Plan

Develop a plan for intentionally incorporating a math manipulative into a lesson based on the instructional purpose.

Using manipulatives purposefully starts with the lesson, not the manipulative. A manipulative should be included because it helps students understand or represent the mathematical concept being taught, not simply because the materials are available.

Since you already plan lessons, the goal is not to add another planning process. Instead, consider a few questions when deciding whether and how a manipulative should be incorporated into the lesson.

Plan with Purpose

Example

• Lesson: Students are learning to add fractions with unlike denominators.

• Purpose: Use fraction tiles to help students see why equivalent fractions are needed before the fractions can be combined.

• Placement: Students use the fraction tiles after the problem is introduced and before solving it with an abstract algorithm.

• Outcome: Students should be able to explain that fractions need equivalent-sized parts before they can be added.

In this example, the teacher is not using fraction tiles simply because they are available. The manipulative has a specific purpose, is intentionally placed within the lesson, and supports what students are expected to understand.