This post is the first in a new series all about introducing math manipulatives…and first up we have place value disks!

Place value disks are one little manipulative we use a LOT, for many concepts, such as rounding to the nearest ten and rounding to the nearest hundred. These disks are a great tool to support productive struggle for students.

When introducing place value disks, my goal is always to move quickly out of the “playing with manipulatives” phase and get right to work.

Over the years, I’ve found one of the easiest ways to do so is with a guided exploration to get students thinking about the manipulatives and how they can be used.

Introducing Place Value Disks

After an initial (and brief) time of play with a new manipulative, I guide my students through an exploration of the tools with a series of open-ended questions.

This gives students a chance to really observe and understand the math tool.

I’m sharing these questions below (they are also included in a free resource at the end of this post).

What do you notice?

This is one of my favorite questions to ask my students in math…I feel like I say this phrase a thousand times a day, every day!

And I’m happy to do so because it is a simple (but powerful) way to get students to make observations and share their thinking.

I also like to ask this question when introducing new math manipulatives.

When students observe the place value disks, you may get responses noting:

Do these remind you of other manipulatives you’ve used before?

Students may notice the similarity between place value disks and two-color counters, which is awesome!

This provides a great opportunity to show how place value disks are also counters, with specific values.

If students don’t make this next connection, this is an ideal time to show how place value disks are related to base ten blocks.

It is helpful for younger students to see the flats, rods, and units alongside the 100s, 10s, and 1s to see how they represent the same numbers (in different formats).

What patterns can you create?

This is a great way to give students a hands-on task that allows them to observe the disks more closely.

This also provides an important opportunity to talk about each value and those zeros as students arrange them in ascending or descending patterns.

How can we use these as a learning tool?

I love asking my students this question! Instead of telling them how to use them, I love to generate a list of ideas with them!

There is a LOT you can do with place value disks…I can’t wait to share more about them with you soon!

A Free Resource to Introduce Place Value Disks

After we’ve completed this exploration, I like to begin with building simple numbers. These numbers will vary depending on the grade level:

Would you like to try this exploration with your class?

I created a set of slides featuring all of these open-ended questions for you to share with your students!

These slides include presenter notes with ideas to listen for as you guide your students:

Please click below to grab a copy:

A Place Value Reference Wall

As we begin working with place value disks, I also use this place value concept wall.

These interactive, open-ended visuals were designed to create the exact display your students need. Even better? It’s a scaffolded resource that can grow as students learn new concepts:

Introducing More Math Manipulatives

I hope these ideas are of help as you begin to explore fraction bars with your class!

This article is part of a larger series of introducing math manipulatives. Be sure to check out the posts and grab the free slides for each:

• Introducing Fraction Bars
• Introducing Base-Ten Blocks (coming soon!)
• Introducing Color Tiles (coming soon!)