Hi there! Welcome to my new blog post!
Thanks for checking out my blog! I am Julia Park and I go to Millersville University. I am in my senior year of studying as an Early Childhood Education major! If you have a moment, feel free to check out my previous posts!
In my last post, I explained how technology can strengthen mathematics instruction. In this post, I will be providing information about using manipulatives in math class!
Are Math Manipulatives Useful?
Manipulatives are very useful tools that children can use to learn or practice math skills in a hands-on way. These tools can include objects like two-color counters, dice, hundreds charts, pattern blocks, place value blocks, and so many more.
Math manipulatives allow children to extend their learning by having fun and memorable experiences with physical, and sometimes virtual, objects. Many learners need different ways to visualize or discover how a new concept works. Students are able to explore and manipulate objects themselves, in a safe and low-stress environment, to make sense of the information that they are learning.
When children have fun, personal, and memorable experiences in school, they are more focused and engaged in class. Increased focus and engagement will deepen students’ understanding of mathematical concepts.
Ways to Use Math Manipulatives
Math manipulatives are often used to introduce a skill or as tools for children to practice their new skills with. These tools are typically used at the start of a lesson or for an activity after the teaching of a new concept.
There are many strategies teachers can use to successfully incorporate manipulatives into the classroom. One of these strategies is modeling. Teachers can model using math tools for the students before they try to use them independently. The students can then practice using the tools on their own, with guidance from the teacher when necessary.
Students can also explore manipulatives to extend their learning. Like I stated in the previous section, manipulatives can make math fun for children! Let them explore and come up with new ideas through the use of math tools. This can occur when trying to solve a problem, reviewing a new concept, or any other idea related to math!
For information on how to use specific manipulatives in the classroom, click the image in this section! Elyse Rycroft does an amazing job at taking an in-depth look at implementing manipulatives into mathematics instruction!
Tips for Organizing and Assembling Math
Tools!
Having materials organized is crucial when implementing the use of manipulatives. If the classroom is disorganized, there is a chance that valuable time that could be used for learning will be wasted on finding specific materials or cleaning up unnecessary clutter.
Teachers can use bins or different kinds of containers with labels to neatly organize manipulatives. Labels with pictures are super helpful for students, especially when they are still developing their reading skills. There should be a specific spot in the classroom for these materials that is easily accessible to the students.
Another helpful tip to prevent time from being wasted is to have all manipulatives prepared and ready to go before it is time to teach or transition into an activity with the children.
Click on the image above for Jillian Starr’s 10 tips for organizing math materials! I found these tips to be incredibly helpful!
Using Manipulatives at Home
It has been a challenging time since the pandemic started, especially with the transition to online learning. Children studying at home do not have access to many of the materials that are available at school.
I mentioned this in my previous blog post, but there are many websites that include virtual manipulatives for students to use. Children can engage in online activities to extend their learning even at home!
If you click on the image above, you will be taken to a blog all about using items from home as manipulatives. In times like these, we have to get creative! We have a lot more useful items to help us with math than we often realize. The blog linked above will show plenty of examples of that!
Thanks for reading!
I always loved using manipulatives when I was learning math growing up. Math was never my strong suit, but manipulatives really helped me visualize certain concepts in a clearer way. I hope you learned more about manipulatives in this blog post!
Thanks for stopping by. See you later!
-Julia 🙂