A week with Miquon??

[hsmom23]

So what does Miquon look like for you if you use it. I dont really understand how it works. If I was going to use Miquon with a just turned 5 yo ker, how would you set it up each week?? Would I need the diary, annotations and notes along with the orange book??? Do you do hands on one day, then the worksheet?? Just give me an idea how you use it as it is completely foreign to me and kind of frightening.

[TracyP]

:bigear: I'm curious too.

[Mert]

I'm not considered a Miquon expert around here so take this with a grain of salt. ;) I've read all 3 of the teacher books, but at the moment, I mostly just refer to the annotations. I'll pick a pg or 2 to do and read up on it. After that I let ds flip through the book and choose any pages he'd like to do. I just take a sec to read the annotations for any pg he chooses. I'll throw in an activity from the diary 1-3 times a month. We do math every day that we do school so 2-4 times a week. ~HTH

[Dinsfamily]

I use Miquon as a child-led program. Ds6 chooses how many pages and which ones he wants to do. Now, it's a supplement for us so I don't know how that would change if it were our primary program. If he's proficient in a concept, he does it completely on his own and can choose to use manipulative or not. If it's a harder concept that we haven't covered in Singapore yet, we'll do some activities with the rods and I'll sit with him to answer any questions that come up.

 

He probably does 10-15 pages per week on average but each week varies. I started Miquon on the late side with him so he raced through the first two books. Ds4 is now starting Orange and we'll be going much slower.

[Ellie]

You'd just need the Lab Notations and the rods.

 

You open the Lab Notations to the page for page 1 of the Orange book and you help your dc to discover...whatever is on that page. :-) When y'all have finished discovering, you give him page 1 of the Orange book and let him muck around with that (there isn't always a specific right or wrong answer). Go to the next page if y'all want to; if not, don't.

 

See? It isn't really difficult or complex. Remember that you do the teaching; the worksheets reinforce what you've taught--IOW, don't teach the worksheet.

 

I took my Lab Notations to Kinko's and had the spine cut off, then the book drilled for three holes so it would fit in a three-ring notebook. You should do that because it will make the book much easier to use (and it won't fall apart from usage!). Because I'm a little OCD :D I also attached tabs to the beginning of different sections, because there will be lots of flipping back and forth (I don't remember what the sections are because it's been a looooong time since I did it, but it's obvious when you look at the book).

[Mallory]

I think it is important to start with lots of free rod play at that age. They need to spend days building towers, making shapes of trees or letters, lining up rows of rods, seeing how many rods are as long as thier pencil or hand. You can play too, but don't make it lessons yet. If it is fun to "write" you name with rods, or see how many of each color are as long as your pencil, or build pictures, or find halves- then join in.

 

This gives you plenty of time to read the teacher books. I think the Annotations book is needed for the whole course, but the diary and notes could be borrowed or checked out and read once (maybe taking some notes) but aren't needed over and over for most people.

 

Then when they are comfortable with the rods (and don't underestimate how long, give plenty of time), you can start with some goal in mind. It really isn't important that he ever see a work sheet, they are supposed to help you understand how numbers work and were included because kids and teachers made up similar ones as they played and studied the rods.

 

They are puposefully made so you can easily recreate them or similar pages, with simple lines, pictures, and in one color. If he likes the work sheets then he can pick one out. I always required my boys to work through each letter in order, but they could pick any letter in the book.

 

There were also days, especially in the beginning or with topics or pages that they were less likely to pick, when I would study the work sheet and we would complete it without the paper, or making our own. Just talking and moving around rods.

[Farrar]

I think different people use it in very different ways, in part because it's so open. We're doing MEP as our "main" program and using Miquon as a supplement. I've read (or skimmed in places) the First Grade Diary and sometimes pull out the activities from there to supplement or start us off for any day of math because sometimes I don't like the MEP activities or they're too "classroomy." But mostly we just go along with our MEP until it either gets frustrating or we hit something with a specific connection in the Miquon, at which point, we switch over for a few days. We do the sheets in the book, but we also do games and suggestions from the diary whenever we do it.

 

Last year, for K, we had the rods and I also had the Idea Book for the rods (which is not part of Miquon, but I found really useful and it's written in a more contemporary style in case the whole Miquon look and feel is off-putting) and we spent a lot of time with the rods and getting to know them so that now the kids are pretty comfortable with them.

[Dinsfamily]

I would highly recommend purchasing all three teacher books especially since you said Miquon looked frightening. They'll explain the method and give you an idea how to proceed. I will say that Section A in the Orange book is my least favorite and different than the rest of the series (so far...we're in Blue).

