Virtual Manipulatives A Must

Math is hard enough for many students to grasp. The use of manipulative's helps them to understand abstract concepts in math. Teachers are able to make math more appealing by using manipulative's that are visual interactive versions on the web. These manipulative's are also suitable for mixed ability classrooms because they help clarify misconceptions and build understanding and connections between the concept and the virtual manipulative. This allows for a richer and deeper understanding. I have trouble making the connection for a concept but using a manipulative leaves no grey area and I am able to better understand complex concepts and clarify my thinking. Manipulative's allow for exploration and assist students such as ELL learners. Manipulative's are the guidance that sometimes a teacher cannot get through to the students. Virtual manipulative's give meaning to the concept because they also offer hints and feedback, are easy to navigate, include activities with a lesson, extension ideas, and are able to be accessed by teachers, students and parents.
In terms of geometry, I am interested in kindergarten and have the following thoughts on hands-on geometry manipulative's. Using stories such as Round As A Pancake which is adapted from a story by Joan Sullivan, The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns and So Many Circles, So Many Squares by Tana Hoban. I would read these masters first to reinforce concepts of shapes. Hands-on ideas would be to give the children blocks of triangles, squares, rectangles, trapezoids, and diamonds. First the children would experiment with the shapes by play. Next, I would ask the children to see if they could make diamonds out of triangles, rectangles out of squares, and a trapezoid out of triangles. This would be a good hands-on visual lesson to reinforce shape concepts regarding how many sides and points make up the different pattern blocks. Another activity would be for the child to choose a picture from a magazine and cut it into puzzle pieces and put it back together. This is a good visual activity. These types of lessons would be a good lead into a fraction lesson such as 1/2 and 1/4.