Design creates the deep understanding, creativity, connections, agency, and spirit essential to the study of mathematics for all the years to come.
I prefer to offer design materials with either a black background (black magnetic board, black construction paper or black felt) or, if transparent, a light table or overhead projector.
Grimm’s magnetic dots in shades and tints and other magnetic puzzles they make.Grimm’s magnetic quarter circlesoften designing is stimulated by materials in two colors so pattern becomes apparent
Jenn painted wood cubes with a carefully chosen pallet, NOT primary colors
unpainted wood disks in two sizes (3/4″ and 1-1/2″) colored in three colors with non-toxic dyefor source of the disks, click imagepopsicle sticks dyed at the same time
pattern blocks, at least 1000, wood ones can stand on their edge bettertransparent pattern blocks for the light tabletessel-gons have 1″ sides also, so they work with pattern blocks
kites & darts are two different shaped pieces, also called Penrose tiles
flat glass marbles, clear and amber, used for vase filler in flower arrangements
stained glass tiles in amber and white opal
sandstone
smooth stones
Hexagonal path tiles composed of five motifs of lines and curves connecting the midpoints of a side. Above are Tantrix games with colored lines.The five possible path motifs.
Cardboard set of hexagonal path tiles with motifs A, B, and C only, made in Australia, a favorite design material for children — hours of cooperation!
squares and right triangles in two colors only
twigs cut in two or three standard lengths
cotton swabs, glue (bottle and 1 oz. portion cups), black paper, wet cloth in baggie
Fröbel’s Gift 7, parquetry, also comes in paper tablets, on the right, which I like better. I ditch the booklet.
Froebel’s Gift 8, rings, is so much better in metal than colored plastic
Fröbel’s Gift 10, the framework, expands into three dimensions; toothpicks and pea-sized balls of modeling clay works
Lego bricks 2 x 4 size, or 8 stud bricks, in white and light gray in order to keep the pattern distinct; binary tones highlight patterns, subdivisions, and relationships. Light gray and dark gray would be what I would choose if I did it again. I have had the best success on eBay.
Topics Ahead
Here’s a choice for you. One way to proceed is to go now to the next topic in the big navigation window Leadership, because that topic builds off of Design Materials you have just seen. I recommend, however, that you continue to follow my sequence through the big bottom links. That will take you through the other materials and the planning overview. Once the entirety of the environment structure is in mind, then I address facilitation. At that point Leadership in Workstations appears.
Writing Materials adds pencil control, scissors, and writing numeral practice.
Mathematics Materials shares the advanced materials in number, sorting and classifying, and measurement for five- and six-year-old children, bridging to first grade.