Starting Miquon in the PreK years?

[mathmarm]

Has anyone started Miquon in the PreK years? I'm thinking of starting in the summer or fall when Jr. is 3 and just taking it at our speed.

 

I was looking at the PreK forum, but I don't seem to see a lot of people using Miquon for the PreK and K years. Why not? When I see Miquon mentioned, it's usually a supplement or part time thing. Is Miquon too advanced to begin in the PreK years?

[3 ladybugs]

Don't let the lack of anyone else doing it stop you. What age is that marketed to? I use Shiller and it is marketed to Pre-K. So I would have no issue with using it. If it isn't marketed to the age of your child, then you can use it, however be careful that your child is really ready for it. At 3 your child will likely not have fine motor skills to write very well (for instance). They also need things to be very hands on (for the most part, there are exceptions). So just go by what your child does well and doesn't. Teaching should be smooth and if you have hard spots they shouldn't be impossible obstacles. If they are, they may not be ready for that component at that moment. 

 

Good luck!

[73349]

We started the first book in Sept. of K (after some Singapore), but I think the first book is accessible to a younger child "playing" math along with a parent.

 

You would want to scribe for him/her and maybe use a whiteboard or something, but a kid who can count to 10, compare items to tell "bigger/more" vs. "smaller/fewer", name colors, and line objects up close to each other could certainly get something out of trying it.

[MeaganS]

All 3 of mine started at almost 4. The oldest wasn't a good fit but dd5 and DD3 love it (although DD3 just started). Dd5 is now more than halfway through the 3rd book. I always make sure they are familiar with the rods and then do the counting section first (thread A). After that, I let them pick the next page in whatever thread they want. It has worked great for me so far.

 

Eta: I do scribe for them until handwriting catches up.

Edited February 20, 2016 by Meagan S

[mathmarm]

Okay then, I think I'm going to order the Annotated Lab Sheets and some (*gulp*) c-rods! I'll have a look see. I think we can start this summer, we do a lot of math play already, and Jr. loves math as much as we wanted him to. He can count and tell < and >, he recognizes numerals etc. But I want to get something new and shiny and hopefully that will help us to keep playing. I work FT outside of the home and so I'm hoping Miquon will help us keep going.

 

We would definitely accommodate Jr. for handwriting. Though Jr loves worksheets and 'writing' Maybe I'll photocopy the books or use a page protector if he wants to write on them himself.

 

Thanks, you gals are the best.

 

[Eagle]

You can buy PDFs of Miquon through currclick.com. That way you can print whatever pages you need, and print duplicates as well.

 

Give Jr. lots of time to just play with the rods before jumping into Miquon. It helps if he is already familiar with the different sizes and colours. I really like doing this booklet before starting with Miquon:

http://www.nurturedbylove.ca/resources/cuisenairebook.pdf

[FO4UR]

3yo is a great age to start with the understanding that it's going to be 90% playing with rods.  Actually, I highly recommend starting that rod play young.  They really do begin to intuit the math after a while.  They just know red and light green = yellow. kwim.  That translates to so much over the elementary math years.

 

 

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

I have started using Miquon Orange w/ DS, who just turned 3. We use the rods in conjunction with the number tiles from his hundred board so he doesn't have to write.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Expat_Mama_Shelli

[Sarah0000]

I think DS started it at 2.5. I think the Orange book would be fine for most preschoolers, and maybe the first quarter of the Red book for older preschoolers or early kindergarten.

[mathmarm]

I'm ordering a set (or 2) of CRods this week, I'll begin introducing them to Jr. ASAP. If he's interested we'll start sooner rather than later.

 

So excited!!!

Edited February 23, 2016 by mathmarm

[Rachel]

Miquon could definitely be used with a preschooler. What he may enjoy more is the games from the videos at Education Unboxed though. I'm not sure how old the girls in the video are, but I'm pretty sure one is a preschooler.

 

I think the Miquon series was originally geared toward 1st-3rd graders. I've used it beginning with two 5 year olds and it has gone well. It would not work with my current 3 year old. He would have a great time playing with c-rods but he's not ready for math yet. My middle child did enjoy playing with c-rods at age 3 and is math minded but she enjoyed playing more than daily table work so we did lessons only when she asked. She did often sit at the table during her brother's lessons though.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that if you get everything and realize your son isn't quite ready just set it aside for a few weeks and try again.

[Targhee]

We started with playing with rods - building, pictures, trading, trains, etc. We also used the c-rod alphabet book. Later we used this booklet from nurteredbylove http://www.nurturedbylove.ca/resources/cuisenairebook.pdfthen moved on to Miquon at about 4 years old.

 

I don't think there's necessarily wrong with starting Miquon at 3. I don't know that you will necessarily get much gain for time invested though. My kids were not ready then to focus on the lab sheets consistently at that age, even if they were able to understand the concepts. I think most kids need to be able to freely engage and disengage in learning as they do play until they get to be about 6 or so anyway. By waiting a little longer, until the child is able to engage with the material long enough to complete a lab sheet, your child will likely pick up the material much more quickly and soon be at the same level they would have been had they started earlier.

 

Family Math is another math consideration for that age.

[carriede]

Check out educationunboxed.Com - lots of videos on how to introduce and become familiar with the rods.

[TX Pilgrim]

Agree with thoughts about education unboxed above.  I used the whole Miquon series with my oldest son until he was in 3rd grade (I think we started around 5 - tried some Math Mammoth but decided to go back to Miquon).  I have tried to start with my younger son but he wanted to write for himself and couldn't do it at the time - so we will start again in the fall.  Instead we play card games (Zeus on the Loose, Uno, Skip bo, etc.) and count around the house. I imagine he will breeze through the orange and red level and feel like a math SUPERSTAR!   

 

Just know that the last two levels of Miquon make a pretty big jump.  So, if you start early you might have to bide your time before they can do the last two books. Some kids will have no trouble but the concepts are more difficult (fractions, etc.)  So, that is another reason not to start too early (unless you want to go really slowly or just do something else to cement the skills until he is ready for the next level).   

 

Montessori uses very similar tactile math ideas - but even then, she doesn't encourage you to start math related directly to numbers until age 4 at the earliest because it is such an abstract idea.  They do sensorial activities first to get a sense of number (like playing with C-rods) but don't associate numerals with an amount until about that age. Every child is different, just be willing to go slow, take a break, try again and coach him at his pace.