Manipulative Dos and Don’ts: Troubleshooting Some Predictable Problem
Sarah Picard
Although I did several things at the beginning of the year to
set up my classroom for independence in the math workshop, we
(the students and I) still ran into some problems with the manipulatives.
One thing that helped all of us was a list of “Dos and
Don’ts for Math Tools.” You may have some unique situations
in your classroom, but by the end of the first week, my students
and I always created a list and posted it in the math area. Each
year the list changed a bit based on the students, but it often
contained some of the items below.
Manipultive Dos:
DO…
- Take tools from the shelves when you need them to help you
solve a probelm.
- Return tools to the shelves where you got them when you are
finished.
- Share tools with the other children sitting near you.
- Give yourself enough space to work with your tools.
Manipulative Don’ts:
DON’T…
- Put tools in your mouth.
- Put tools where little brothers or sisters could put them
in their mouth.
- Hide the tools (in your shoes, in
closets, under shelves, etc).
- Throw the tools.
- Grab at the tool baskets. There are plenty of tools for everyone.
Troubleshooting some organizational problems can often be accomplished
by assigning one or two children as math center helpers. Each
day right after they unpack in the morning, the assignees visit
the math center and make sure all the tools are in the correct
baskets and all the baskets are on the correct shelves.
I’ve found these dos and don’ts to be an effective
tool for managing manipulatives in my classroom. I hope you find
them useful as well. |