MONOGRAPH

EDUCATIONAL GAMES AND

MANIPULATIVE MATERIALS
FOR THE LEARNING OF THE
MATHEMATICS

AREQUIPA - 2016
 2

INDEX

Introduction 3

EDUCATIONAL GAMES AND MANIPULATIVE MATERIALS

FOR LEARNING MATHEMATICS

1. Didactics of Mathematics

1.1. Cognitive Theory of Learning 5

1.2. Teaching role from the perspective of cognitive theory7

2. Importance of play in school education 8

2.1. The game and the teaching of mathematics 10

2.2. Advantages of games 10

2.3. Function of the mathematical game 11

2.4. The game and logic 12

3. EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL 13

3.1. Components of educational materials 15

3.2. Role of educational materials 16

3.3. Source and purpose of Manipulative Materials 17

3.4. Advantages of manipulative materials 17

CONCLUSIONS 19

BIBLIOGRAPHY 20
 3

INTRODUCTION

Mathematics is, above all, a mental activity that requires the

use of complex cognitive skills that need to be
efficiently and effectively developed by the teachers of that
discipline. This is how doing and thinking in mathematics represents a
true challenge for boys and girls who are just starting to integrate
in formal education, which many times they are not willing to
prepared to face. The teaching methodology used plays a role
fundamental in the process of constructing knowledge that
they enhance mathematical thinking, and even more so, they stimulate interest
of learning. It is at this last point where the main
mission of the research, to create willingness in the students and
students for learning a discipline that has for years produced low results
grades within the school curriculum and the one that causes the most displeasure
in male and female students, who do not possess this disposition, it is more difficult

they find the path of learning.

To address this reality, the focus is mainly on

the work of the teacher, as they must promote the development of
thinking through various strategies. The teacher must create or
finding new ways to deliver content where more than
to impose, students can be invited to learn to generate
in this way learning expectations.

The idea is to steer the concrete teaching of mathematics towards

means of educational games and manipulative materials, setting aside the
abstract teaching, which does not encourage creativity and active participation
of the students in this Subsector. This does not mean that they must
set aside the concepts; rather, the idea that is put forward is that,
the more varied the means for learning that are used
professor, the greater the possibilities for each student to achieve
develop the necessary skills for the acquisition of a content;
 4

Furthermore, the use of various learning resources also helps to

development of children's memory. For this reason, they must
be motivated to use other materials as a means of verifying the
level of abstraction achieved.

It is of utmost importance to consider that learners assimilate the

content in a meaningful way, so that a certain development occurs
contextualized learning and in accordance with the corresponding capabilities
your cognitive level.
 5

EDUCATIONAL GAMES AND MANIPULATIVE MATERIALS FOR THE

LEARNING MATHEMATICS

Didactics of Mathematics

The abundance of failures in learning mathematics, in

various ages and educational levels, can be explained by the emergence
of negative attitudes caused by various personal factors and
environmental, whose detection would be the first step to counteract it
influence effectively. In recent years, the importance of the
affective dimension in the teaching and learning of mathematics are
gaining increasing relevance as this is one of the priority issues of
the research of mathematics didactics". (Gómez, Chacón, 1997,
cited by Díaz, 2004).

The research problem is based on what was proposed by the

Didactics of mathematics from the French School, which studies and
describe the necessary conditions to encourage and optimize the
learning by the students of the contents of the teaching of
mathematics. One of its main pioneers, Guy Brousseau
he conceived the learning of mathematics from a constructivist perspective
of learning, where the student must produce new knowledge
by itself and the teacher should only provoke in their role as a guide.

1.1. Cognitive Theory of Learning

This theory highlights the importance it holds for the

learning relates to the so-called prior knowledge that the subject
possesses, with the new knowledge, to achieve a better construction of
learning. A first approach to these theories indicates that the
Learning is not a copy of reality, as suggested by behaviorism in its
theory of reflection, but a construction of the human being. This construction
is carried out with the schemes that it already possesses, that is, the instruments
what he built in his previous relationship with the environment.
 6

This is how the concept of constructivism is born, which translates to 'the idea'

that maintains that the individual—both in cognitive and social aspects

of behavior as in the affective ones—is not a mere product of the
environment is not a simple result of its internal arrangements, but a
self-construction that is occurring day by day as a result of the
interaction between those two factors. Consequently, according to the position
constructivist, knowledge is not a copy of reality, but a
"construction of the human being" (Carretero, 1997 p.40). As a consequence
from that conception of learning, constructivism has contributed
own teaching methodologies such as maps and conceptual diagrams,
the idea of didactic activities as the foundation of the educational experience,
certain procedures for identifying prior ideas, the integration of the
evaluation in the learning process itself and the programs understood
as guides for teaching.

