Singapore Math Users: What are the best manipulatives to buy?

[kellycbr]

DS(7) is just switching to Singapore from MUS. We will be starting with 1B. What manipulatives did you buy? Do you need them all? What are your favorite sources to purchase the manipulatives? Thanks!:bigear:

[Shasta Mom]

If you get the home instructor's guide,they list manipulatives for each unit.....

[Pata]

We have made most of our manipulatives, using beans and popsicle sticks. I would say that base ten blocks would be helpful, we have also used cuisenaire rods. I think that 2A suggested gram/cm cubes. Hope that helps!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

We used the base-10 blocks all the way through 4B, maybe longer. If you can, get the ones that are weighted so that each cm cube weighs exactly 1 gm. They have them at Rainbow Resource.

Play money is nice, but not necessary if you have some real change laying around. A teaching clock is helpful, but not necessary if you have a round clock with numbers and hands that can be turned easily. Or, you can make one with cardstock. You'll need measuring cups and pitchers, but regular kitchen utensils will work fine.

We found two-color counters helpful in 4A for "fractions of groups", but they're not necessary. You could use coins, or make something else.

I guess, really, the weighted base-10 blocks are the most important. But, if you did MUS, you could probably just use whatever you had with that program. Aren't there unit cubes or something?

[LanaTron]

We use Singapore...truly the only manipulative (other than their own fingers) that even my kinesthetic dc have used/liked/tolerated is the right start abacus. It is great for illustrating Singapore's concepts.

Lana

[Colleen]

We've used Singapore Math since starting our homeschooling journey 8 years ago and have never had need of manipulatives. I already owned an abacus and a handful of Cuisinaire rods, but we seldom use them.

[Lorna]

We used the unit/gram/cm cubes extensively for the early years of Singapore. The children can now easily picture weights and volumes. They are perfect for teaching the concepts of place value (by sticking them in groups of ten). They were invaluable in putting down a concrete idea of 'carrying' numbers. There were also perfect for illustrating division and multiplication.
They fitted the text perfectly too. If we had any problems we simply backed up and illustrated the concepts with unit cubes.
We got some from a company called Learning Resources (500 box). They were very easy to use.

[countrykiddos]

The only manipulatives my son has needed were just measuring tools from the kitchen, and we did use some counting bears and beans, although they are not even a necessity.
Kim O.

[Cadam]

I have just used the MUS blocks so far.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We have cuisenaire rods and and abacus that the girls can pull out whenever they need them. I usually pull them out to illustrate a concept when I see that dazed/confused look on their faces. You don't necessarily have to buy anything. Popsicle sticks used individually and in bundles of ten can be used for a lot of concepts. We made our own fraction manipulatives using cardstock.