A 2015 study* confirmed that hands-on science and math manipulatives are highly effective in helping students learn the material. Furthermore, math manipulatives can be used before a student is formally introduced to the concepts in school.
We have a child with dyscalculia, so math manipulatives are near and dear to us. The issue, especially for people with dyscalculia, is that math is a subject that is sometimes taught (erroneously) as an abstract subject involving lots of memorization and a genius-level IQ to ever understand.
When it is taught correctly, math becomes real and tangible. Students start to see math and numbers in the world around them and it starts to make sense to them.
That’s why I advocate hands-on math as much as possible. You can do that by choosing a hands-on curriculum and/or supplementing with math manipulatives.
Math manipulatives are anything that students can touch, handle, and manipulate in order to gain a better understanding of math and numbers. This can be done with traditional objects, real-world opportunities, games, and even apps. You can even use beans or pennies as math manipulatives to teach counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
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Math Manipulatives
Dice
Dominoes
Geoboards – this was our #1 math manipulative. We had several of them and lots of rubber bands. They would get very artistic with them, and we hated undoing their creations. So, we had 6 of these. My kids used these just for fun.
Montessori Wooden Geoboards
Montessori 100 Wooden Board
Base 10 blocks
Candy or beans as counters or when teaching addition, subtraction, multipication, division
Unifix Cubes
Cash register and money – We still have ours years later. It was helpful for teaching money-related math skills to a child with dyscalculia.
Counting Bears
Pattern Blocks
Amazing Math Book
Fraction Tiles
Algebra Tiles
Folding Geometric Shapes
Online virtual math manipulatives from Didax
Download our FREE Winter Pattern Blocks printable pack
with 24 pages of challenges. You will be added to our email community.
Real-World Math
Teaching math while cooking (volume printable)
Money
Budgeting
Measuring Cups
Distance traveled in a car
Calories consumed or burned
Distance walked or distance traveled on a bike ride
Estimating the time it will take to get from one place to another when running errands, then calculating estimated time vs. actual time
Calculating sale prices when the sale is a percentage off
Using a food scale to measure out portions
Adding food prices in the store
Calculating the miles per gallon used by the family car
Counting road signs
Comparison shopping
Sports scores
Math Games
Think Fun Math Dice
Yahtzee
Monopoly
Smath
Game of Life
Sudoku
Rummikub
Multiplication Bingo
Games for younger grades
Multiplication Zoom
Sum Swamp basic skills game
Multiplication and Division Bingo
More advanced games to help with logic
SET – a favorite for us!
Phase 10 – another favorite for us
Other Resources
Even more resources listed on The Homeschool Scientist
Space-themed Math Printables
Resource for Teaching Logic
Math board on TheHomeschoolScientist’s Pinterest
Free Angles Worksheets
Request our free printable to help students understand and visualize angles. There are two levels included for younger and older students. When you request the printable, you will be added to our email list. We don’t like getting inundated with emails, so we will not overfill your inbox, and we will share quality resources.
Math Apps
SplashLearn: Kids Math & Reading free, available in the Play Store
Moose Math free, available in the Apple Store
Moose Math free, available in the Play Store
Prodigy Math (grades 1-8) free, available in the Apple Store
Prodigy Math (grades 1-8) free, available in the Play Store
Tiggly Chef Math (preschool-K), free available in the Apple Store
Operation Math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division skills practice) in the Apple Store
Operation Math in the Play Store
Dragon Box Algebra paid, available in the Play Store
Chicken Coop Fractions free, available in the Apple Store
Geoboard App free, available in the Apple Store
Manipulatives app free, available in the Apple Store
Khan Academy Kids App free, available in the Apple Store
Khan Academy Kids App free, available in the Play Store
Khan Academy App free available in the Apple Store
Khan Academy App free, available in the Play Store