10 Amazing Examples of Math Manipulatives that Should be in Every Classroom

Math manipulatives come in so many shapes, sizes, and purposes that it's hard to decide which ones are really necessary. The truth is - you can almost never have too many.

Using manipulatives is one of the best ways for students to experience math in a concrete way. Rather than just listen to someone talk about math or watch someone demonstrate math, manipulatives help students gain a deep and personal understanding of math concepts through hands-on experience. This is so very important for younger children!

So what are some examples of math manipulatives that should be in every elementary classroom? Here's my top 10 list:

Examples of math manipulatives that belong in every classroom

BASE-TEN BLOCKS

You can teach kids standard algorithms all day long. But if they don't have a solid understanding of our base-ten number system, they really won't know what they're doing. A set of base-ten blocks with thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones really helps kids develop strong number sense. They also let you represent abstract concepts with concrete objects.

Place value blocks have so many uses in an elementary school classroom including:

• adding and subtracting

• regrouping

• counting and visualizing quantities

• understanding place value

• creating number patterns

• modeling word problems
  

I could go on and on. Base-ten blocks are one of my favorite math manipulatives because they are so versatile and can be used by students of all ages. When buying base-ten blocks, I suggest the hard plastic over foam. They are much more durable and can be stacked.

DRY ERASE NUMBER LINES

If I had to pick one manipulative to buy, this might be it. There are so many uses for dry-erase number lines - skip counting, addition, subtraction, elapsed time, fractions. Almost any topic in your math curriculum can be taught using number lines. They are fantastic for problem solving and are an easy way to create visual models of equations. I especially love how number lines let students see the distance between two quantities. Such an important concept!

You can find tons of free printable number lines online, but that uses up a lot of paper. Dry erase ones are well worth the one-time cost! You can get basic 0-20 number lines for younger elementary students (kindergarten to second grade) or ones that show both positive and negative integers for older students.

COLORED COUNTERS

Many primary classrooms have those cute little teddy bear counters. Those are great (and fun!), but what I'm talking about here are the red and yellow two-sided counters. These are so very useful at any grade level - from simple counting, to addition and subtraction, to learning about probability.

Need to make arrays? Get out the colored counters! Need to make ten partners? Colored counters! They are so versatile that you'll find yourself using them all the time. They even work great as game pieces and Bingo card markers. You can even get magnetic counters which make it so easy to model math problems during whole group instruction.

DICE

Dice are great for more than just playing games. You can have students roll two and multiply. Roll two (or three) and add. Roll two and subtract. You get the idea! Dice are also great for teaching probability and volume! If you teach kindergarten, try using them during your small group math lessons. Roll a pair of dice and see who can tell you the number shown first. Being able to recognize quantities in different ways and various arrangements (subitizing) is an important skill.

PLAYING CARDS

You would be surprised at how many ways you can use a deck of cards in the classroom! One of my favorite games when I taught kindergarten and first grade was the tens game. To play, remove all of the face cards from the deck. Keep only the ace through nines. Pass them out, one to each student. When you say GO, students try to find a partner they can make a ten with as quickly as possible. It was super simple and short, but the kids loved it!

Playing cards are also great for:

• sequencing

• addition

• subtraction

• building large numbers

• number concepts like part-part-whole or missing number
  

Here's a fun guessing game you can play to build number sense in young children (K to 2) - Pull two number cards from the deck. Show one to the class and hide the other behind your back. Tell them what your total is (the total value of the two cards). See how quickly they can figure out the secret hidden number. This game builds a strong conceptual understanding of numbers that is needed for mental math.

If you teach older students, try laying out a line of cards. Have them place commas in the right spots and figure out what the number is.

You might end up using cards so much that you'll want to get a class set.

GEOMETRIC SOLIDS

Understanding geometric shapes is one of those things that takes a lot of spatial reasoning. It can be very abstract without having concrete manipulatives to hold, turn, and look at from different angles.

Geometric solids can be purchased in solid wood, foam, or plastic. Some of the plastic ones are transparent to give students a more detailed view of angles and edges. No matter what type you get, having a set of solid shapes for your students to use will really help them develop a better understanding of shapes and their properties.

WHITEBOARDS

If there was an award for the most useful classroom supply, I think it would go to the whiteboard! If you want to save paper, you'll definitely want a class set of these. I let my students use whiteboards all day long. In math, they use them to work out problems, draw models, keep score, check each other's work, and to show me their answers during whole group. I also have them bring their whiteboards to my table (or the floor) for guided math groups.

A cheap way to get whiteboards for your classroom is to buy shower board at your local hardware store. These usually come in a big 8' sheet. The store will USUALLY cut it for you into smaller boards. Just tell them you're a teacher and you really need it for your students. I think I paid about $15 for a board at Home Depot and that was all I needed. These homemade white boards will last a long time and they are easy to replace when they get worn out. For erasers, you can use old socks!

HUNDRED CHARTS

Hundred charts are another item I use all time. You can certainly save some money by printing these yourself. (Grab one for free HERE!)

I like to print them on card stock and then laminate, so the kids can write on them with dry erase marker.

Hundred charts are great for teaching number patterns, skip counting, and as an aid for addition and subtraction. If you teach in the

primary grades, this is a definite must-have!

unifix cubes or SNAP CUBES

Snap cubes are those colored plastic blocks that can be connected together. They are just the right size for little hands and they just look like fun! Snap cubes are great for learning to count, add, and subtract. But my favorite use is for teaching measurement. They are fantastic for measuring in non-standard units! Or if you are teaching standard measurement, students can snap together different lengths of cubes and then get out the ruler to see how long they are. This eliminates having to find a bunch of everyday items to measure.

FRACTION TILES

The last manipulative to round out my list of essential math manipulatives is a set of fraction tiles. These are pretty specific to grades that teach fractions but if that's you, you need these! Fractions, especially equivalent ones, can be hard to teach without some hands-on practice. Understanding parts of a whole and how they compare becomes so much easier when you have a concrete model to look at. Most children don't have the ability to accurately draw fraction models or fractions on a number line. This becomes a real problem when they are learning to compare fractions. That's where fraction tiles really make a difference.

So that's my list! Now you're ready to arm your students with the tools they need for math success!

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A hundred chart is a valuable tool for teaching math in the primary grades!

Get yours for FREE!

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