Abstract

Manipulatives (concrete resources) are used widely in English primary classrooms; this is nothing new. However, due partly to the emphasis by Maths Hubs using the Teaching for Mastery (TfM) approach as well as promotion within commercial schemes of learning, their use since the introduction of the National Curriculum 2014 has received a renewed level of scrutiny. This presentation will consider if the influx of two-sided counters into our classrooms has encouraged primary teachers to consider the pedagogical principles behind using these tools or is it the case that a manipulative in a scheme of work which is also available in the classroom cupboard is rationale enough for its use in a primary mathematics lesson? This presentation by an early-career researcher and recent primary mathematics leader will explore if there is a need to redress this balance towards a more pedagogically-informed approach.