Review: Rod & Staff Arithmetic, Mathematics for Christian Living Series

I have used Rod & Staff for math for grades 2-6.  We have been consistently successful with this program.

What it is: This is a traditional math program, with lots of repetition and review. You get a Teacher's Manual, student textbook, drill booklet, and tests. It was created by Mennonites, so there are Bible verses on the drill sheets, word problems with Biblical content, and an emphasis on practical application. R&S covers everything, students who complete the program through 8th grade will be ready for Algebra, but introduces many concepts a little later than other curricula due to a strong emphasis on the basics and slow and steady acquisition of skills. This is not a remedial math program, but is outstanding for the student who needs a slower pace, a consistent format, and/or more review. Tests are given approximately every ten lessons.

There is no kindergarten program, and we did not use the program for first grade. Second grade covers addition, subtraction, time, and money thoroughly. Third grade works on basic multiplication and division. The goal of these two years is to have all of the math facts memorized.

In fourth grade, the format changes and remains the same through 8th grade. Lessons are usually two pages long. Half of one page is taken up by an explanation of the new concept and worked examples, One half to one page is practicing the new concept, and the remaining half page is devoted to review.

What we love about it:

• The Teacher's Manual is excellent. Oral review is given for every lesson, and explicit direction is given for teaching. 
• There are worked examples at the top of every lesson. 
• Starting in 6th grade, the review section includes the lesson numbers the material was covered in, so it is easy to reread if the material has been forgotten. 
• The worked examples and review sections encourage independent work.
• Students get lots of practice with mental math; they also learn a little business math. 
• Only the drill sheets and tests are consumable; the student book and Teacher's manual can be reused, so it saves money for us.  

This curriculum is exceptionally easy to teach and learn from, thorough, and inexpensive.

Others May Be Put Off By: It is not secular.  Some people might not care for all the practice/repetition, especially in the second and third grades. R&S teaches concepts, but it is not a "conceptual" math program per se where a lot of time is spent making sure the student understands why the algorithms work. The idea is explained, examples are given, and then the student is expected to practice to mastery. After fourth grade, the textbooks can not easily be used as workbooks--problems and answers will likely need to be worked out on separate paper.

I also would recommend supplementing with, or having on hand, materials that thoroughly explain the base ten system and how it works in multiplication and division. This is explained in R&S, but not as explicitly as I would have liked. 

Our Coping strategies: My sons only have to do half of the review problems. I take full advantage of the oral review and drills to give my oldest son more time to practice and absorb concepts. My younger son gets bored by too much repetition; when he clearly understands the material, we skip oral reviews and lessons without hesitation. I also supplement with Beast Academy with my younger son for a more creative vision of math and more exposure to math concepts.

Here is a snapshot of one daily lesson in 6th grade.

This is not a trendy math program. There are no color pictures, zippy captions, games, special challenge problems, nothing like that. Nevertheless, it is the most effective and easiest to use of the many I have tried, and my kids seem to appreciate the straightforward approach. This program has become a staple of our homeschool, and I plan to use R&S math through 8th grade for both boys.