Mathematics and the Use of Manipulatives

Abstract

It is clear that manipulatives are especially helpful to enlighten students rather than as a support in math lessons. Manipulatives help students make mathematical connections to a concept they can physically explore. It also provides them the opportunity to engage in deeper sense making and build their problem-solving skills. While there is no relationship between the use of manipulatives and students’ math achievement, there is a positive relationship between manipulative use and students’ math learning (Uribe-Flórez & Wilkins, 2016).