Manipulatives In Math Essay

415 Words1 Page

Manipulatives in a math classroom can be used to help a student become more engaged in what they are learning. In mathematics, manipulatives are defined as an object that is designed so that the learner can perceive the mathematical concept by “manipulating” it. In this article, I learned about the various manipulatives teachers and students traditionally use such as concrete manipulatives, while in contemporary classrooms teachers and students also used pictorial as well as virtual manipulatives. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics encourages the teachers and the students to use a variety of representations during mathematic instruction. This article addresses examples of the various types of manipulatives, the theoretical foundations to use manipulatives in mathematics classrooms, and struggles while using manipulatives.
One key point from the article that I found interesting was that, through multiple representations the curriculum can be presented in mathematics by physical, pictorial, or virtual …show more content…

Since the early 1900s, it has been considered essential for teachers and students to use manipulatives during elementary math teaching and learning. Some states such as California has mandated the use of manipulatives for teaching. Furthermore, the article mentions how there is theoretical support for the use of manipulatives from well-known theorists such as, Piaget, Dienes, and Bruner who all strongly support the use of physical manipulatives. Another key point from the article was that there are also studies that do not support the use of manipulatives due to various reasons. The most interesting point to me is that some students are not making connections between multiple representations. Nevertheless, some students have too much fun with the manipulative presented and it is mistaken as a toy rather than a beneficial

Open Document