WeAreTeachers Blog

[#1]

It's a research-proven fact:  Using manipulatives and hands-on activities in the classroom greatly increases student comprehension.  (Don't believe us?  See the latest research and testimonials from teachers here.)  Of course, it takes some time to create a hands-on learning environment—and since time isn't something that teachers have in excess, we've put together this list of easy tips and ideas to get you started.

1.  Don't reinvent the wheel.  You could spend hours (hours that you don't have) creating hands-on activities and lessons for your students.  Instead, look to purchase a few great manipulative sets (check out ETA Cuisenaire's selection here) that have everything included for you or borrow already-created lesson plans and games from other teachers.

2.  Do your research.  Before investing in a manipulative product or activity, research how it works by reading instructions and watching video demos of the product online.

3.  Reuse your stuff.  If you do create an awesome game or activity that works well for your students, think about how you could adjust the lesson and use it for other subjects or lessons.

4.  Go online and find lesson ideas.  Many educational companies offer free lessons and lesson ideas to go along with their manipulative products.

5.  Read the testimonials.  Nobody knows how a product works better than the teachers who use it, so before you purchase a manipulative, read what other teachers have to say about it.

6.  Don't let money stop you from getting the products you need.  Manipulative products and games can be expensive, but don't let that deter you.  Search online for alternative funding sources available to your school or district (click here for a list) or apply for a teacher grant to buy the product you need. 

How do you use manipulatives and hands-on activities in your classroom?  

[#2]

I love to take pictures of my children at work and play. We use these pictures to construct a timeline of our year. We usually put up a strip of adding machine tape across the wall first. Then we decide which pictures for August we want to use. We put them in order as to when we took them and write a short description. The children love seeing themselves and we can recall all the important events. This is really neat when you "read" the timeline in January and remember "Apple Day" in September for example.

We do each month of the school year this way.