The Amazing Benefits of Manipulatives for Kids

When it comes to teaching kids hands-on is the way to go. They respond better to hand on learning experiences. Simply adding tactile tools can make learning basic math a breeze and it doesn’t end with math.

Even letters, reading and spelling can be taught better with hands on manipulatives. We have been enjoying the amazing benefits of manipulatives for kids.

Benefits of Manipulatives for kids

We fell in love with manth manipulatives while working with our older kids in preschool. numbers while they can be memorized are an abstract concept that can be hard for young minds to grasp and understand.

Build your child’s attention span

Hands-on active learning is easier for keeping the attention of children with attention span issues. This means it’s the perfect method for working with our preschoolers and our ADHD children. I am forever amazed at how much better the children learn when we get hands-on.

Better memory retention 

When you tell someone something they don’t often grasp it. A major advantage of using manipulatives for teaching kids is that they can experience learning hands-on rather than just listening to you explain how it is done. This is an amazing tool for math and spelling that every parent and educator should be taking advantage of.

Develop fine motor skills

Fine motor skills are essential to building hand-eye coordination to write and perform other small precise tasks. Using math manipulatives is a great way to work on building fine motor skills while they work on basic math skills.

Help make math relatable

Math is an abstract concept and it can be a real struggle for kids to learn to associate numbers with reality. When you use math manipulatives you take math off the paper and bring it to life so your child can make concrete connections to what numbers really mean.

Math Manipulatives to use with your child

Take your lessons outside

Using nature including flowers, leaves, sticks, and rocks is a great way to learn math in a fun and interactive way. This is by far one of the best options for math manipulaitves you can possibly use and they don’t cost a thing.

Geoboards

If you want a fun manth manipulative for teaching geomotry to your child that can also double as a fine mortor activity, as well as an addtion and subtraction tool you can not go wrong with a classic geoboard and some rubber bands.

Counting bears and scale

Counting bears are by far a favorite math manipulaitive for kids. Investing in a set that has a scale gives you the operutinity to use them for teaching balance, wight, volume, and other abstract concepts in a way that your students can grasp.

Counting Cubes

Counting cubes have alwyas been a favorite for kids. This is beacuse these simple cubes can be sued for solving all sorts of basic math problems from addtion and subtraction to multiplcation and devision.

Like with games that teach math counting cubes can be very entertaining for kids helping both with focus and tactile stimulation.