Teaching Math with Manipulatives
In order to take a more conceptual approach to teaching mathematics and encourage students to become more active and engaged learners in the classroom, educators need to provide more hands-on experiences through the use of manipulatives to explore and explain ideas and concepts. Elementary aged children in particular need to see and do things to make them relevant and help them to understand math’s real world applications. Per the educational implications of Piaget’s model, children need direct experience and the opportunity to take academic risks to make learning a more active process; therefore their learning should necessarily be authentic to help them accommodate and assimilate new information. Using concrete manipulatives helps children develop pictorial representations and then progress onto more abstract symbols of numerals and number functions.
Rotating students through math work stations allows you as an educator to offer support and scaffolding opportunities, and encourages independent practice for the entire classroom. It provides a great opportunity to assess students' ability and understanding, and helps inform your overall instruction - to assist those students who need additional help and address more advanced students who are ready to take on more challenging tasks.
Working with patterns helps children understand geometry and classification, and builds a foundation for pre-algebraic understanding. Learning about attributes via sorting, classifying, and ordering sets the stage for pattern building, and helps children develop their problem solving skills for later work with number patterns.
Please note: children should be allowed ample opportunity to play with the materials first before using them for instruction and exploration. This will provide students a chance to get familiar with the materials and will help minimize off-task behaviors during math station time.
Please click on the Math Work Stations link above for eleven stations that can be used to teach patterns.
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In order to take a more conceptual approach to teaching mathematics and encourage students to become more active and engaged learners in the classroom, educators need to provide more hands-on experiences through the use of manipulatives to explore and explain ideas and concepts. Elementary aged children in particular need to see and do things to make them relevant and help them to understand math’s real world applications. Per the educational implications of Piaget’s model, children need direct experience and the opportunity to take academic risks to make learning a more active process; therefore their learning should necessarily be authentic to help them accommodate and assimilate new information. Using concrete manipulatives helps children develop pictorial representations and then progress onto more abstract symbols of numerals and number functions.
Rotating students through math work stations allows you as an educator to offer support and scaffolding opportunities, and encourages independent practice for the entire classroom. It provides a great opportunity to assess students' ability and understanding, and helps inform your overall instruction - to assist those students who need additional help and address more advanced students who are ready to take on more challenging tasks.
Working with patterns helps children understand geometry and classification, and builds a foundation for pre-algebraic understanding. Learning about attributes via sorting, classifying, and ordering sets the stage for pattern building, and helps children develop their problem solving skills for later work with number patterns.
Please note: children should be allowed ample opportunity to play with the materials first before using them for instruction and exploration. This will provide students a chance to get familiar with the materials and will help minimize off-task behaviors during math station time.
Please click on the Math Work Stations link above for eleven stations that can be used to teach patterns.
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