Using Math Manipulatives in the Classroom
There are many kinds of manipulatives that are commercially available in addition to manipulatives which can be made from common objects that are purchased inexpensively or found in one’s environment. Experiment and find manipulatives that work well for your students and are best suited for the mathematical concept.
Suggestions on Teaching with Math Manipulatives
| Examples of Math Manipulatives: | ||
| Centimeter Cubes | Base 10 Blocks | Measuring Tapes |
| Dominoes | Colour Tiles | Anglegs |
| Dice (including Multi-sided Dice) | Pattern Blocks | Attribute Blocks |
| Polydrons | Tangrams | Mini Whiteboards and Markers |
| Number Spinners | Connecting/Unifix Cubes | Reflectors |
| Two-colour counters | Fraction Strips & Towers | Balances |
| Algebra Tiles | Fraction Circles | Playing Cards |
| Relational/Cuisenaire Rods | Rekenreks | Hundred Charts |
| Frames | Calculators | Number Lines |
| Geoboards | Geometric Solids | Counters, such as beans |
| Craft Sticks | Straws | Paper Plates |
| Concepts to Teach with Counters | ||
| Counting | Number Recognition | Number Correspondence |
| Ordinal Numbers | More, less, and equivalence | The concept of ten (use counters with ten frames) |
| Addition and subtraction | Multiplication and division | |
| Concepts to Teach with Base Ten Blocks | ||
| Place Value | Regrouping | Addition |
| Subtraction | Multiplication | Division |
| Division with Remainders | Zero as a place-holder | Fractions |
| Decimals | Expanded Notation | |
| Concepts to Teach with Pattern Blocks | ||
| Patterns | Shapes | Geometric Designs |
| Spatial Relations | Types of Angles | Area, parallel and perpendicular lines |
| Other Geometry Concepts | ||
| Concepts to Teach with a Bucket Balance | ||
| Explore Volume | Compare solids and liquids | Measure Mass |
| Measuring | Estimating | Cause and Effect |
| Explore volume vs. mass | ||
| Concepts to Teach with Fraction Tiles and Circles | ||
| The meaning of numerators and denominators | How Fractions Work | Fraction Addition and Subtraction |
| Equivalent Fractions | Multiplications of Fractions | Division of Fractions |
| Concepts to Teach with a Ten Frames | ||
| Counting | Subitization | Number correspondence |
| More, less and equivalence | Addition and subtraction | Components of ten |
| Regrouping | Decomposition of large numbers | Problem solving |
| Concepts to Teach with Linking Cubes | ||
| Patterns | Number Correspondence | Counting |
| Skip Counting | Comparisons | Measurement |
| Regrouping | Sorting | Addition and Subtraction |
| Multiplication and Division | Squared and cubed numbers | Graphing |
| Concepts to Teach with a Geoboard | ||
| Plane Shapes (Squares, rectangles, triangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, etc.) | Symmetry | Rotation |
| Translation | Reflection | Coordinate Planes |
| Graphing | Types of Angles | Problem Solving |
| Spatial Relations | ||
| Concepts to Teach with a Graphing Calculators | ||
| Factoring | Factors and Zeros | Patterns, trends |
| Slope | Intercepts | Intersections |
| Max/Min. Values | Polynomial functions (leading term, leading coefficient, odd/even power, start and end quadrants) | Domain and Range |
| Limits | Trigonometric functions | Interpreting, predicting real world relationships and phenomena |
1Most of the concepts to teach are compiled from: Saunders, A., n.d. List of Math Manipulatives Every Home Should Have | Orison Orchards. [online] Orison Orchards. Available at: https://orisonorchards.com/list-math-manipulatives[Accessed 20 October 2021].
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