Paige Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 How important is the abacus for MM? I want to order it for my twins in PS who are struggling. I could talk DH into $32 for them but not close to $50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsiew Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I made my own stringing pony beads onto cardboard from a cereal box... much like this: http://lessonplans.craftgossip.com/diy-abacus-everyone-loves-a-math-craft/2009/12/19 It was VERY cheap and works well. I used the plastic lace instead of yarn though so it holds it a little tighter. And I did a 2 color like the ones she suggests... I used 5 white and 5 orange in each row because those were the beads I had the most of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Are you sure you don't already have an abacus? So many toddler toys have an abacus in them. You can probably also find one easily at a thrift store for $1. I wanted one that had 2 different colors on each row, so I took apart an abacus, repainted some of the beads, and strung it back together. But the Math Mammoth curriculum does not require this type of abacus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 $50 for an abacus? Or for two? An abacus is only $10 at Ikea, IIRC. We got our Melissa and Doug ones ages ago and those were only $16 a piece. Both those options are wooden and sturdy. A friend who's doing RightStart still uses her Melissa and Doug one, she just put a little dollop of white paint on the beads to distinguish them the way the RightStart abacus does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamamaloca Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Well, I don't have an abacus, haven't needed it yet but am open to ordering one later, but I don't think I'd spend $50! I've seen them between $10 and $15 on Amazon. I'm looking at this one since it is two color: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Desktop-Abacus/dp/B001V9ACMK/ref=sr_1_9?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285014721&sr=8-9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 While we're on this subject...will MM tell you WHEN to use the abacus or are we just supposed to figure it out on our own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 The abacus isn't $50- it's $12.40 on Amazon and then plus shipping and tax I was estimating the total for MM to be $32.00+ 12.5+ about $5-8 for shipping which equals almost $50. I think I'll just wait and see on the abacus. We don't have one, though. I've always used unit blocks instead because even as a kid the abacus always confused me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemongoose Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 This is the one we got from Rainbow to use with MM http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Abacus%2C+Side-to-side%2C+Blue+and+Yellow/004083/1285019282-267082 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJsMom Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I made one with a picture frame, skewers, and pony beads that I already had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skueppers Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 While we're on this subject...will MM tell you WHEN to use the abacus or are we just supposed to figure it out on our own? I don't have the Light Blue curriculum, but in the Blue Place Value 1 book, she has a picture of an abacus next to the parts where you're supposed to use an abacus. I would expect that she did the same thing in the Light Blue series, but obviously can't say for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrightmom Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Well, I don't have an abacus, haven't needed it yet but am open to ordering one later, but I don't think I'd spend $50! I've seen them between $10 and $15 on Amazon. I'm looking at this one since it is two color:http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Desktop-Abacus/dp/B001V9ACMK/ref=sr_1_9?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285014721&sr=8-9 :iagree: We used these with Right Start. They work GREAT!!!!!!! I recommend them wholeheartedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I don't have the Light Blue curriculum, but in the Blue Place Value 1 book, she has a picture of an abacus next to the parts where you're supposed to use an abacus. I would expect that she did the same thing in the Light Blue series, but obviously can't say for sure! Good to know! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberia Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 We like our abacus and have found it to be helpful. We're doing MM Blue to suppl. Saxon 2. Dd struggles with place value and the abacus is helpful for her to see what's happening. We're using it right now as a 100 number chart. I'll give her a number, and she has to put it on the abacus. Example: 42 is 4 tens and 2 ones. She slides the top 4 rows over, then two from the next row. We also us it for counting by even and odd numbers to 100 and simple addition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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