What's a Math Resource you own, but never get around to using?

[mathmarm]

If you have a math resource--video, living books, textbook, manipulative, workbook, flash cards, toys, songs, supplemental aids, etc--that you own, but never (or rarely) get around to using, what is it?

[rebbyribs]

Cuisenaire rods

[Hunter]

I used to have a ton of stuff I didn't use. Not anymore. :lol:

 

Now I use everything I have.

 

It wasn't that anything I had wasn't worth using, it was just that I had too much and was hopping from one thing to another.

 

Now, barely having enough, maybe not having quite enough, has driven me to having to resort to grabbing some stuff from the library a couple times. After some of those episodes I replaced a little more.

 

Too much can be as bad as not having enough. And I don't think we ever feel like we have the right stuff.

[SKL]

Life of Fred set.  Well, one of my kids did read them for fun, but I never used them as intended, and probably never will.

 

Math Minutes and Daily Math Review workbooks.  We did use these some, but again, not as intended.

 

Color by number type books involving math equations.  Math puzzle/game books.

 

Basically I bought way more than I would ever have time to use.  :/

[silver]

I'm not sure I want to list out everything on my math shelf that we don't use. At one point in my life, I wanted to be a math teacher, and I think it shows with how I collect math resources without having a plan to actually use them. I don't do it with other subjects, just math.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Life of Fred (ds read it on his own but I was never involved)

Activities for AL Abacus

[Jackie]

Zaccaro's Challenge Math. I pull it off the shelf occasionally, but it seems so scattered and all over the place in content and level, and it seems I can never fit it to DD's interest level and ability level. But I *want* to love it, so I keep putting it back on the shelf and pulling it out occasionally to see if it is a better fit yet.

[Jennay]

Family Math

[wendyroo]

Zaccaro's Challenge Math. I pull it off the shelf occasionally, but it seems so scattered and all over the place in content and level, and it seems I can never fit it to DD's interest level and ability level. But I *want* to love it, so I keep putting it back on the shelf and pulling it out occasionally to see if it is a better fit yet.

 

This is exactly what I was going to say.  I bought it a couple years ago and was disappointed by how disjointed it was.  Then I heard Zaccaro speak at a couple of conferences and had to struggle to keep up as he jumped from topic to topic following rabbit trails and disregarding what the Power Point slide said he was currently discussing - he writes just like he speaks.   :lol:

Wendy

[mathmarm]

I really thought there would be more mentions of some type of math manipulative or supplementary book, so I'm bumping this in hopes of more replies.

 

Right now we don't own a large variety of things, but we own a lot of the things that we do own: (ie, a great deal of base-10 blocks, tons and tons of letter magnets).

I'm hoping to avoid the pitfall of over buying, but I'd like to know what all is out there.

 

 

[smfmommy]

Things that are "fussy".  If it takes too long to organize (or print) for use or takes too long to clean up then it tends to get left on the shelf (or the computer).  If I can grab it and use it there is a better chance that will get used.  I have gotten rid of a lot so can't give many examples.  C Rods/base ten blocks is one though.  It took too much to sort at the beginning or at the end to be really useful.  I prefer place value "houses" and any item sitting around at the moment (usually Legos).

 

 

[school17777]

Number Neighbors, although I did pull them out today to demonstrate a new concept, but I rarely use them.

[Kristie in Florida]

We have Fast Facts http://www.mfwbooks.com/item/20982/Fast-Facts/that she apparently should be using to drill her facts everyday because I put it on her checklist, but she never does and I never check it. Technically, I don't think she needs it anymore.

[mmasc]

Process Skills in Problem Solving (FAN Math)

Math Mammoth Grade 4 Review sheets

Number dice with various numbers (not standard 1-6)

 

I always think we'll have time to add in things (Process Skills) or review once we've completed something (MM review), but never.ever.do. We just don't have time on top of normal math.

 

I also haven't used my base 10 blocks in a couple of years. They're hanging around still, and will be for a while, since I still have a 5 and 7 yo. I love math and math stuff, but I'm ready to clear my shelves of it. :)

 

Oh, and I've had a geo board still in the sack for 9 months. It just got pulled out this week finally.

Edited February 16, 2016 by MMASC

[Sarah0000]

For an actual math lesson or for free play?

 

We rarely use the base ten blocks for a math lesson but DS uses them to build and as pretend food and such, and LO uses them to fill and dump various containers.

