Mathematics Instruction

Introduction

Art can play an important role in the teaching of math to young learners by providing visual and hands-on experiences that can enhance understanding and engagement. Using art in math instruction can help students make connections between mathematical concepts and real-world applications, which can make math more meaningful and relevant to them. One way art can be used in math instruction is through the use of manipulatives (Dangelo & Iliev, 2012). For example, students can use colorful and creative materials such as pattern blocks, geoboards, and base ten blocks to explore concepts such as geometry, fractions, and place value. These manipulatives allow students to physically manipulate and explore mathematical concepts, which can help them develop a deeper understanding of the concepts (Bujak et al., 2013). This paper summarizes, analyzes, and discusses the application of the study "The Use and Effectiveness of Colorful, Contextualized, Student-Made Material for Elementary Mathematics Instruction" by Kaminski and Sloutsky (2020). The study provides valuable insights into the use and effectiveness of math-and-art activities in the classroom.

Summary

The article "The Use and Effectiveness of Colorful, Contextualized, Student-Made Material for Elementary Mathematics Instruction" by Kaminski and Sloutsky (2020) presents the results of a survey of practicing elementary school teachers in the United States, as well as two experiments examining the effectiveness of math-and-art activities on children's ability to acquire basic fraction knowledge. The survey results confirm that many U.S. teachers use math-and-art activities and are often inspired by informal sources, such as Pinterest and YouTube. However, the findings of the two experiments suggest that rich, contextualized representations, including those made by the student, can hinder students' learning and transfer of mathematical concepts.

The two experiments, one with colorful, student-constructed material (paper pizzas) and the other with simple, pre-made material (monochromatic paper circles) in an instructional activity on fractions, suggest that rich, contextualized representations, including those made by the student, can hinder students' learning and transfer of mathematical concepts. The study found that students who used the pre-made...…fractions and other mathematical concepts. Simple and generic shapes help new learners understand the concepts, and then, later on, teachers and students can use colorful, student-made material to reinforce the concepts. Another way to apply these findings is by providing opportunities for students to make and use colorful, contextualized representations at a later in the learning process, when students have already acquired a basic understanding of the mathematical concepts (Campbell et al., 2010). It is also important to note that the study's results are limited to first-grade students, and more research is needed to examine the effect of math-and-art activities on students of different grade levels and abilities. So I along with other teachers should think about how older students might be impacted and whether the same findings would apply to them. Older students might not need the same broad, simplified, initial approachbut they might. We should be careful about how we approach the pedagogy with this in mind (Tam, 2014). Plus, it is important to consider the…