Math manipulatives that are made from inexpensive, common items help students understand basic mathematics concepts. Learning activities using Cheerios, jellybeans, and clay as teaching materials are suggested. (DF)

Forty seventh-grade students, grouped by ability and instructed by intermediate or maximal guidance with or without concrete aids, were given post and retention tests. Low-ability students using aids achieved higher than those taught without aids. Intermediate-guidance groups had higher mean transfer scores when using aids, with no differences…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of guided discovery and concrete materials on mathematics learning. From the seventh grade of one school, 40 students were selected who were at least one standard deviation above or below the mean on two mathematics achievement tests. Five high ability and five low ability were then…

Different regular-polygon-shaped candles wound with a sheet of paper are cut through obliquely. When the papers are unwound, unique patterns are revealed. Investigation of these patterns leads to the discovery of geometric concepts. (JP)

The purpose of this study was to compare instruction in multiplication and division by means of manipulative materials and pupil discovery to instruction using abstract and semi-concrete materials combined with teacher explanation and exposition. The effect of the two methods on pupils' attitude and achievement also was compared. Ten classrooms…

It is viewed understandable that many teachers consider fractions one of the most difficult mathematical topics to teach. School experiences need careful planning to include sequential activities which develop accurate concepts, and concepts are thought best developed by activities which move along the concrete-to-abstract continuum. (MP)

Discusses the ways in which young children's minds can be engaged through play with a variety of manipulative objects and experiential activities in the day care environment. Such engagement encourages children's thinking and increases awareness and understanding of the world. (NH)

Presents methods for teaching two mathematical concepts that utilize visualization. The first illustrates a visual approach to developing the formula for the sum of the terms of an arithmetic sequence. The second develops the relationship between the slopes of perpendicular lines by performing a rotation of the coordinate axes and examining the…

Five different triangle shapes cut from poster board or construction paper provide the springboard for student activities and discussions of a variety of geometric concepts from kindergarten to grade 8. (MP)

Describes teaching strategies in which children are encouraged to develop computational procedures that are meaningful to them. Authors state that classroom observation reveals most primary students to be capable of developing their own accurate solution procedures for multi-digit addition and subtraction as well as for simple multiplication and…

Presents a worksheet on graph paper that allows students to determine the perpendicular bisectors of given segments by folding the paper. Students then determine the slopes of the perpendicular bisectors and use inductive thinking to discover the relationship between the slopes of perpendicular lines. (MDH)

Describes two investigations suitable for grades seven and eight that explore the properties of the figure created when the midpoints of an equilateral triangle or square are joined. (MDH)