Home › Math › Programs › RightStart Math
Abacus-based lessons and hundreds of card games for strong number sense.
Updated September 2026 · 10 sources
| Grades | K–8 |
|---|---|
| Approach | Hands-on, abacus |
| Who teaches | The parent teaches from a scripted guide |
| Parent prep | Moderate (parent-taught) |
| Screen time | Mostly offline (books and paper) |
| Video lessons | None: videos are for parents, not student lessons |
| Faith | No religious content |
| Cost | First year costs more: about $225–$240 the first year with manipulatives; about $100 in later years (source) |
| Placement | Free placement test Takes about 2–3 minutes online. |
Is it right for your child? Answer a few questions to see how RightStart Math ranks against 30 other programs.
See my matchParents say the abacus and games give kids rock-solid number sense and mental math, and many switched to it after other programs didn't click. The trade-offs come up in almost every review: a big start-up cost and a program that needs a parent teaching every lesson.
These come straight from the scoring rules the quiz uses.
RightStart Math is described as hands-on, abacus. It doesn't fit neatly into either approach.
RightStart Math covers grades K–8.
First year costs more: about $225–$240 the first year with manipulatives; about $100 in later years. Prices were checked on publisher or retailer pages in September 2026; check current prices before buying.
RightStart Math is secular: it has no religious content.
Mostly offline (books and paper). The parent teaches from a scripted guide.
Yes. Free placement test. Takes about 2–3 minutes online.
Summaries are in our own words.