Planning a Successful Manipulatives Center
A wide variety of materials used in child care and early education programs fall into the category of "manipulatives," including different types of building bricks and toys, collections of objects for sorting, small dolls and animals, and many other types of toys. Manipulatives are an important part of the early childhood curriculum because children can use them to practice a wide variety of skills. Some of the most common skills children learn by using manipulatives include: Fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and visual discrimination Recognition of shapes, colors, and textures Comparison of similarities and differences, matching, classification, and pattern recognition Following directions, following sequences, and concentrating for completing tasks Chances to practice creativity and problem-solving Setting Up a Classroom Center for Manipulatives
The following are some examples of materials that can be used in the manipulatives center. This is just a beginning list; feel free to rotate other materials in this center, depending on your curriculum and the children's interests.
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What Teachers Should Know about Manipulatives Understanding the child's role: The manipulatives center is a place where children are generally working alone or in pairs on tasks that require concentration and thought. It is important to set up a manipulatives center far away from centers that tend to be noisy and active, such as block building and dramatic play. Having child-sized tables with only a few chairs, or space on the floor out of the way of traffic further encourages children to work individually or in small groups. Understanding the teacher's role: Teachers can support children's play with manipulatives by providing interesting materials, rotating materials based on children's interests and curriculum themes, and asking questions that stimulate children's thinking. For example, the teacher could ask a child who has grouped a set of toys by color whether there is any other way to group them, such as size or shape. Teachers are responsible for the following in the manipulatives center:
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Remember:
Materials should also be organized as part of clean-up at the end of each day. When selecting materials for the manipulative center it is important to find the “just right” amount. Too many toys will lead to destructive play and too few will invite possessive play.
Materials should also be organized as part of clean-up at the end of each day. When selecting materials for the manipulative center it is important to find the “just right” amount. Too many toys will lead to destructive play and too few will invite possessive play.