Value of Physical Manipulatives
Math manipulatives allow you to start teaching children 2 years and older. Building a math foundation early can set children up for number sense and a freedom from math anxiety.
- Multisensory Learning: Hands on math blocks engage touch, sight, and movement, tapping into multiple pathways for understanding.
- Self-correcting: Students stay positive because the materials lead to the right answer without negative feedback from educators. For example, the 4-block does not fully fill the space of the 5-block slot. It also does not fit into the 3-block slot.
- Math Games / Activites: Our lessons focus on games making repeated practice fun, retaining attention, allowing kids to practice what they know and what they do not!
- Spatial Understanding: Having the opportunity to see size relationships and the measurement of numbers can make abstract ideas concrete, creating a durable foundation of math understanding.
Building Number Sense with Math Games
I built the Introductory Counting Board (pictured above) for my 18-month-old daughter after noticing her interest in the math manipulatives around their home and seeing that the standard Counting Board introduced too many math concepts simultaneously.
At three years old my daughter is developing her number sense and size relationships. She plays with the Counting Board and Pattern Board, at their most basic level.
I want to give you an opportunity to start playing with your children. We've made a digital download so you can print out a Counting Board and try this out yourself. Or you can jump in and buy either an Introductory Counting Board or Set A: Numbers 1-10 to get started.
Our older pre-k and kindergarteners start using the materials from Set A at multiple difficulty levels, developing their number facts. Prepairing for 1st Grade, they've begun playing with number relationships.
-Michael Stern (4rd Generation Stern Math Co-Owner)
Let's Play The Twin Game
Great for Kids 2+
No prep! A simple and effective game that allows young students to explore what number is hidden. You remove a block from either the 10-box or Introductory Counting Board and ask the child what is missing and if they can find the "twin". Let's learn to count!
Let's Play The Snake Game
Great for Kids 3+
This 3-minute game is a student favorite! Here, we see a Counting Board which is a key part of Set A. Students take turns flipping over numbers that correspond to blocks. As they gather the blocks, they lay them out, and the longest snake wins! This game has multiple variations to engage students at different math levels.
Empower Your Learners Today
Get started with our multisensory manipulatives.
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Example product title
Regular price $19.99 USDRegular priceUnit price per -
Learning Numbers 1-10 Set A
Regular price $330.00 USDRegular priceUnit price per$330.00 USDSale price $330.00 USD
Try the Snake Game with these free printables!
Resources for Educators and Parents
We know that supporting a child with learning disabilities is a team effort. That’s why Stern Math offers:
- Educator Trainings: In person or Zoom Training classes to learn how to use our materials and curriculum most effectively.
- 1-1 Consultations: Set up a meeting with our team to discuss what materials will work best for your specific classroom or child.
- Tutoring: We have a team of tutors who work both in person and over Zoom to help struggling students
- Ongoing Support: Our team is here to answer your questions and celebrate your student’s successes.
Additional Research
Vikki Horner | Teaching number skills and concepts with Stern Structural Arithmetic materials
Horner, V.
Stern Math is a programme for learning number concepts that is based on reasoning and insight into mathematical relationships, rather than rote learning and counting.