Foam manipulatives.

If your school or district has an Ellison letter cutter, you can make a variety of inexpensive and durable math manipulatives using craft foam. Craft foam sheets are available for less than a dollar per sheet from most craft stores. You can find templates to make tangrams, pentominoes, pattern blocks, and fraction circles. After you get the foam, use a paper cutter to cut it to fit into the Ellison. You can make enough manipulatives for an entire class with very little investment. You also can use the letter templates and other designs to make attractive bulletin boards with a 3-D effect.

Marta Haakenson

Grand Junction, Colorado