Miquon questions

[Shannon]

Hi-
I was wondering if anyone uses only Miquon for math and if so how. I've been using it with my son, but I guess I'm wondering if we should be doing more. Perhaps I should say, I'm wondering if I should be doing more. I don't know that I'm really teaching him anything. In researching what math curriculum to use, I really felt good about Miquon, but I guess I'm wondering if it is enough. He understands what he's doing when he's doing it, but I'm not sure how well it is sticking.

Any thought or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

[Melissa H. in GA]

just as a supplement. My son likes it well enough, but, IMHO, it's not strong enough to stand on it's own. For our main program, we're using CLE math.

Miquon is good for conceptual learning, but I also think kiddos need to learn those basic math facts and as much as drill is not fun, it has to be done. My older son is in algebra this year and he uses those basic math facts over and over again in his formulas.

HTH,

Melissa

[chai]

I didn't use it alone, but used it together with Singapore. However, IMO, it could stand alone. It really stretches the student to think. I agree that you should drill math facts though. If you have the Miquon Lab book, it has math games to play and ways to learn the facts included. I would make sure to use those as well.

[Lori D.]

It depended on grade -- used it as spine in 1st and 2nd grades; used it as supplement in 3rd and 4th grades.

The "Lab Annotations" is Miquon's answer book/teacher manual, and while it's not a lot, it does offer some teacher help. See it at:
- http://www.rainbowresource.com/search.php?sid=1207252609-1501333

Also, check out the Miquon support group on Yahoo, called Miquon Key: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/miquon-key/


We loved the way Miquon encourages math discovery, math connections, and finding patterns and more than one way of getting to an answer. Miquon really helped *me* see the "fluidity" of numbers and math! If you child continues to enjoy Miquon, Sinapore is a good program to follow it. Enjoy! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[gandpsmommy]

We use it in combination with Singapore. I think they complement each other well. In K5 we could have used just Miquon, but in first grade I'm not sure it would have been enough. I love the discovery approach and it is fun for dd, but I also see the need for some drill to learn the facts. Additionally I really like that Singapore introduces word problems in first grade. I think using both keeps us balanced.

[Nikita]

I used Miquon as the spine for my son. We did informal math (games etc) until he turned 7, then he completed the first 5 Miquon books during the years he was 7 and 8. I used an older Singapore supplementary series (which is no longer available) as a supplement so he covered what was in SM 1, 2 and 3 alongside the Miquon. Then we switched into SM4A.

When my son did the Miquon, I relied heavily on the Lab Annotations and did lots of actual teaching and games before giving him the worksheets. We jumped around in the books so, for example, he completed quite a bit of the addition before moving on to subtraction, etc. When there were worksheets that he particularly enjoyed, I made additional ones that were similar (grouping addends to make tens was a favourite activity I recall).

My dd has not enjoyed Miquon as much - she always hated the smell of the rods, for some reason, and she isn't as playful with math and numbers as her brother is - so I have just used a few pages here and there as supplements for her. (She's doing Math Mammoth right now and will move into SM next year, wherever she tests into it.) I do try to pick and choose the Miquon pages for her which have the most fun activities, and don't worry about the ones which are just practice.

Nikita

[moosemomma]

I used Miquon as the main curriculum for my son and we love it. The one area where it lacks is in review and mastery. For that I subscribed to http://themathworksheetsite.com/ for $25 for the whole year. I also use it for my younger son for K-4 math curriculum using the cusenaire rods. It has just about everything you need to supplement a math program except advanced word problems.

For Math- I print out a calendar for the month and about 15-20 review worksheets. I print out on both sides so it is usually about 8-10 sheets. I keep these a small hardcover notebook. Each day we review the calendar - the day of the week, month of the year, and circle the day's date. We put stickers on the calendar to denote important upcoming events and count the days to the important days. Then he completes one review worksheet and 1-2 Miquon worksheets depending on how long it takes. He does Miquon four days a week and word problems and fact drills on the fifth day. It I feel he needs more practice on a certain section I will printout additional worksheets and just use the rods with the worksheets. However, if he gets the concept, then we move onto the next section and I just review that section in the upcoming months.

Jill

[K&Rs Mom]

We're using Miquon for my 5yo, supplemented with worksheets from the internet for occasional extra practice. One of the main reasons I chose this program was the lack of drill - K is the kind of kid who gets bored with repetition, and wants to move on to the next step as soon as she has mastered something. So I can add to it as needed, but I like the fast pace. I also like the self-discovery aspect, for my hands-on learner. My younger is more auditory, so I'm not sure this will work for her when it's time for "formal" math.

I look at the TM as we start each new section, sometimes spending a few days on non-worksheet teaching & games if it's a totally new idea (like fractions), sometimes moving right into the worksheets (like moving from subtraction to addition/subtraction). She does 1-2 pages a day, usually 2-3 days a week.

I think any individual Miquon workbook is probably not going to give the same coverage as other programs would over the same time period (semester or whatever), but by the end of the 6-book cycle they come out ahead. I like the way we leave a topic behind for a while then come back to it later at a deeper level. I think it gives time to digest and practice. K doesn't have the math facts totally memorized, which frustrated me when we were in the addition/subtraction section, but now I notice that she is getting faster and faster even though we've been working on time lately instead of addition. So obviously she's been processing that in her own time, and when we get back into the next addition section in the next book, she will get even better at it.

[TracyR]

I used the 1st Miquon book with my 2nd daughter alone . I'm not sure how much she really got out of it. But she liked it and it was fun for her . I used the 2nd book for a supplement with my oldest when I used BJU math with her . We did enjoy it . But I had a hard time trying to use it as a stand alone math program . I do think that you need to drill math facts , which this lacks and mastery lacks too .

