An essential resource for any mathematics classroom, the kit includes a large set of standard plastic Cuisenaire rods, a magnetic demonstration set for use on the whiteboard, and an informative guide written by Dr Paul Swan. Cover the basics right through to advanced topics using the time-tested learning tool Cuisenaire rods. Just some of the potential applications include addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, counting, patterns, probability, place value, fractions, modelling, and sorting by classifiers.

The plastic set of 370 pieces follows the standard sizing of 10mm through to 100mm in length. White being the shortest, and orange the longest. Ten single white rods therefore equal one orange rod, an observation which can form the starting point for place value teaching. The magnetic demonstration set are slightly larger than typical Cuisenaire, simply to improve visibility on the whiteboard. The magnetic white unit is 25mm x 25mm, and orange is 25mm x 250mm.

Supporting child development

The benefit of working with small manipulatives is that children will constantly be growing their practical experience, developing fine motor skills like dexterity and hand-eye coordination. They’ll need to draw on reasoning and problem-solving abilities to complete tasks, as well as communication and cooperation if working in a group.

Teaching guide

Reasoning with Rods, written by mathematics teaching expert Dr Paul Swan, is your guide to using the contents of this kit to their full potential. Packed full of ideas for teaching number operations, fractions, classification, and more, as well as informative background information on the origin and use of Cuisenaire rods.

Colourful and appealing resources

The rods, both plastic and magnetic sets, are supplied in a vibrant array of colours. These are: Orange, blue, brown, black, dark green, yellow, purple, light green, red, and white.

There are enough pieces in the kit to cater for engaging group activities or rewarding individual work. You could even put together a demonstration using the magnetic rods and encourage students to follow along with the plastic pieces.

In full, this product contains:

• 370x Cuisenaire rods (plastic, 110x white, 60x red, 50x green, 30x purple, 20x yellow, 20x dark green, 20x black, 20x brown, 20x blue, 20x orange)
• 64x Magnetic Cuisenaire  rods (magnetic demo rods, 20x white, 12x red, 4x each of light green - orange)
• 1x Reasoning with Rods by Dr Paul Swan
• Transparent plastic storage box with clip lid

The plastic rods range in size from L 10mm to L 100mm. The magnetic set from L 25mm to L 250mm. The storage box measures L 310mm x W 230mm x H 70mm.