Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments (AEPA) Practice Exam

The use of paper strips and Cuisenaire rods as manipulatives for teaching fractions is effective because they allow students to visually and physically engage with the concept of fractions. Paper strips can be cut into different lengths to represent various fractions, helping students to see how parts relate to a whole. This hands-on approach reinforces understanding by allowing learners to manipulate the strips directly, leading to a clearer conceptual grasp of how fractions are formed and how they compare to one another. Cuisenaire rods, which come in different lengths and colors, can be combined to form representations of fractions, facilitating exploration of equivalent fractions and addition and subtraction of fractions. By using these rods, students can model fractional relationships in a concrete way, making abstract concepts more accessible. This tactile experience reinforces their learning as they can see and create visual representations of the fractions. Other manipulatives mentioned, while beneficial in different contexts, do not provide the same level of direct engagement with the fractional concepts. For example, colored pencils and paper clips might aid in illustrating or sorting but lack the necessary specificity for fractional representation. Number lines and charts are helpful for visualization and understanding but do not provide the same hands-on experience. Blocks and dice could introduce number concepts and basics, yet they do not specifically facilitate a deep