Year 7 students have been learning Algebra through the use of manipulatives, which are designed to encourage students to think about mathematics in a different way.

A manipulative is a physical object which helps a student perceive a mathematical concept by turning it into a hands-on experience which can be manipulated, hence the name. The idea was first introduced during our recent No Pen Day, an initiative which saw students take part in a variety of activity-based lessons throughout the day.

During the manipulatives lesson, students solved algebraic equations using Cuisenaire Rods, pictured above, and in subsequent lessons the rods were used to expand brackets. Students were fully engaged in manipulating the rods to make equivalent expressions and were challenged to consider the limitations of using this physical resource; they quickly determined that there were issues with negatives and multiplying a variable by another variable. The use of concrete examples by way of Cuisenaire Rods allowed for a smooth transition to the more abstract algebraic work and students are now incredibly confident in their understanding of algebraic topics.