When some people think of math manipulatives, they automatically think of elementary students, probably K-3. It almost seems like people will look at you funny if you try to use manipulatives if you are older than 10 year old. (Math manipulatives are any physical object that you can touch used to help students with math i.e. counters, shapes, spinners, etc.) Manipulatives give students something to touch, feel and manipulate. Kinesthetic learners thrive on learning through touch, so why should they suffer as they get older? Well I’m here to say that there is NOTHING WRONG WITH USING MANIPULATIVES AT ANY AGE! I know that some schools do not have the budget for manipulatives, but if you can count it, it can become a manipulative.
Why are manipulatives frowned upon?
There are a few answers to this question that I will address. The first is that some look at this as playing with toys, therefore it is childish. There is nothing wrong with playing with toys at any age. Isn’t a video game a toy? However, manipulatives are not toys but learning tools to help gain mathematical understanding. People of all ages play with them so there shouldn’t be a problem with touching items to understand them. This makes math more concrete and assists different types of learners to conceptually understand math skills.
Another reason is some teachers were not trained to teach with manipulatives. Thinking about my college training, math instruction was a short class and we definitely were not using manipulatives. It wasn’t until my math endorsement classes where I remember intentionally using manipulatives. They were encouraged to understand the concepts from geometry to fractions. They were encouraged from K-12. It definitely makes a difference when you are able to apply math to real life situations.
Some teachers are afraid of manipulatives because they are afraid to relinquish control or do not have the classroom management to deal with students with manipulatives. Procedures need to be set in place in order for manipulatives to work. Yes, you may deal with students throwing, playing, losing or putting manipulatives in their mouth depending on the age group. However, setting procedures help to remedy a lot of this. I had procedures for everything from sharpening a pencil to going to the bathroom. Students thrive off of structure so they are waiting for guidance from you.
What type of manipulatives are suggested?
(We do earn a small commission if you buy from these links.)
- Counters are helpful for all ages, K-12. You can use them for all operations. You can use the foam or plastic versions.
- Base ten blocks or place value discs for place value understanding
- Fraction tiles for grades 3+
- Teddy bear counters for Pre-K- 2nd (my 2 year old loves these!)
- Linking cubes for K-12
What are your favorite manipulatives that you use in your classroom? Leave a comment below.
-Liz