Manipulative Activity

When using manipulatives in math education, it is important to hold all students accountable throughout the activity. I would manage this challenge by first posing a question in conjunction with the manipulative for the students to consider. Then I would circulate the classroom asking more questions as necessary to keep the students thinking mathematically. I might also have students record their thinking the way we did during our manipulative activity in ETE 339.

Another point to consider in math education is the concept of "hands-on, minds-on" learning. While hands-on activities successfully engages students and prevents them from disrupting the classroom flow, the hands-on activities should also engage the students cognitively. Not only should the students explore with manipulative materials, they should think about the mathematical processes involved with the manipulative.

Using manipulatives in math education can easily involve all five process standards. Students use manipulatives to create and explore a variety of representations of math concepts. Manipulatives enable students to connect math concepts between the five content areas, guiding them to understand that math is not a host of disjointed ideas, but a network of interconnecting ideas. Working with manipulative materials lends itself to students working in pairs or small groups, enabling communication about math concepts among the individuals in the group. Manipulatives serve as a tool for students to use when explaining math processes, and teachers can provide manipulatives for students to use when solving problems, as manipulatives often include generous opportunities for activating prior knowledge to form new knowledge.