Use a Variety of Instructional Tools, Including Technology
Through the use of manipulatives, technology, literature, games, visual representations, and formal notation, teachers can purposefully connect mathematical ideas in a variety of ways. This gives students with different learning styles different ways to think about a mathematical idea as well as extra time to process new learning. When students have opportunities to manipulate objects as they learn new concepts, they develop a base of concrete experiences to which they can later connect associated mathematical symbols and understandings. Manipulatives also can be used at all grade levels to provide remediation to non-mastered content.