alisoncooks Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I am feeling the need to scale back our plans for this coming year... I have Singapore as our math spine and was planning on supplementing with Miquon and c-rods, but now (for several reasons) I am thinking of returning Miquon. I'd like to keep the c-rods and just use them for play/exploration this year (my girls will be 4 and 6 soon and have never used rods before, nor had any formal math instruction...). I have the Intro to c-rods PDF that has been posted here and a few games to use with them. So I guess I'm just wondering: who uses c-rods consistently, but without a formal program (like Miquon)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadsandLilysMom Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 We use C-rods with Singapore. We use our abacus, seasonal manipulatives (little erasers found in the dollar spot at Target) or our C-rods when working through the Singapore problems. She tends to ignore the pictures in the book and use her own manipulatives instead. She loves the little flower erasers I set out for spring, but she has started using the rods more often in the last two weeks. This morning I used the C-rods to drill math facts in place of the number bond cards. We made it into a race which she loved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Look at Rosie's Education Unboxed Vimeo page. I am working through the concepts w/ dd7 who is learning fractions and factoring squares. Pics here on my blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomelay Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 We have both (rods and Miquon) and I will probably ditch Miquon this year after only trying it one season. The rods have been in our lives longer than Miquon, and it just didn't work last year. My children didn't like the flow of math concepts in the workbooks, and I felt confused by it most of the time. I know people who really like it. It just didn't fit our family. I have kids from 3- 9 yo and they love the rods. Right now we have them out every day and they are played with and used as manipulative helps when the kids are on Khan Academy. With the younger children I ask them to find all the ways to make a certain number, things like that. I am not sure if we'll replace Miquon with something else or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 So I guess I'm just wondering: who uses c-rods consistently, but without a formal program (like Miquon)? It should be possible; C-rods are just manipulatives. It's just like teaching maths by counting forks and knives when laying the table. The thing is, are you confident enough to include nicely progressing lessons using the rods regularly? I wasn't, which is why I used the "crutch" of a maths curriculum. If Miquon is not appealing to you, you can use something else. There are so many great, free programs that you can refer to and design hands-on lessons based on them. I just remembered a cute little book by Emma Serl, called Everyday Number Stories. I think it will be just right for your 4 and 6 year olds. It is available for free download from Google Books and archive.org. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 We used C-rods with Singapore Essential Math K book B, and plan to continue using them with 1A this summer. I found it very easy to add them in. First, let the kids play with the rods, build staircases with them (this teaches the values of the rods), and do those games in the book you downloaded. They'll probably learn the number values quicker than you do, especially the 4 year old. :tongue_smilie: Next, when you get to addition, just whip out the C-rods and show how if you stick them end to end, you can then find another rod that is the same length as the two you put end-to-end. That longer rod is your sum. For missing addend (Singapore taught that before subtraction), you put the rods next to each other, side-by-side, with them even on one end. Then the child finds the rod that fills in the "hole". That's your missing addend. Subtraction is done the same way, when you get there. Really, I think C-rods are pretty straight forward once you start playing with them a bit, at least for basic operations. Miquon made my eyes glaze over. Using the rods with Singapore is easy peasy. So I gave away my Miquon. DS3 wants to add these smilies: :lol: :lurk5::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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