Raves & Reviews for Miquon Math Labs
Cathy Duffy says:
“…because of unique methods of teaching arithmetic concepts, younger children can begin to learn arithmetic through the hands-on activities, and older children can also benefit from Miquon used as a supplement… It’s a hands-on approach that is very strong on development of conceptual understanding.”
“I highly recommend this series.”
I’ve used this series with my older two girls, and look forward to using it again this fall with my son. It’s inexpensive, which is a definite plus with four children. Also, it introduces the four basic arithmetic processes – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division – right from the start. It also offers helpful insight of how to do math in a different way than how I was taught, which sometimes helps my kids understand it better. Using the Cuisenaire rods helped my kids understand the concepts and they loved having something to manipulate. They loved the fun pages included in these too. I highly recommend this series. The lab annotations doesn’t have answers to every sheet; most of them are included- the ones left out are easy enough for the parents. Also there is great information in it on presenting different concepts like the difference between 3×4 and 4×3. An inexpensive teacher’s manual is a plus too! You need usually two workbooks a year, so you don’t need to purchase it all at once. Also, if you decide to start using and your child isn’t in first grade, it’s a good idea to start from the first book. I did with my 4th grader and she just worked through the books quicker, but it wasn’t too babyish for her and introduced things she hadn’t covered.
– Lisa W.
“It truly teaches math concepts…”
I cannot recommend this program highly enough! I have used it for 7 years with many students. We all look forward to math time every day. It truly teaches math concepts instead of memorization or drill, and does it in a fun, laboratory setting. Students learn that there are more than one way to write a problem and get an answer. The cuisenaire rods are easy to use to learn the basic functions plus fractions and other math concepts. I often tell my students they are learning high school math because it introduces geometry and algebraic concepts in a way that grade school kids understand. My 7th grader who started with Miquon in 1st grade has the ability to problem solve, think outside the box and solve math mentally because of the foundation Miquon gave him. It is a little intimidating to teach at first because each lesson is not laid out for you, but if you use Lab Annotations and First Grade Diary to learn along with your children, it is a fun experience for everyone. You don’t have to do each page a certain way in order to be successful (a great problem solving skill for moms to learn).
– Tina W.
“Miquon was fun and effective…”
I first used Miquon Math with my then 5 yr old daughter. After completing the first ‘red book’ and part of the second ‘orange’ book, we switched to Singapore Math, which has been a huge blessing to us. I stopped using Miquon with some regret. We loved it, but didn’t want to do two programs, and I wasn’t convinced that Miquon was rigorous enough. I wish I hadn’t dismissed it so quickly. First off, that Miquon is ‘fun’ is a great strength, and not at all indicative of not being serious math. I credit Miquon’s approach with my daughter’s comfort with, and joy in, arithmetic. When my son began struggling with his Singapore, I brought out the old lab-sheet annotations and used it to make some of the worksheets to do with my son. He enjoyed them so much that I am buying the workbooks to use with him. Miquon was fun and effective for my very verbal daughter, but I think this program really shines with kids who learn best by doing, as my son does. He is a hands-on learner, and this program is especially good for students like him, for whom verbal explanations of mathematical concepts are difficult to grasp. Miquon is fun and easy to use, and doesn’t require a great deal of prep work from the adult. Although I use it as a supplement to another program, it is more than adequate as a stand-alone program. I highly recommend Miquon Math for anyone, but especially for those with young ‘engineer/tinkerers’ in the house. This program is also very inexpensive compared to many of the other choices, and very user-friendly for parents who may not have a strong math background.
– Megan C.
“Think outside the box…”
We didn’t finish the orange and red books in first grade. We went pretty slowly to keep things fun and interesting. I should have done more of the enrichment suggestions in the annotations manual, but overall, we had a good year. This program is great if you think outside the box and don’t feel the need to slavishly stick to a school curriculum timeline/ scope sequence chart. For 2nd grade I plan to use more manipulatives and use these worksheets as a supplement to other activity-based learning.
– Maureen A.
Math is not just numbers! Using Cuisenaire rods, Miquon Math Labs allows children to model numbers and operations concretely. It uses a hands-on, pattern-building, discovery method that fosters independence and creativity in problem solving. The unique format of the program allows for flexibility – use each book straight through, or teach topically. It introduces children to all four basic math operations in grade one – plus fractions, clock arithmetic, area, volume and factoring – building confidence in children and taking the ?mystery? out of these otherwise-delayed topics. By third grade, children understand different base systems and graph algebraic equations! These are not typical workbooks that test what a child already has learned, but lab sheets – teaching pages. Children are shown that, while there is only one correct solution, there are different ways to arrive at it, and it encourages them to develop their own techniques. The ?standard? approach is not always the best. For example, which is easier: 400 – 298 or 398 – 298 + 2 or 400 – 300 + 2? Techniques like these really help when caught without pencil or paper! After using Miquon with four children, we can attest that this program has promoted flexibility in problem solving – using the right technique for the situation. Ours now tackle new or difficult problems creatively, even fearlessly!
I would also recommend purchase of the Annotations. A teacher?s guide for all six workbooks, it contains a general overview and several suggestions on how to present each major concept. It also provides preliminary activities for a concrete understanding of the math concepts as well as more detailed explanations for many of the lab sheets. While answers are supplied for some of the more ?tricky? sheets, most worksheets are shown sans answers, so take the time to fill in the answers as you correct work for your first ?math labs? student – then you?ll have a completed key to use with the next!
Rainbow Resource Center
Interested in more homeschool/educational resources and helpful information?