Early Childhood - Red Rods
The Red Rods help a child visually discriminate differences in length, from 10cm to 100cm. The material is displayed on a shelf, in order, from shortest to longest. A child carefully takes all the pieces, one by one, and places them randomly on a floor mat. The child can then place them back in order, appreciating the different lengths.
To ensure they are in the right order, the child moves the smallest 10cm piece to the right of the next longest piece. If those 2 pieces are aligned with the piece above it, the child knows it’s in the right spot! This visual affirmation means the child doesn’t need confirmation from a parent or teacher, but rather is in charge of his or her own learning.
The final step is to return the Red Rods to the shelf, placing them in order as they found them so it is ready for another student to use.