mommyto4QT Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 What are your must-have Math Manipulatives? We currently own a fake coin set, pattern blocks, Cuisinaire rods, and an abacus. I would like to purchase some others, though, since my soon to be 1st grader struggles with math without hands-on help. I've thought about something to help with fractions. What are the ones you can't live without? I have a 3rd grader, 1st, and K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 What are your must-have Math Manipulatives? We currently own a fake coin set, pattern blocks, Cuisinaire rods, and an abacus. I would like to purchase some others, though, since my soon to be 1st grader struggles with math without hands-on help. I've thought about something to help with fractions. What are the ones you can't live without? I have a 3rd grader, 1st, and K. The real question (for me anyway) is what math manipulatives CAN I live without. I am sort of addicted to all things hands -on math. I even hand make my own at times. For K I would say you have it covered with the c-rods. You may also want some Unifix cubes, attribute blocks, and some geometric solids. A bucket balance and a number balance are great. A base ten set to add to your c-rods. For fractions I like fraction tiles and I also like a fraction circle set. I've made my own out of card stock, it looks something like these. Also I use a variety of countables in the early grades. You can use toy cards, plastic bugs or dinos, ABC blocks, Legos, poker chips, popsicle sticks, and so on. I like to use different things so my kids don't always think math is done with c-rods. That puts it in the realm of math is all things, kwim? For your oldest you may like this. I made my own with pony beads and wire and a quilted mat. http://keithgeorgefa...iplication.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 To a Cuisenaire Rod set I would add a set of base-10 "flats" to serve as 100 values in normal use. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Check out Lakeshore Learning Center. They have some of the best hands-on stuff I have seen. (They have stores and a website.) My second favorite maker of manipulatives is Learning Resources. I love the Building Fractions Activities Center by Lakeshore. I love plastic square inch tiles and centimeter cubes. I love Feet by the Foot. Didax also carries some nifty manipulatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Way of My People Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 This might not be the sort of thing you're looking for, but my kids really benefit from using a 100 Chart. Ours is laminated so they can write on it with dry-erase markers. It really helps them see the patterns in numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 I second the bucket scale. It was really helpful for explaining the concept of greater than or less than or equals, and equations. I don't think it would have occurred to me to use one, but MEP uses pictures in some of their worksheets for Year 1 and it just seemed brilliantly obvious once I thought about it. MEP also uses dominoes for a bunch of problems throughout the book, and that's pretty clever too. They're useful for comparisons and various math games. The 100-bead abacus we got at Ikea has definitely had the most use of any math manipulative we've bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 We found the bucket scale useless. We had the one from Lakeshore and it just wouldn't do right. When the kids were little, we really enjoyed the pattern tiles. But since then, while we've had a lot of things - play money, bucket scale, geoboards, etc. etc. - none of them have seen any real use except the abacus and the C-rods with the base 10 flats and the cube. We could have even done without the cube, though it was neat for the kids to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 I have Cuisinaire rods, base 10 blocks, the Right Start abacus, Unifix cubes, bucket scale, toy cash register (usually use with real money), and I made fraction circles using paper plates. My son never needs the manipulatives to get things and my daughter hates them. I can't even get her to play with the Cuisinaire rods. She does fill the bucket scale buckets with Unifix cubes and pretend it's food that she's cooking. I'm still holding on to everything just in case she starts wanting to use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 We use unifix cubes often, base 10 blocks, counting chips, attribute bears, pattern blocks. We don't often use our bucket balance -- mostly for playing. I wish I'd bought a number balance instead... We rarely use the abacus; I'm not a big fan of c-rods ( :scared: ). Pretend money --> meh, I'd rather give my kid real coins. A fraction set is handy but easily made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ammv15 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Mcruffy sell their math manipulatives individually at Mcruffy.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtney_Ostaff Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I'm studying to be a teacher of the visually impaired, and as part of my course this summer, I'm learning how to use and teach the Cranmer abacus. I'm definitely going to teach my child how to use this wonderful tool! First, however, she needs to know her addition and subtraction facts, and we're working on those now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 What are your must-have Math Manipulatives? We currently own a fake coin set, pattern blocks, Cuisinaire rods, and an abacus. I would like to purchase some others, though, since my soon to be 1st grader struggles with math without hands-on help. I've thought about something to help with fractions. What are the ones you can't live without? I have a 3rd grader, 1st, and K. C-rods or base 10 blocks. Real money instead of fake coins. :-) Fraction "bars" of some kind. Also, measuring cups from the kitchen. FTR, R&S does a wonderful job of teaching fractions, applying them to money, time, measurements, and so on. I thought pattern blocks were fun to play with, but I wouldn't consider them a necessity. If you have c-rods or base 10 blocks, that should be more than enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASDAQ Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I used first grade to transition off of manipulatives. I think the flats are useful for hundreds and to go along with c-rods. I taught fractions without fraction tiles and I wouldn't redo that. I use some of those tiles that go red on one side and yellow on the other, but that's mostly early first grade and before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 My son LOVES math manipulatives. He fills the bucket scale with water and can stand at the sink measuring and balancing for an hour. He initially learned to add with the abacus and it got a ton of use until he memorized many of his addition/subtraction facts. Now he doesn't use it much but occasionally gets it out for fun. C-rods are used daily as we do Miquon math. I agree that the 100-flats are very useful. He uses the cash register and money very often in play. He uses both fraction circles and fraction towers. I have no idea what to instruct with geoboards, but they are in his math box and he gets them out almost every day to play with. We have several sets of tangrams -- used both to make tangram patterns as instructed, and to simply build random pictures. One of our most used math items is 4 decks of playing cards, each deck having a different back so they can be sorted back to the 4 sets easily. We play math games as a family and each person uses their own deck. I have several more manipulatives en route in my latest RR order: - a set of classroom dice (some have +-*/ operations listed, some are 10 or 12 sided, some have fractions) - hundred number chart and hundred number tiles - geometric solids - dry erase number lines - metric weights - transparent game spinner (to make our own games) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I use something similar to unifix cubes, a base ten set, a clock with moveable hands, coins (we just use normal money), my kids have had great fun with the balance we have, but could probably do without it. We also have a set of multi sided dice (up to 20 sided) which they have enjoyed, but again are not essential and pattern blocks and a 100 chart (just printed out). I have used the cubes as counters as well as like cuisenaire rods - I know the arguments about this and the idea that they should not be counting with the cuisenaire rods, but my DD has managed to figure it out both ways and cuisenaire rods while we have them have not worked for me as well. I pull them out if there is something very specific I think will be better taught with them. Math manipulatives can easily be made or you can use things around the house - some however are easier just to buy. I don't really feel that any concept in the elementary stages should be taught without manipulatives so I will make a fraction set or buy one when we get there though for now cutting sandwiches and pizza has worked for the basics. Decimals are easily taught in the shops with money - that is real world enough. We have more than I realised, but we have used the lot and got good use out of it - I guess it depends on your child and what works for them. My eldest is very hands on which is probably why. With the 2 year old I am using bottle cap numerals with duplo blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 RS abacus, dominoes, c-rods, and base 10 set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.