Manipulative Blog

Upon completion of our in class blog work, I was immediately struck with a few lasting thoughts and ideas. First off, I understood completely why we were asked to complete this rather basic investigation so late in the semester. Because, manipulatives and their use are such an important part of creating a successful math learning environment. They can help make math both fun and easier to understand for students, therefore, it is very important that we as future educators understand how to truly utilize them in a classroom. This is why we have waited until the end of the semester, as we are now much more knowledgeable on the content and process standards, etc.

To discuss the actual manipulatives, as I mentioned in class, the two that I were most struck with, were the unifix cubes and the pattern blocks. As Dr. Grant has mentioned before and mentioned multiple times on Tuesday, pattern blocks are essentially the universal manipulative. Meaning, they can be used to teach multiple concepts and grade levels. They are a very basic and effective teaching tool, and I would be sure that I had them in my classroom.

The other manipulative that I was particularly impressed with was the unifix cubes. I can relate back and remember using them in middle school classrooms in my own early education, and they seemed to make a difference. They allow students to explore a wide array of concepts (not quite as wide as the pattern blocks), such as percentages, surface area, ratios, etc. They are simple and soft (meaning students cannot get hurt/hurt other using them) and students can have fun using them.