pgr Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 If a child is comfortably working at a 1B - 2A level in Singapore Math, and is choosing pages from the very end of Miquon Orange (sometimes) and (mostly) Red in the first two weeks of consistent work with Miquon...how important is it that she use the rods? She's been introduced to them and is familiarized with them, but doesn't really use them. It seems the logical answer is to let her choose whether or not she needs a manipulative, but I have read they are also later used for thousands, etc. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 If she gets it without the rods, great. The rods are there to help when needed. But... she probably will hit some pages that the rods will be useful in helping her figure it all out. Keep going. Some kids do need the rods less than others. That's fine. I do think it is important that she be able to show you HOW she is getting her answers; she could show you with rods, or by writing tradtional equations (3+7=10), or by doing some combo of the two. Part of the magic in Miquon is not just getting the answer, but the process. In the Lab Sheet Annotations and in First Grade Diary there are many activites/problems that require creative use of the rods to get an answer; dig around in those books if you feel she needs more of a challenge. The rods are also great with other materials, not just Miquon. My boys are loving the Roddles Activity cards I picked up from Rainbow Resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 The rods are just a tool to develop mental facility with mathematics. If a child intuitively develops that facility without manipulatives, great. My 9 yr old uses rods, my 6 yr old doesn't. The 6 yr old is mathematically intuitive and can do all basic calculations within 2-3 seconds. I did show her the rods and we played with them once or twice, but at the end of the day, she just doesn't need them. That said, they are still a tool in the arsenal. For example, if the child later develops confusion with fractions, they may become useful at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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