The use of manipulatives (i.e., concrete objects) help students develop conceptual understanding of math content. Utilizing manipulatives also accommodates students’ different learning styles and increases critical thinking skills. It is imperative that students use manipulatives strategically within the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (C-R-A) sequence. This sequence allows students to receive differentiated math instruction, while learning concrete, representational, and abstract strategies.

Students with learning disabilities sometimes have difficulty knowing which strategy to use, when to use it, and how to use it. This metacognitive strategy will help students monitor their understanding of a math problem. Using the C-R-A sequence, students will determine which approach they need to take to solve the problem accurately.

Manipulatives should be visible and accessible to students at all times. Students need to be able to locate materials in a classroom and easily access them. To promote generalization, a C-R-A visual can be placed at centers. On the visual can be examples of concrete, representational, and abstract strategies, accompanied by pictures of common conventional and non-conventional tools. This will help students use strategies even if they do not have access to standards-based manipulatives.