Mastering Math Manipulatives, Grades 4-8
Hands-On and Virtual Activities for Building and Connecting Mathematical Ideas
- Sara Delano Moore - Mathematics Consultant
- Kimberly Rimbey
Burst: 70+ Activities!
Corwin Mathematics Series
Would you like to bring math learning to life and make it more concrete, relevant, and accessible to your students? Do you wish you could do more with the manipulatives buried in your supply closet? Do you want to more effectively use virtual manipulatives in your distance learning? Whether physical or virtual, commercial or home-made, manipulatives are a powerful learning tool to help students discover and represent mathematical concepts.
Mastering Math Manipulatives includes everything you need to integrate math manipulatives—both concrete and virtual—into math learning. Each chapter of this richly illustrated, easy-to-use guide focuses on a different powerful tool, such as base ten blocks, fraction manipulatives, unit squares and cubes, Cuisenaire Rods, Algebra tiles and two-color counters, geometric strips and solids, geoboards, and others, and includes a set of activities that demonstrate the many ways teachers can leverage manipulatives to model and reinforce math concepts for all learners. It features:
- Classroom strategies for introducing math manipulatives, including commercial, virtual, and hand-made manipulatives, into formal math instruction.
- Step-by-step instructions for over 70 activities that work with any curriculum, including four-color photos, printable work mats, and demonstration videos.
- Handy charts that sort activities by manipulative type, math topic, domains aligned with standards, and grade-level appropriateness.
It's time to dive in and join in the journey toward making manipulatives meaningful so math learning is concrete, profound, and effective for your students!
"We educators spend a great deal of time researching, exploring, and consolidating all the elements that combine to support students as they develop and connect mathematical understandings. It is very exciting to have this uniquely comprehensive resource that unites what is critical and necessary for rich and engaging mathematics instruction, explicitly connecting the research base and mathematics concepts and processes with essential math manipulatives. Distinct and detailed visuals and clearly articulated activities are presented in a consistent format that is accessible to new and experienced teachers."
"Mastering Math Manipulatives is the perfect support to help teachers move beyond using manipulatives for play during recess. This book provides additional ideas and strategies for supporting students who are struggling by helping them learn and grow mathematically. The practical examples included in the book are helpful for pre-service teachers as well."
"Hands-on strategies are essential for student learning, and often natural for teachers in other contents. However, when it comes to math, the connection of hands-on tools to content and activity often seems fuzzy at best. There is finally the resource to connect the tool, the task, and the conceptual understanding together! These manipulatives-based activities provide the foundation for understanding that is essential for mathematics to make sense instead of being memorized. This book is a must for every teacher of mathematics!"
"This book is a great resource for assisting educators in teaching mathematics for understanding. It offers preservice teachers a foundation for their future teaching by giving them opportunities to learn math concepts more deeply and conceptually by using physical (or virtual) manipulatives. In-service teachers will find this book a valuable resource to enhance their mathematics curriculum. I applaud the authors for addressing issues of access to manipulatives (physical and virtual) as well as providing helping parents and caregivers understand the importance of manipulatives and how they can assist their children at home."
