Eastern Kentucky University students preparing for a teaching career are receiving extra preparation so they can effectively teach mathematics concepts using hands-on activities.

Pre-service teachers attended a three-hour workshop Thursday, May 7, to prepare materials to take into the classroom when they serve as student teachers next semester.

“Many of the classrooms do not have the materials that we have used in class to teach math, so we are providing materials and the time for the students to make them,” said Krista Althauser, a faculty member in EKU’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. “In addition, two math interventionists will be there to work with the students on how to better use the materials once they are made.”

The teachers-in-training will be making, and learning new strategies on how to use, math manipulatives such as bead boards, arrow cards, hundred boars, mineral tracks, dot cards, various card games, tangrams, number patterns, counting strategies and other numeracy teaching strategies.

“This will better prepare them to teach math conceptually using best practices as well as strategies that meet the needs of all students,” Althauser said. “We hope to be able to continue this with all our pre-service teachers before they enter student teaching.”