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Manipulatives in the primary classroom
In this article for teachers, Jenni Back offers research-based guidance about the use of manipulatives in the classroom.
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Take some ... cubes
In this article we outline how cubes can support children in working mathematically and draw attention to tasks which exemplify this.
problem
Favourite
Chairs and tables
Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
Make a chair and table out of interlocking cubes, making sure that the chair fits under the table!
problem
Favourite
Even and odd
Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
This activity is best done with a whole class or in a large group. Can you match the cards? What happens when you add pairs of the numbers together?
problem
Three block towers
Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
Take three differently coloured blocks - maybe red, yellow and blue. Make a tower using one of each colour. How many different towers can you make?
problem
Favourite
Making sticks
Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
Kimie and Sebastian were making sticks from interlocking cubes and lining them up. Can they make their lines the same length? Can they make any other lines?
problem
Numbers as shapes
Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
Use cubes to continue making the numbers from 7 to 20. Are they sticks, rectangles or squares?
problem
Building with cubes
Age
5 to 7
Challenge level
Try to picture these buildings of cubes in your head. Can you make
them to check whether you had imagined them correctly?
problem
Favourite
Up and down staircases
Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
One block is needed to make an up-and-down staircase, with one step up and one step down. How many blocks would be needed to build an up-and-down staircase with 5 steps up and 5 steps down?
problem
Favourite
Brush loads
Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
How can you arrange the 5 cubes so that you need the smallest number of Brush Loads of paint to cover them? Try with other numbers of cubes as well.
problem
Cubes here and there
Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
How many shapes can you build from three red and two green cubes? Can you use what you've found out to predict the number for four red and two green?
problem
Favourite
Picture a pyramid
Age
7 to 11
Challenge level
Imagine a pyramid which is built in square layers of small cubes. If we number the cubes from the top, starting with 1, can you picture which cubes are directly below this first cube?
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Many ideas with a few cubes
This short article outlines a few activities which make use of interlocking cubes.
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More Activities Using Cubes Lower Primary
More lower primary activities which make use of interlocking cubes.
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More Activities Using Cubes Upper Primary
More upper primary tasks which make use of interlocking cubes.