Math Manipulatives Every Elementary Classroom Needs

I receive so many questions from elementary teachers across the country (and world) about math manipulatives: Why should I be using math manipulatives in my classroom? Which math manipulatives do I need for my classroom? How do I organize and store all of these math manipulatives in my classroom? In this blog post, I answer all of these questions and much much more! We’ll dive into ALL things math manipulatives for first, second, third, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms (which will apply to special education and homeschool settings as well).

This blog post will…

explain what math manipulatives are and why they are important
suggest organization and storage ideas for math manipulatives
recommend where to purchase math manipulatives
provide tips for how to take care of them so they last a long time
highlight the best ones for teaching specific math concepts and skills

What are Math Manipulatives?

The definition or meaning of a math manipulative is an object that students can use (or manipulate) to better understand a math concept or skill, resulting in them developing a deep conceptual understanding of the content. This empowers students to learn foundational and complex concepts and skills through developmentally appropriate hands-on learning experiences.

Math manipulatives are often given to classroom teachers by their school district; however, this is not always the case. Sometimes teachers need to find, buy, make, or print their own math manipulatives to supplement what they are given. No matter the case, every elementary classroom must have an abundance of math manipulatives to support student learning.

What are the Different Types of Math Manipulatives?

There are a lot of different kinds of math manipulatives and they even come in many different formats. They each serve a very important purpose. Here are the 3 most popular formats:

Virtual: I often get asked the question, “What are virtual math manipulatives?” Virtual math manipulatives are online and can be accessed using a desktop computer, laptop, iPad, or interactive white board. These are sometimes offered through curriculum programs or for free online. These are a great option, but should be accompanied with ones students can manipulate and hold in their hands.
Printable: You can buy sets online and then print, cut, and assemble them. This is a cheap DIY option, but this homemade choice often needs to be replaced each year because of the usual wear and tear they get from being used.
Plastic or Foam: This option is more expensive, but it is incredibly important for students to have access to these. In addition, it is important for you to have your own set as well so that you can use them for modeling. It’s an extra cost, but I recommend splurging (hopefully with your school budget) and getting a magnetic set for yourself! They are great for being displayed and used on your white board in your whole group area.

Why are Math Manipulatives Important?

How do math manipulatives help elementary students? Why should I use math manipulatives in my classroom? Is it really that important? I get tons of questions like these. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of math manipulatives in elementary classrooms. The benefits are truly limitless! Most importantly, they help students visualize and understand important math concepts and skills, making learning developmentally appropriate and engaging.

You may have heard about the concrete, pictorial, and abstract approach. It’s the idea that students must first have a concrete understanding of a concept or skill, which they develop through the use of math manipulatives. For example, they work with base ten blocks to help them add two-digit numbers together. Next, they can move onto the pictorial stage. Using the same example, they would draw the base ten blocks on a piece of paper to help them add the numbers. Lastly, they move onto the abstract stage. Again, using the same example, they add the numbers together using the standard algorithm. If students do not become proficient in the concrete phase, which is where the use of math manipulatives comes in, then they are missing a large part of their learning. This further exemplifies why elementary students need to be using math manipulatives.

How Do I Organize and Store My Math Manipulatives?

I go into detail about how to organize math manipulatives in my guided math resource, but here are 3 things to consider when thinking about math manipulatives organization and storage:

Come up with an organization and storage system before you go back to school so 1) your students can learn the procedures and routines at the start of the school year and 2) you are focused on maintaining rather than try to come up with systems when you are in the midst of a busy school year.
Some math manipulatives need to be accessible year round, while others only need to be available part of the school year.
Storing math manipulatives in clear containers or labeling containers makes it easy for you and your students to find what you are looking for. I offer a set of math manipulative labels in my Classroom Organization Bundle.

Where Can I Buy Math Manipulatives?

Here’s where to buy math manipulatives:

Amazon
Lakeshore
Hand2Mind
EAI Education
Oriental Trading
Dollar Store
Target
Walmart

How Do I Clean My Math Manipulatives?

Here are 3 ideas for how to clean your math manipulatives:

Fill up your sink with water and dish soap and soak the math manipulatives in them.
Put the math manipulatives in a mesh laundry bag and put the bag in the dishwasher.
Ask for a parent volunteer to take them home and clean them.

What are the Best Math Manipulatives?

Below are the best elementary math manipulatives for teaching all of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth grade math concepts and skills outlined by the Common Core standards (but it applies to TEKS and other state standards as well for grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). They are not organized by grade level, but you can look at the concepts listed below to see which ones apply to your grade level (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th). It’s important to note that these math manipulatives apply to both general and special education students.

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

Addition and subtraction

Ten frame
Dominoes
Dice
Unifix cubes
Rekenrek
Base ten blocks
Two color counters
Dinosaur/bear/bug counters
Abacus

Even and odd

Two color counters
Dinosaur/bear/bug counters

Rows and columns

Dinosaur/bear/bug counters
Geoboards

Multiplication and division

Dice
Dinosaur/bear/bug counters

Patterns

Pattern blocks
Dinosaur/bear/bug counters
Two color counters
Unifix cubes

Number and Operations in Base Ten

Counting and skip counting

Counting bears
Counters
Unifix cubes

Place value

Base ten blocks (thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones)

Rounding

Slide-A-Round

Decimals

Decimal tiles
Base ten decimal frame

Number and Operations – Fractions

Fractions

Fraction bars
Fraction tiles
Fraction squares
Fraction circles
Unifix cubes

Measurement and Data

Length

Tape measurer
Ruler
Yard stick
Meter stick

Time

Clocks
Elapsed time ruler

Graphing

Cuisenaire rods
Geoboard

Money

U.S. coins
U.S. bills
Cash register

Volume

Geosolids
Five piece plastic liquid measurement set (gallon, half gallon, quart, pint, and cup)

Mass

Balance scale

Area and perimeter

Geoboards
1 inch tiles

Angles

Protractor
Angle circles
Anglegs
Geoboards

Geometry

2D shapes and 3D shapes

Geometric shapes
Pattern blocks
Geosolids

Rows and columns

Dinosaur/bear/bug counters

Lines

Geoboards
Ruler

Symmetry

Tangrams
Georeflector mirror
Geoboards

15 Math Manipulatives on a Budget

You might be thinking, “I understand how important it is for my students to be using math manipulatives, but my school doesn’t have room in the budget for adding more math manipulatives in my classroom.” Because of this common problem, I brainstormed a short list of math manipulatives you can access for free or at a low cost.