Do *you* prefer base-10 or C-rods? *Poll Edited*

[mom2bee]

Just curious which manipulative you prefer to use and why. Or, if you use both, do you introduce one before the other? If so which comes first?

 

Of course there is no hard and fast answer and I know that C-rods can be used for much more than just math facts, they are great at showing various properties, relationships etc. This is just for fun.

[ErinE]

You didn't have my option. I wasn't sure what you meant by base-10. If you mean the linking blocks, we don't even use these. I bought them when I first started homeschooling, but the kids only use them to make the "world's tallest sword."

 

We use c-rods as our main math manipulative. The 100-flats and 1000-blocks are used to show grouping and re-grouping when we get to higher numbers.

[Spy Car]

We use C Rods for the 10s and Unit (Ones) Places, and base-10 "flats" for the 100s Place.*

 

*assuming the "typical" assignment of "values," as there are times when a "flat" becomes One (1) and a Orange Rod is 1/10, etc.

 

I prefer C Rods for "Units" because, unlike base-10 unit cubes, they discourage "counting."

 

Bill

[Mrs. A]

You didn't have my option. I wasn't sure what you meant by base-10. If you mean the linking blocks, we don't even use these. I bought them when I first started homeschooling, but the kids only use them to make the "world's tallest sword."

 

 

 

We had the MUS blocks first.  After we bought the C-rods ds figured out that he could make some pretty cool guns by sticking the c-rods in the empty spaces of the MUS blocks.   :lol:

 

 

I really love c-rods.  I think they are such an excellent tool to help conceptual understanding. I wish I had been taught with them. 

[Farrar]

We only use the base 10 flats and cubes.  You can buy them separately and that's what we did.  Once the kids got to big enough numbers, I put them in the box with the C-rods.

[MinivanMom]

We only use the base-10 blocks (cubes, rods, and flats). 

[zarabellesmom]

We started with C-rods, and really like them. We found they were great for the Singapore bar charts as well--no drawing, just cool colorful bars. This worked well, because the cuisenaire rods don't have to have a specific value. We were given a tub of base-10 materials and we've used those some too, mostly for making bigger numbers. We also have used and like the Montessori bead materials for math. We are equal opportunity when it comes to math manipulatives.

[sbgrace]

Well, I think I have both mixed together, if I understand what base 10 blocks actually are. My kids nearly always use the c-rods, though, unless they are using 100 flats (or 1000). I would want those flats--useful for place value, regrouping, etc.

 

[NASDAQ]

We only use c-rods except for hundreds flats.

[mom2bee]

You didn't have my option. I wasn't sure what you meant by base-10. If you mean the linking blocks, we don't even use these. I bought them when I first started homeschooling, but the kids only use them to make the "world's tallest sword."

 

We use c-rods as our main math manipulative. The 100-flats and 1000-blocks are used to show grouping and re-grouping when we get to higher numbers.

-

Base ten are those blocks that come in powers of 10 to demonstrate place value.

[ErinE]

-

Base ten are those blocks that come in powers of 10 to demonstrate place value.

The linking blocks come in groups of 10 which led to my confusion. I use both, but mainly the c-rods. For the older two, I've noticed once they understand the relationships between single-digit numbers, the transition to higher powers of 10 is easy. So the flats and blocks get pulled out for grouping, but our lesson quickly progresses to ten thousands, hundred thousands, millions, ten millions, etc. so my kids understand that the arithmetic is the same, just with more digits.

[mom2bee]

Base Ten Blocks -- These don't physically 'snap together', but they are excellent for counting, demonstrating place value and showing the quantity of large numbers. They are notched to show each unit.

Cuissanaire Rods -- These don't physically 'snap together' but they are excellent for math facts, they are not notched to show units and so kids often focus on the relationship of numbers vs counting. So this way kids don't need to count count 1..2..3 plus 1...2...3...4...5 equals 1, 2,3,4,5, 6,7,8. After they have learned that a 3 rod is a lime color, and a 5 five rod is yellow, they just compare a lime (3) and a yellow (5) to a brown rod (8) and they see that 3 + 5 =8

 

Both manipulative can be used to demonstrate the commutative and associative property very easily. Both can be used to build and develop systematic number sense. In my opinion, C-rods are better for math facts, various forms of counting (forward, backward, skip counting) and comparing numbers. I don't fully understand how people use them for other types of math yet, but I haven't seen all of the education un-boxed videos yet either.

[Spy Car]

Being "excellent for counting" is not a positive.

 

Bill

[PentecostalMom]

Being "excellent for counting" is not a positive.

 

Bill

 

They are if they helped your 2yo learn to count, lol!  You know I like you, Bill, right??

[mom2bee]

You didn't have my option. I wasn't sure what you meant by base-10. If you mean the linking blocks, we don't even use these. I bought them when I first started homeschooling, but the kids only use them to make the "world's tallest sword."

 

We use c-rods as our main math manipulative. The 100-flats and 1000-blocks are used to show grouping and re-grouping when we get to higher numbers.

 

Oh, and what was your option? I will edit the poll to include more options.

Was it C-rods only?

[Korrale]

The snapping ones are unit cubes. We use those predominately. But will move onto base ten soon.

We have C-rods and I really want to use them more, but we don't. However I am not giving up on them. I think they will be. Dry beneficial for fractions.

Lastly I wanted to mention that we use ten frames also.

 

Each set of manipulatives are used in different ways.

 

So far I have voted neither because both or other is not an option.

[Spy Car]

They are if they helped your 2yo learn to count, lol!  You know I like you, Bill, right??

