Math mammoth and manipulatives

[4toteach]

Anyone have recommendations on what manipulatives might be helpful for 1st, 3rd, 5th? I'm new to HSing and don't have anything but flashcards. I think MM only says you need an abacus, but what else might be good?

[Farrar]

My kids really like manipulatives and I like teaching with them. But other kids are less reliant on them and as a program, MM doesn't encourage much use of them (we just add them in). I think definitely have an abacus on hand (it can be shared at first, if you like) and something simple on hand for counting for the 1st grader (popsicle sticks, Legos, or just a full pencil cup or M&M's if you're a nice mama like that).

 

We also use the C-rods a good bit, but that's a bit up to individual taste, I find. If you don't feel like you "get" them, then they're certainly not a necessity, though they're really nice for understanding "fact families" as well as multiplication and division. Base ten blocks are another option that's slightly more intuitive if you're new to them, but again, not a necessity. However, I think most younger kids benefit from play money and clocks. Also, for some of the MM activities, they ask for you to have measuring tools, so keep that in mind.

[hmschooling]

Hi! We've used and loved math mammoth as well! I think you'll enjoy it :) If you click on the "complete curriculum" link, then each grade level you are using, you can scroll down a bit, just past the introduction for that level, and she lists the manipulatives you'll need. Grade 5 doesn't list any, and at that level, the pictorial lessons should be plenty. You can of course add more, as needed. I like connecting cubes, fraction bars, hundred board, play money, and we also use lots of snacky stuff for the 4 basic operations... goldfish for +/- and fractional part of a set, fruit for fractional part of a whole, any small snacks/candies for division, etc.

 

Here's a link for grade 1. http://www.mathmammoth.com/complete/grade_1.php

 

grade 3 http://www.mathmammoth.com/complete/grade_3.php

[FairProspects]

I think definitely have an abacus on hand (it can be shared at first, if you like) and something simple on hand for counting for the 1st grader (popsicle sticks, Legos, or just a full pencil cup or M&M's if you're a nice mama like that).

 

Base ten blocks are another option that's slightly more intuitive if you're new to them, but again, not a necessity. However, I think most younger kids benefit from play money and clocks. Also, for some of the MM activities, they ask for you to have measuring tools, so keep that in mind.

 

:iagree:For 1st we have used an abacus, counters (we have frogs just used for math), base-10 blocks, a clock, and money (both play and real).

[boscopup]

We've used an abacus, base 10 blocks, a geared clock, and real coins. I rarely use them though. DS1 isn't really a manipulative kid. Usually the pictures are plenty for him. Manipulatives aren't absolutely necessary for the program - they're only necessary if your kid needs them (except the abacus lessons in 1B, which you'd have to skip if you didn't have one.... We've never used it since that lesson).

[mhg]

Didax sells general math manipulatives kits.

 

http://www.didax.com/shop/searchresults.cfm/SubjectID/3/TopicID/74.cfm

[Tam101]

M&M's, marshmallows, pencils, paperclips...whatever is on hand. We also have an abacus.

[morosophe]

For the 3rd and 5th graders:

 

My son loves his FlashMaster. It's pricy but I justified the cost by making it a birthday present. But it doesn't really do anything different or better than flashcards--it just makes it so the teacher doesn't have to be part of the process! (It also keeps track of what your child is getting right and wrong.)

 

Math-U-See has some sort of funky fraction cards. (We haven't gotten to fractions yet, although we do use MUS. We're still on subtraction!) Lots of people don't like them, though.