A well-equipped Math Lab holds concrete materials, pictures and charts, models, boards, drawing and measuring instruments, and technology. Each material helps students move from concrete experience to abstract understanding.
| Material | Used to teach |
|---|---|
| Abacus | Place value, counting, addition and subtraction. |
| Base-ten blocks | Units, tens, hundreds and thousands; regrouping and decimals. |
| Geoboard & rubber bands | Shapes, perimeter, area, symmetry and angles. |
| Tangram | Spatial thinking, shapes, fractions of a whole and problem solving. |
| Fraction kit / circles | Comparing, adding and finding equivalent fractions. |
| Number line (floor/wall) | Counting, addition, subtraction and integers. |
| Geometrical solids | Faces, edges and vertices of cubes, cones, cylinders, pyramids and spheres. |
| Drawing instruments | Ruler, compass, protractor and set squares for constructions and angles. |
| Measuring tools | Measuring tape, weighing balance, measuring jars for length, weight and capacity. |
| Clock model | Reading time and understanding hours and minutes. |
| Play money | Shopping games, decimals and the four operations. |
| Dice, cards & board games | Probability, mental math, multiplication facts and fun practice. |
Make your own
Many materials can be made at low cost with cardboard, bottle caps, beads, sticks and chart paper. Involving students in making them is a learning activity in itself.