Mathematics teaching aid

1. A teaching manipulative comprising:

a) a rod member,

b) a plurality of stop members disposed on the rod member,

c) a plurality of multifaced objects movably disposed on the rod member between the stop members,

d) a plurality of unique row identifiers substantially in alignment with a row of the faces of the multifaced object,

e) wherein the multi-faced objects are configured to be positioned along at least a portion of the rod member, and are hindered from rotating substantially about the rod member, and

f) wherein each of the multifaced objects comprises an object identifier unique to each multifaced object which is disposed on the multifaced objects.

2. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 wherein the object identifier unique to each multifaced object is disposed on each face of the multifaced objects.

3. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 wherein the plurality of unique row identifiers is disposed upon at least one of the stop members.

4. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 wherein the rod member is substantially straight.

5. The teaching manipulative of claim 4 wherein the rod member comprises a plurality of rods substantially parallel to each other.

6. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 wherein adjacent object identifiers of the multi-faced objects disposed on the rod form a row of sequential numbering.

7. The teaching manipulative of claim 6 wherein the row of sequential numbering comprises a series of whole numbers.

8. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 wherein the object identifiers are selected from the group consisting of: whole numbers, fractions, decimals, prime numbers, and symbols.

9. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 wherein the multifaced objects are substantially cubes having six equal square faces with the object identifier disposed on four sides.

10. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 wherein the unique row identifiers are coded in combination with the unique object identifier disposed upon the associated row of sequential numbering to define a system of multiples.

11. The teaching manipulative of claim 10 wherein the system of multiples comprises a color unique to each row.

12. The teaching manipulative of claim 11 wherein the color coding comprises a system of multiples of twos such that the unique row identifier is the numeral two coded with a first color, and each of the associated numeric identifiers which are a multiple of two along the row in alignment with the numeral two row identifier are also coded with the first color.

13. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 further comprising a Braille representation of the unique object identifier and the unique row identifier, disposed on the multifaced object.

14. The teaching manipulative of claim 1 further comprising a visual display configured to display a representation of the elements of the teaching manipulative in operation.

15. A method for teaching students mathematics comprising the steps of:

a) providing a mathematics teaching apparatus comprising a rod, a plurality of stop member disposed on the rod, a plurality of multi-faced objects movably disposed upon the rod between the plurality of stop members,

b) wherein each of the multifaced objects have a unique numeric identifier,

c) providing a row identifier for each row of adjacent faces of the multifaced objects,

d) instructing students in a particular method of positioning the multi-faced objects along the rod,

e) wherein the students manipulate the multifaced objects as directed;

f) observing whether the students have properly positioned the multi-faced objects, and

g) providing students with feedback based upon their success in properly positioning the multifaced objects.

16. The method for teaching mathematics of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

a) instructing the students to position the teaching apparatus with a particular row identifier in a preferred orientation,

b) instructing students to identify the row identifier in the preferred orientation, and

c) instructing students to identify along each row, those object identifiers which are a multiple of the row identifier.

17. The method for teaching mathematics of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

a) identifying a first end of the longitudinal rod as that end most proximal to the multi-faced object having the highest unique numerical identifier,

b) instructing the students to position the multi-faced objects to a first end of the longitudinal rod,

c) instructing students to position a first group of the multi-faced objects to a second end of the longitudinal rod;

d) instructing students to position a second group of the multi-faced objects adjacent to the first group of the multifaced objects, and

e) instructing students to identify the multi-faced object having the highest unique numerical identifier which has been moved away from the first end of the longitudinal rod.