Hi my bloggers!! In today’s post, I will be compiling some teaching resources and materials that may be useful for use in primary school classrooms. To begin with, I will discuss the geoboard, a resource consisting of a square wooden or plastic board. At each intersection of this board there is a peg protruding approximately 2 cm from the surface (Martín, 2025). The first geoboard was designed by Caleb Gattegno, who was looking for a resource to teach geometry in a hands-on way. To use it, you need to place coloured rubber bands on the board and hook them onto the pegs to form the geometric shapes you want.
Figure 1.
Types of map
Note: Recovered from ‘Types of geomap’, by an unknown author, undated, https://aulatallerccb.weebly.com/geoplano.html. Licence not specified.
Another resource widely used in primary school classrooms, and one that pupils usually enjoy very much, is the Tangram. This game originated in China and involves constructing all sorts of shapes using the seven geometric pieces included in the set, known as ‘Tans’. These shapes must be constructed without the pieces overlapping, and when put together, they form a square. The Tangram pieces are: five triangles (two large, one medium and two small), a square and a rhomboid. According to Morales (2010), using the Tangram in mathematics lessons allows pupils to work on geometric shapes, angles and their classification, as well as the areas and perimeters of shapes. Furthermore, it also stimulates pupils’ creativity and imagination through the manipulation of the pieces and the creation of shapes
Figure 2.
Classic tangram
Finally, I will talk about Mecano. It consists of numerous parts, which are rods of different sizes, each with a series of holes spaced at regular intervals. Screws and nuts are used to join them, allowing the parts to move and extend (Dorta, 2020). Through it, we can explore geometric concepts such as open and closed lines, polygons, perimeters, angles and diagonals, as well as developing fine motor skills and creativity. It is a traditional game, but it can offer interesting possibilities within teaching.
Figure 3.
Mecano.
In conclusion, these teaching resources are highly hands-on and help transform abstract mathematical concepts into concrete experiences, thereby improving pupils’ spatial understanding and motivation. By touching and constructing different shapes, pupils develop logical thinking as well as fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities.
References
Dorta Rodríguez, Y. (2020). Actividades geométricas en Educación Primaria mediante el uso del Mecano.
Martín Izquierdo, C. (2025). Materiales y recursos para el aula de geometría en Primaria: un banco de actividades.
Morales, J. F. C. (2010). El Tangram: Un Recurso Educativo Para Trabajar La Geometría En La Educación Primaria. INNOVACIÓN Y EXPERIENCIAS EDUCATIVAS, 35, 1-8.
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