[nono]

I found the First Grade Diary really good reading, because I came away with the thought, "Now that's really cool, but it isn't totally me." So, at that point, I knew that Miquon would be my secondary program. From that point forward, I haven't referred to much. Occasionally, I peek at the Annotations, in case I'm not seeing where the pages are going.

 

My dd would do math all day if I let her, so while Miquon is secondary, I hesitate to say that it's only a supplement for us. To me it works very well with Singapore (US Standards edition). We rotate the two, with Miquon being Tuesday/Thursday.

[Spy Car]

A week with Miquon can be highly variable depending on where one is I'm the program, and how the parent/child decide to use it.

 

But (since that is not a particularly helpful answer) the idea is to introduce math in ways the child can easily understand. Much of what makes things comprehensible for the child is the use of what are called "concrete" manipulatives such as Cuisenaire Rods. They are not "concrete" because they are made from concrete (being wood or plastic) but because they are solid tangible things a child can compare and calculate with (by the value of the rod in centimeters).

 

So rehire is an "introductory" phase where the child just gets familiar with the rods. In this phase it is important for "the Miquon way" that teacher/parents resist any impulse to have the children memorize the value of the rods by color or to write numbers on the rods or anything like that. The idea is for the child to play and find some value relationships for themselves.

 

Then a parent can start nudging with small demonstrations and questions. If the child learns that a White Rod (1 cubic centimeter) is one unit, what Rod is the value of 2-White Rods? Can you arrange "stairs" starting with a White Rod and making each following Rod one unit larger?

 

So the child through play and some gentle direction familiarize themselves with the Rods and their relative value.

 

In the next phase, children begin to use the rods in other ways. What are all the ways you can make 7? And they stack all the different combinations they can think of on top of one another (horizontally) in what are called "trains." if they try 4 and 4 (2 Purple Rods) they will see that is not 7 and self correct.

 

In time they are solving equations. It might be 6+[ ] =10. If they put down a Ten Rod (Orange) and place a 6 (Dark Green) Rod above they can "see" the difference is 4. Or they might "guess" incorrectly, discover their error, and self correct.

 

The process is very similar with introducing subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, graphing, etc.

 

Along the way parents are taught how to teach the mathematical laws. One day when my son was 4 he commented that 3 and 2 was the same as 2 and 3, and I said yes that is called the "Commutative Law" and that concept was forever after planted in his head. At 6 he recently solved a problem using mental math and in the explanation of his solution he invoked both the Distributive Law and the Commutative Law in expelling his "strategy." And not because he is some sort of intuitive math-genius, but simply because these were concepts that were learned and explained in ways he understood and could then use in his own problem solving.

 

All this is overly simple for lack of space or time. The wonderful thing is one really wants to see what a WHOLE YEAR of Miquon might look like, is that the author, Lore Rasmussen wrote a book called the First Grade Diary, where she walks parent/teachers along with her through the first year of Miquon (and is perfect for Pre-school, which is when we started Miquon, DO NOT get hung up on "First Grade"). This is one of the MOST IMPORTANT and enriching books on teaching math I've ever read. After reading Liping Ma's book I was clear on the kind of math education I wanted to provide my child, but was anxious and unsure about "how" I was going to accomplish that feat. Reading the First Grade Diary was the confidence booster *I* needed, as the methods employed are natural, simple, mathematically sound, and made perfect sense to me. And soon I was inventing teaching tools and activities of my own inspired by the lessons learned (by me) in

 

I will leave it there.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

I found the First Grade Diary really good reading, because I came away with the thought, "Now that's really cool, but it isn't totally me." So, at that point, I knew that Miquon would be my secondary program. From that point forward, I haven't referred to much. Occasionally, I peek at the Annotations, in case I'm not seeing where the pages are going.

 

My dd would do math all day if I let her, so while Miquon is secondary, I hesitate to say that it's only a supplement for us. To me it works very well with Singapore (US Standards edition). We rotate the two, with Miquon being Tuesday/Thursday.

 

I would re-think your strategy with the Lab Annotations. For those who don't know this is the main teachers text in Miquon. For early pages, some of which look deceptively strange (they really aren't), parents often "need" the explanations for the objectives of the Lab-Sheets (Miquon-speak for the student worksheets). After a short time the "common sense" of the Miquon method is so apparent (and internalized) that parents often stop consulting the work when they "don"t need it." Big mistake. Why?

