Warnings for Manipulative Use

Though the use of manipulatives is encouraged and the benefits are obvious, there are some concerns as concrete manipulatives cannot themselves guarantee meaningful learning. Students may learn to use manipulatives in a rote manner, learning the steps to use them but making no connections between the manipulatives themselves and mathematic concepts (Clements and McMillen, 1996). It is suggested that students cannot just engage with the manipulatives but that they must reflect on their learning and be able to connect the manipulative with the mathematical concept being addressed (Clements and McMillen, 1996).

When introducing and using manipulatives in the classroom, “teachers must take into account how children do (or do not) understand symbolic relations” (Uttal, Scudder & DeLoache, 1997, p. 39). If the student cannot see the relationship between the symbol and its representation of a mathematical idea, the manipulative is almost useless. One way to make the connection easier for students is to link together instruction and manipulative use from the onset, possibly decreasing confusion and increasing the chance the student will relate the manipulative to its referent (Uttal, Scudder & DeLoache, 1997). Also, the teacher may need to provide extensive instruction and practice for students before the use of manipulatives is used, explaining the idea that an object can represent an idea.

The form of the manipulative is also a concern for teachers. Some educators may use highly colorful and attractive manipulatives in the hopes they will engage students and hold their focus. However, the opposite effect may occur. Children are likely to “focus more on the manipulatives as objects per se rather than on the relation of the objects to a concept or an alternate form of expression” (Uttal, Scudder & DeLoache, 1997, p. 49). Aside from interesting objects, it is also suggested that you not use objects that children deeply care about. For example, if you were to use legos as counters, the student may focus on the lego as their play toy rather than on the lego as a tool for representation. Therefore, teachers may want to choose manipulatives that are used only for mathematics learning and that are not overly distracting or entertaining to students.