: Making the most of manipulatives In this blog, Y4 teacher, Liam Mullick, explores the role of manipulatives in maths beyond Early Years and Key Stage 1.

The use of manipulatives is well documented in EYFS and Key Stage 1. You walk into a classroom and there is an abundance of mathematical resources. Numicon, counters, dienes, number lines and more can all be seen in the continuous provision, supporting children to access their maths learning. However, as you move up through the year groups, the resources (sometimes) seem to be used less frequently. Often, manipulatives find their way into cupboards or store rooms gathering dust. So, are manipulatives only useful in Key Stage 1 and EYFS, or should we dust off the number lines and hunt out the counters in Key Stage 2 too?

Why should we use manipulatives?
The role of manipulatives in maths is to act as a scaffold, allowing the children to access the mathematical thinking required for the lesson. This is done with the intention of reducing support and encouraging the children to independently achieve the desired outcome. There has been a large amount of research on this topic that indicate that resources have a positive impact mathematical learning. So, if the research suggests that manipulatives are a good thing, how do we best use them?

“My children are too old for manipulatives; they don’t engage with them”

In Key Stage 1, it easy to see the link between practical resources and mathematical concepts. Numicon is great for number bonds. 100s, 10s and 1s counters are great for place value and exchanging. As we move into KS2, the uses for manipulatives should also remain relevant. The EEF document ​‘Improving Mathematics in Key Stage 2 and 3’ highlights that manipulatives ​“should enable a pupils to understand mathematics by illuminating the underlying general relationship, not just getting them to the right answer”. I think this is the key factor when planning to use resources with older children. The role of the resource in Key Stage 2 is to help pupils find the links and common principles across maths, not to be the pathway to finding the right answer.

“There are too many resources for the children, it just confuses them.”

When used correctly, manipulatives can be a great help for children. Again, the EEF points out that there is a need ​“for using a particular manipulative or representation to teach a specific concept”. This needs to be thought out and planned to achieve the best outcome. Like most things, this doesn’t happen by chance. In a sea of resources and possible help, the right tool for the job can be hard to find and exposing children to too many options can create confusion and hinder learning. The role of the teacher is to find the best resource for each concept and this should be systematically applied across out school. A practical example of this is when teaching addition across school. In KS1, the use of Dienes Base 10 is great for children to understand the process of exchanging values and ​‘moving ten’, however in KS2, place value counters maybe better suited. This is because they scale to a higher value and can be used for decimals too.

In short, ​“Manipulatives can be used to support pupils of all ages ” and that the level of support should be reduced as the child’s knowledge and understanding improves. Like any scaffold, the purpose of manipulatives is to support learning until they are no longer needed, ensuring pupils develop independence. With a thought-out, school wide rationale, mathematical resources can allow our children to see the unseen in maths and make connections to help them deepen their understanding.