Maths is a core subject that’s the backbone of various aspects of primary, secondary and tertiary education. It’s not just about numbers and equations — it involves the essential skills of logical reasoning, problem-solving and the ability to think in abstract terms. These are essential skills for children to carry throughout their lives as they grow up and enter the workplace.
To many young learners, maths can appear daunting and dry to learn. That’s where we at Tutoring For Excellence step in. We believe learning maths can be engaging and fun. The best way for kids to learn a subject such as mathematics is to make it as tangible as possible.
Using the right teaching aids can make a world of difference and transform the way that kids learn math. Over time, these aids have evolved through curriculum development. They are now highly effective and integral pieces of equipment that teachers and tutors use to support children in their learning of new mathematical concepts.
Here are the ten most popular maths teaching aids that we’ve found resonate with kids and support their educational journey.
Top 10 most popular maths teaching aids for kids
1.MAB wooden prisms
The iconic MAB wooden prisms, columns and blocks bring the decimal to life. These blocks, representing units, tens, hundreds and thousands, allow children to construct and deconstruct numbers physically for different maths problems. They can build a number and see the difference between 10 and 100, which can be an ‘aha’ moment for many young learners.
For processes such as subtraction, they are an excellent way to practice borrowing and paying back. Children who struggle with visualising numbers and problems can continue to use physical items to assist with their counting early into high school, including place value cards, matchsticks, buttons, ping pong balls and corks. This tactile process lays a foundational understanding of place value, a critical building block for all future math endeavours.
2.Online and worksheet resources
Whether you are a teacher, parent or tutor, having some ready-made worksheets can be a great starting point for lessons. Online platforms and worksheets offer unlimited practice and immediate feedback tailored to each child’s learning pace.
After all, each child has their own unique, preferred learning style. Whether students are visual learners and need drawings of shapes, graphs, diagrams or symbols to understand concepts or reading/writing learners who need a concept broken down to understand it, auditory learners who would benefit from having you read the sheet aloud to them, or kinaesthetic learners who learn using their senses, like touching blocks to recognise their shape.
Interactive games make learning feel like play, and printable worksheets allow for the repetition students may need to master a concept. The TES website has resources for all primary-based subjects, but the maths sheets are particularly useful. Worksheets cater to traditional practice and can easily integrate into any curriculum.
3.Food as teaching aids
Never underestimate the power of food to teach math. For many students, fractions can be pretty difficult to grasp. However, when you get a favourite food, such as pizza or cake involved, things usually become much clearer. They are great visual representations of fractions thanks to their shape and are excellent mathematical aids for learning about and practising creating fractions.
Pizza slices offer a delicious way to understand fractions and percentages. When children divide a cake or a pie, they explore division, fractions and the idea of parts of a whole in a tangible and, let’s admit, tasty way. Sharing treats in this way can introduce concepts of fairness and equality alongside the math lesson, serving up life lessons alongside numeracy skills.
4.Time-telling tools
Clock dials, stopwatches and sand timers are not just for tracking the minutes until recess. They teach time-telling and introduce children to the broader concepts of time management and the basics of time measurement. These aids help make the abstract idea of time more concrete.
Telling time with analogue clocks, as well as counting and subtracting timings, can be a much-needed skill for various other mathematical problems, such as problem-solving. It is also an essential life skill.
5.Geometry tools
Protractors, set squares and compasses are the physical tools that introduce children to the precision of geometry. They learn to draw and measure angles, create perfect circles and understand the relationships between different geometric shapes. These tools not only help with visualising and constructing shapes but also with improving fine motor skills. These aids are essential classroom kits for students entering into a high school math environment.
6. 2D and 3D shapes with blocks
Using blocks to build 2D and 3D shapes bridges the gap between the flat world of paper and the three-dimensional world we live in. Handling cubes, pyramids and spheres can help children understand the properties of these shapes — from the number of edges and vertices to how shapes can fit together and interact with each other. These aids also allow students to use the shapes to problem-solve area puzzles, create and break down patterns and learn about symmetry and classification.
7. Pretend money
One of the most important real-world application skills in mathematics is the use of money. Sure, kids know what it is. They have probably seen it and perhaps earned their own, but can they count it, use it in problems and sort it?
Pretend money is a classic educational tool — and for good reason. It teaches basic arithmetic, yes, but it also introduces the fundamental principles of economics — spending, saving and the value of goods and services. Children love playing shop, and as they do, they absorb lessons about money management that will serve them for life. The tangible effect of this teaching aid means that students can easily address money problems in the classroom with visual reminders of the real thing.
8. Dice, cards, counters and spinners
Probability plays mostly into the skill of problem-solving. Many students need help with this mathematical skill as there is much innate knowledge and natural ability linked to its mastery. Dice, cards, spinners and the like are interactive and engaging math aids to get children involved in learning about probability, chance, number patterns and statistics and take the learning out of textbooks and into children’s hands. They are great for teaching probability and basic operations. Through games, these aids develop a child’s ability to predict outcomes, understand random events, and even strategise, all within the realm of fun.
9. Trundle wheel, and metre ruler
After a long day in the classroom, there’s nothing more exciting for a child than to spend time outside — and not just for lunchtime! The trundle wheel and metre ruler help children make the leap from small, tangible measurements to understanding larger distances and the concept of scale. Walking with a trundle wheel to measure the length of a playground imprints the idea of metres and kilometres in a child’s mind more effectively than any diagram could.
10. Beakers, funnels, cylinders, scales and weights
Beakers, funnels, cylinders, scales and weights take maths off the page and into the lab. They introduce the ideas of volume and weight, and when children use them to conduct simple experiments, they learn measurement, cause and effect and even the basics of the scientific method. Being able to see the elements of the question, such as the volume of water, supports their understanding of not just calculating the answer but also understanding the parameters of it.
Why you should hire a maths tutor from Tutoring For Excellence
Our tutors can give your child the attention they need in a one-on-one learning environment instead of a busy classroom where teachers must distribute their time with multiple students. Our tutors are qualified teachers, University graduates (with relevant degrees) or University students undertaking relevant disciplines. We hire our tutors after a rigorous three-stage process to ensure they have the academic and nurturing skills necessary to help your child perform to the best of their ability.
Book a tutor for your child today at Tutoring For Excellence
At Tutoring For Excellence, we believe that teaching aids are essential to children resonating with mathematical concepts. It allows them to engage multiple senses and make abstract concepts more accessible. These top 10 maths teaching aids have proven their value time and again by helping children connect with, understand and even enjoy math. In a world where numeracy is just as critical as literacy, these tools are not just teaching aids — they are gateways to a world of learning and discovery for children.
And who better to assist your child in understanding these mathematical concepts than our tutors at Tutoring For Excellence? Our tutors will create an individually tailored program to suit the needs of your child, and they will have the flexibility to study at their own home, online or at an agreed-upon location with their tutor in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne or another for a range of subjects. Fill in our application form below, and we will reply within 24 hours.