Manipulative Mountains
What are manipulatives?
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for
Interactive Mathematics
http://matti.usu.edu/nlvm/nav/vlibrary.html
This is a NSF supported project that began in 1999 to
develop a library of uniquely interactive, web-based virtual manipulatives or concept tutorials, mostly in the form of
Java applets, for mathematics instruction (K-12 emphasis).
Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2001/6/01.06.12.x.html
Experiential education is based on the idea that
active involvement enhances students' learning.
Applying this idea to mathematics is difficult, in part, because
mathematics is so 'abstract'. One way of
bringing experience to bear on students' mathematical understanding, however,
is the use of manipulatives. Manipulatives are small,
usually very ordinary objects that can be touched and moved by students to
introduce or reinforce a mathematical concept.
Manipulatives come in a variety of forms, from inexpensive, simple
buttons or empty spools of thread to tangrams and
pattern blocks. Typically, it has been
the primary grades' teachers who have generally accepted the importance of manipulatives.
Research indicates that manipulatives are
particularly useful in helping children transition from the concrete to the
abstract level. It is key for the teacher, however, to
select the appropriate activities/manipulatives to
support the transition. The transition
often reflects the developmental process. Further research, in a review of
activity-based mathematics learning, indicates that mathematics achievement
increased when manipulatives were used.
How to Make the Most of Math Manipulatives
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/burns.htm
You find them in classrooms across the
nation — buckets of pattern blocks; trays of tiles and cubes; and
collections of geoboards, tangrams,
counters, and spinners. They've been touted as a way to help students learn
math more easily. But many teachers still ask: Are manipulatives
a fad? How do I fit them into my instruction? How often should I use them? How
do I make sure students see them as learning tools, not toys? How can I
communicate their value to parents? Are they useful for upper-grade students,
too?
Instructional Materials: Manipulatives
http://www.tenet.edu/teks/math/resources/manip.html
The following list of manipulatives
is one suggested by the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics in their
Supporting Leaders in Mathematics Education: A Source Book of Essential
Information, 1994. Since this is a nationally created list, it may not meet
your needs, and manipulatives listed may no longer be
available. We suggest you use this list as a starting point but to not feel
bound by it in any way. There are so many options when ordering manipulatives. You may consider teacher input when ordering
as well as recommendations of the instructional materials and resources used in
the classrooms, including textbooks. For example, if the teachers are using
activities from the Investigation series, they need multi-link cubes.
Blackline Masters:
This site offers many blackline
masters that can be downloaded and printed.
The following are available:
Pattern Blocks, Attribute Shapes, Dot Cards, Five Frames, Ten Frame, Ten
Frames, Base Five Patterns, Base Ten Patterns (Decimal Patterns), Hundreds
Chart, Blank Hundreds Chart, Table for Addition or Multiplication, Centimeter
Grid Paper, Inch Grid Paper, Circular Fraction Patterns, Rectangular Fraction
Patterns, Fraction Strips, Dominoes, Geoboard Dot
Paper, Rectangular Dot Paper, Isometric Dot Paper, Triangular Dot Paper, Triangular
Grid Paper, Tangram Pattern, Regular Polyhedrons, Octahedron,
Tetrahedron, Cube, Regular Polyhedrons,
Icosahedron, Regular Polyhedrons, Dodecahedron, Algebra Blocks, Large
Coordinate Grid, Small Coordinate Grids, and Lesson Plan Outline.