Importance of Manipulative in Teaching Elementary Mathematics

Students can improve their mathematical thinking skills by using manipulatives. Stein and Bovalino (2001) claim that “Manipulatives can be useful tools for encouraging students to think and reason in new ways. Manipulatives like pattern blocks, tiles, and cubes can help kids acquire well-grounded, integrated understandings of mathematical topics by giving them concrete ways to compare and operate on quantities.”

Educators have discovered that long-term usage of manipulatives in mathematics result and  increase the following main categories (Heddens; Picciotto, 1998; Sebesta and Martin, 2004):

• Communicating mathematical thinking
• Explaining mathematical ideas and concepts
• Linking real-world issues to mathematical representation
• Working collaboratively
• Thinking divergently to solve problems in a variety of ways
• Using a variety of mathematical symbols to represent issues and solutions
• Giving presentations
• Taking ownership of their learning experiences

Develop confidence in their capacity to solve mathematical problems by developing their own techniques rather than relying on teacher advice. According to research, students who use manipulatives in specific mathematical topics are more likely to succeed than others [1].

Summary

According to research, using manipulatives to teach math can improve student learning. It holds true for students of all abilities and levels. It’s also true for almost every topic addressed in elementary school math classes. Incorporating manipulatives into mathematics lessons in meaningful ways helps students grasp concepts with greater ease, making teaching most effective [2].