The rods are used in teaching a variety of mathematical ideas, and with a wide age range of learners. [10] Topics they are used for include: [10]

Here is another example of teaching ratio using Cuisenaire rods. Here the lime green size 3 rod is worth 30. Cuisenaire rods can be used to build a conceptual understanding of multiplication as repeated addition. Each white Cuisenaire rod is worth 1 and the purple Cuisenaire rod is worth 4. We can see that 4 lots of 1 is the same as 4. Apparatus for teaching or studying mathematics". United States Patent Office. 1965 . Retrieved 2020-02-05. We can then see that the yellow rod must be worth 50 because we have 5 lots of the white rods, which are worth 10 each.

Why Use Cuisenaire Rods

to demonstrate most grammatical structures such as prepositions of place, comparatives and superlatives, determiners, tenses, adverbs of time, manner, etc.; Showing basic equivalences can be helpful such as this example of 2 + 3 = 5. Can your child find further combinations of rods that are equal in size? a b Gregg, Simon; Ollerton, Mike; Williams, Helen (2017). Cuisenaire – from Early Years to Adult. Derby: Association of Teachers of Mathematics. ISBN 978-1-898611-97-4 . Retrieved 3 October 2017. Alternatively, two red size 2 rods would be worth 0.4 because this is the same length as 4 of the 0.1 rods.

Due to the ease in which Cuisenaire rod sizes can be compared, they are a very useful tool for teaching ratios. By allocating a value to the smallest white rod, larger values can be demonstrated. For example, if the white size 1 rod is worth 5, then the red size 2 rod is worth 10. Gattegno formed the Cuisenaire Company in Reading, England, in 1954, [8] and by the end of the 1950s, Cuisenaire rods had been adopted by teachers in 10,000 schools in more than a hundred countries. [9] The rods received wide use in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2000, the United States-based company Educational Teaching Aids (ETA) acquired the US Cuisenaire Company and formed ETA/Cuisenaire to sell Cuisenaire rods-related material. In 2004, Cuisenaire rods were featured in an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by New Zealand artist Michael Parekowhai.If your children are not already familiar with Cuisenaire rods, it is essential to give them time to 'play' with the rods before having a go at this activity. ColorAcademy 2005 - Mathematics & Measurement". ColorAcademy. 2004. Archived from the original on 2016-04-12 . Retrieved 2016-05-24. (brief overview of the history of Colour Factor) When you have a moment, spend a little time making patterns with the Cuisenaire ® rods and make a few discoveries for yourself. If they are conveniently to hand, say on a table top, you will find yourself compelled to play with them. Almost without conscious effort you rearrange them constantly, forming patterns and shapes and buildings. Respectfully, we suggest that your constructions will seldom match those made by your children for originality and imagination, but nevertheless they will surely bring some satisfaction and, probably without your noticing, some familiarity with relationships of colours and lengths. The characteristic of length and colour has made its impact on you from the time you are aware of accounting for it as your designs take shape. These first impressions and the observations you make compare with what your children experience from the moment they begin to use the rods. We have also produced explainer videos for algebra tiles and Cuisenaire ® rods, which you can view via the links below. taken place (where appropriate), set up the first challenge of finding ways to arrange red and/or white rods so they are equivalent in length to a yellow rod. Ask a pupil to make an arrangement. Ask for another, different, arrangement and invite someone else to make that next to the first. Then set them off to see whether they can find other different ways, working in pairs. Can they find

This interactive environment can be used with students, perhaps on an interactive whiteboard, for many different purposes. These might include, for example, exploring ideas associated with factors and multiples, or addition and subtraction. It is also an ideal context in which to investigate fractions and ratio, or to look at finding combinations. Games that ask children to create equivalent lengths and to play with the size of different rods are useful for introducing Cuisenaire rods.Secondary mathematics specialists: Clare Dawson; Pete Griffin; Alison Hopper; Carol Knights; Pete Sides You can find ready-made resources such as this KS1 Number Rods Fractions Teaching Ideas, which includes suggestions on how to use Cuisenaire rods in your maths lessons. Perfect if you're looking for inspiration!