Unique Hands-On Math

by Sharon
(Leavenworth, Kansas)

Product: Miquon Math
Subject: Mathemetics
Levels Used: Six books for approximately grades 1-3
Dates Used: August 1999-2009

Likes: This is a great way to help a child deeply understand quantative values in math. The rods used with Miquon are exceptional teaching tools in their own right!

The workbooks are simply written so that the parent could make her own extra practice pages without the child getting upset that the format had changed. Sometime the pages look hand-drawn; other pages look as if they were typed.

The program is designed to tech children to see numbers by their quantity and not just their symbols. This seems to make understanding ratio much easier for the young child.

I would recommend using the Labsheets book with this program. This is the teacher's manual. It does explain the reason for each page. The newer editions have the answers.

Each child's workbook is very inexpensive. I made it even cheaper by putting the workbook pages into sheet protectors and written upon with wipe-off markers. One set has lasted for many years this way.

Dislikes:
If you do use the sheet protectors, some pages will not be useable more than once; a few pages are cut and folded into individual student books.

This program only goes to grade 3, sadly. I switched to another program that teaches all elementary students. However, I still went back to certain pages in the workbooks because they do teach concepts so clearly.

The fact that this program does not have numbered lessons, per say, might bother some people. The lack of numbered lessons does allow the teacher to add more practice, though.