Honestly, I had low expectations for this toy. The only reason I was even shopping for a rocket was because Grant's toy rocket broke in November and he wanted a new one for Christmas. I found the Stomp Rocket through an Amazon search and it met all the criteria I was looking for: it was a rocket, inexpensive, and flew without chemicals or matches being involved (ie: not dangerous). The mechanics of the toy are pretty simple: a child stomps on a plastic block, which pushes air pressure through a tube to the rocket launch pole, causing the rocket to fly. Even though the marketing material said it would fly up to 200 feet, I seriously doubted that was true. How well could a $12 toy actually perform?
Well, I was suprised. Grant and I took this to the park. I assembled it and we placed it on the sidewalk, well away from any trees or buildings. I put the first rocket on and Grant stomped on the plastic block. The rocket flew 10-15 feet in the air, much to our delight. We kept loading rockets on and stomping. Grant (a 50-pound child) was able to get the rocket to fly 50-60 feet in the air. I found that if I jumped on the block, I could get a rocket to go higher than the trees, probably 100 feet.
One of the best features of the Stomp Rocket is that it attracts other kids, because the flying rocket looks like fun and it has the novelty of being a toy that most people have never seen before. We spent an afternoon with a friendly little girl (and her mom) from Boston who just happened to be playing at the park that afternoon. She came over and asked if she could play too? Later in the week, it made for great playdate entertainment with the neighborhood kids. Everyone who sees it in action is instantly enamoured with it and wants to know where I got it? I keep ours in the car, for impromptu park fun and the opportunity to meet new friends.
A child's world should be filled with awe and play. Learning should be fun. Here are some suggested toys/supplies/items for your child's learning adventure.
Showing posts with label favorites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label favorites. Show all posts
Friday, January 14, 2011
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Cuisenaire Rods and Miquon Math
When it came time to think about helping my 4-year-old prepare for kindergarten, I thought back to my own kindergarten experiences and what I enjoyed. Three things came to mind, one of which was cuisenaire rods. Of course, I didn't remember they were called cuisenaire rods. I had to do several google searches before I finally found what those color coded sticks that measured between 1 and 10 cm each were called.
Once I knew what they were called, I searched for cuisenaire rods on Amazon. This lead me to the Miquon math curriculum. I was already intent on buying cuisenaire rods, but when I found a math program specifically designed to use with the rods, I was thrilled. I had been researching many different math programs for young children, but after reading reviews about Miquon on several different sites, I decided it was the curriculum I wanted.
I purchased the full-three year curriculum, all three teachers guides and a set of cuisenaire rods. For the last month, my son and I have been sitting down about twice a week with the Orange Book and the Cuisenaire rods, learning how to add and sequence. This week, we've started to learn subtraction. The visual aspect of the rods makes math concepts easy to grasp and my son is able to figure equations out on his own, once he's given direction.
If you decide to buy this, don't skimp. The worksheets do not have any directions on them. You need the three teaching guides to go with the curriculum. They are: First Grade Diary, Notes to Teachers, and Lab Sheet Annotations. These books not only give suggestions of what is effective, but also what is ineffective when teaching math. There are also suggestions of other activities you can do with completed worksheets. I think these added activities make the learning experience richer. The added bonus is my son and I are having a fun time together learning something new.
Some reviewers object to the fact that the workbooks are printed in black and white, instead of the brightly colored workpages children have come to expect. Don't worry. The cuisenaire rods are brightly colored and they are covering the black and white pages while the computations are being done. In my opinion, colored pages would detract from the rods - which are really the main point of this learning method.
Bottom line: This method is time intensive and requires parental involvement. You cannot just hand the workbook and rods to the child and expect them to figure math out. However, for about $90 you get three years of curriculum. Miquon and cuisenaire rods also makes mathematical concepts so easy, even a four-year-old can do first grade math.
Once I knew what they were called, I searched for cuisenaire rods on Amazon. This lead me to the Miquon math curriculum. I was already intent on buying cuisenaire rods, but when I found a math program specifically designed to use with the rods, I was thrilled. I had been researching many different math programs for young children, but after reading reviews about Miquon on several different sites, I decided it was the curriculum I wanted.
I purchased the full-three year curriculum, all three teachers guides and a set of cuisenaire rods. For the last month, my son and I have been sitting down about twice a week with the Orange Book and the Cuisenaire rods, learning how to add and sequence. This week, we've started to learn subtraction. The visual aspect of the rods makes math concepts easy to grasp and my son is able to figure equations out on his own, once he's given direction.
If you decide to buy this, don't skimp. The worksheets do not have any directions on them. You need the three teaching guides to go with the curriculum. They are: First Grade Diary, Notes to Teachers, and Lab Sheet Annotations. These books not only give suggestions of what is effective, but also what is ineffective when teaching math. There are also suggestions of other activities you can do with completed worksheets. I think these added activities make the learning experience richer. The added bonus is my son and I are having a fun time together learning something new.
Some reviewers object to the fact that the workbooks are printed in black and white, instead of the brightly colored workpages children have come to expect. Don't worry. The cuisenaire rods are brightly colored and they are covering the black and white pages while the computations are being done. In my opinion, colored pages would detract from the rods - which are really the main point of this learning method.
Bottom line: This method is time intensive and requires parental involvement. You cannot just hand the workbook and rods to the child and expect them to figure math out. However, for about $90 you get three years of curriculum. Miquon and cuisenaire rods also makes mathematical concepts so easy, even a four-year-old can do first grade math.
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