 

Because the Miquon author anticipated parents wouldn't need the same hand-holding (although explanations of objectives remain) and she added material on how to teach the laws of mathematics by topic in really clear ways. The book is a gold mine of information that could be missed if one simply works through the Lab-Sheets alone.

 

Just saying.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

You'd just need the Lab Notations and the rods.

 

 

I really disagree with this. The Lab Annotations does serve as the most heavily referenced book among the Miquon Teachers materials, but the First Grade Diary contains the heart and soul of how to teach in the Miquon spirit.

 

I can not imagine our experience with this program would have been nearly as rich had I not read this book. And believe the reason most people who say "they didn't get it" or "they couldn't wrap their heads around it" did not understand Miquon was because they did not read the First Grade Diary.

 

There is such clarity, wisdom, and human warmth in the book that it both calms and enervates.

 

The Notes to Teachers (which should have just been a forward to Lab Annotations IMO) should not really be missed either, as there are important ideas for getting started with the Miquon program.

 

Bill

[hsmom23]

I am thinking about using Miquon ahead of CLE math to introduce to concept before I have them do it more traditionally. I really liked what you said spy car about it being hard to go back and learn conceptually what you already have memorized, so while I can't bring myself to not do a traditional program and need the structure and inclusiveness of CLE, I want my dc to learn the ideas conceptually before I put the idea in front of them in CLE. Do you think it will work to introduce the concept for them to discover with Miquon and follow with CLE for reinforcement and memorization.

[Ellie]

I really disagree with this.

But the question was what about what the OP would actually need when she sat down to teach her dc. She'll use the Lab Notations at that point; she'll read the other things on her own.

[Spy Car]

I am thinking about using Miquon ahead of CLE math to introduce to concept before I have them do it more traditionally. I really liked what you said spy car about it being hard to go back and learn conceptually what you already have memorized, so while I can't bring myself to not do a traditional program and need the structure and inclusiveness of CLE, I want my dc to learn the ideas conceptually before I put the idea in front of them in CLE. Do you think it will work to introduce the concept for them to discover with Miquon and follow with CLE for reinforcement and memorization.

 

Sure. I do, however, think it would make even more sense to use a program like Singapore that builds on the whole-parts method introduced in Miquon and has both Asian style strategies for doing equations in ones head (through re-grouping) and also teaches the "standard algorithms" (which are the procedural ways of say "adding" in columns that we are used to, and find in CLE).

 

Miquon also gets children "thinking" early. for example, before they have any idea of what a "polygon" might be the children are shown two sets. One says "these are polygons", and there are are a number of examples of polygonal figures. The other set says "these are not polygons" and shows a circles, unclosed shapes, amoeba-like shapes, and other non-polygons. Then (simply by observing the two sets) then child looks at a third set with "mixed" figures and differentiates the polygons from the non-polygons. This is the beginning of logic and critical thinking.

 

Why the long answer? I've looked at all the (extensive) samples of CLE online, and question whether a child who discovers they like to "think" might not find CLE very boring and not cognitively challenging. It might work to go from Miquon to CLE but I'm not sure it is the most "natural" partnership.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

But the question was what about what the OP would actually need when she sat down to teach her dc. She'll use the Lab Notations at that point; she'll read the other things on her own.

 

When she sits down with the child she ought not need any of the teachers materials in front of her, as those ought to be read in advance. And to my mind that would include having read (for exposure, not mastery) the First Grade Diary prior to doing any Lab-Sheets.

 

I (and others) keep making the point of the value of the First Grade Diary book and Notes to teachers because some vendors bundle the Miquon series without these crucial books and include only Lab Sheet Annotations book. Without having read the additional books I think parents could miss the big picture, and not see all the examples the activities one can (and should) use to make Miquon a "live" activity based program and not just "worksheets." This is very valuable tea her education.

 

Bill

Edited October 13, 2010 by Spy Car

[hsmom23]

Well, there is a chance I would switch to Math Mammoth come second grade, but for now my husband has to be able to easily pick up where I left off (when he gets laid off for winter and I go to work) and firmly believes in using a more traditional program. I am not sold that Singapore will be good for ALL my children and I want something that is cost effective to reuse with each. I also just completely love the layout of CLE. A friend has it and I love the way it teaches first grade, and I still think that memorization, which CLE has, is incredibly important, even though I understand its important to know why, so that is my plan for next year. I plan to get Miquon and use it for the rest of her Kindergarten year. I guess we will see where it goes :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: I also like the spiral style versus the mastery if that makes a difference. and I tried MEP and really disliked it, I hate trying to pull things together myself.

