The Ohio Standards for Mathematics are designed to support student understandings of the mathematical concepts in each grade level. As students experience Mathematics in each grade, new concepts are built upon previous understandings and experiences. In the elementary years, students are experiencing and building an understanding of how numbers and shapes work together which then begins to develop procedural processes. Thus, making the "why" in learning mathematics just as important as the "how." Students are working to make sense of the numbers and reasoning in mathematics while at the same time focusing on accuracy and efficiency in solving problems.

Manipulatives, or Math Tools, are utilized in the classroom to provide students with a hands on visual of the mathematics. These tools help students make sense of, communicate and solve various problems. It is important that tools are available to students as they begin to conceptualize mathematical ideas. Tools are a crucial piece of mathematical development.