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What Common Types of Manipulatives Can You Find in Classroom?

Many math teachers, particularly in elementary schools, rely heavily on math manipulatives to aid in teaching basic math principles. Manipulatives are tangible teaching aids that help students better understand math concepts. Typical manipulatives include colorful block shapes and counting beads. According to International Children's Education, or iCHED, these visual, interactive aids are the best tools to help children understand math concepts. Some of the most common math manipulatives found in classrooms help teach basic math concepts, such as addition and subtraction, place value and how to tell time.
  1. Counting Manipulatives

    • Counting manipulatives help children better understand the concept of counting and numbers. Typically, you will find a jar of a specific object such as colorful plastic animals, plastic chips, blocks and other small objects in an elementary classroom to teach counting. However, you can use almost anything as a counting manipulative, including candy pieces, which are popular for counting. These manipulatives are also used to teach basic math, such as addition and subtraction.

    Attribute Blocks

    • Attribute-block manipulatives help teach a variety of facts and skills, including colors, shapes and critical thinking skills. A set of attribute blocks will typically have wooden blocks painted different colors in different sizes and shapes, such as triangles, squares, rectangles and circles. Activities include having children identify the color and shape of the blocks, or placing three shapes before the child, two of the same shape or color, and asking the child to determine which one is different.

    Interlocking Blocks and Rods

    • Several types of small blocks that connect to form rods are commonly found in elementary school classrooms to teach place value and other basic math skills. In terms of place value, the individual blocks represent ones, and 10 blocks make a rod, which represents 10, and a group of ten rods represents 100. Children are better able to understand the place value when they can visualize it using these blocks. You can use them for basic math, fractions, sorting and counting.

    Money Manipulatives

    • Many elementary school classrooms have a mini clock with hands that the children can move to help them learn time. Being able to see the "big hand" and "small hand" up close and moving them to change the time gives the children a better understanding of the concept of time. To teach children how to count money, plastic replicas of real money are typically used. Although you could easily use real money, you don't have to worry about losing the plastic money. One way teachers use plastic money with young children is to have the children play grocery store with a toy stand and plastic groceries, taking turns being the cashier.

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