Manipulative tile as learning tool
View Patent ↗An arithmetical manipulative device comprises a plurality of tiles, each tile having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first end and a second end, and a connector member for connecting the first end of one tile to the second end of a neighboring tile. The connector member is configured such that the one tile and the neighboring tile are pivotable relative to each other between a position wherein the upper surface of the one tile lies substantially adjacent the upper surface of the neighboring tile and the lower surface of the one tile lies substantially adjacent the lower surface of the neighboring tile. Further, the connector member is releasably connected to at least the one tile or the neighboring tile to permit a selected number of tiles to be serially assembled with respect to each other. The invention is also for a method for making arithmetical calculations.
1. A method for making an arithmetical calculation, the method comprising:
forming a sequence of tiles consisting of a user selected and variable number of tiles based upon the arithmetical calculation to be made, the tiles being releasably arranged serially end-to-end with each other, the tiles being connected to each in a manner which allows adjacent tiles to be pivotable relative to each other so that one tile is able to lie over its adjacent tile; and
arranging the tiles in the sequence of tiles into a relevant number of rows and stacks to effect the arithmetical calculation.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tiles are arranged so as to perform arithmetic calculations selected from addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of sequences of tiles are provided, the plurality of sequences of tiles being arranged and/or compared with respect to each other so as to make arithmetic calculations.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the plurality of sequence of tiles are arranged to show concepts of sets, or units.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein different tiles may have different color or surface marking to distinguish them from other tiles.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein pre-constructed sequences of tiles are provided, each pre-constructed sequence having a selected number of tiles therein.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the pre-constructed sequence of tiles are comprised of sequences of tiles having one of the following numbers: 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arithmetical calculation is addition and two sequences of tiles are attached to each other, and the number of tiles counted.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first number of adjacent tiles in the sequence of tiles have a first color and a second number of adjacent tiles in the sequence of tiles have a second color, the number of tiles in the first and second number of adjacent tiles respectively being selected based on the arithmetical calculation to be made.