Managing Manipulatives

Teaching with math manipulatives can be difficult to manage in a classroom. The following suggestions will help you overcome difficulties and make manipulatives more manageable.

Storage

• Store manipulatives in a separate bag/envelope for individual use. Label each student’s bag/envelope with his name and initial the pieces inside.
• Use containers that provide protection and are easy to distribute: resealable plastic bags of varying sizes, letter-size envelopes, shoeboxes, paper cups, plastic containers with lids, or plastic baskets.
• Keep a "spare part" basket to save frustration and teaching time.

Distribution

• Use student helpers to distribute manipulatives by rows.
• Have students pass a basket to each other and take out their own manipulatives.
• Direct students to come to a table to pick up their own manipulatives.
• Assign one person from each group to pick up manipulatives for his group.
  Allow students to keep manipulatives at their desks.

Noise Control

• Use construction-paper workmats to decrease the noise.
• Establish the difference between working noise and disruptive noise.

Taken from Math K5–Grade 6

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Reprinted from Teacher to Teacher.

Used with permission from BJU Press. For permission to reproduce this article, please write BJU Press.