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The Use of Manipulative Materials in Elementary Mathematics Classrooms

Mathematics skills are critical to functioning in today's world, and as a result, mathematical understanding is essential for elementary school students. To build this mathematical understanding, there are many tools at the hands of teachers, including that of mathematical manipulatives.

Whether termed manipulatives, concrete materials, or concrete objects, physical materials are widely revealed as fundamental to the improvement of mathematics learning. Concrete objects allow children to establish connections between their everyday experiences and their growing knowledge of mathematical concepts and symbols.

What are manipulative materials?

Manipulative materials are objects designed to represent explicitly and concretely abstract mathematical ideas. They have both visual and tactile appeal and can be manipulated by learners through hands-on experiences. They are used to introduce, practice, or remediate a math concept.

Why do we use manipulative materials?

Manipulatives are advertised as materials that will make the teaching and learning of mathematics fun and engaging. Since students' abstract thinking is closely anchored in their concrete perceptions of the world, actively manipulating these materials allows learners to develop a repertoire of images that can be used in the mental manipulation of abstract concepts.

Manipulatives used?

A good manipulative should facilitate a child's perception of the relation between the manipulative and what the teacher hopes the children will learn.
 * Attribute blocks;
 * Tangrams;
 * Polydrons/geoshapes;
 * Cuisenaire rods;
 * Fraction strips;
 * Miras;
 * Multilink cubes;
 * Dice;
 * Base ten blocks;
 * Unifix cubes;
 * Pattern blocks;
 * Square tiles, etc.

Purpose of manipulatives?

Teachers use manipulatives for many different purposes based on what they believe the benefit of manipulatives are to their students. These purposes include problem solving, enrichment, as a reward or privilege, to reinforce concepts and to provide a visual model when introducing concepts.

Advantages to using manipulatives:


 * Heightens the interest of students;
 * Provides hands-on learning;
 * Applies to all styles of learning;
 * Can be used to introduce concepts;
 * Provides motivation;
 * Encourages oral language;
 * Builds a better understanding;
 * Enjoyment;
 * Fun;
 * Teacher can more easily note what the child is thinking;
 * Assists in concrete visualization;
 * Helps engage students;
 * Helps children grasp concepts or reinforce them.

Hindrances to using mathematics manipulative materials in the classroom:


 * Money (not enough equipment to go around or no materials to all);
 * Space (physical);
 * Behaviour (classroom management);
 * Organization of materials (borrowing/returning, sorting, missing pieces);
 * Messiness and equipment misuse;
 * Amount of noise generated with their use.

Instead of focusing on memorization, rote learning, facts, and procedures, today the emphasis is on the use of a pedagogy that incorporates activities where students experience hands-on exploration, discussion, and writing about mathematical concepts. These experiences can help students understand mathematical ideas and their applications in their lives.

Manipulatives may not be the answer for all students, but in the hands of the right teacher, manipulatives may be an effective tool for all students, and specifically those students who have difficulty building constructs without direct experience with visual and tactile cues.

References

Moyer, P. S., & Jones, M. G. (2004). Controlling choice: Teachers, students, and manipulatives in mathematics classrooms. School Science and Mathematics, 104(1), 16-31.

Swan, P., & Marshall, L. (2010). Revisiting mathematics manipulative materials. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 15(2), 13-19.

Uttal, D., Scudder, K., & DeLoache, J. (1997). Manipulatives as symbols: A new perspective on the use of concrete objects to teach mathematics. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 18, 37-54.

Williams, B. T. (2004). Are we having fun yet? Students, social class, and the pleasures of literacy. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 48(4), 338-342.

--Mthompsonyork (talk) 23:40, 27 May 2014 (UTC)--Mthompsonyork (talk) 23:40, 27 May 2014 (UTC)