Manipulative materials in learning mathematics: using the Decimal Board to understand the meanings of addition

Abstract

The importance of the use of concrete manipulatives as an aid to mathematical learning is a central theme and targeted in scientific studies of the specialty. On the other hand, the use of these materials allows the pupils to feel, touch and manipulate, moving from active representations to visual and/or symbolic representations, evolving from concrete to abstract. During the accomplishment of the training inserted in the educational practice in the first year of primary education with 25 students, we noticed that the students had some difficulties in the understanding of addition meanings. The difficulties related to the notion of the number sense and little understanding of arithmetic operations meanings, namely addition, represent, according to several authors, the great difficulties felt by the pupils in Mathematics. Thus, the following research question arises: Does the use of the Decimal Board influence students’ understanding (ou knowledge) of the meanings of arithmetic addition and the fundamental principles of decimal number system? Thereby, it became relevant the development of a qualitative study, of interpretative nature and with an action research design. The analysis of the collected data shows an improvement in understanding the addition meanings, the principles of decimal number system and the composition in a superior order unity. These evidences suggest that the use of the Decimal Board was an artifact that helped promote these mathematical learnings.