: Manipulatives On The Brain. Look in any early years classroom and you’ll see a wealth of manipulatives in every lesson… …but as we move up through the school we often see them used less and less.

Look in any early years classroom and you’ll see a wealth of manipulatives in every lesson, but as we move up through the school we often see them used less and less.

However, when considering the evidence, it’s important to look at how manipulatives can be used to develop our pupils’ understanding beyond EYFS and ask ourselves- what does effective use of manipulatives look like and how does it support our children?

Manipulatives provide a concrete representation of abstract mathematical concepts. For instance, using blocks to represent numbers or geometric shapes helps learners grasp these concepts before transitioning to abstract symbols or equations. This process aligns with cognitive science theories, suggesting that learners build understanding by starting with concrete experiences before moving to abstract reasoning.

Manipulatives engage learners’ bodies in the learning process. By physically manipulating objects such as counters, blocks, or shapes, learners create a sensory-rich learning environment. This hands-on experience strengthens neural connections and aids in memory retention.

Although manipulatives are fantastic supporting resources, the EEF recommend that

that there is a clear rationale for using a particular manipulative or representation to teach a specific mathematical concept. Manipulatives should be used to provide insights into increasingly sophisticated mathematics. You can read more here.

Manipulatives engage multiple senses simultaneously, including sight, touch, and sometimes even hearing. This multi-sensory approach enriches the learning experience and accommodates diverse learning styles. Research suggests that engaging multiple senses enhances learning and memory retention by providing varied pathways for information processing; however the EEF states that educators need to enable pupils to understand the links between the manipulatives and the mathematical ideas they represent. This requires teachers to encourage pupils to make links, appreciate limitations of manipulatives and develop related representations. At Front Lawn we do this by exposing children to a variety of resources from entry, giving them opportunities to familiarise themselves with a range – through play based learning and then interleaving these into maths lessons and allowing the children to develop links between the maths and the manipulatives.

The EEF Cognitive Science review highlights the importance of scaffolding, with manipulatives being a prime resource for this, however, we should try to avoid pupils becoming over reliant. Before using a manipulative to scaffold, it is important to consider how it can enable pupils to eventually do the maths without it. The decision to then remove a manipulative should be made in response to the pupils’ improved knowledge and understanding, not their age. At Front Lawn you will find manipulatives in every classroom from Early Years to Year 6. They are used to support understanding but also to deepen the understanding through proving a problem and making links.

In conclusion, integrating manipulatives into mathematics not only enhances conceptual understanding but also aligns with fundamental principles of cognitive science. By leveraging the tangible and interactive nature of manipulatives, educators can create rich learning experiences that cater to diverse learners and promote deep mathematical understanding.