lacell Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 So I have c-rods and all the Rights Start manipulatives, but I'm an addict. I want a base ten set; don't even try to talk me out of it! :tongue_smilie: Interlocking - yes or no? MUS - serious overkill in investment? I won't be using MUS program. Do you think it's better for them all to be one color or better for the ones, tens and hundreds to be a different color each? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockhopper Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I don't use MUS but I love their blocks.I did used to have two sets and that was overkill, for me, because I had to (lol!) keep them all organized in the box. (I'm sure normal, sane people don't -- but I live in chaos and organized MUS blocks are my one little corner of exactness and perfection.) My kids love them too. We've had all kinds of things built from MUS blocks. I even think they've learned a bit of math from them along the way. :-) (Love Decimal Street too.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I would look at what programs catch my interest and look at purchasing in that direction. BTS? Interlocking. I don't really know what's out there, we're content with c-rods, but I think you stand a chance to waste some money here. Why do you want them? Maybe that will help you make a decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 MUS doesn't sell a set of base-10 blocks, do they? They have number blocks that stand for each quantity 1-10 and then they have 100 flats or something. Those aren't base-10 though. Base 10 blocks have only 3 or 4 types of blocks--units, tens, hundreds and sometimes a thousands cube. You can use either solid color or differently colored ones. Just look on Amazon, Rainbow Resources and Lakeshore for the best deal then go for it. Whether it would be better for you to get multicolor or single color ones depends on your kids, I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacell Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 I want them to go with Right Start and Grade 1 CLE to really cement understanding of place value. I think that if I had seen them as a child, particularly the cube, I would have had a much easier time with the concept. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacell Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 I guess if I had enough white c-rods and the ability to stack them, we could make a 100 cube. Or we could just use 10 orange ten rods. But that's not the same as showing 100 units in a cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacell Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 I'm about to admit something really weird now. I have an irresistible urge to bite the little blue hard plastic centimeter cubes. I have thus far resisted it! Wonder where my kids get their sensory issues? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 You can begin working on place value right now. You don't have to wait for Grade 1. Get a set of base-10 blocks and build numbers and talk about them by powers of 10. There are lots of base-10 products you can buy that you could also make right at home too. Do you and or your kids like crafts? You can make base 10 blocks, base 10 charts and a variety of activities to use them on right at home out of recycled cardboard/paper without breaking the bank. Or you can just go online and buy a set of base-10 blocks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I'm about to admit something really weird now. I have an irresistible urge to bite the little blue hard plastic centimeter cubes. I have thus far resisted it! Wonder where my kids get their sensory issues? You might want to chew gum during math? Maybe that will help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Don't eat the math manipulatives in front of the kids. You'd be setting a bad example. Which kind do you think you'd like as a kid? Doesn't the Al Abacus render base 10 blocks pointless? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacell Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 Don't eat the math manipulatives in front of the kids. You'd be setting a bad example. Which kind do you think you'd like as a kid? Doesn't the Al Abacus render base 10 blocks pointless? I would have liked the ones I could eat. Just kidding. I think I would have liked the ones the same color to show that it's all made up of the same things, essentially ones. Haven't seen the interlocking ones in person. I think the abacus does a great job with place value but I think it's always best to show things in as many ways a possible. As a kid, I would not have grasped the "bigness" of 100 as well with abacus vs a 3D cube marked off in centimeters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I have the multi color non linking. I prefer the non linking but I could really go either way on the color. I think a good base ten set is one of the few manipulatives worth purchasing so I certainly wouldn't try to talk an addict out of buying it. I think this is what I have. http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/010882. We've been well served by it so far. I use it in conjunction with c rods, abacus, and homemade place value cards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) I would have liked the ones I could eat. Just kidding. I think I would have liked the ones the same color to show that it's all made up of the same things, essentially ones. Haven't seen the interlocking ones in person. I think the abacus does a great job with place value but I think it's always best to show things in as many ways a possible. As a kid, I would not have grasped the "bigness" of 100 as well with abacus vs a 3D cube marked off in centimeters. Then get the same color non interlocking ones. If you know you like the non interlocking ones than you're good. But don't eat them. Edited December 30, 2015 by Slache Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Get the blue plastic base 10 blocks that are on the centimeter scale. Do not get interlocking blocks. The centimeter scale is important because it will match your c-rods. Blue is not as important, but it will more closely match the Right Start base 10 picture cards than other colors. You can buy a single kit, or pieces a la cart. If you go a la cart, you can skip the 'one' blocks because the white c-rods are the same thing. Go ahead and get the ten rods, even though they are the same size as the orange c-rods, because they will have the scoring to match the base 10 picture cards. Get at least ten 100 flats to show how ten hundreds make a thousand. Get a thousand cube if you can afford it. Since you don't use MUS, don't bother with MUS blocks. They are a different scale and won't play nicely with your c-rods. Plus, MUS does not have a thousands block. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Agreed with the above. Don't get the MUS blocks. I wouldn't even get a whole base 10 kit. Get a set of 100 flats and a 1000 cube or two. That's plenty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I'd get the yellow base 10 blocks (less likely to eat them?!). I would not get interlocking ones. We got a sample set of interlocking blocks one time, and they really aren't as useful as you might think. It takes longer to try to set them up (you can't just place them, you spend time snapping them together or apart). We used our base 10 blocks a lot to work on addition with carrying and subtraction with borrowing. I love the MUS blocks, but I think with what you already have, a set of base 10 blocks might be the most useful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutingmom Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I agree that if you have a color choice, that blue would match the rightstart abacus 100 box, and green would match the rightstart 1000 paper cubes (from edition 1 anyway) Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacell Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 Amazingly helpful info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Why do you want them? Maybe that will help you make a decision. Reported. :smash: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Base ten blocks are far superior to the abacus because the abacus is abstract. WHY do we slide one bead on the ten line up when we slide ten beads on the one line down? Make it concrete with base ten blocks. Which set? It absolutely, totally, doesn't matter as long as they are cm scale. Something like this is fine. I would buy another 5-10 hundreds flats and another 2-3 thousands flats. At the time when I bought mine, I was obsessed with wooden everything, so I googled around until I found them in wood. I sort of regret this, as I wish I'd bought two sets of plastic for the same price. lol. Personally, I don't recommend linking because anything you link must then be unlinked for the next problem. = annoyance After you've demonstrated thoroughly with the cm scale base ten blocks, those lovable, holdable, touchable, stackable wonders, THEN move on to the base ten cards for ease of use. Whenever we start a new concept, I do go back and drag out the REAL blocks first, then move on to the cards. In fact, my son (SM4) is even using the blocks (very briefly) as we approach decimals. Making a thousand cube as a "1 unit", a 1 cube then becomes 0.001, a ten is 0.01, and a hundred flat is 0.1. I love math. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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