woolybear Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 And how many do I really need to get started? I will be having two kids using this. Thanks for any insight.:) Woolybear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cindie2dds Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 (edited) And how many do I really need to get started? I will be having two kids using this. Thanks for any insight.:) Woolybear We bought two of the packages online (wooden) with our Miquon books a year ago. I only have one child using them right now, but with the suggested games to play, etc., I have found sometimes she has used all of one size, even with two sets. Hope that makes sense. FYI: I found them locally at Mardel in a big bucket and much cheaper. I like the non-linking wooden ones... Edited November 9, 2009 by Cindie2dds added an answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyTN Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I would definitely vote for the ones that link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I like the non-linking wooden ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarathan Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I have both...plastic linking and wooden non-linking. I much prefer the wooden non-linking. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Non-linking. The way we use them, we are re-grouping pretty quickly. And even when building "train" or "stairs" or stacks of a numbers in different ways the "nub" that sticks out (to link) messes up perception of value by length. "Classic" Cuisenaire rods did not link and there is a good reason for that. If you need linking manipulative there are Unifix cubes and Leaning Resources linking cubes, but C rods should not "link". No! No! No! I said it before (and it still surprises me that I feel this way) but I far prefer the plastic rods over the wood. I like the feel better, the regularity is better, they are washable and color-fast. And a 155 unit set is what I recommend. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crowscreek Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I like the non-linking wooden ones for durability, but I just really like the look of the plastic linky ones. I have a set of each and we use both...just whatever we come to first. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 As usual, with these boards you get so many responses sometimes it can get confusing.:) So, I am thinking for now, non linking wooden. I will probably buy another kind in the not too distant future. Thank you all. Wooly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 As usual, with these boards you get so many responses sometimes it can get confusing.:) So, I am thinking for now, non linking wooden. I will probably buy another kind in the not too distant future. Thank you all. Wooly As long as they are "non-linking" you're good. But probably my first thread on this forum was about this very subject. I WANTED wood. But I "settled" for plastic, because I found them locally. Only later did I get a hold of wood ones to examine. To my mind (one that far prefers "natural" materials to "yucky" synthetics) they are inferior. I'm "surprised" to be an advocate for "plastic" over wood, but the wood ones are made of cheap wood, and are not particularly color fast. But it's not a huge deal. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 If you decide to add a linking manipulative these come in the same color scheme as Cuisenaire rods, but are different enough so they are not confused. The brand is Learning Resources and they are called "Snap Cubes". ww.etacuisenaire.com/catalog/product?deptId=ECMATH&d0=EARLYCHILDHOOD&d1=ECMATH&d2=030500&prodId=030500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I'm "surprised" to be an advocate for "plastic" over wood, but the wood ones are made of cheap wood, and are not particularly color fast. Just curious, do yours get wet a lot, or are you talking in general they fade over time? I've had a set of wooden non-linking for quite a a number of years and haven't noticed any change in the colors; I can't recall ever really cleaning them, or needing to clean them. Hmmm.. I've never seen the plastic ones in person, so I wouldn't be able to give "this is better than that" advice on that issue, but we've been happy with the wooden ones; I originally got a small tub from a school supply store, then when I started homeschooling ds #2 I bought three additional basic sets. This has been fine for both those tasks that take a lot of one or more colors, and the inevitable lost rods, some of which I'll probably find whenever we move (along with lite brite pegs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Just curious, do yours get wet a lot, or are you talking in general they fade over time? I've had a set of wooden non-linking for quite a a number of years and haven't noticed any change in the colors; I can't recall ever really cleaning them, or needing to clean them. Hmmm.. I've never seen the plastic ones in person, so I wouldn't be able to give "this is better than that" advice on that issue, but we've been happy with the wooden ones; I originally got a small tub from a school supply store, then when I started homeschooling ds #2 I bought three additional basic sets. This has been fine for both those tasks that take a lot of one or more colors, and the inevitable lost rods, some of which I'll probably find whenever we move (along with lite brite pegs). I'm not a "germ-o-phobe" or anything, but I've washed my plastic ones more than once. One time my son (as directed) used a pencil to "outline" with them and got pencil-lead all over them. So they went into a pail of soapy water, and emerged new looking. I would not have tried these with wood ones. It's not a huge deal. Just given a choice, I'd take the plastic. And that surprises me. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Mildly off-topic, but to anyone getting Cuisenaire Rods, I'd also suggest getting a 10 pack of base-10 "flats" to serve as 100 value "rods". They are the same scale as Cuisenaire rods, so a "flat" is 10 x 10 X 1 cm. With base-10 flats you can teach place value concretely with "flats" as 100s, Orange C. rods as 10s, and the other C Rods as "units". Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.