I have found manipulatives extremely helpful not only in the basics like
fractions but also in more advanced concepts. Today I was working with a
class on signed numbers. I have the two-tone counting disk which I put
on the tables. I showed the students how they could use them for adding
and subtracting signed numbers. We did a few practices as a large group
and then I gave them a work sheet with signed addition and subtraction
problems to work. As they began to work the problems they initially
relied heavily on the manipulatives. But as they progressed I could see
that they were relying on the manipulatives less and less.
 
As has been said on this list, it is the teachers attitude toward the
manipulatives that affect how they are received by the students. If we
treat the manipulative as just one more tool in our tool box then they
are readily accepted by the students
 
Melvin
 
Melvin Rice
ABE Instructor
Kansas City Kansas Community College
melvinr at kckcc.edu 



>>> "Susan Kidd" <SKidd at sbctc.edu> 9/18/2007 4:31 PM >>>


Teachers who participate in my workshops, often express the belief that
their students don’t/won’t like manipulatives because of the grade
school connotations. When I place piles of floral marbles in different
colors, some shiny, some opalescent, some matte, on the table,
invariably they are greeted with “ohs! and ahs!  Not to diminish the
value of more standard, intentionally math related items, but teachers
might benefit from using more found objects with adult appeal.
 
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