Sorry, I tried putting a picture there, but obviously didn't do it right.  Can someone tell me how to do this?

I know I can't edit the opening post, but I can put it here.

I don't remember a rod, although a picture might help.  I do remember using all kinds of props in math.  It got a bit silly at times.  We used blocks for adding and substracting x, x^2, x^3.  I think there were physical blocks, although it was often pictures in our textbook.  Two colours blue and red, one negative, one positive (probably the red, because that was the program, not sticking to standard conventions).

Then came our dipolma exam.  They either switched the colours or possibly it was a new colour and one old, but the old was opposite of what we had learned all year.  *facepalm*

I'm not against using things in math to help kids learn.  If someone already understands a concept though, is it necessary?  Then I feel like it becomes about teaching a prop as a time waster.  Unless there's a useful reason for someone understand the concept of the prop, lets stop confusing those who have the concept down.

I don't know what you mean by rods.

Posting a link to wiki as I don't know how to put a picture here.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisenaire_rods

Ok - I am trying to do this on my iPad and it isn't working like my computer. Will try again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisenaire_rods

Pictures work half the time for me, so we'll see.

We never referred to them as rods, but we had these plastic things.  I don't remember them being a part of math though, we just played with them.  Maybe leftovers from when they were used to teach?

Image from wikipedia.

Thanks chemgal. Ours were like the second set. Made of wood. I guess plastic came later.

And I think the colours may have been different.

My older sister always teases me about the rods cause she never used them. For us who did it was a visual as well as memorization all of the lower additions up to 10.

Oh yes - my younger brothers used wooden rods like yours Beloved,  - it was after my time (geez I really sound ancient now!!) and I remember thinking how lucky they were!  I think theirs came in a black box tho - so our Crown Royal bags got used for many other things! 

My mom was a big fan of flash cards ... I was not.  Many grumpy evenings spent at the dining room table going through those decks of number facts!!

I was beginning to think I was the only one, carolla - thanks for mentioning your brother.

Flash cards - I used those lots with my daughter when she was learning her addition/subtraction/multiplication/division.  Over and over and over again!  Memories .

Lots of people used the Crown Royal bags for marbles here.

omg those things!

i remember using them as an aid for french in elementary...

une reglette sur le boit!

maybe we also used them for maths...i can't remember

It's also possible I just blocked any actual lesson with them out of my memory :)

I don't remember using rods. I remember crown royal bags being used for scrabble pieces.

We only used them one year, so perhaps it wasn't a worthwhile investment for the school division .