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What do I need with Miquon orange?


BrandonMommy
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Grab a small group of C Rods (something like this). I prefer plastic (not plasticy feeling...when I first got them I wondered if they had mistaken wood for plastic). Definitely not connecting or scored. Let your kids play with them (build streets, towers, etc). While they play, you read the First Grade Diary. You should also probably have the Lab Sheet Annotations because it may not be readily apparent on some sheets what should be done. Then, watch and be amazed at how awesome c rods can be and how developmentally appropriate it can be in the early years.

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blondeviolin, can you explain why not use the connecting or scored? I am planning on using Miquon with my dd5 next fall. To me, the scored/connecting seem easier to see the different quantities. I haven't read through the Lab Sheet Annotations yet, so maybe this is explained there. Thanks!

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blondeviolin, can you explain why not use the connecting or scored? I am planning on using Miquon with my dd5 next fall. To me, the scored/connecting seem easier to see the different quantities. I haven't read through the Lab Sheet Annotations yet, so maybe this is explained there. Thanks!

 

Part of the beauty of the rods is encouraging your child to see the quantities as a whole. If your child has the crutch of counting to see that the purple is the same as four whites then he or she won't be as encouraged to really explore the relationship between numbers. If your rods are scored it will be harder to reassign values. For example, traditionally we think of the white as one, but if we think of the red (2) rod as one, then white becomes one-half, light green becomes one-and-a-half, etc. We adults have a lot harder of a time assigning values than kids do. For you, if you can't keep the order straight, keep building a staircase and refer to it frequently.

 

I don't care for connecting rods because I think it's unnecessary. My kids would be snapping and unsnapping all day long. Also, some lab sheets have rod outlines and the connecting rods have funny little nubs.

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Part of the beauty of the rods is encouraging your child to see the quantities as a whole. If your child has the crutch of counting to see that the purple is the same as four whites then he or she won't be as encouraged to really explore the relationship between numbers. If your rods are scored it will be harder to reassign values. For example, traditionally we think of the white as one, but if we think of the red (2) rod as one, then white becomes one-half, light green becomes one-and-a-half, etc. We adults have a lot harder of a time assigning values than kids do. For you, if you can't keep the order straight, keep building a staircase and refer to it frequently.

 

I don't care for connecting rods because I think it's unnecessary. My kids would be snapping and unsnapping all day long. Also, some lab sheets have rod outlines and the connecting rods have funny little nubs.

 

:iagree

 

Stick with classic Cuisenaire Rods as developed by Georges Cuisenaire.

 

Bill

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I have the "small" set - like the one linked above. It is okay to start with, but if more than one kid is "playing" with them, you might end up wanting to buy another set. :tongue_smilie: (Mine set them up as horse corrals, for instance.)

 

Definitely get the First Grade Diary. (You might be able to borrow it from a really good library system or a homeschooling friend if you have a good-sized homeschool group. Our little group of 20 families has at least two copies floating around.)

 

I only use the workbook pages occasionally. The ideas in the FGD are great to show you how the concepts should be discovered.

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I have the "small" set - like the one linked above. It is okay to start with, but if more than one kid is "playing" with them, you might end up wanting to buy another set. :tongue_smilie: (Mine set them up as horse corrals, for instance.)

 

Definitely get the First Grade Diary. (You might be able to borrow it from a really good library system or a homeschooling friend if you have a good-sized homeschool group. Our little group of 20 families has at least two copies floating around.)

 

I only use the workbook pages occasionally. The ideas in the FGD are great to show you how the concepts should be discovered.

 

Thank you, thank you Root Ann and blondeviolin.

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What do I need to order along with the Miquon orange workbook? I've read on some posts about a teaching diary, lab sheet annotations, a book called Knowing and Teaching Mathematics??? Also, which c-rods and how many (for 2-3 kids)?

 

The third Miquon teachers book is called "Notes to Teachers." It is the least of the 3 books, but it has ideas for getting started and the other two are gold-mines. I would advise getting them all.

 

Knowing and Teaching Mathematics is the Liping Ma book. It is not an inherent part of "Miquon," but it will help a parent understand why the math re-education a parent/teacher will get if they study the Miquon teachers books is so essential in children's math educations. It is an eye-opening and inspiring read.

 

Bill

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Part of the beauty of the rods is encouraging your child to see the quantities as a whole. If your child has the crutch of counting to see that the purple is the same as four whites then he or she won't be as encouraged to really explore the relationship between numbers. If your rods are scored it will be harder to reassign values. For example, traditionally we think of the white as one, but if we think of the red (2) rod as one, then white becomes one-half, light green becomes one-and-a-half, etc. We adults have a lot harder of a time assigning values than kids do. For you, if you can't keep the order straight, keep building a staircase and refer to it frequently.

 

I don't care for connecting rods because I think it's unnecessary. My kids would be snapping and unsnapping all day long. Also, some lab sheets have rod outlines and the connecting rods have funny little nubs.

 

THANK YOU!!!

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