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<DIV>I have found manipulatives extremely helpful not only in the basics like fractions but also in more advanced concepts. Today I was working with a class on signed numbers. I have the two-tone counting disk which I put on the tables. I showed the students how they could use them for adding and subtracting signed numbers. We did a few practices as a large group and then I gave them a work sheet with signed addition and subtraction problems to work. As they began to work the problems they initially relied heavily on the manipulatives. But as they progressed I could see that they were relying on the manipulatives less and less.</DIV>
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<DIV>As has been said on this list, it is the teachers attitude toward the manipulatives that affect how they are received by the students. If we treat the manipulative as just one more tool in our tool box then they are readily accepted by the students</DIV>
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<DIV>Melvin</DIV>
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<DIV>Melvin Rice</DIV>
<DIV>ABE Instructor</DIV>
<DIV>Kansas City Kansas Community College</DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:melvinr@kckcc.edu">melvinr@kckcc.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>>>> "Susan Kidd" <SKidd@sbctc.edu> 9/18/2007 4:31 PM >>><BR></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">Teachers who participate in my workshops, often express the belief that their students don’t/won’t like manipulatives because of the grade school connotations. When I place piles of floral marbles in different colors, some shiny, some opalescent, some matte, on the table, invariably they are greeted with “ohs! and ahs! Not to diminish the value of more standard, intentionally math related items, but teachers might benefit from using more found objects with adult appeal.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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