| Base ten blocks are an excellent tool for | | | | number as that will be useful later on when |
| teaching children the concept of addition | | | | children learn the paper and pencil |
| because they allow children to touch and | | | | algorithm. |
| manipulate something real while learning | | | | |
| important skills that translate well into | | | | Another useful skill to practice is trading |
| paper and pencil addition. In this article, I | | | | base ten blocks. Each block can be traded for |
| will describe base ten blocks and how to use | | | | 10 flats, each flat for 10 rods, and each rod |
| them to represent and add numbers. | | | | for 10 cubes. Going the other way, 10 cubes |
| | | | can be traded for one rod, 10 rods for one |
| The numbering system that children learn and | | | | flat, and 10 flats for one block. |
| the one most of us are familiar with is the | | | | |
| base ten system. This essentially means that | | | | One simple use of base ten blocks that |
| you can only use ten unique digits (0 to 9) | | | | translates well to a paper and pencil method |
| in each place of a base ten number. For | | | | of addition is to add by regrouping. To add |
| instance, in the number 345, there is a | | | | two or more numbers, start by representing |
| hundreds place, a tens place and a ones | | | | each number with base ten blocks. Put all of |
| place. The only possible digits that could go | | | | the cubes from both numbers in the same pile; |
| in each place are the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, | | | | do this with the rods, flats, and blocks as |
| 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. In this example, the place | | | | well. Next, trade any groups of 10 cubes for |
| value of the ones place is 5. | | | | a rod. Trade any groups of 10 rods for a |
| | | | flat; then trade any groups of 10 flats for a |
| Base ten blocks turn the base ten concept | | | | block. To read the resulting number, count |
| into something children can see and touch. | | | | the number of base ten blocks left in each |
| | | | pile and read the number. |
| Base ten blocks consist of cubes, rods, | | | | |
| flats, and blocks. Cubes represent the ones | | | | To illustrate this procedure, picture the |
| place and look exactly like their name | | | | addition question, 568 + 693. After |
| suggests - a small cube usually one | | | | representing both numbers with base ten |
| centimeter by one centimeter by one | | | | blocks and combining the piles of like base |
| centimeter. Rods represent the tens place and | | | | ten blocks, you should have a pile of 11 |
| look like ten cubes placed in a row and fused | | | | cubes, a pile of 15 rods, and a pile of 11 |
| together. Flats, as you might have guessed, | | | | flats. Trading 10 of the cubes for 1 rod |
| represent hundreds, and blocks represent | | | | means you now have 1 cube, 16 rods and 11 |
| thousands. A flat looks like one hundred | | | | flats. Trading 10 of the rods for one flat |
| cubes place in a 10 x 10 square and attached | | | | results in 1 cube, 6 rods, and 12 flats. |
| together. A block looks like ten flats piled | | | | Trading 10 of the flats for one block gives |
| one on top of the other and bonded together. | | | | you your final piles of 1 cube, 6 rods, 2 |
| | | | flats, and 1 block. The answer to the |
| In order to use base ten blocks to add | | | | addition question, therefore, is 1,261. |
| numbers, students should be familiar with how | | | | |
| to represent numbers using base ten blocks. | | | | If you don't have base ten blocks, you can |
| To see what base ten blocks look like, and to | | | | use the virtual base ten blocks or make paper |
| try them out, go to the National Library of | | | | versions. If you need addition questions |
| Virtual Manipulatives: | | | | (with the answers included), you can access |
| | | | thousands of free math worksheets at |
| To represent a number using base ten blocks, | | | | |
| make piles of base ten blocks to represent | | | | In future articles, I will describe more uses |
| each place value. If your number was 2,784, | | | | for base ten blocks including subtraction and |
| you would make a pile of 2 blocks, a pile of | | | | multiplication, and I will continue the |
| 7 flats, a pile of 8 rods, and a pile of 4 | | | | series with other manipulatives that can help |
| cubes. It is useful to arrange the piles in a | | | | your child or student learn math. |
| row in the same order that they appear in the | | | | |