Do I need Saxon Math Manipulatives Kit?

[AlisonK]

I am brand new to homeschooling and could use some advice. I am trying to figure out whether I need to buy the Saxon Math Manipulatives Kit. I want to keep my costs as low as possible but on the other hand I really want to make things as easy as possible for this first year especially. I am teaching grades K and 3. Should I buy the kit? I saw it on ebay for lower price than the other online stores I am looking at. :confused:

 

Thanks so much!

[Erica in OR]

I never bought the kit (and can't say I remember what's exactly in it), but ended up purchasing items piecemeal as I felt I needed them. We eventually ended up with a clock, play money set, balance, pattern blocks, and a base ten block kit. I wish I had bought the pattern blocks earlier. Other items we made do with what we had. For example, using our already-bought outdoor thermometer for the temperature readings (and honestly skipping over a lot of that part of Saxon).

 

Erica in OR

[Beth in SW WA]

I bought and returned it after I looked inside. $70'ish for that kit was more than I could stomach for a handful of math 'toys' and trinkets. We'll improvise.

 

 

I did buy a base-10 kit for $20'ish used. We love it.

[Guest CharNC]

We bought it b/c we knew our son would like the interactive parts and we did not want to hunt everywhere for the pieces. We bought it from ChristianBooks.com and it only cost us $64 which we feel was worth it considering it would be used for 3 years.

 

I am sure you can save money by purchasing it separate but for us it was not worth the effort. I could not imagine doing math without it. My son loves math and I think the interactive part helps.

Edited August 12, 2010 by CharNC

[Guest]

I promptly ordered it after I got my K teacher's manual in the mail. We use it and think it's worthwhile. :)

[Gailmegan]

i think it depends on your children's learning styles and your confidence in your ability to improvise. if they learn best by incorporating kinesthetic activities and if you really don't want to have to come up with your own ways to demonstrate the concepts, than i'd say it's worth it.

[lynds2]

Bought it and have used it! I know it's expensive but it's nice to have handy when you need it.

[bbrandonsmom]

Ha, I'm in the same boat. I'm trying to find a list of what's in it to see if we have some of the stuff, or if I can find it local at a lesser cost.

[TheCoffeeChick]

I pieced mine together also.

 

Here's what I would get if I was putting one together now:

 

 

• Bucket Balance from Rainbow Resource for $11.95
  
• 2 Geo Boards from RR for $1.95 each
  
• Pattern Blocks from RR for $5.95
  
• Tangram from RR for $0.90
  
• Thermometer from RR for $5.50 (or if you have one outside already, your set)
  

Those above cost $28.20, but of course you'd have shipping also.

 

 

 

I would substitute things we already have at home for these:

 

• Counting bears & cups - honestly, you could substitute any of your kids' small toys
  
• We got the linking cubes from RR for $8.50, but if I was going to do it again, would just use some of our many, many Legos we have ;)
  
• There are red and yellow "counting chips", but you can use anything they are only counting markers - we actually have some in our Yahtzee game box that are EXACTLY what you get with the kit
  
• You can print your own 100 number chart by making your own or finding one online - we laminated ours with clear contact paper, sticking it right onto ds's desk (Same with the number line)
  
• I wouldn't bother with the the square color tiles - we used the square shapes from the pattern blocks or cut fun foam into squares
  
• Just use a basic clock from somewhere in your house for the clock demonstrations - we use the kitchen clock
  

These are things most people probably already have laying around:

 

• domino set (we have one in our game room)
  
• a yard stick (I have one with my sewing stuff)
  
• student size ruler (think the quarter ones from Wal-Mart, doesn't have to be fancy)
  
• Money - we used real money
  

RR sells a very basic kit for $48.50 (plus shipping), if you don't want to piece together a kit.

 

If money was REALLY, REALLY tight, I would make my own geoboards with a piece of wood and some nails or push pins (http://mama-jenn.blogspot.com/2009/08/make-your-own-geoboard.html); I would print out my own tangrams (either use cardstock or cut the pieces out of fun foam); I would print my own pattern blocks (either use cardstock or fun foam); and I would print a thermometer, cover it in clear contact paper to laminate it, and use wipeoff markers to show the temperature (I know this is not exactly the same thing, but you could look up the temperature online and color it in for your child to figure out.) That would leave you only needing to buy the bucket balance for $11.95.

 

HTH

Edited August 12, 2010 by BramFam
spelling

[AlisonK]

Thank you everyone for the helpful replies. That gives me a much better sense of things as I make these decisions. :)

[oldskool]

I bought it and have used it for three kids. The expense was worth me not having to search around for stuff to use every year.

 

Lesley

[Guest elizadoohicky]

I found a list of which grades need which specific manipulatives, for those of you that might be starting at level 2 or 3 or 4 and want to buy piece by piece. I was able to find all the individual pieces needed for level 3 at the local homeschool book store for WAY cheaper. 

 

It is an online PDF. 

 

http://saxonpublishers.hmhco.com/NR/rdonlyres/901A213B-5266-4678-87D2-2A4524793CA5/0/manip.pdf

 

Very helpful!

[coffeegal]

Bought it and have used it! I know it's expensive but it's nice to have handy when you need it.

 

:iagree:My oldest 4 children all worked through the kit. I'll need to repurchase it for my youngest 2 as the older kids loved it to death. :glare: We have teddy bears, pattern blocks, and linking cubes hiding in odd places around the house. :laugh:

[MotherOfBoys]

I bought it and I'm glad I did. I hate wasting my time chasing down things for a lesson. Although I started with saxon k and had two kids to put through. If I was starting in say grade two with only one child I might think differently. Saxon can be very time intensive on moms part already. Looking back I wouldn't have bothered with saxon k, both of my kids at three years old could do it. 

[kpnick in nc]

I found a mostly-complete set on ebay for a great price. I don't think I would have bought it new. The set I bought was missing things like the thermometer, the ruler, and I don't think any of the sets of 100 things had all 100. You never really need all pieces of anything, so it was a great find.  Don't be afraid to buy an incomplete set.