ABSTRACT

It is important that students act out problems, model them with concrete materials, draw them and make diagrams. Students should be acting out problems with a variety of concrete manipulatives. Manipulatives are important when it comes to problem solving. J. Van de Walle says that they are "thinking tools". Place value blocks should be used frequently so that students understand the structure of numbers. The Rekenrek is a great tool for teaching a variety of strategies. The Rekenrek is often neglected in the older grades, but it is a great tool to use for both multiplication and division as well as multiplicative comparison problems. It is important that students can experience measurement problems rather than just imagine them. The open number line gives students a model for representing their thinking. It requires that they be actively engaged in their explanations.