Using Manipulatives Effectively

Overview Manipulatives are designed to help students develop an understanding of abstract concepts through tactile, physical activity. Manipulatives are objects that can be handled by students in a way that helps them to make tangible connections to learning.

Concrete Abstract Problem

Why Use Manipulatives Research shows that students who use manipulatives perform better than those who do not. Students who use manipulatives are better problem solvers. Reaches students whose learning styles are ignored by traditional instruction

Complement to Instruction Manipulatives can be employed to: introduce new concepts Reinforce concepts that have been previously taught

Helpful Hints These are helpful steps to consider when implementing Math manipulatives: Ask yourself- what is the most efficient way to teach? Assess students’ prior knowledge and skills. Introduce/ define the concept you are teaching. Demonstrate manipulatives & how to use them (hand out & lead students through process). Discuss what the class has done and how the manipulative proved useful. The goal should be to scaffold away from the use of manipulatives. Katie Kibler and Barbara Williams

Commonly Used Manipulatives Base 10 Blocks Elementary Concepts Counting Addition/Subtraction Multiplication

Fraction Circles Elementary Concepts Basic fractional parts Equivalent fractions Addition and subtraction of fractions

Cuisenaire Rods Elementary Concepts Addition/Subtraction Multiplication Division Fractional Math

Geoboard Elementary Concepts Geometry Measurement Perimeter Area Polygons Proportion Measurement

Pattern Blocks Elementary Concepts Spatial sense Equivalent Fractions Tessellations

Tangrams Elementary Concepts Spatial reasoning Critical thinking

Web-Based Manipulative Software that displays objects that can be used similar to manipulatives provides an “endless” supply of potential materials. Interactive mathematics web pages- http://matti.usu.edu/nlvm/nav/vlibrary.html

Suggestions Give students practice time. - Clearly relate manipulatives to abstract concepts-such as “subtraction”. It is crucial that children make the connection between the conceptual work done with manipulatives and the procedural tasks this work is intended to support. Make sure manipulatives are being used correctly and in a meaningful way. Keep all math manipulatives in a “math box”, allow children to choose those manipulatives that they feel comfortable using and that they believe will assist them in solving problems. - Manipulatives are not the exclusive domain of mathematics. They can be used in many subject areas to aid in student comprehension. For example, modeling clay can aid in the understanding of geography. Katie Kibler and Barbara Williams