Simply Manipulatives

THOUGHT

Manipulatives can be brought into the classroom to improve student learning.

REFLECTION #1

BUT... manipulatives have to be taught properly in order for students to understand what they mean and how they work. For example, with pattern blocks, a red block can equal a half of a yellow block, but it is more complicating to say that one yellow block represents half of two yellow blocks.

REFLECTION #2

Albert Einstein is quoted for saying: “If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.” If the teacher does cannot teach students, in a simple way, how to solve more complex ideas with the blocks, such as how to multiply and divide with them, then it is best for the teacher to first understand this. If it cannot be taught simply, a lot of confusion will result from the attempts at explaining what the teacher may not fully understand themselves.

“If you can't explain it simply,
you don't understand it well enough.”
-- Albert Einstein

Luckily, there are many resources available online to help educators understand and implement manipulatives into their lessons, which can be found through a simple Google search.