Base Ten Blocks on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Base ten blocks, also known as multibase arithmetic blocks (MAB) or Dienes blocks (after their creator, mathematician and educationalist Zoltán Pál Dienes), are a
Educational and Supplemental Materials for K-12
* http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_152_g_1_t_1.html?from=topic_t_1.html * http://www.mathsolutions.com/documents/0-941355-57-8_L.pdf * https://web.archive.org/web/20090903152814/ * http://www.susancanthony.com:80/Resources/base10ideas.html
Using Base Ten Blocks to Understand Multiplication
Mathematical manipulatives
Base ten blocks, also known as multibase arithmetic blocks (MAB) or Dienes blocks (after their creator, mathematician and educationalist Zoltán Pál Dienes), are a mathematical manipulative
In mathematics education, a manipulative is an object which is designed so that a learner can perceive some mathematical concept by manipulating it, hence its name. The use of manipulatives provides a way for children to learn concepts throug ...
used by students to learn basic mathematical concepts including addition
Addition (usually signified by the Plus and minus signs#Plus sign, plus symbol ) is one of the four basic Operation (mathematics), operations of arithmetic, the other three being subtraction, multiplication and Division (mathematics), division. ...
, subtraction
Subtraction is an arithmetic operation that represents the operation of removing objects from a collection. Subtraction is signified by the minus sign, . For example, in the adjacent picture, there are peaches—meaning 5 peaches with 2 taken ...
, number sense
In psychology, number sense is the term used for the hypothesis that some animals, particularly humans, have a biologically determined ability that allows them to represent and manipulate large numerical quantities. The term was popularized by St ...
, place value
Positional notation (or place-value notation, or positional numeral system) usually denotes the extension to any base of the Hindu–Arabic numeral system (or decimal system). More generally, a positional system is a numeral system in which the ...
and counting
Counting is the process of determining the number of elements of a finite set of objects, i.e., determining the size of a set. The traditional way of counting consists of continually increasing a (mental or spoken) counter by a unit for every ele ...
. The student can manipulate the blocks in different ways to express numbers and patterns. Generally, the three-dimensional blocks are made of a solid material such as plastic or wood and come in four sizes to indicate their individual place value: Units (ones place), Longs (tens place), Flats (hundreds place) and Blocks (thousands place). There are also computer programs available that simulate base ten blocks.
Use in mathematics instruction
Base ten blocks are popular in elementary school mathematics instruction, especially with topics that students struggle with such asmultiplication
Multiplication (often denoted by the cross symbol , by the mid-line dot operator , by juxtaposition, or, on computers, by an asterisk ) is one of the four elementary mathematical operations of arithmetic, with the other ones being additi ...
. They are frequently used in the classroom by teachers to model concepts, as well as by students to reinforce their own understanding of said concepts. Physically manipulating objects is an important technique used in learning basic mathematic principles, particularly at the early stages of cognitive development. Studies have shown that their use, like that of most mathematical manipulatives, decreases as students move into higher grades.Hatfield, Mary M. (1994)."Use of manipulative devices: Elementary school cooperating. " School Science and Mathematics 94.6 (1994): 303–309.
See also
*Mathematical manipulative
In mathematics education, a manipulative is an object which is designed so that a learner can perceive some mathematical concept by manipulating it, hence its name. The use of manipulatives provides a way for children to learn concepts throug ...
* Base 10
The decimal numeral system (also called the base-ten positional numeral system and denary or decanary) is the standard system for denoting integer and non-integer numbers. It is the extension to non-integer numbers of the Hindu–Arabic numeral ...
* Number sense
In psychology, number sense is the term used for the hypothesis that some animals, particularly humans, have a biologically determined ability that allows them to represent and manipulate large numerical quantities. The term was popularized by St ...
* Mathematics education
In contemporary education, mathematics education, known in Europe as the didactics or pedagogy of mathematics – is the practice of teaching, learning and carrying out scholarly research into the transfer of mathematical knowledge.
Although rese ...
References
{{ReflistExternal links
Educational and Supplemental Materials for K-12
* http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_152_g_1_t_1.html?from=topic_t_1.html * http://www.mathsolutions.com/documents/0-941355-57-8_L.pdf * https://web.archive.org/web/20090903152814/ * http://www.susancanthony.com:80/Resources/base10ideas.html
Using Base Ten Blocks to Understand Multiplication
Mathematical manipulatives