Making Numbers: Using manipulatives to teach arithmetic

Making Numbers shares exemplars of good practice drawing on the latest research on using manipulatives to develop understanding of arithmetic. Focusing initially on the teaching of numbers from 1-12, Making Numbers progresses to 200 and beyond, including ideas for teaching partitioning, arrays, and times tables. Making Numbers was written by experts with decades of experience in primary mathematics education, Professor Rose Griffi ths, Dr. Sue Gifford and Dr. Jenni Back, based on their Nuffield Foundation funded research and development project Using Manipulatives in the Foundations of Arithmetic.

About the Author :
Professor Rose Griffiths teaches at the University of Leicester on the Primary PGCE and on courses for experienced teachers. Rose has worked in pre-school settings, primary, special and secondary schools, and in adult and family education. She is a well-established author of materials for children, parents and teachers. Dr Sue Gifford works in primary mathematics education at the University of Roehampton, with preservice and practising teachers on Masters level courses. She was previously a London primary teacher and a mathematics advisory teacher. Her research interests are in early years mathematics education and children with mathematics difficulties. Dr Jenni Back is a freelance consultant in mathematics education with experience in teaching mathematics to children aged 3 to 19 years. She has been involved in initial teacher education and at Masters level with primary and secondary teachers at Middlesex University and the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching at Plymouth University.

Review :
This is a visually striking book full of high quality colour photographs of manipulatives for learning maths. The generosity of images makes it extremely accessible. The book presents many practical activities for developing children's understanding of number relationships. These activities are soundly based on up to date research into how children develop number sense. This makes it a must buy - a really supportive, evidence-based resource for all those who teach foundation stage and key stage one classes. This is an excellent book, full of practical ideas to help develop children's understanding of number. The images used show how you can use everyday resources to help develop children's understanding of number without needing to spend lots of money on new resources, and the small snippets of research help you to understand why the activities suggested can help children to understand number. It is written in an easy to read style and can be dipped into and out of, a great tool to help support planning for maths in the EYFS. It even covers trickier concepts such as introducing addition and subtraction, and gives you advice on how to make this meaningful for children to understand. This book should be in every primary school. Correction, in every KS1 and early KS2 classroom. It is full of practical and well-researched guidance on the teaching of number using a wide range of manipulatives and open-ended tasks which prioritise sense-making through discussion. The authors have a solid background in early years mathematics education and explain clearly the research backing up the tasks and the variety of images supported by the different manipulatives. The book is full of colour images making progression clear and gradually builds over successive chapters from working with smaller numbers to the development of images for the division of numbers between 25 and 100. It would be an invaluable resource for Teaching Assistants, SEND teachers and all teachers who want to understand clearly the lines of progression in children's understanding of number and calculation. Just rereading sections of this fabulous book from the terrific trio that is Rose Griffiths, Jenni Back, and Sue Gifford. Some books you come back to time and time again.