Review of Math Manipulatives - Summative

8/20/2019 Review of Math Manipulatives - Summative

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1. Review of Math Manipulatives

Base-10 blocks

Image source: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Plastic-Base-

Starter/dp/B000F!BB"

Base ten #loc$s are %er& %ersatile manipulati%es that can #e used to

represent man& a#stract concepts in mathematics. 'he& can #e used to

illustrate addition( su#traction( multiplication( and di%ision pro#lems. I would

use #ase ten in an& grade( since the& ha%e such a range o) use. 'he& can #e

used to introduce place %alue to lower grades( and decimal points in upper

elementar&. *uring m& student internship( I introduced #ase ten to m& grade

+ class. I started with the #asics. ,nits were rst( )ollowed #& rods which I

associated with #eing 0 units. 'his was a tough concept )or students to

grasp at rst( since the& couldnt uite understand the %alue o) each unit. I

would use #ase ten #loc$s )or an& o) the a#o%e mentioned topics.



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Pattern Blocks

Image Source: http://www.mathedpage.org/angles/

1s the picture illustrates a#o%e( a set o) pattern #loc$s consist o) a #lue

rhom#us( green triangle( tan rhom#us( orange suare( &ellow he2agon( and

the red trapezoid. 'hese manipulati%es can #e used to meet a num#er o)

curriculum outcomes. Students can use pattern #loc$s to e2plore #asic

geometric shapes or put them together to #uild more intricate or comple2

shapes. 'hese #loc$s allow students to see that larger shapes are composed

o) smaller ones( which relates to )ractions. 'hese #loc$s would also #e a

great tool )or students to create and identi)& patterns. I would use them to

indicate concepts( li$e teaching a#out the pattern core to lower 3lementar&

students. 'hese manipulati%es also pro%ide students with a wa& o)

identi)&ing and disco%ering +* shapes in a hands on wa&. Pattern #loc$s are

an educational tool that students ha%e )un using( which ma$es their learning

more engaging. 'he& are %er& %ersatile and are )ound in most schools. "ne

cool thing a#out these shapes is that &ou can displa& them on the smart



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#oard at the same time that the students are manipulating them at their

des$s( creating a re)erence when &ou a teaching concepts to the class.

Money as Manipulatives

Image source: https://www.rain#owresource.com/prodlist.php5

su#6ect78athematics/09categor&78one&-8aterials;+<8anipulati%es/+=<>

In a t&pical set o) mone& manipulati%es( &ou will nd pennies( nic$els(

dimes( uarters( loonies( toonies and #ills. 8one& is a tangi#le manipulati%e

since it is something students will use in their e%er&da& li%es. 'he

mathematic s$ills related to mone& are necessar& )or all ages. "ne important

note to ma$e as a teacher is that pennies do not e2ist an&more( which would

#e something &ou would ha%e to teach to lower 3lementar& students. 'his

manipulati%e can #e used to esta#lish a )urther understanding o) addition(

su#traction( di%ision and multiplication. 'his manipulati%e would #enet

https://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?subject=Mathematics/10&category=Money+-+Materials+%26+Manipulatives/2569






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students in their e2ploration o) decimals and )ractions as well. 'here are

dollars( which are wholes( and cents( which are parts o) a whole. 'his helps

to support students understanding o) decimals and )ractions. 'he )raction

can #e represent li$e this: ?=/00( with ?= #eing the cents( and 00 #eing a

dollar. 'he )act that students use this manipulati%e in a real li)e content

strengthens its a#ilit& to connect students to the content.

Fraction Tiles

Image source: https://www.enasco.com/product/'B='



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1s seen in the picture a#o%e( a )ull set o) )raction tiles consists o) one

whole( two hal%es( three thirds( )our uarters( %e )ths( si2 si2ths( eight

eighths( ten tenths and twel%e twel)ths. Fraction tiles are an e2cellent wa&

)or students to e2plore and understand how parts ma$e up a whole. I would

use the simpler )ractions at rst when I am introducing )ractions( and

graduall& introduce )ractions with a greater denominator as students #ecome

more com)orta#le with this t&pe o) manipulati%e. 'his manipulati%e also

)urthers students understanding o) addition( su#traction( multiplication and

di%ision o) )ractions. 'hese manipulati%es gi%e students a concrete

representation o) an a#stract concepts. Since a lot o) students #elie%e that

each num#er in a )raction is di@erent( these pro%ide clarit& on that issue #&

getting students to see the set o) num#ers as a whole. Being a#le to see the

proportions o) these )ractions ma$es it easier )or students to compare( order(

and e2amine eui%alent )ractions. Some )raction tiles also ha%e decimal

notations on the opposite side( which is e2cellent )or seeing the relationship

#etween decimals and )ractions which is #enecial in the upper primar&

grades. I chose this manipulati%e to re%iew #ecause I )eel as though it

pro%ides a great %isual )or students when the& are learning )ractions. Its

important that students see concepts and are a#le to e2plore them in a

hands-on wa&. Students struggle with understanding )raction sizes. 8an&

children might #elie%e that /A is #igger than /4 simpl& #ecause the A is

larger than the 4. 'he manipulati%e pro%ides students a wa& to see these

)ractions )or what the& trul& are.



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Two-Sided Counters

Image source: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-1d%antage-A+0-8agnetic-

ounters/dp/B00,C0BD

'wo sided counters are another %ersatile manipulati%e that can #e used

in so man& di@erent wa&s. First o@( the& help students with counting(

di@erentiating #etween sets o) o#6ects( addition and su#traction( or

multiplication and di%ision. I used counters in m& peer teaching module to

di@erentiate #etween di@erent sets o) )ractions using ten )rames. I as$ed )or

students to use one colour to represent 4/0( and another colour to represent

+/0. 'his allowed me to #ridge into the addition o) )ractions as well( since

the two sets could #e com#ined. I also use them to teach a#out the multiple

wa&s a num#er good #e represented using addition. For e2ample( i) students

were loo$ing )or the num#er E<( I would as$ students to drop their <

counters on their des$s to see how man& di@erent wa&s this num#er could

#e represented.

I reall& en6o&ed using counters. 'he& pro%ide students with so man&

eas& wa&s to represent a#stract concepts. I would use these as a regular part

o) m& math teaching in m& classroom.



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Review of Math Manipulatives - Summative