[Ausmumof3]

Miquon. Life of Fred (which I sold). I rarely use the balance scale but it's handy for once. Rod and Staff books that were given to me

[desertflower]

Miquon, Zaccaro, Penrose cat, and. mathematical reasoning. C rods are used and were used for playing instead of learning.

[Targhee]

Zaccaro - already get so much problem solving in AOPS/BA.

[FairProspects]

There isn't much I didn't use with older ds. He loves math and is willing to do a lot of it. I'm only realizing how different that is in contrast to younger ds. With younger ds we haven't used Hands on Equations or Penrose or Patty Paper Geometry (but I used all 3 at various points with older ds so I think it just depends on the kid).

[Nart]

Kitchen Table Math book

Right Start card games and manipulatives - I bought them with Right Start A and disliked level A ( I heard level B was better)

Miquon books (love, love, love C rods though- we use them all the time)

 

[Peplophoros]

Miquon :( 

[Targhee]

Very interesting that some of the resources I see listed often (c-rods, miquon) are some of those we LOVE and were very valuable in helping my kids understand math.  I guess it just goes to show you there is as large a variety of learning resources as there are of learning/teaching styles.

[Esse Quam Videri]

Beast Academy. DS that I bought it for is the type that hates anything "unrealistic" and just could not get over the comic book format. We've tried a few times to supplement with it, but he just looks at it and thinks it's babyish. Yes, yes, he's silly. I wish he liked it because I do!

[Seeking Squirrels]

Math Mammoth - a unit on subtraction. Because I jumped the gun and got it thinking it would work great to solve an issue we were having but we settled on a different solution so it's sat unused.

 

Manipulative-wise - We have the full RS kit but stopped RS halfway through the year, so a lot of those pieces have gone unused. But we used everything we were supposed to during lessons so I assume we would have gotten to all of them. And we got it through our charter, not purchased, so we'll be giving it all back in May.

 

I think we use all the manipulatives I've purchased at some point or another. Our favorites are multi-link cubes, Cuisineaire rods, base-ten blocks, and some simple colored blocks we use for counters.

 

ETA: and the AL abacus. We use that a lot.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Whovian10

[SparklyUnicorn]

Rightstart math games

 

 

[Peaceful Isle]

I have math u see, BJU math, and oak Meadow math. We use all of them.

 

The only extra I have is a Saxon set 6/7 that was given to me. I will never use it, but maybe one of my friends might need it?

 

I don't have items like Fred, or rods, or whatever. I love what we use.

[Dmmetler]

Algeblocks. I stalked eBay to find an affordable set-and DD doesn't need them, doesn't want them,many won't use them.

[Cindyz]

We didn't really use the Right Start math games very much.  It may have been because they were just so visually unappealing?

Edited February 17, 2016 by Cindyz

[ikslo]

Subtraction flash cards, and some LoF books that my evaluator gifted me.

[marisolstice]

Kitchen Table Math, although I think I read it when my oldest started school.

[SparklyUnicorn]

We didn't really use the Right Start math games very much.  It may have been because they were just so visually unappealing?

 

I didn't mind that part, but I found some of the game instructions difficult to understand. The games we did manage to play I could have played without purchasing the set.

[Jess4879]

Math games!  Ones I can think of off the top of my head:  Rightstart Games, 7 Ate 9 (I actually saw this mentioned recently and went to buy it when I realized we already have it.), All Hands on Deck dice games and Learning Wrap-Ups.  I still think they are all great...we just never seem to get to them and they aren't games the kids pull out on their own, so they sit and collect dust.  :(

 

We also never use our Abacus.  None of my kids have found it a useful manipulative.  On the flip side, our counting bears, base 10 blocks and snap cubes get used all the time. 

 

Flashcards never get used here either. 

 

And all this talk has reminded me that I really want to get the Math U See Fraction overlays because I think they are pretty awesome. 

[happypamama]

Fraction squares. The circles have been used some, but the squares, not really. Maybe to show tenths.

 

The rings that go around fraction circles to show degrees, percents, etc. Well, they get used as props for pretend play (then again, so do my hundreds flats and my thousands cube).

 

Actually, math manipulatives in general. The older two used the fraction circles a little and the rods/flats/cube a little, but largely, they aren't big into manipulatives, and they balked at using them pretty quickly. My third child might, but right now, his fingers are all he needs.

 

You know what they do love and use? Geoboards. Those get used a ton. I set them out for the younger children to use, as educational play.

[arliemaria]

Activities for the AL Abacus.  Want to use it, just have not.