Some of the main precursors of cognitive theory are:

Piaget: Considers that subjects are elaborators or processors

from the information. The subject constructs their knowledge as
that interacts with reality. This construction is carried out through
various processes, among which those of assimilation stand out
Accommodation. Assimilation occurs when the individual
incorporates the new information making it part of its knowledge,
while in accommodation the person transforms the information
that I already had based on the new one.

Vygotsky: Considers the human being a cultural being where the environment
environment (zone of proximal development) has a great influence. The
higher mental functions are acquired through social interaction
through working groups. The psychological tools
they allow the student to learn. Learning is not considered
as an individual activity, but rather social and all the
processes psychological superiors (communication, language
reasoning, etc.) is acquired first in a social context and
 7

then they are internalized. In this way, the zone of proximal development is
and enhanced by the use of concrete pedagogical resources.

Ausubel: His fundamental contribution has consisted of the conception

that learning must be a meaningful activity for the
a person who learns and this significance is directly
related to the existence of relationships between knowledge
new and the one that the student already possesses. As is known, criticism

fundamental of Ausubel to traditional teaching lies in the idea

that learning is very ineffective if it consists
simply in the mechanical repetition of elements that the student
it cannot be structured into a related whole. This will only be
possible if the student uses the knowledge they already possess,
although these may not be totally correct. Evidently, a
this type of vision not only implies a different conception about the
formation of knowledge, but also a different formulation of
the objectives of teaching. (Carretero, 1997).

In this way, an active construction of knowledge, where the

genuine learning is not limited to being a simple absorption and memorization
of information imposed from the outside, allows understanding to
actively builds from within, through the establishment of
relationships between new information and what is already known. This
understanding can make learning more meaningful and
pleasant, because students tend to forget the information
memorized. Therefore, teaching should be something more than
present the information and require its memorization.

1.2. Teacher role from the perspective of cognitive theory

The teacher must be well prepared regarding their role to take on

the task of educating new generations, and this involves not only the
responsibility to transmit basic knowledge to their students, but rather
also, the commitment to strengthen these necessary values and attitudes
 8

so that they can live and fully develop their potential, improve
its quality of life, make fundamental decisions and continue learning.

His role will be that of an organizer who prepares the space, the materials, the
activities, distribute the time, adapting the means at your disposal
group and the purposes it pursues. It will have to create an environment for the child,

in which the necessary stimuli for their learning are found.

(Phillips, 2004)

Generally, the main characteristics of the teaching role

they are conceived in the following aspects:

Be a mediator between the child and knowledge.

Guide the student by establishing strategies that facilitate the
construction of your own knowledge.
Select the methodological strategies that best fit the
cognitive constructions.
Lead the teaching.

2. Importance of play in school education

There is no difference between playing and learning, because any game that
present new demands to the child, it should be considered as a
learning opportunity; moreover, in the game, he learns with ease
notable because they are especially predisposed to receive what is given to them
offers the recreational activity to which they dedicate themselves with pleasure. Furthermore the

Attention, memory and wit sharpen in the game, all of this

The learnings that the child obtains while playing can be transferred.
subsequently to non-playful situations

Throughout history, many authors have mentioned the game.

as an important part of children's development. Classical philosophers
how Plato and Aristotle were the first to raise the importance of
play in learning and encouraged parents to give to their children
toys that will help "shape their minds" for future activities such as
adults.
 9

Groos cited by Caneo (1987), presents the Theory of practice or of the pre -
exercise that conceives play as a way to exercise or practice the
instincts before they are fully developed. The game
would consist of a preparatory exercise for the development of functions that
are necessary for adulthood. The end of the game is the game itself,
perform the activity that brings pleasure.

Jean Piaget (1981) stands out both in his theoretical writings and in
your clinical observations, the importance of play in the processes of
development. In them, he related the development of cognitive stages with the
development of playful activity. This is how the various forms of play
that arise throughout child development have a direct consequence
with the transformations that cognitive structures undergo in parallel
of the child.

Lev S. Vygotsky (1995) proposes play as a social activity,

in which, thanks to cooperation with other children, they manage to acquire
roles or papers that are complementary to one's own, what characterizes
Fundamentally, the game is that it starts the behavior.
conceptual or guided by ideas. It emphasizes that the fundamental aspect in the game

it is the social nature of the roles represented by the child, that

they contribute to the development of higher psychological functions.

