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Instructional Approach: Base Ten Blocks

Instructional Approach: Base Ten Blocks Deborah Calabrese University of New England May 3, 2013

Instructional Approach: Base Ten Blocks Math manipulatives can provide students with a hands-on experience that help make abstract concepts concrete and tangible. Base ten blocks are versatile manipulatives and are generally used at the elementary level to support a wide range of math concepts from addition and subtraction with or without regrouping to fractions and decimals. The use of base ten blocks provides a wide range of instructional approaches and benefits.

Base ten blocks are often first introduced when young students are learning place value. The blocks provide students with a strong visual representation of single digits in the ones place, tens, and hundreds. This concept is strengthened when students develop an orientation toward using notation to express their reasoning as it occurs in concrete settings (Thompson, 1992, p. 124). When students can see numerals visually and concretely represented, students begin to understand what place value represents and how numbers become larger. Teachers introduce the concept of place value by telling the students that only one digit is allowed per column. Single digits, or cubes can be placed in the ones column, then when the students reach the number ten, or ten cubes they regroup the cubes into a row of ten, or ten long, and have to move them over to the tens column. The students will then see concretely that the one and the zero in the number ten represent one group of ten and zero ones. Once a level of comfort and understanding is achieved with regrouping ones to tens, then the students are ready for the tens to be regrouped as hundreds and so on. Place value is a critical concept for young students to master. Without mastery of place value it will be difficult to move on to multi-digit addition and subtraction.

Multi-digit addition without regrouping is straight forward when using the base ten blocks. While adding, the students need to combine the augend and the addend together to find the sum.

Instructional Approach: Base Ten Blocks

When subtracting multi-digit numbers, the students take subtrahend directly from the minuend to find the difference. This concept is a bit more abstract and when students use the base ten blocks for this notion the instruction needs to be explicit. When teaching subtraction with the base ten blocks I prefer to use blocks only for the minuends have the students write the digits for the subtrahend. I cue the students and tell them to take the written number away from the blocks in front of them. The physical act of removing the amount solidifies the subtraction concept as removing or taking away.

The ideal process for teaching addition and subtraction with regrouping is often debated among educators. Some educators claim its best to teach the concept first before teaching the algorithm and others claim its best to teach the algorithm and then the concept. Putting this debate aside for the moment, the one point of view that I happen to agree with regarding algorithms is, Even children who carry out the algorithm correctly do so procedurally and do not understand reasons for crucial aspects of the procedure or cannot give the values of the trades they are writing down (Fuson & Briars, 1990, p. 181). For this reason, the concepts of addition and subtraction with regrouping should be taught through concrete experiences provided by the base ten blocks.

I believe that algorithms and the concepts of regrouping need to be taught explicitly. Using the base ten blocks for addition and subtraction with regrouping helps students understand why as well as how regrouping works in conjunction with the algorithm. When teaching multi-digit addition with regrouping students need to manipulate the blocks into the next column. For example, if students were asked to add thirty-seven and twenty-six they would get thirteen when adding the one column. Ten of the thirteen would have to be carried over to the tens column and

Instructional Approach: Base Ten Blocks

the three ones stay in the ones column. When students manipulate or move the group of ten into the tens column, the abstract process of carrying or regrouping becomes a concrete experience.

Multi-digit subtraction with regrouping is a bit more challenging for students to understand conceptually. Again, providing students with the concrete application of using the base ten blocks solidifies this concept. For example, if students were asked to subtract sixty-seven from ninety-five they would have to borrow or regroup ten from ninety. It is important to remind students that they are borrowing ten from ninety, not nine. Confusion sets in when the students think they are borrowing ten from nine. The instruction needs to be explicit here to create a true understanding for the learner. The act of physically moving a ten long over to the ones column supports the explicit instruction.

Teaching introductory lessons about fractions are another effective way to use base ten blocks. For example, prepare several photocopies of long base ten blocks; the ones divided into ten squares. Give each student two or three long base ten blocks and a blank photocopy of the block. Challenge them to create fractions by filling in different numbers of squares in each block using a crayon or marker. Instruct them not to write the answer anywhere on their page. Once all the students have filled in their paper long base ten blocks, ask them to switch papers with a friend. Each student then represents each colored-in long base ten block as a fraction. The students will also understand that the denominator of each fraction will always be ten since long base ten blocks are divided into ten squares.

Base ten blocks also provide concrete support introductory lessons for learning decimals. For example, if one flat represents the number one and students were asked to identify what fraction

Instructional Approach: Base Ten Blocks

would one long of a flat be, students can quickly visualize it and understand that it is one tenth because ten parts make up the whole flat. With one flat still being defined as the number one, ask students to define the value of a cube to continue constructing and scaffolding their understanding. Finally, give students several papers with a photocopied flat reminding them this flat represents the number one, and ask them to color in various decimals like .35 or .72. When using the base ten blocks to teach decimals and fractions the students will understand how decimals and fractions relate to one another.

In closing, the foundations of sound mathematical instruction should encompass all that encourages problem solving skills. Problem solving develops by recognizing a problem, devising a plan and executing that plan for the desired result. The use of the base ten blocks develops problem solving skills through concrete learning experiences, and supports students as they create a plan and see the execution of that plan unfold. The use of base ten blocks is an avenue for sound and reliable math instruction.

Instructional Approach: Base Ten Blocks Works Cited

Fuson, K. & Briars, D. (1990, May). Using a Base-Ten Blocks Learning/Teaching Approach for First- and Second-Grade Place-Value and Multidigit Addition and Subtraction. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education , Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 180-206. Retrieved on April 25, 2013. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/749373

Thompson, P. (1992, March). Notations, Conventions, and Constraints: Contributions to Effective Uses of Concrete Materials in Elementary Mathematics. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education , Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 123-147. Retrieved on April 25, 2013. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/749497

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