'Manipulatives: Material and Students\r'

'7 Musts for Using Manipulatives By Marilyn Burns 1. I talk with students virtu alto take downhery why manipulatives table serviceer them learn math. These discussions ar essential for first-time single-valued functionrs and utile refreshers to refocus from time to time. I precede discussions by giving children time to explore a manipulative. consequently we talk more or less what students noticed and I stage the concepts theyll learn with the material. 2 . From day maven, I rophy ground rules for using materials. We talk nearly the similarities and differences surrounded by using manipulatives in part and playing with toys or games.With toys or games, children bear feed up their consume rules. With manipulatives, they be given specialised problems and activities. I do make clear, however, that theyre free to make discoveries and explore impertinently ideas. Its as well important for students not to interfere with matchless an early(a). I step in when I date to it a howl of protest as a student who charters one more chickenhearted tile consequences it from an otherwise groups table. sometimes I dissipate up the discussion to the entire class. These impromptu reminders answer keep students on track. 3. I set up a system for storing materials and familiarize students with it.Its important for students to bonk where and how to store materials. A clear system makes the materials more accessible. Some t for each oneers designate and label space on bookshelves. Others use zip-top plastic bags and portion materials into quantities useful for pairs or groups. Still others place a supply of each material at students tables so theyre al slipway inside reach. 4. Time for free exploration is worth the investment. Whenever I unveil a new material, I dish out at least one math result for this. Teacher demonstrations alone are like eat a papaya in front of the class and expecting children to whap how it tastes. Free exploration time overly aloneows students to satisfy their curiosity so they dont become confuse from the assigned tasks. Expect children to key if tiles stern overstep like dominoes; build tall towers with rods; or construct rockets out of cubes. After children learn explored a material, I ask what theyve discovered and record their observations on a chart so their classmates fag tick insights from their ideas. thus I assign a specific task. 5. For easy reference, I post class charts about manipulative materials.Charts not only send students the centre that I value manipulatives, moreover in any case help students learn materials names and how to spell them. In family I post a chart that lists all the materials well use during the yr. For some materials, I post better charts to list their shapes and colors. And I leave posted charts of students discoveries about materials. 6. Manipulatives are a natural for writing assignments; having students draw up in math class has more bene break p olishs. Manipulatives succeed cover objects for children to describe. 7. I let parents get their give on manipulatives, too.Its important for parents to understand why their children are using materials. Follow up by having children take home materials and activities to do with their families. (Hint: I wait until students have had some experience. )3 Marilyn Burns Answers Your Questions Marilyn Burns Answers Your Questions About Manipulatives Q. Manipulatives help my learners who struggle, but do my better Math students submit them? A. Absolutely. The challenge of dogma any subject is to hazard activities that are accessible to all learners and have the immensity to challenge more interested or adapted students.Manipulatives are a wonderful resource for this. For example, I introduced fourth graders to Build the Yellow Hexagon. All students set up divers(prenominal) ways to build the hexagon and recorded their constructions with even off fractional notation. I asked the s tudents who finished quickly: â€Å"How very much larger is the red trapezoid than the blue parallelogram? ” This challenged them to propose out how much more 1/2 is than 1/3. Q. How often should I use manipulatives in my teaching? A. Ideally, the materials are available for students to use at any time to help them think, reason, and solve problems.When a manipulative material is key to a lesson, I initiate its use. Q. What about students who subject field well with manipulatives but have trouble with textbooks? A. Showing the bridge from concrete experiences to symbolism is essential. While it may be plain to adults, it can be a reaching for students to see how a 3-by-4 rectangle built with tiles relates to the textbook explanation that 3 x 4 means three groups of four. I help children make connections by demonstrating how a rectangle can be separated into three rows with four tiles. Q. How many kinds of manipulatives do I need?A. It makes sense to introduce one materia l and provide time for in-depth exploration. tho one advantage of using a sorting is that children can think about ideas in different ways. For example, we wouldnt want children to think of fractions as related only to round pies. Q. Cant I make cheaper manipulatives? A. For years Ive had children rationalise paper cookies to explore fractions, fold shapes for geometry, and use strips for measurement. Students also cut paper squares into the seven tangram puzzle pieces to see that the pieces make a square.However, to create other shapes, par areas and perimeters, or make observations over time, paper pieces arent changeless or exact. Manipulatives stand the test of time and are precise. They also allow students to discover the mathematical relationships internal in them. 4 Q. Where do I fit manipulatives in when theres so much to do? A. I use manipulatives as a support for teaching the math topics that are in the curriculum. I dont make materials for special days or assignme nts, but make them a regular and integral part of my public teaching. Q.I worry that children will see the same materials year after year and lose interest. Do they? A. School-wide think to discuss which manipulatives youll use and how to use them can be valuable. However, be careful not to designate authorized materials or activities for only one grade. Most are appropriate for different levels, and repeat experiences help students stretch their thinking. For example, asking primary children to find different ways to make trains of six interlocking cubes using average two colors helps them explore different addends of 6.Older students can be challenged to figure out how many arrangements there are, not only for trains of 6, but also for trains of other lengths. Q. I dont have enough of any one kind of manipulative to use with my whole class. What can I do? A. Some teachers I know organize learning centers and have small groups work at them. Others introduce a few activities to be done over several days, and students make choices found on which materials are available. Still others pool materials for a week with other teachers to create class sets.In all cases, having students work cooperatively not only cuts down on the amount of material you need, but also encourages communication †which in turn promotes learning. Q. How do I know when its time for students to put away the materials? A. I let students be my guide. Observing them gives me valuable information. Sometimes Ive assigned students the problem of finding all of the extraneous arrays using 6, 12, and 24 tiles. While some need to build all of the rectangles with tiles and then record them, other students stop using the tiles and are comfortable draft the rectangles.Q. I worry older students will quetch that manipulatives are babyish. Any advice? A. I rarely get this reaction. Most are delighted to get their give on concrete materials. If you anticipate naysayers, talk about how, for examp le, architects often build models of buildings and engineers construct prototypes. Tell students that theyll use materials to model a problem or situation. Then be sure they first experience something that offers a challenge and that you provide free exploration time.\r\n'