Why use virtual manipulatives
Hands-on blocks are best when each student can hold them. A virtual set is best when the whole class needs to see the same thing at once: it fills the projector, it is never short a piece, and it keeps count for you. Each tool here works the same way: pieces you drag with a finger or a mouse, a projector mode (press F), a reset button (press R), and a short note on how to use it in class.
What they have in common
- Large targets (about the size of a fingertip or bigger) that work on a smart board.
- No student data: nothing you do is sent anywhere or needs an account.
- Keyboard controls for every action, and a note of the keys on each page.
- Settings you can share by link, since the link carries them after the # sign and our servers never see them.
More math tools
For counting and number sense, use the hundreds chart and the number line. For facts, there is the multiplication chart.