From: Tim G. (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: May 07, 2001 at 15:57:19
Subject: Re: Manipulatives

Samantha,

You did not give us much in the way of background, so I will try and answer
the best that I can. No, manipulatives are not appropriate for every math
lesson. What they are appropriate for is the introduction of concepts,
especially more abstract concepts. The manipulatives can be very helpful for
students who need a concrete representation of an abstract idea. I use they
quite a bit when I am introducing division to my students, as well as
fractions. These tend to be tougher concepts for fifth graders and by using
the manipulatives, they are better able to gain a solid understanding of what
the concepts are before going to the algorithm.

Hope this helps.


 -Tim G., for the T2T service

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