Edited October 13, 2010 by hsmom23

[Ellie]

When she sits down with the child she ought not need any of the teachers materials in front of her, as those ought to be read in advance. And to my mind that would include having read (for exposure, not mastery) the First Grade Diary prior to doing any Lab-Sheets.

 

I (and others) keep making the point of the value of the First Grade Diary book and Notes to teachers because some vendors bundle the Miquon series without these crucial books and include only Lab Sheet Annotations book. Without having read the additional books I think parents could miss the big picture, and not see all the examples the activities one can (and should) use to make Miquon a "live" activity based program and not just "worksheets." This is very valuable tea her education.

 

Bill

Whatever.

 

Some of us, even though we have read all of the resources, are just not Miquon-y enough to sit down with our dc having nothing to clue us in *at that moment*, in which case having the Lab Notations at hand is very useful. Throw us a bone, Bill.

[RootAnn]

My preschooler likes to play with the rods. She sits & does some of the things (totally on her own right now) that Spy Car talked about -- stacking different colors of rods to make the same length "train." She loves to point out which colors together make another rod color (3 of one color = 1 of another color, 2 of one color = 1 of another color), for example. She's made the stair-step thing going "up" and "down." She also builds different shapes with them.

 

Whenever she wants, she pulls them out. So, when we start doing Miquon "officially," she'll already know some of these concepts from her previous exposure. I plan to go through the younger rod book that someone posted on here before (I have it saved under "cuisinairebook") we start Miquon.

 

Someone also posted a video on their website on "one day with Miquon" that was interesting. Those are posts to look for.

 

The First Grade Diary contains lots of "one week with Miquon" ideas. Another thing to note is that they didn't just use the rods & sheets. There were other manipulatives - some you can make on your own.

 

Good luck!

[FO4UR]

A week in the life of Miquon...when my oldest was 4-5yo....

 

(Keep in mind I started with Horizon's k - and quickly dumped it b/c it was #1 painful and #2 all that pain produced zero real math understanding...this is *my* ds, and not a bash of Horizon's LOL....I also had a short stint at trying Saxon K:ack2:...I found Miquon used for FREE and then...)

 

I spent nap time (I have 2 other dc who were toddlers at the time.) reading through Miquon teacher books while ds played with the C rods at a little blue child's table. He also played with other math manips...no real instruction for MOST of that time. About 1x per day, I would try an idea out of the books (no lab sheets yet). One thing built upon another, and as I read and *tried* things I found myself with a 6yo who zipped through Miquon Orange and Singapore 1A at lightening speed.:001_smile:

 

My current 4yo and 5yo....much the same...only this time they play with C rods and other manips while mommy is teaching 2nd grade to big brother. dd5 is using Horizon's K (LOL...the irony...but she enjoys it and *I* know better how to actually "teach" with Miquon-ish methods first...;)) Anyway...Horizon's is really more of a practice in writing numbers and following directions and (busywork - gasp:001_huh:).

 

My 4yo just plays with rods...I sit down with him 3x/week usually to insert some "mathy" talk into his play (add, subtract, equal, times, half of, etc). No worksheets at all for him (I plan on waiting until he asks for his own Orange book...or when he turns 6yo...whichever comes first)

[Spy Car]

Well, there is a chance I would switch to Math Mammoth come second grade, but for now my husband has to be able to easily pick up where I left off (when he gets laid off for winter and I go to work) and firmly believes in using a more traditional program.

 

You and your husband obviously need to determine the approach you think will work for your children and yourselves. But for sake of discussion, is he really aware what the differences are between math programs like Singapore and MM and a traditional program like CLE? Or is this a decision reached from the gut?

 

Would he/has he read a book like Liping Ma's "Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics?" Sometimes minds can be changed. Since it is hard to read "tone" on the internet, these questions are meant to be "gentle."

 

 

I am not sold that Singapore will be good for ALL my children and I want something that is cost effective to reuse with each.

 

If your signature is accurate, your children are very young. How could you know? I'm also sensing (given the comment about needing to pass off the math program to your husband) that you might have concerns that Singapore is a difficult method to teach. It isn't. And the HIGs are not consumable, the textbooks can be worked though non-comsumably. I am often the "scribe" then we do the textbooks (and write lightly) but we have done some of the work orally and could write on scratch paper if needed. The Workbooks would be difficult not to consume but these are under $25 for a years materials (2 books).

