Module 1.

Lesson 3 Selecting Appropriate Instructional Materials for Teaching Mathematics

Overview
Selection of appropriate instructional tools can be an essential part of the mathematics
curriculum to reinforce problem solving and empower learners in the classroom. Successful teaching
can be achieved if instructional materials were selected or created and used properly in various
learning activities.

As early as kindergarten, classroom teachers employ manipulatives extensively in teaching

mathematics. This is particularly more necessary, since the way of teaching mathematics at the
primary level sets the foundation for developing a deeper engagement of children with mathematics
even at the later stages of higher education. Thus, teachers must be able to learn to use and design
manipulatives that support mathematics curriculum practices.

This chapter presents a variety of ways of using manipulatives in the classroom to make learning
more meaningful and enjoyable for math learners.

ENGAGE
The Use of Manipulatives in Teaching Math
What are Manipulatives?
Manipulatives are tangible objects that learners in the elementary grades use to learn math,
reading, science or social studies (Araling Panlipunan) concepts. The term manipulative refers to the
learner's ability to physically touch or manípulate an item specially designed for teaching mathematics
concepts. Manipulatives are used to introduce, practice, or remediate a math concept. Young children
often enjoy using manipulatives because tangible objects make learning more engaging and feel like
playing a game. Thus, making math more fun for learners. Manipulatives can come in different forms.
Some examples of math manipulatives include blocks, tiles, puzzle pieces, playing cards and dice,

Why Use Manipulatives?

Mathematics educators and experts strongly recommend the use of manipulatives in teaching
math at all grade levels. The recommendation is supported by learning theory and educational
research in the classroom. The Philippine K to 12 Basic Education Program requires classroom
teachers to use manipulatives in mathematical instruction to develop concrete understanding of
abstract concepts and improve problem-solving skills.

During the early years of education, typically kindergarten through primary education, learners
need a combination of physical, visual and auditory stimulation while learning mathematics. To
meet the physical learning needs of learners, it is necessary for teachers to use a variety of materials
for children to manipulate during and after instruction. Manipulatives help learners construct
mathematical knowledge or complete simple math problems (eg, counting, adding and subtracting).
Educational research revealed that quality learning occurs when learners actively construct their
own mathematical understanding through the use of manipulatives. When learners manipulate objects,
they are taking the first steps toward understanding math processes and procedures. Manipulatives
help learners learn by allowing them to move from concrete experiences to abstract reasoning, The
effective use of manipulatives can help students connect ideas and integrate their knowledge so that
they gain a deep understanding of mathematical concepts.
Many studies also suggest that manipulatives improve children's long-term and short-termn
retention of math. When students work with manipulatives and then are given a chance
to reflect on their experiences, not only is mathematical learning enhanced, but math anxiety is also
greatly reduced. Children better understand math when they use concrete examples.
Using manipulatives is especially useful for teaching low-achievers, students with learning disabilities,
and English language learners.

How to Use Manipulatives

Manipulatives can be used in teaching a variety of math topics, particularly in problem solving
communicating, reasoning, connections, and estimation. Teachers could use counters, place-value mats,
base-ten blocks, and fraction strips while teaching from the numbers ana operations standard. The
numbers of ways that manipulatives can be used are limitless.

Uses of Some Math Manipulatives

Manipulatives Uses
Counters To teach one-on-one correspondence, ordinal numbers, and
basic addition and subtraction
Counting cubes To solve simple addition and subtraction equations
Fraction To add and subtract fractions or to show equivalent fractions
strips/pieces To represent different fractional concepts and relationships
Pattern blocks, To assist learners in learning basic algebra
attribute blocks To assist learners in classifying and patterning tasks
geometric shapes
of different colors,
sizes, and scales
Base ten blocks To represent and perform operations on multidigit numbers,
such as 352 + 461

Geoboards To identify simple geometric shapes

Geometric solid To learn about spatial reasoning

models
Standard and non- To represent length or volume in measurement lessons
standard rulers and
measuring cups
Tiles To calculate the area or perimeter of an object
Spinners To find the probability of landing on a designated area
Number cases or To find the probability of rolling a certain number or combination
dice of numbers

In reality, some teachers purchase math manipulatives from educational stores. Others maka
their own by collecting objects that are easy for children to handle, such as beans, buttons, bottle caps
or plastic straws. Teachers also use puppets during story telling related to math, flash cards to practice
spelling and sight words, letter tiles, and magnetic letters.

Manipulatives are usually very effective, but they're not the ultimate goal of math teaching,
It is not necessary for teachers to be dependent on manipulatives because they are not sufficient
to guarantee meaningful learning. They must be used in the context of educational tasks to actively
engage learners' thinking with teacher guidance. Manipulatives are something learners manipulate
with their hands to get a better grasp of something. But the ultimate goal is to learn to do math
without them.

Other Instructional Activities and Materials

Here are some activities which can be used by teachers to help children understand certain
concepts in mathematics:
1. Activities as part of stories Children love to listen to stories. Teaching them simple concepts
with the help of stories can help them remember well and also these become engraved in their
memory. For example: In a story while mentioning about a specific shape, ask the child to draw
the same in a piece of paper.
2. Associating math with things around us - We can see many places where math has been used.
From the grocery store near our home to the mall in our locality, there is math everywhere.
Helping children associate with the real life situation with mathematics can help them understand
the concept better. For example: Ask the child to make a list of things which he/she wants. Write
the price of the product and ask the child to .calculate the total. This will help the child learn
3 addition and subtraction easily. Move on to simple problems later on.
Concepts by stories There are many concepts which can be taught by simple stories. Do you
remember the story of the smart monkey, who was to solve the fight between two cats over a
piece of cake? The monkey kept dividing the cake in uneven sizes until there was none left in
hand. This can teach the child fractions in simple terms. There are many such stories which can
be made part of the teaching session.

EXPLORE
Using Manipulatives to Teach Basic Math Concepts

Below are some simple ways in using math manipulatives for teaching math concepts:

Sample Activity 1
Show to the children eight tiles on the red side. Ask a child to turn three tiles over to
the blue side and ask them how many red tiles are left. Then show them on the board now
o write 8-3 = 5.

In this activity, the use of two-colored tiles can help young children to easily understand the
concepts of adding and subtracting numbers.

Sample Activity 2
Show to the children a square piece of paper and fold it in half Write the fraction .
Fold it in half again. Write 4. Continue the process to create smaller fractions. Unfold the
paper and trace lines where there are folds in the paper.
What have you noticed in this example?
The folded paper becomes a model to learn about fractions as learners draw over the folds and fill in the
values.
A good manipulative bridges the gap between informal math and formal math. To accomplish
this objective, the manipulative must fit the developmental level of the child. The
complexity of the materials provided will increase as children's thinking and understanding of
mathematical concepts increase . Teachers must provide children with opportunities to work with
materials with open-ended objectives that have no specific preset goals. These opportunities allow the
children the chance to explore their own questions and generate a variety of answers or ways to solve
problems.