Aloha2U Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I never thought I'd like or even appreciate C-rods, so I wouldn't consider myself a big fan, but I recently happened upon this interesting blog post (below), apparently by the Hive's very own Jay3fer (Adventures in Mamaland), and I thought I'd share my find. Gattegno & Cuisenaire Rods: Elementary Math Video Thanks, Jennifer! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Very interesting films! I had never seen these, but I wish I had because there are a good number of "steal able" ideas. The "ravings" of Ron Aharoni have been discussed. His criticisms of C Rods could not be further from the mark. Any manipulative can be linked to a "bad" math program (as was evidently the case in Israel). But that makes the math program bad, not the manipulative. Anyone can see how effective C Rods are from wathching the films. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay3fer Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Thanks, Jennifer! :001_smile: you're welcome!!! :blush: i expected to love c-rods and DID, and do. looking forward to playing with them with my k4-er this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Hmmm. I wonder if his textbook is any good. It's also interesting that he refers to the rods as "algebricks." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) you're welcome!!!:blush: i expected to love c-rods and DID, and do. looking forward to playing with them with my k4-er this year! All I can say is I truly believe that introducing my child to mathematics via methods similar to those in the film (although there were a few ideas I wish I'd thought of, like the hold them in your hands behind your back and identify them by "feel") really helped create a mathy mind. These C Rods can be powerful tools for making important mathematical laws fully comprehensible to young children while they are still at an age when they can pick it up as a "native language." On a side-note on your blog post, there was actually a great deal of good in New Math ideas. Unfortunately teachers were often unprepared to teach New Math competently, and many published programs were "dumbed down" programs with a half a nod to New Math but did not really implement it well or completely. It has become fashionable to dismiss New Math Out of hand (because for the two reasons mentioned New Math programs often did not translate well into the classroom) but there are a great number of exciting and important ideas in the New Math programs of the 1960s. Bill Edited August 31, 2011 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay3fer Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Bill: i actually agree, and in my mind, it's tied up a little with the phonics vs whole language approach debates and idiocies that went on. in reading, i believe you need a little of BOTH - the ability to sound out, plus the ability to take a leap if a word doesn't seem logical and just guess what it might mean based on clues like context, illustrations, etc. Ditto with math: drill, yes, and structure, but also intuition and exploration. i like the term 'math lab" for instilling this idea of fun and experimentation. eTa: but people have this tendency to latch onto one thing and say THIS works - falsely implying the exclusion of all else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) Bill: i actually agree, and in my mind, it's tied up a little with the phonics vs whole language approach debates and idiocies that went on. in reading, i believe you need a little of BOTH - the ability to sound out, plus the ability to take a leap if a word doesn't seem logical and just guess what it might mean based on clues like context, illustrations, etc. Ditto with math: drill, yes, and structure, but also intuition and exploration. i like the term 'math lab" for instilling this idea of fun and experimentation. eTa: but people have this tendency to latch onto one thing and say THIS works - falsely implying the exclusion of all else. I also think the "memorize math facts" folks have it exactly backwards. They are usually aghast at the thought of memorizing sight words (especially without understanding the phonic basis of the words) but turn around and embrace memorizing "math facts" without having a deep understanding of the underlying math. It does not make sense. I also embrace the concept of Math Lab :001_smile: Bill Edited August 31, 2011 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Here's a book written by Gattegno, Now Johnny Can Do Arithmetic that talks about using rods in math. I haven't read all of it yet, but it might have some other good ideas to "borrow" when using rods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha2U Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Very interesting films! I had never seen these, but I wish I had because there are a good number of "steal able" ideas. I made sure to download all three videos from YouTube, just in case. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I made sure to download all three videos from YouTube, just in case. :D I love them! Great find. I kick myself for not discovering these (and Gattengo) myself, but I'm thrilled others will benefit. I'm really convinced this is the way to start young children off with mathematics. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpe Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 The blog isn't working for me :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 (edited) I got the link to this thread from Bill through this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=320962 I thought I would bump it to add this link: http://calebgattegno.org/gattegno-library.html It seems anyone can read Gattegno's books for free, online :). Now to find the time :glare:! Edited November 4, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arliemaria Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 This is very interesting indeed. Is there any discussion between the c rods vs. the Montessori style red rods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 I got the link to this thread from Bill through this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=320962 I thought I would bump it to add this link: http://calebgattegno.org/gattegno-library.html It seems anyone can read Gattegno's books for free, online :). Now to find the time :glare:! Great find! Thank you. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 (edited) This is very interesting indeed. Is there any discussion between the c rods vs. the Montessori style red rods? I have some books that show how to implement the Montessori approach in a home setting and while a couple of activities appear to be similar, most math concepts in Montessori appear to be centered around the beads. At least this is how it appears to me with my limited knowledge of Montessori's methods ;). I am not sure if the rods are used as extensively in Montessori as they are in Miquon and Gattegno's approach, so I am giving you a bump and hopefully someone that knows more can answer. I would be curious to know as well :). I'll do a search on the forums when I get the chance and see if I can come up with anything but I have not come across as many discussions on the Montessori methods as I usually do on Miquon and the C-rods. Edited November 4, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Great find! Thank you. Bill You're welcome :)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I got the link to this thread from Bill through this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=320962 I thought I would bump it to add this link: http://calebgattegno.org/gattegno-library.html It seems anyone can read Gattegno's books for free, online :). Now to find the time :glare:! Very good find, Marie. Thanks for the link. They look very intriguing. Now I need to find the time too...:) Sometimes having kids gets in the way of my homeschooling...:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) Very good find, Marie. Thanks for the link. They look very intriguing. You're welcome :)! I took a quick, I am just curious, type of look at his "Teaching Reading With Words in Color: A Scientific Study of the Problems of Reading". Ayi!!!! I will definitely stick with figuring out Spalding for my little guy :lol:! His math approach with the rods is very intriguing though. I so... enjoyed doing the math on the videos and was fascinated by what little kids minds can do given the chance to think mathematically rather than just memorizing facts. I was fortunate enough to be living in Greece in my later elementary years and they put a lot of emphasis at the time on word problems. Word problems and anything that involved thinking were my thing. Memorizing facts (much like my son) was not! I wish I had C-rods when I was a kid! Now I need to find the time too...:) Sometimes having kids gets in the way of my homeschooling...:lol: :lol: I think you mean sometimes homeschooling gets in the way of homeschooling :lol:. That's my problem! I have accumulated a large number of good books that are sitting on my shelves, waiting to be read. Books that will help me become a better more effective teacher for my boys. Due to my current research I have had to postpone starting Spalding (for spelling) with Adrian and Classical Writing, till January (CW we will probably start sooner). Right now my main focus is on brain development and how my boys think, in order to make better choices for them. Not just curriculum choices but mostly choices in approach. I wish there were more hours in a day :glare:! Edited November 5, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Neat! I watched the first one, and I am going to watch the rest of these soon. Some idea gems in those clips. C-rods have been a miracle for my older, dyslexic daughter. An absolute miracle. The improvement she has experienced has been nothing short of phenomenal. We will continue to use them to cement concepts from here on out, and I have her use them daily for long addition and subtraction just to maintain and improve her facility with basic facts and calculations. Because of our experience I used them with my younger dd (age 6) who is extraordinarily mathy. At first, they seemed irrelevant to her - little more than an interesting plaything that didn't really help or hinder her calculation skills (she was already mentally performing basic operations with large numbers, at times faster than I can). But I recently started using them for supplemental exercises where we were adding & subtracting fractions and they seem to really help her "get it". Now I am like a born-again Rodian trying to find new ways to use the holy relic. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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