Shred Betty Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 We have Unifix cubes only, I am torn right now between cuisinaire rods and a base ten set, I don't want to buy them both eventually - I want to choose the one of the two they base their lessons around most as we progress into and past Singapore math 2A/B. Which would you choose? I believe I looked up the manipulatives suggested in the 2A/B we will be starting next and I think they said a base 10 set is suggested but not required... But I will want something to do their lessons with that I don't have to think too hard / modify lessons for and will be versatile as well for types of skills strengthened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 (edited) Cuisinaire rods are never specifically called for in the SM lessons. Base 10 blocks are called for by name in the HIGs. If you prefer cuisinaire, I know people use them with SM successfully, but the lessons in the HIGs use base ten. Edited November 9, 2016 by SevenDaisies 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 I used Cuisenaire rods with Miquon. I didn't actually ever use them with SM. We just did the text/workbook and never needed rods. Not sure if you are using them with the HIG or just with the books. SM is certainly not specific to either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 9, 2016 Share Posted November 9, 2016 C Rods (155 set) plus a set (of 10) base-10 "flats" (normal value 100) is the best bet. For Units/Ones C Rods are superior in that they represent "number bond" relationships in a way single unit base-10 blocks do not. You want kids to "see" these number bonds, and NOT to count individual blocks. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shred Betty Posted November 10, 2016 Author Share Posted November 10, 2016 (edited) I used Cuisenaire rods with Miquon. I didn't actually ever use them with SM. We just did the text/workbook and never needed rods. Not sure if you are using them with the HIG or just with the books. SM is certainly not specific to either. Yes! I'm sorry I wasn't clear I am specifically referring to using the HIG lessons! To clarify, So SM HIG yrs 2-4 could be done just as easily with either cuisinaire or base 10? Edited November 10, 2016 by Shred Betty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shred Betty Posted November 10, 2016 Author Share Posted November 10, 2016 Cuisinaire rods are never specifically called for in the SM lessons. Base 10 blocks are called for by name in the HIGs. If you prefer cuisinaire, I know people use them with SM successfully, but the lessons in the HIGs use base ten. yes I noticed they call for it by name, what why I want to ask here if it's easily interchangeable for cuisinaire rods in the lessons without having to work Tom hard if I prefer to use them for the reasons Bill Spycar mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 I had maybe the first edition of WTM. It might have been the second, but I think it was the first. I cannot find it now. We have moved so maybe it is in a box that never got unpacked, who knows. Or I loaned it out. Not sure. Doesn't matter. Point is, I made my own. I think SWB had sticks she used and bound them together. It looks like the sticks in the pictures in the books. Also, I used beads and strung them in to tens. It helped them really "get" place value. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noreen Claire Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 We are using SM CC 2A right now, and have just started subtraction with renaming. We are using pennies, dimes, and dollar bills on a homemade hundreds, tens, ones chart. We haven't needed base 10 set yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 yes I noticed they call for it by name, what why I want to ask here if it's easily interchangeable for cuisinaire rods in the lessons without having to work Tom hard if I prefer to use them for the reasons Bill Spycar mentioned. First, it really isn't difficult to transpose HIG lessons that involve Unifix cubes (aka Linking Rods) into C Rod lessons (and to be better off for it). Second, wth base-10 specific activities, C Rod sets still have 10-rods and 1-Unit rods, which can be used just like the nearly identical base-10 equivalents. C Rods sets come with both 1x10 and 1x1 cubes/rods. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fralala Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 I managed to get through all of 1A and 1B just using Unifix cubes, a 100-piece set. My kids have always loved the Unifix cubes. The base 10 set is nowhere as fun for them to just play with and snap together. I bought the base-10 set when we got to 2A, with the thousands block. The primary reason for the base-10 set in SM2 is for letting the student visualize and manipulate numbers up to 1,000. Honestly, I think SM will work with base 10, c-rods, marbles, sticks, Cheerios, stuffed animals, beans, whatever you are confident with using...I can see the benefit of c-rods, but by the time you move on to 2A, your child should already have a firm understanding of number bonds and whole/part. And this is something you can definitely illustrate with Unifix cubes, so you might not even need to buy anything yet! (Unless you're like us and half your Unifix cubes have wandered off because the kids love building stuff with them so much that they disappear.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 I used base 10 manipulatives with my eldest. With my youngest however I have adapted all sorts of things to "make" base 10 sets and have even printed base 10 sets off the internet which are just made of paper - and yes loads have been vacuumed up or torn and it really was fine... We have used duplo blocks and lego blocks in a similar fashion to cuisenaire rods. Manipulatives are there to work for you - not for you to work around them. I have even taught my eldest daughter multiplying fractions with flowers picked in the garden and a stem to thread them on... whatever works really. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 I managed to get through all of 1A and 1B just using Unifix cubes, a 100-piece set. My kids have always loved the Unifix cubes. The base 10 set is nowhere as fun for them to just play with and snap together. I bought the base-10 set when we got to 2A, with the thousands block. The primary reason for the base-10 set in SM2 is for letting the student visualize and manipulate numbers up to 1,000. Honestly, I think SM will work with base 10, c-rods, marbles, sticks, Cheerios, stuffed animals, beans, whatever you are confident with using...I can see the benefit of c-rods, but by the time you move on to 2A, your child should already have a firm understanding of number bonds and whole/part. And this is something you can definitely illustrate with Unifix cubes, so you might not even need to buy anything yet! (Unless you're like us and half your Unifix cubes have wandered off because the kids love building stuff with them so much that they disappear.) Agreed - while the lessons specifically name base 10 and unifix, you can modify the lessons to use whatever you prefer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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