You guessed it...back for more! Two math blog posts in two days. Who am I?! This is truly math madness. But I did mention I would try to become more consistent with this! (alright, really I'm just playing catch up...woops!)
Now to get to the nitty gritty. Last week's math class before the start of reading week was rather insightful, but I would expect nothing less from Rebecca's class. She consistently offers teacher candidates the most helpful advice in order to guide us on our journey in the pre-service teacher education program and ease our minds about the difficulties. A main topic of discussion during this class was the use of manipulatives - often a necessary (and of course beneficial) addition to lessons in mathematics. Manipulatives can consist of anything from blocks, wheels, coins, lego, geoboards, counters, bead strings, cards, and measuring tapes. They typically aid a student's comprehension and are thus not a main source of learning, nor should they be. They simply add variety and depth in helping children connect mathematical theories to real-life examples. That is, forming a relationship between abstract and concrete notions.
What strategies can a teacher use to ensure students do not become dependent on manipulatives?
Well, for starters, I think a basic way to avoid dependence is to have manipulatives made available for only certain activities, and not the entire lesson. Have your students address a math problem first without the manipulative, and then introduce the manipulative if they are struggling to grasp the concept or to present a new challenge in solving the same question. Have them understand why the use of the adjunct is helpful, and not aimlessly use the items as "toys". Just as we wouldn't want our students to become dependent on using a calculator, we also wouldn't want them to become dependent on any manipulative of choice. They are used to support a child's learning experience, not as an isolated teaching technique, and therefore should not be treated as such. What if we rewarded our students to use manipulatives after demonstrating good behaviour? Perhaps we could associate it with a points-rewards system. This could get them excited and soon enhance their enjoyment around the subject. Or maybe we could even reserve our use of these tools for the end of the week, on a Friday. Whatever we decide, it is still important to realize the validity in having three-dimensional models that are visually stimulating for some learners. Manipulatives are definitely significant in having symbolic representations and promoting interaction within the classroom.
Now it's time for me to begin preparing my math activity presentation for next week!
See you all then, but until then,
Have a beaut-tea-ful evening and enjoy the rest of your reading week!
Miss Capano
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