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How To Use LEGO Bricks To Teach Math

LEGO bricks to teach math

Very few hands-on math tools like the humble LEGO brick are as useful and flexible. The familiar LEGO is an incredible tool for making abstract math concepts tangible to your children. Inspiring teamwork, encouraging perseverance, and promoting a positive attitude towards solving a variety of mathematical problems. You may argue that it is a statistical method to simply play with LEGOs. Studies have shown that playing with LEGOs at a young age is related to spatial growth. When you use LEGOs in your math lessons as a hands-on tool, your kids will feel interested, comfortable and inspired to deal with difficult issues. So, if you want your kids to explore math concepts with LEGOs, here are some ideas to use LEGO bricks to teach math.

LEGO Bricks to Teach Math

We know that students love to play with LEGO bricks, and they make the classroom a brilliant math game. There are several ways to use LEGO bricks to teach math in your classroom.

1. Teaching Addition & Subtraction

Preschool children can start learning math by playing LEGO. Asking the child to group the LEGO bricks by color is one way to teach the basic concept of adding and subtracting. Ask them to count the number of bricks in the group of colors. Then add the groups together to make up the total number. Alternatively, ask your students to count only the number of LEGO yellow bricks and the green LEGO bricks, and then add them together to make a total. Counting the bumps on a single brick of LEGO is another way to teach the addition of your children. It is also possible to apply these same methods to teach subtraction.

2. Teaching Fractions

For young children, math concepts can be difficult to grasp, and they often struggle to make sense of complex topics such as fractions.

Use LEGOs as a hands-on resource helps the children to develop an active and engaging understanding of fractions.

Children can learn fractions with LEGOs by experimenting instead of simply memorizing facts and procedures.

3. Teaching Multiplication

LEGOs are an incredibly flexible educational tool to explore arithmetic and are incredibly useful. Your kids will explore area models, multiplicative properties, square numbers, and factoring using blocks.

When you try to teach multiplication groups, one group can be represented by a single LEGO. Then students will count the studs in order to determine the formula of multiplying. Two LEGO bricks with four studs, for example, (two groups of four) are 2x 4. Once students have figured this, they can solve the problem (2x 4= 8).

In order to teach the array children will analyze the rows in order to figure out the formula. One LEGO brick with eight studs, for example (2 horizontal rows of four studs, 2x 4= 8).

Use LEGO Bricks To Teach Math

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4. Teaching Area And Perimeter 

Students may create large areas by putting LEGO bricks side by side or by simply counting the studs on top of the bricks and solving the formula, finding the area of single bricks. Students can also use grid paper to identify the area and perimeter. When bricks don’t fit perfectly on the grid sheet, tell students not to stress it. Let them paint the area on their grid paper of each of their LEGO bricks.

Use LEGO Bricks To Use LEGO Bricks To Teach Math

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5. Teaching Means, Median, And Range

Hand a baggie of LEGO bricks of different sizes to each student and explore mean, median, mode, and range!

For array

  • Students use the number of studs to classify bricks.
  • Then, have them work out each group’s total number of studs.
  • They will figure out the m, m, m, and r once they have their numbers.

For the number of bricks that have the same number of studs

  • Students, by the number of studs, classify bricks.
  • So, in each group, they count how many they have.
  • The m, m, m, and r are then figured out.

LEGO towers could also be built and bricks classified by color. Then, have the mean, median, mode, and range figured out by the students. Set a timer and have children, build the tallest tower they can have before the time runs out! They’ll take their tower apart and label their bricks by color. They find the m, m, m and r of their LEGO colors, using their information (ex: 19 red, 10 black, etc.).

Use LEGO Bricks To Teach Math

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6. Teaching Measure and Weigh 

Young children can learn how to use the LEGO bricks as a measuring unit to measure different objects like shoes, desktops or chairs. Tell your child to write down the measurements and then graph the measurements. LEGOS can also be formed and weighed in different forms and objects as if the LEGO aircraft weighs more than the red Hot Wheel Car.

Use LEGO Bricks To Teach Math

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So, these are some of the ways to use LEGO bricks to teach math in your classroom.

LEGO bricks make the study of math a lot more fun!

No matter how you use your LEGO set to teach math, kids will be better equipped to understand mathematical concepts and spatial and proportional theory — even if they don’t realize it!

Also Read: How Joyful Learning Influences Students

 

 

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