Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Learning Math with Manipulatives! Hand 2 Mind Hands-On Teaching Guide Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

· by · 74 Comments

If there’s one thing that Darah’s Montessori education so far has taught me, it’s that learning needs to be multi-dimensional. All the senses need to be incorporated when learning a concept, and the more tactile stimulation a child can get while engaging in a lesson, the better.

Hand 2 Mind is a company that firmly believes in learning by doing, and they have created some outstanding resources to help teachers and parents promote academic success and true learning, not memorizing.

I have been perusing the Hands-On Standards Deluxe Edition Grades PreK-K book and have been creating some supplemental lessons for Darah at home all about math. Math is a subject I feared as a child and adolescent, and that fear continues in me even as an adult. I do not want the same fate for Darah at all, so I want to get past my own fears and make sure we talk about math and “do” math frequently at home!

This assessment book is perfectly designed for teachers, or for homeschooling parents or even for parents who just need some ideas for ways to teach match concepts without being abstract. I am REALLY enjoying reading this. Pinterest projects are great for getting some cool teaching ideas, but this is a very comprehensive booklet that teaches concepts that it never would have occurred to me to attempt or to know how to communicate, and in very tangible ways.

I love that this book also demonstrates the research that is backing this approach to learning. I’m a data-driven parent, which means I want to know why certain ideas in parenting and in educating our children should be considered. What studies have been performed to prove that these methods are effective? This booklet shows you, and I really love that.

While specific manipulative objects are recommended in the book, and can also be purchased through Hand 2 Mind, you aren’t restricted to these specific items. With a little bit of advanced planning, you can find excellent substitutes for what is shown in each lesson by looking around your house or planning a quick trip to the dollar store or the craft supply store. This book has 57 different lessons that teach the following concepts:

  • Count up and back
  • Identify sets of numbers
  • 1-to-1 correspondence
  • Ordinal numbers
  • Basic addition
  • Identify basic shapes in the real world
  • Sort objects by 1 or 2 attributes
  • Gather and record data
  • Order objects by height or length
  • Compare relative sizes of containers

I am extremely impressed with this book and I know it is going to go a long way toward helping me make sure that math is something we do and love, not something we fear. I would highly recommend hand2mind.com for their helpful kits and books designed to ensure your children stay engaged in learning, both inside and outside of the classroom. The book I reviewed retails for $49.95.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of the Hands-On Standards, Deluxe Edition Grades PreK-K book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 
Pin
Tweet
Share
0 Shares

Comments

  27. Kids have problems understanding math concepts, but when they “do” them with manipulatives then it becomes easier! Anything that can give me ideas to help “do math” is wonderful!!

    Reply

  31. The Center Stage math kits seem pretty neat. I wouldn’t mind learning more about them as I am going to be entering the years of home schooling my children.

    Reply

  42. I would like to see the Radius Audio Learning System reviewed. Looks great! kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.

    Reply

  45. This is so neat! We have some of these manipulatives in our class and it would be great to get some fun ideas on different ways of using them!

    Reply

  66. anything about science. there are so many moving parts that i tend not to do it with my kids (preschoolers). because i don’t know how to adapt it to their age. this is really shameful because i actually taught science (gifted middle school) in a public school for a while.

    Reply

  73. Including manipulatives with math is so helpful in teaching the concepts and making math ‘real’ to kids. Including math in everyday life and pinting out where you use it helps decrease math fear and loathing from developing in our kids

    Reply

Speak Your Mind

0 Shares
Pin
Tweet
Share