Are We Overemphasizing Manipulatives in the Primary Grades to the Detriment of Girls?

In keeping with the Equity Principle of the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 2000), educators must maintain high expectations for all children and continually examine their practices to ensure that all children learn mathematics with understanding. The instructional practice of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Teaching children mathematics 2002-09, Vol.9 (1), p.16-21
Main Author: Ambrose, Rebecca C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addition
Child development
Children
Children & youth
Concretes
Girls
Grade 1
Grade 2
Learning
Longitudinal Studies
Mathematical problems
Mathematics
Mathematics education
Mathematics teachers
Methods
Preschool Education
Primary Education
Problem solving
Study and teaching
Teaching Methods
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Summary:In keeping with the Equity Principle of the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 2000), educators must maintain high expectations for all children and continually examine their practices to ensure that all children learn mathematics with understanding. The instructional practice of using manipulatives for problem solving merits closer examination because it may send the wrong message to some children. Recent research indicates that some girls' understanding seems to be limited by their overreliance on manipulatives. Before presenting the research findings, I will outline the role of manipulatives in supporting the development of children's understanding, then examine how this promising practice can be detrimental when used too often.
ISSN:1073-5836
2327-0780
DOI:10.5951/TCM.9.1.0016