any home schoolers here familiar with Cuisiniere rods?

Question

how do you use them? they came with minimal instructions.

do you know of any good books or websites that discuss ways in which they are used?

I didn't ask for a definition. I already know WHAT they are, I want to know different ways in which to work with them.

Answer 1

I have only used them for math. I used 1cm graph paper and made a kind of stair in the same colours as the rods so that my kids could learn what each rod's value was. They have used them for:
- addition--they can count the squares on the graph or match up a single bar (like for 2+3) or with a ten bar and whatever else they need for something greater
-subtraction--let's say it's 5-3. They take the 5 bar, match the 3 bar next to it and see which bar they need to use to make 5 (so, kind of a 3+__=5). If they see clearly that the 2 and 3 make 5, they take away the 3 and they see that 2 is left
-multiplication--simply keep adding the bars you need; they can add them up one bar at a time while learning or they can use the 10 bars to help; also, you can show them what it means to have a squared number
-introduction to division--kind of like the subtraction above. Let's say you are doing 16 divided by 4. Place out 16 with a 10 and a 6. Then you say you're going to see how many times 4 fits into 16. Place as many 4's next to the 16 as you can. The child will see that it takes 4 4's. You can also do this with remainders. 17 divided by 4. Place out 17, see how many times it can fit. How much is left? 1.
-fractions--from basic stuff to having five 1's and saying that 1 of them is 1/5, to more complicated things like 1/2 of 8 is 4 (you have two 4 bars next to the 8 and pull half away)

Answer 2

We got the ones that link together. They were much more versatile than the other ones. There are several different books that are out there on how to use them in different ways.
The cuisenaire website has good information. That's where I'd start. I'm not sure how old your kids are, but don't rule out just letting them do some free play, esp if they are younger. My son figured out the concept of multiplication on his own at about 4 yo ith them.

Answer 3

Here is a book that gives you some different uses.
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=7357516&netp_id=285988&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW#curr
Other than fractions though I don't think they are all that helpful. Maybe you could use them for sorting or for manipulatives to learn addition or subtraction. I have base 10 blocks and I loved them when I was teaching the concept of place value but then after that they have been gathering dust.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Cuisenaire rods are rods used in elementary school as well as other levels of learning and even with adults. They were initially used for mathematics and are now typically used to demonstrate vulgar fractions (generally called "common fractions" in the US.) However, this is not the only use that can be made of them. Indeed, they have also become popular in language-teaching classrooms. They can be used to teach items such as prepositions of place, sentence and word stress and used to represent a series of useful situations for a language lesson.

The rods (reglettes in the original French) are named after their inventor, Georges Cuisenaire (1891-1976), a Belgian primary school teacher, who published a booklet on their use in 1952 called 'Les nombres en couleurs'.

In the system, there are 10 rods measuring 1 cm to 10 cm. Rods of equal length are assigned the same colour. Most Cuisenaire rods follow this system:

White rod = 1 cm.
Red rod = 2 cm.
Light green rod = 3 cm.
Lavender rod = 4 cm.
Yellow rod = 5 cm.
Dark green rod = 6 cm.
Black rod = 7 cm.
Brown rod = 8 cm.
Blue rod = 9 cm.
Orange rod = 10 cm.
The system was used in primary (elementary) schools in the UK a number of years during the mid sixties before being withdrawn after a barrage of parent complaints and failed results. Effects on the children for which the system did not work include, inability to do multiplication and fractions. Its use in general classrooms is limited, with its most effective use for home schooling where individual children can be matched to the system for the best effect.


[edit] Other coloured rods
Doctor Catherine Stern also devised a set of coloured rods produced by staining wood with aesthetically pleasing colours.

And in 1961 Seton Pollock produced the Colour Factor system, consisting of rods from lengths 1 to 12 cm. The odd-numbered lengths are cold colours, and the even-numbered lengths of warm colours.

more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisiniere_rods

Answer 5

My girls build with them, I figure they are internalizing comparisons and fractions at this moment. Look here

http://www.1st-quality-school-supplies.com/cuisenaire-rod-multiplication.html

for more info. there are a bunch of links to products at the bottom.