivial advantage, say, on the SAT exam, or even in the real world.
The RightStart Question