I have met some families though that have successfully used it . I'm just not sure how they did it though .

[OnTheBrink]

I used it with my dd as a supplement to Singapore, then just used it alone. I think it's a great program. My dd did wonderfully with it.

[ArwenA]

DD6 (K) is doing Miquon and LOVES it. She goes through the books so fast it scares me! We do it as a stand alone curriculum right now (we do games and stuff but no other curriculum). I'm very happy with it and think it is enough for the early years. When kids are older I'd supplement but when they're young you should just explorer. That is what Miquon is designed for.:)

[Shannon]

Thanks for all these encouraging responses. When I chose Miquon I felt good about the decision, I guess I feel like I should be *teaching* him something. :)

I do have the Lab Annotations, but haven't found them to be terribly helpful. Maybe I'm missing something. I'll check out that Yahoo group and some of the supplementary resources you all have suggested.

Thanks again for the input!

[mrshannigan]

we use the Miquon/Singapore combo, too with 5 yo and 7yo.

My older (middle school) kids are using Saxon (which only sucks at the K-3 level) and they have way too much drill- so I use the Saxon middle grades drill assignments with the little ones, who feel mighty proud that they can use pages from the big girls' math books. Why would a 5th or 8th grader need to do a drill sheet with single digit addition or subtraction?

My little also like the Singapore Rainbow Rock CDRom games, but they prefer Math Blaster

[Mallory]

We use Miquon alone, and I think it is great for the primary years.

We do have plenty of other math manipulatives-balance, geoboards, dominos, wrap-ups, dice, beans and pennies, ect. Things the kids play with. I also feel very confident teaching math for to quite high levels and math comes easily to my children, so in general I don't feel much math anxiety (now writing, yikes!).

I feel that Miquon has done a much better job preparing my kids then the similar aged public school kids down the street. I love how it writes the problems in lots of different formats, sometimes with the answer blank first, sometimes with the answer filled in and the blank in the middle. Those kinds of problems completely stump the neighbor kids. And are really a algebra kind of problem 14+x=19.

I also like how it adds in problems with big numbers. Even on a beginning adding page there might be a problem like 1004+1002. Not only do my kids really like using those big numbers, both of these ideas will continue to keep thier confidence up in math.

When they are about half way (done with 3 or 4 books) we do take a break and do addition and subtraction flashcards, and when they are done we do multiplication and division. But I have found that just from Miquon they are pretty close to that instant recall anyway, and it just takes a short time to get those last few problems known.

[Ellie]

Thanks for all these encouraging responses. When I chose Miquon I felt good about the decision, I guess I feel like I should be *teaching* him something. :)

I do have the Lab Annotations, but haven't found them to be terribly helpful. Maybe I'm missing something. I'll check out that Yahoo group and some of the supplementary resources you all have suggested.

The thing with Miquon is that you're supposed to sit with your dc and help her discover things; that's what the lab notations do: give you direction on how to help the discovery process. After you've done that, *then* you let your dc practice those things with the pages from the workbooks. IOW, you are not supposed to give your dc the worksheets and help her do them.

Being a little OCD :D I doctored up my Lab Notations: had the spine cut off and the book drilled for three holes, then put it in a 3-ring notebook. I also put tabs at the beginning of each chapter, to more easily find the section that corresponded with the workbooks.

One more thing: You can either do the workbooks in order, or you can follow one concept through all the books. (The Lab Notations has a chart with the scope and sequence so you can see how to do this).

Also, the dc are supposed to be familiar with the Cuisnenaire Rods before they even start Miquon. Mathematics Made Meaninful (http://www.etacuisenaire.com/catalog/product?deptId=CUISENAIRERODS&prodId=020011&parentId=MATH) is my favorite product for that. I'm not a kinesthetic learner, nor are my dc, but I *really* enjoyed working through the task cards.

I have heard that people add in something like Calculadders, which is purely drill.

[Shannon]

The thing with Miquon is that you're supposed to sit with your dc and help her discover things; that's what the lab notations do: give you direction on how to help the discovery process. After you've done that, *then* you let your dc practice those things with the pages from the workbooks. IOW, you are not supposed to give your dc the worksheets and help her do them.


This makes sense and I think this is why I feel like I should be doing more. The problem is I think I need a little more guidance than the lab annotations give. :D Should I make up some similar problems/activities first and show ds how to do them and then give him the lab sheet?

[Sweetpeach]

It depended on grade -- used it as spine in 1st and 2nd grades; used it as supplement in 3rd and 4th grades.

The "Lab Annotations" is Miquon's answer book/teacher manual, and while it's not a lot, it does offer some teacher help. See it at:
- http://www.rainbowresource.com/search.php?sid=1207252609-1501333

Also, check out the Miquon support group on Yahoo, called Miquon Key: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/miquon-key/


We loved the way Miquon encourages math discovery, math connections, and finding patterns and more than one way of getting to an answer. Miquon really helped *me* see the "fluidity" of numbers and math! If you child continues to enjoy Miquon, Sinapore is a good program to follow it. Enjoy! Warmest regards, Lori D.


This is exactly how it played out at our house -- Miquon is all about connections, and I highly recommend it for the early years. (K/1/2) We'll continue to use Miquon in tandem with MEP until the series is finished.

Tricia

[Ellie]

This makes sense and I think this is why I feel like I should be doing more. The problem is I think I need a little more guidance than the lab annotations give. :D Should I make up some similar problems/activities first and show ds how to do them and then give him the lab sheet?

No, I'm thinking you should just follow the lab notations closely. If the publisher thinks the lab notations are sufficient, surely they are, don't you think? And I think that includes sitting and talking through each worksheet with your dc and helping her discover stuff on it, too.