The relationship that play has with individual development and learning
it is narrow as the game is an important and enhancing factor of
both physical and psychological development of the human being, especially in its
childhood stage. Child development is closely linked to play,
due to the fact that it is also a natural and spontaneous activity to which the
boy and girl dedicate all possible time to him, through him, they develop their
personality and social skills, their intellectual capacities and
psychomotor. In general, it provides experiences that teach you to
to live in society, to know its possibilities and limitations, to grow and
to mature. Any ability of the child is developed more effectively in the
game that was outside of it.
 10

Chadwick (1990) mentions that the more the construction is favored

of logical-mathematical concepts, they improve motivation and quality
of learning mathematics.

The understanding and construction of learning arises closely linked to the

experience, children learn according to their own activities. The
the teacher is responsible for providing educational instances that help to
children moving from intuitive thinking to operational thinking.

2.1. The game and the teaching of mathematics

It is essential to know strategies that are attractive, innovative

that stimulate students, since in this way there will be high
levels of disposition towards teaching - learning of mathematics.

In the process of acquiring concepts, it is necessary to innovate.

in teaching, for this reason, the technique of games allows through
learning levels, develop an entertaining understanding of the
contents. For this reason, games can be useful for presenting
mathematical content, to work on them in class and to reinforce them. In
in this context, games can be used to motivate, awakening in
students' interest in mathematics and developing creativity
skills for problem solving.

2.2. Advantages of games

Caneo, M. (1987) suggests that the use of these techniques within

the classroom develops certain advantages in boys and girls, not so
not only concerning their cognitive process, but in many
aspects that can be expressed in the following way:

It allows breaking away from the routine, putting aside teaching.

traditional, which is monotonous.

They develop skills in boys and girls: since through the

games can increase the willingness to learn.
 11

They allow for socialization; one of the processes that children

they must work from the beginning of their education.

- In the intellectual - cognitive aspect, they promote observation, attention, the

logical capabilities, fantasy, imagination, initiative,
scientific research, knowledge, skills, the
habits, the creative potential, among others.

In the volitional-behavioral aspect, they develop critical and self-critical spirit.

initiative, attitudes, discipline, respect, perseverance, the
tenacity, responsibility, boldness, punctuality,
systematicity, regularity, companionship, cooperation, the
loyalty, self-confidence, and stimulates fraternal emulation.

In the affective-motivational realm, camaraderie, interest, and...

taste for activity, collectivism, the spirit of solidarity, giving and
receive help.

All these advantages make games tools.

fundamentals for education, since through their use it is possible to
enrich the teaching - learning process.

2.3. Function of the mathematical game

For Stanley Hall, quoted by Caneo (1987 p.27), play "would have a
function of reviviscence, of atavistic recovery, of unused instincts,
of ancestral activities.

According to Karl Gross, quoted by Caneo (1987 p.28), 'Its function would be the

of complementing some instincts that prove insufficient, that of a

use by youth for adult life playing.

As mentioned earlier, the game is a resource

didactic, through which one can conclude in meaningful learning
for the boy and girl. That is their function, but for the game to be truly
cash must comply with certain principles that guarantee an action
educational according to Caneo, 1987, among them we can highlight:
 12

The game should facilitate useful reactions for boys and girls, being
in this simple and easy to understand way.
It must spark the interest of children, so they must be
suitable for the developmental level they are at.
It should be a socializing agent, where one can express oneself.
freely express an opinion or idea, without the child feeling scared of being
wrong
It must adapt to individual differences and to interest and ability.
together, taking into account the levels of cognition that are
they present.
It must adapt to the growth in children, therefore it should
develop games according to the ages they present.

Considering the above, the game must promote the development of

meaningful learning in children through techniques
entertaining and dynamic, that allow for exploring various solutions
for a problem, with the student being the main agent in the
teaching-learning process.

2.4. The game and logic

Logic studies the form of reasoning; it is a discipline that ...

Through rules and techniques, it determines whether an argument is valid. It is so.

how it can be used in different areas of everyday life, where the

play plays a fundamental role in motivating her.

The math game turns out to be the attraction factor for the child or
girl. It invites you to investigate, solve problems, and implicitly invites you
to reason.

It is fundamental to highlight that logic allows for resolution even

problems that humanity has never faced, using
only his intelligence and relying on some knowledge
accumulated, where new learnings can be obtained that
they add to the existing ones or simply, they resort to the use of the
same.
 13

With the application of educational games in the classroom, the

formalism, giving active participation to the student in the
the same. It also achieves: Improving the attendance and punctuality rate to
classes, due to the disposition that is awakened in the student; similarly
deepening study habits, feeling a greater interest in finding solutions
correcting the problems, encouraging the competitive spirit and of
overcoming; internalizing knowledge through repetition
systematic, dynamic and varied; achieving the collectivism of the group at the time
of the game and develop responsibility and commitment to the results
of the game against the collective, which elevates individual study.

3. EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL

Educational material is the means that serves to stimulate and guide the
educational process, allowing the student to acquire information,
experiences, develop attitudes, and adopt conduct norms accordingly
to the goals that one wants to achieve.

Educational materials are quality components, they are elements

physical concrete that carries educational messages." (Tanca, Page 58).

"Materials are different elements that can be grouped into a "}

set, gathered according to their use for some specific purpose. The
Elements of the set can be real (physical), virtual, or abstract.

Teaching material is that which brings together means and resources that facilitate

teaching and learning. They are usually used within the environment
educational to facilitate the acquisition of concepts, skills, attitudes and
skills.” “We call teaching material those means or resources
concrete elements that assist in the work of instruction and serve to facilitate
understanding of concepts during the teaching-learning process.
They allow: Presenting the topics or concepts of a subject in a way
objective, clear and accessible.

Provide the learner with varied learning resources. They stimulate the
interest and motivation of the group. They bring participants closer to reality and
 14

give meaning to what has been learned. They facilitate communication.

They complement the teaching techniques and save time.
reference to that which by its own nature or by elaboration
conventional (for example: Montessori material) facilitates the teaching of
a certain aspect. It is a help, an auxiliary element. It continues to be
This function of the material is important, therefore the variety cannot be forgotten.
quality, etc., that this material must have to keep a pile open
of possibilities that lead him to know, explore, increasingly, reality
intuited through the material.

Any material medium (projector, book, text, video...) or conceptual

(example, simulation...) that is used as support in teaching,
normally in person, with the aim of facilitating or stimulating the
learning.

Examples: Blackboards, projectors, transparencies, slides,

paleographer, video cannon, computer.

According to Zavalza, (1983) "It is one who, with their presence manipulation,

etc., provokes the emergence, development, and information of specific

capabilities, attitudes, or skills in the child is not a means that facilitates
Teaching is teaching itself. Nowadays, this concept of
educational material is greatly expanded. The entire nearby environment can
to be included. It will largely depend on the mediating teachers between
the child at the discovery, exploration, recreation of the material that they
Provides the spontaneous opportunity in the more or less nearby environment.

Zavalza, (1983) "Refers to one who by their own nature or

by conventional production (for example: Soriano forest material) facilitates
the teaching of a certain aspect. It is a help, an element
helper.

This function of the material continues to be important, which is why it cannot

forget about the variety, quality, etc.; that this material must have for it to
I left open a multitude of possibilities that will lead you to know, explore each
time and again, the reality is intuited through the material. In any case, the
 15

teaching material is also or should be educational, and this is especially

in early childhood education. The appropriate teaching materials for the
early childhood education are very numerous and varied. Their choice depends on
the objectives to be achieved and the type of situation that is desired
to establish.

3.1. Components of educational materials

All educational material consists of 3 fundamental aspects:

the media, content or message and the material itself." (Hidalgo Matos,
Menigno. Ibit. Page. 16)

a) MEDIA

All those channels through which can be considered

how messages are communicated these media can be: the
spoken word, written, audiovisual media, static, media
sonorous, movable audiovisual media, types of media
scenic, devices, equipment, and instruments typical of workshops and
laboratories, including the models and simulators, the computers
and teaching machines.

b) CONTENT OR MESSAGE

It is the set of knowledge, data, facts, processes, etc.,

that are provided or transmitted to students for
consolidate the achievement of goals or competencies.

c) EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL ITSELF

It is the set formed by the medium and the message or content. A

medium, it is allowed to communicate some content or message
educational, then it will be considered an educational material.
 16

3.2. Function of educational materials

The role that educational materials play in the

education is diverse. Scientific and technological advances have allowed
a growing multiplicity of educational materials whose functions
they also grew as they perfected.

The main and essential function of educational materials is to

support for curriculum execution and learning as an assistant
important to teachers and indispensable working elements of the
students.

In fact, educational materials serve a number of functions,

whose aim is to channel the achievement of learning more efficiently.

Through our teaching practice, we have corroborated that the

The importance of educational media and materials is given by their nature.
instrumental for communicating experiences.

Human learning is fundamentally perceptual.

and for that reason, the more sensations the subject receives, the better their will be

perceptions. Observe the following illustrations in which the

teachers provide their students with different experiences. In this sense,
educational materials must provide the student with a true accumulation of
visual, auditory, and tactile sensations that facilitate their learning and must
be elaborated preserving the nature of the area, as well as the content and
the skills that are intended to be developed.

