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Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
— Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist
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Chapter 4

Selecting Appropriate Instructional Materials for Teaching

Mathematics

Introduction

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 manipulative 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.
Many researchers and teachers believe these hands-on objects can help students learn
mathematics concepts (Van de Walle, 2007). Thus, teachers must be able to learn to
use and design manipulative that support mathematics curriculum practices.
This chapter presents a variety of ways of using manipulative in the classroom to make
learning more meaningful and enjoyable for math learners.

Learning Outcome
At the end of the chapter, learners are expected to identify instructional
materials appropriate for the given mathematics objectives and construct
instructional materials to be used in teaching mathematics.

The Use of Manipulative 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 manipulate 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

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Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
— Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist
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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 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 – term retention of math. Research indicates that using manipulatives helps
improve the environment in math classrooms (Cain – Caston’s, 1996). 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.
Kenneth Chang (2008) examined the work of research scientist Jennifer Kaminski and
he found that children better understand math when they use concrete examples.
Furthermore, research also indicates that 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 (Seefeldt &
Wasik, 2006). Teachers could use counters, place – value mats, base – ten blocks, and
fraction strips while teaching from the numbers and operations standard. The numbers

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Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
— Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist
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of ways that manipulatives can be used are limitless. Table 3.1 shows some examples
on when to use manipulatives in teaching math concepts.

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 strips/pieces To add and subtract fractions or to show equivalent
fractions
To represent different fractional concepts and
relationships
Pattern blocks, attribute To assist learners in learning basic algebra
blocks, geometric shapes of To assist learners in classifying and patterning tasks
different colors, sizes, and
scales
Base ten blocks To represent and perform operations on multi digit
numbers, such as 352 + 461
Geoboards To identify simple geometric shapes
Geometric solid models To learn about spatial reasoning
Standard and non – To represent length or volume in measurement
standards rulers and lessons
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 dice To find the probability of rolling a certain number or
combination of numbers

In reality, some teachers purchase math manipulatives from educational stores.

Others make 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:

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Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
— Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist
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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.

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 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 me the child fractions in simple
terms. There are many such stories which can be made part of the teaching session.

Using Manipulatives to Teach Basic Math Concepts

Below are some simple ways in using math manipulatives for each
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 how to 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 ½. Fold it in half again. Write ¼. Continue the process to
create smaller fractions. Unfold the paper and trace lines where there
are folds in the paper.

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Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
— Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist
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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 (Smith, 2009). The complexity of the
materials provided will increase as children’s thinking and understanding
of mathematical concepts increase ( Seefeldt & Wasik, 2006). They also
suggest that 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 of ways to solve
problems.

Let’s Apply!

Name:______________________________ Date:__________________

1.Identify at least ten(10) math learning activities and opposite each write that
appropriate kinds of manipulatives.

Learning Activities Manipulatives

2. What benefits do learners gain from using manipulatives in teaching math

concepts? List down your answers.
_______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
— Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist
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ASSESS

Name:__________________________________ Date:________________

A. Using the K to 12 Mathematics Curriculum, choose five (5) learning objectives

from different learning strands. Identify the instructional materials or
manipulatives appropriate for the chosen skill/concept. Use the template
below.
Learning Objectives Appropriate Instructional Reason why it is
Materials/manipulatives appropriate to use

B. Create (5) samples of concrete materials to be used in classroom for more

engaging meaningful and easy understanding of mathematical concepts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfHXCQcm_kA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t16Tiu13-3g

Reference:
https://www.hand2mind.com/resources/glossary-of-hands-on-
manipulativesManipulatives provide concrete ways for students to bring meaning to
abstract mathematical ideas.

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Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.
— Albert Einstein, German theoretical physicist