How to Make Your Own Marcy Cook Math Tiles

The Manipulatives

• 1

  Open a new "Word" document. Click on the "Insert" tab and choose "Table."

  Scroll down and click on the "Insert Table" link. The "Insert Table" window will pop up.

• 2

  Go to "Table Size." Click the arrows until you reach "5" for columns and "2" for rows.

  Go to "Fixed Column Width" under "AutoFit Behavior." Click the arrows until you reach the value 1 inch (1"). Click "OK." You should have now two rows of five cells 1-inch wide or 10 1-inch squares.

• 3

  Click on the "Home" tab at the top of your document. Select all the cells on one row by clicking on the left side outside the row. Click on "Center Text" at the top of your document. Choose "Times New Roman" as your font, and "60" as your font size. Type the numbers 1 to 10, each number fitting one cell.

• 4

  Print the page on card stock and cut around the cells. Put the manipulative tiles in a resealable plastic storage bag.

The Cards

• 5

  Open a new Word document to make the cards. Click on the "Insert" tab and choose "Table." Scroll down and click on the "Insert Table" link.

• 6

  Go to "Table Size." Click the arrows until you reach "1" for both columns and rows.

  Go to "AutoFit Behavior," "Fixed Column Width." Click the arrows until you reach the value of 1 inch (1"). Click "OK." You should have now one 1-inch wide cell.

• 7

  Click "Home" at the top of your document. Select the cell by clicking on the left corner "+" sign. Choose "Times New Roman" as your font and "12" as your font size. Click inside the cell and press the "Enter" key four times. You should have now a 1-inch square.

• 8

  Click "Copy." Click somewhere else in your document. Click on the arrow underneath the "Paste" icon. Select "Paste Special," "Microsoft Office Word Document Object." Click "OK." You now have an image of your cell. You can copy it and move it anywhere you want without altering its dimensions.

• 9

  Select a few problems to solve, fewer than 10 to make a card. Make sure the answers will use up all the tiles and that you need to use each tile only once. Copy your 1-inch square nine times. Move your squares where you want the answers to be. Use big fonts.