The materials serve a very important function, as they have a

purpose of teaching and express a pedagogical proposal. They teach in
they guide the students' learning so much, presenting and grading the
content and activities, transmitting updated information about the
course theme, posing problems, encouraging the formulation of
questions and the group's debate.
 17

3.3. Source and purpose of Manipulative Materials

It should be taken into account where the educational materials come from.
and the purposes for which they were created. Some materials
educational ones come from daily life; others are specially created with
educational fines, such as in the case of teaching materials, among these
they can be distinguished between those created for a specific purpose and those that are created with

various purposes.

Manipulative materials created for specific purposes: They are

materials created specifically to facilitate a certain learning.
Many of the educational materials created for specific purposes
they can be included in broader usage modes.

Manipulative materials created for various purposes: This type

the material has an educational purpose which is flexible; for this reason
it can be the object of different uses.

3.4. Advantages of manipulative materials

Manipulative materials enhance student learning.

in aspects such as:

Learn to relate properly to others (be kind,

respectful, teamwork).
Develop thinking processes (anticipate, combine elements,
classify, relate, solve problems.
Exercising certain scientific processes (observing, interpreting models,
experiment.
Learn to make use of free time.

For Caneo (1987), through the manipulation of teaching materials

there are levels of learning such as:

Active or manipulation level of objects: Through materials

concrete objects that children can manipulate, touch, and interact with.

objects.
 18

Iconic or representational level: Where the boy and the girl think about
He draws the objects, but does not manipulate them.
- Symbolic or formal level: The boy and the girl handle ideas, concepts and
no images.

These levels allow the student to relate to the objects, the

know and then be able to imagine a solution to respond to the
questions that they generate. In this way, they develop a learning
of the most entertaining and dynamic mathematics, where it encourages the
socialization and the development of capacities.

Therefore, it can be said that play and manipulative materials in

mathematics is a pedagogical resource of great importance, due to
that through them mathematical objectives can be achieved in the process
of teaching - learning. In this way, they must be considered within
of the strategies that enable the articulation of the contents being worked on
this area, especially those of greater complexity, which show a
disinterest on the part of the students evidenced by a low
performance, which is reflected in the grades, and in a weak disposition
towards this subsector.
 19

CONCLUSIONS

Currently, there are classes where the book for the student is the only one.
important material used in the teaching - learning process.
It is important in the teaching - learning of mathematics to incorporate
the use of new materials, where the manipulative materials allow
an acquisition of learning through sensorimotor action.

The more varied and meaningful the educational materials are,

for the child, the contacts with the world provided by the school for
through playful activities, the greater their foundations for development
of logical thinking and greater sensitivity for learning
mathematician, since educational games and manipulative materials
are a teaching resource that allow and facilitate teaching and the
learning, producing the desired changes in children. In this case
the initially negative disposition among a large part of the student body improved
considerably as each of the developed
activities with the support of the aforementioned resources.

This trend seeks to provide the learner with a multiplicity of

experiences that lead to a better abstraction of ideas
mathematics. It is argued that the more senses participate in the
learning, this will be more efficient.

The functions that the educational game fulfills as a teaching resource,

it is based on the premise that its function would be to complement some
instincts that prove insufficient, that of a use by the youth
for adult life, which is important in the life of everyone
people, since it will be present in all activities of life
everyday. This is how from a young age this ability should be encouraged,
it will allow for proper development and participation in society,
allowing for a better understanding of each of the problems that arise
they arise daily.
 20

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Caneo, M. (1987). The game and the teaching of Mathematics. Thesis for
obtain a teacher's degree. Catholic University of Temuco.

Carretero, M. (1997). Cognitive development and learning. Constructivism and

education.Progress. Mexico.

Chadwick, M. (1990). Games of logical reasoning. Editorial Andrés Bello,

Santiago, Chile.

Díaz, P. (2004) Virtual magazine mathematics, education and Internet: The character
playful mathematical curiosities in the context of teaching
of the mathematics. Document published
Invalid input. Please provide text for translation.
Jun2004/n of 3.html

Hidalgo Matos, Benigno (2007) Educational Materials, INADEP

Phillips, R (2004). The Teacher's Role: document published in

The provided text is a URL and does not contain translatable content.

Piaget, Jean; (1981) The formation of the symbol in the child, Mexico, Editorial
Economic Culture Fund

Tanca Sutta, Freddy E. (2000) New Pedagogical Approach: A Focus

Constructivist. MAGISTER Editions, First Edition - Arequipa -
Peru.

Zavalza, E. (1983) Media, mediation and didactic communication in the stage

from preschool and basic cycle of the EGB.