Making Mathematics Straightforward

During Camp Summer Plus 2011, children were taught concepts such as shapes, fractions, addition, subtraction, and measurement. Teachers ensured that instruction used relevant experiences to make it easier for students to grasp the concepts. Therefore, creative classroom activities and “manipulatives” were used to make mathematics more true to life and less abstract.The usefulness of manipulativesManipulatives refer to items that aid the learning process by providing students with visible models that help them to solve problems and learn concepts. They help to capture the learner’s attention and make learning an enjoyable and memorable activity. However, as one Academic Leader points out, visual models should be used strategically to make sure children grasp the concepts without aids. Eventually, the children will become completely comfortable and will not need the manipulatives such as blocks to assist them.Learning shapes in novel waysTo teach the concept of shapes (squares, triangles, rectangles, and circles) practical activities that facilitated learning included:

• Having the children align their bodies to form the shape being discussed;
• Using match sticks to create shapes on paper; and
• Using tangram pieces to form a specific shap.

Hands-on approach to undertanding arithmeticUsing small blocks assisted the development of arithmetic skills. As the class examined a math problem, children used the blocks to help them find the correct answer.