How are C Rods different from MUS blocks?

[Blessed with seven]

Just curious..I have a son that is picking up math very quickly and think he would do well in Singapore, just from how he learns Math so easily. I think he would love it. However..he is not liking the MUS blocks or using them. Can we do Singapore w/out using the rods?

 

Thanks!

 

Kim

[boscopup]

C-rods aren't scored like MUS blocks are, but...

 

Yes, you can do Singapore without the rods. I have one child who has never needed or wanted manipulatives. They distract him. He automatically gets it from either discussing it or seeing a pictorial representation. He is happily doing Singapore 5B with full conceptual understanding, and he's only used a manipulative once since 1st grade math... and that was in 1st grade math, learning the going over tens mental math thing. ;) He used manipulatives for about 3 problems, then understood the concept and moved on.

 

My other son using Singapore uses C-rods as needed. We haven't needed them much lately, but he used them more in the very beginning. He does well with a combination of manipulatives and pictorial for new concepts. We just haven't had any brand new concepts in a while.

[redsquirrel]

Singapore doesn't call for rods. You could go through 6 years of SM and never use a cuisinaire rod. Now, it does teach something called the 'bar method' but that is done on paper (I used graph). It doesn't call for cuisinaire rods.

 

And if your kid doesn't click with the bar method, like mine did not, the non-bar method is always available to them. My son would just work the problem with numbers. He found it faster. I really tried to teach him the bar method, but he just brushed it off and did it his way.

 

I should add that we did use cuininare rods with SM in the lower levels. I am using them now with my second grader, but that is purely a matter of choice. I also use base 10 blocks, and lots of other manipulatives by choice.