Sure. But now I'm beginning to wonder if that goes both ways? :D

 

Bill

[mom2bee]

Being "excellent for counting" is not a positive.

 

Bill

Why is something being excellent for counting not a positive? :confused1: 

[Arcadia]

Base Ten Blocks -- These don't physically 'snap together', but they are excellent for counting, demonstrating place value and showing the quantity of large numbers. They are notched to show each unit.

These blocks are exactly what my kids virtual academy sent us as part of the math curriculum. My boys use them as building blocks even during the meeting with their teacher :). All manipulative to them are building blocks and never used for their intended purpose.

 

We end up using them as weights on the beam balance for science.

[Spy Car]

Why is something being excellent for counting not a positive? :confused1:

Because "counting" to find sums and differences can be the hardest math bad-habit to break. Simple.

 

Bill

[mom2bee]

Because "counting" to find sums and differences can be the hardest math bad-habit to break. Simple.

 

Bill

But I didn't mean counting simply to find sums and differences. I meant counting as in counting, implying that the kid has an understanding of quantity as it is connected to the sounds and symbols we use to stand for various quantities.

Knowing that 3 = ( o o o) ,that 16 = (o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o) as well as understanding one-to-one correspondence, knowing the difference between 12 and 13 objects, and understanding the difference between 51 and 15. You can build on these skills so that kids can get skip counting easier and realize that when counting on by powers of ten, you only increase that place and not all the others.

(i.e. Count by 10's starting at 7: 7, 17, 27, 37, 47...)

 

I do have to admit that I am guilty of showing kids how to count on or count back to find their answer with addition and subtraction early on though. :sad:. But I try and teach them to be clever about it. If you are doing 7 + 4, identify the larger number and count on from there. I always tell them it doesn't make since to start at '1' and count on.

[Spy Car]

But I didn't mean counting simply to find sums and differences. I meant counting as in counting, implying that the kid has an understanding of quantity as it is connected to the sounds and symbols we use to stand for various quantities.

Knowing that 3 = ( o o o) ,that 16 = (o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o) as well as understanding one-to-one correspondence, knowing the difference between 12 and 13 objects, and understanding the difference between 51 and 15. You can build on these skills so that kids can get skip counting easier and realize that when counting on by powers of ten, you only increase that place and not all the others.

(i.e. Count by 10's starting at 7: 7, 17, 27, 37, 47...)

 

I do have to admit that I am guilty of showing kids how to count on or count back to find their answer with addition and subtraction early on though. :sad:. But I try and teach them to be clever about it. If you are doing 7 + 4, identify the larger number and count on from there. I always tell them it doesn't make since to start at '1' and count on.

A child (or anyone else for that matter) CAN NOT see that (o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o) is "16." That is the problem.

 

 

Children should get used to seeing sets they can "see" without counting, like:

 

IIIII IIIII IIIII I

 

That's a whole lot more comprehensible that o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o.

 

You can't see the "difference" between o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o and o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o without counting.

 

But you can see the difference between:

 

IIIII IIIII IIIII I and IIIII IIIII IIIII easily. That is what makes things like C Rods gold!

 

 

As for "counting" as a way of understanding sounds and symbols, I think it is over-rated. Better IMO for younger children to focus on knowing 12 as 1-Ten 2-Units instead of "twelve," or 365 as 3-Hundreds 6-Tens 5-Units rather than three hundred sixty-five. That goes all the way through early place value work.

 

"Counting" (as if one has memorized a "song") has very little value, it potentially gives an illusion of understanding rather than promoting the real deal.

 

And counting to add and subtract is a bad practice.

 

Bill

[LMD]

We introduce with C-rods, and they remain the primary manipulative around here.  I use base-10 blocks for more specific purposes like place value - or when we run out of orange 10's in the c-rods!

[boscopup]

I use C-rods mostly, but when we got to addition with regrouping, I did pull out the Base-10 blocks. I wanted to emphasize the ones vs. tens. So if we're adding 15 + 17, I wanted the 5 and 7 to be ones, so it was more obvious that they were different from the tens next to them. This worked very well for my current 1st grader, and he understands the standard algorithm well now (and when demonstrating with base-10 blocks, "carrying" made sense in the context that we used them... we were moving the 10 into the proper tens place - it was obvious it came from the ones that got added and went over 10).

 

For early math, learning facts, etc., I much prefer C-rods though.

 

And base-10 blocks are good for building ships, hotels, tanks, and other such things. :D My base-10 blocks link together.

[alisoncooks]

Didn't vote (poll won't let me leave 2nd question unanswered... but there wasn't an answer for me.)

 

We use base ten blocks only, no c-rods.

Sometimes we use Unifix cubes (snapping blocks).

[Seeking Squirrels]

Because "counting" to find sums and differences can be the hardest math bad-habit to break. Simple.

 

Bill

Now I'm confused what I should be doing with dd. we're using Singapore 1a and I've read a lot of good things about it. But we just finished learning the "math trick" of counting on. So did I miss the memo to skip this lesson or something?

[mathmarm]

Now I'm confused what I should be doing with dd. we're using Singapore 1a and I've read a lot of good things about it. But we just finished learning the "math trick" of counting on. So did I miss the memo to skip this lesson or something?

 

I am not intimately familiar with Singapores math program, but counting on is a perfectly acceptable and reliable technique.

It shouldn't be the only technique learned, but it is definitely helpful and it is valid no matter what math book you use for a child.

 

It would seem that there is either a--an issue of semantics going on, or b--Spy Car has counting confused with subitizing.