 

I also just completely love the layout of CLE. A friend has it and I love the way it teaches first grade, and I still think that memorization, which CLE has, is incredibly important, even though I understand its important to know why, so that is my plan for next year.

 

The lay-out of CLE looks clean, simple and charming. But choosing this you are going down a road of "procedurally based" math. That is a path that might have been adequate in an agrarian past but is (to my mind) less than ideal in the 21st Century.

 

Memorization, as you have heard me say, is a very-double edged sword. If a 4-5 year old has memorized words based on their shapes good luck getting them to do phonics. Better than quick recall comes though practice using sound strategies combined with a complete understanding of what they are doing in mathematical terms.

 

Otherwise "math facts" are a parlor trick that can obscure a child's lank of real understanding.

 

 

I plan to get Miquon and use it for the rest of her Kindergarten year. I guess we will see where it goes :tongue_smilie:

 

Good idea. We will hope for "assimilation." Friendly advice, Don't get all goal oriented with Miquon when it arrives. Swirl it around your head for a while. Read the Diary, and ask yourself if this way of learning math might not have been something you would have loved as a child. For some the answer may be no. For me it was certainly YES !!!

 

I hope you have a great day :001_smile:

 

Bill

Edited October 13, 2010 by Spy Car

[FO4UR]

Well, there is a chance I would switch to Math Mammoth come second grade, but for now my husband has to be able to easily pick up where I left off (when he gets laid off for winter and I go to work) and firmly believes in using a more traditional program.

 

MM is "substitute teacher" friendly! ime. If your dh can read the directions on the page, he can teach MM. It's all right there...

[Spy Car]

Whatever.

 

Some of us, even though we have read all of the resources, are just not Miquon-y enough to sit down with our dc having nothing to clue us in *at that moment*, in which case having the Lab Notations at hand is very useful. Throw us a bone, Bill.

 

My point Ellie, is that reading the First Grade Diary is what can help us well-meaning (but potentially scared-silly) parents "relax" and become "Miquon-y."

 

I was a very worried father who (badly) wanted to do better for my son's math education than I experience in the public schools growing up, but I did not know HOW I was going to do that (despite my best intentions). So, for me, reading these books caused "light-bulb" moments. I can not overstate how valuable and life-changing they were for me, a person I doubt is much different than any of the other parents out there who understand there must be a better way to understand and teach mathematics than just memorizing math facts and working provided formulas with competence.

 

So if I'm pushing the point, forgive me.

 

Bill

[Kuovonne]

So, for me, reading these books caused "light-bulb" moments. I can not overstate how valuable and life-changing they were for me, a person I doubt is much different than any of the other parents out there who understand there must be a better way to understand and teach mathematics than just memorizing math facts and working provided formulas with competence.

 

While I'm glad that the teacher's books were such a positive experience for you. However, I think that not all other parents will have the same reaction to them. Some of them will not get the same "light-bulb" moments.

 

I have read both Notes to Teachers and First Grade Diary and was underwhelmed by them. I read them again after hearing you emphasize how wonderful they were. I still don't think that they were particularly useful. I'm still using Miquon with my DD and having good results with it.

 

I also want to provide my kids with a strong understanding of arithmetic. If arithmetic were just memorizing math facts, I'd have it easy. DD memorizes her math facts and procedures easily. It's the understanding that too often eludes her. Miquon is helping her develop that understanding, and it is helping her without much use of the teacher materials.

 

There are many ways to implement the Miquon matherials, including not using all of the materials. A parent can use Miquon successfully without using it exactly as prescribed, just as a parent can adapt many other programs (math and otherwise) to fit his or her family's situation. Too often I hear curriculum pushers say that what a particular program doesn't work, it is because it wasn't used properly. While that may be the case some times, sometimes a program just isn't a good fit. And other times, people adapt a program and are still successful; you just don't hear about it as often.

Edited October 14, 2010 by Kuovonne

[mammaofbean]

we have done great with miquon since i stopped reading the teacher guides. i say something along the lines of "here is your math, do you need help?" . if she does i figure out if it is the math or the format and then we go from there maybe making up a few of our own examples or coming up with something else to illustrate the same concept. if it is taking longer than about 15 minutes we take a break and pick it up again the next day. mostly though she just does the work. one page front and back if they make sense together.

 

but this is kindergarten. i am pretty sure i could have the whole kindergarten math thing locked down with a blank notebook and a pile of rocks. maybe i will need to revisit the teacher material a few books in to miquon.