Using Cuisenaire Rods with a 2.5yo who is possibly gifted? Any experience/ opinions?
I think DD was around that age when she started asking for an abacus and SO and I got into a huge disagreement.
Looking back, it was really silly of us to make such a big deal out of a $10 abacus that DD uses as a shaker 90% of the time. We do use it once in awhile to explain concepts in teachable moments and other than that abacus, we have no math manipulatives around the house except for lego and other building blocks.
We are thinking about giving her some mathy gifts this Christmas and I haven't finalized the shopping list but my selection criteria are that they have to have multiple and long-term purposes, durable, fun to play with, and pretty enough to sit on the shelf. So Cuisenaire Rods that come in a wooden storage tray would fit the bill.
