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Interactive Teaching Tools

Listed below are interactive teaching programs (ITPs), which are for use with whiteboards and computers. These tools are taken from the National Strategies website from the United Kingdom.
They provide and interactive multisensory way of teaching key concepts in mathematics.

Each tool has a link for instructions and a link for downloading the tool.

After you click on the link your computer will ask you to select a program to open it. You can use Internet Explorer to open them.
Addition and Subtraction Facts Practice
This tool can be used to model addition by combining and counting, and subtraction by partitioning and taking away.
 Addition and Subtraction on the Number Line
This tool can be used to model calculation strategies for addition and subtraction and to develop children’s understanding of the sums and differences between positive and negative numbers.
All-Partials Multiplication
This tool can be used to develop children’s understanding of the All-Partials method of multiplication for whole and decimal numbers, and their ability to apply their knowledge of number facts and to deduce and reason, when finding missing component numbers.
 Drawing Angles
This tool allows you to create a number of connected vertices on a grid. The angles created at vertices can be measured using the protractor and their values can be displayed or hidden.
Angles in Polygons
This tool  can be used to explore the properties of regular and irregular polygons. Children’s understanding of the angular properties of polygons can be developed.
 Area Explorer
This tool allows you to make different shapes and patterns can support the teaching of number, shape and space and problem solving, for example, to identify the positions of counters in a given sequence or to find the number of nets of an open cube.
Bar Graph
This tool allows you to enter data into a table and then create a vertical bar chart, a horizontal bar chart or a pie chart.
 Bead Place Value Sticks
This tool allows you to place beads onto sticks representing ones, tens, hundreds and thousands. If you fill any column with ten beads an animation shows how they combine to make one bead in the next column.
Calculating Angles
This tool allows you to place shapes around a point and investigate their angles.
 Coordinate Explorer
This tool allows you to use a marker to identify the coordinates of points on different grids. It can also be used to explore the properties of 2-D shapes and to predict translations, rotations and reflections of various shapes in the different quadrants.
Count Dots
This tool shows how a number line can be developed from a row of 10, 20 or 100 counters.
 Counting On and Back with 100
This tool simulates a 100-bead string. You can move all the beads to the right of the string and move individual or groups of beads to the left side of the string by clicking on selected beads.
Difference Subtraction on a Number Line
This tool allows you to compare two rows of beads and to analyse the calculations they can represent. It can be used to promote the language of addition and subtraction, particularly the interpretation of difference.
 Division with Grouping
This tool allows you to display up to 30 counters or shapes on the screen. You then select a number to be the divisor in a division calculation.
Division with Remainders
The tool can be used to demonstrate division as grouping, and to develop children’s understanding of remainders and the notation for division.
 Drawing Polygons
The tool can be used to explore properties of shapes and space.
Filling Cylinders
This tool can be used to explore and consolidate the interpretation and reading of scales, mental calculation strategies and methods of recording.
 Fractions Modeling
This tool can be used to explore equivalence between fractions, decimals and percentages and the different representations of the same relative quantities.
Function Machine
This tool allows you to create up to three function function machines.
 Grouping and Counting
This tool allows you to place a number of objects on the screen. You can move the objects around the screen to group them, drag them onto a number line or into a ‘hoop’ to create sets of objects or into a 10 by 10 grid.
Line Graphs
This tool allows you to enter data into a table and then create a line graph to represent the data.
 Multiplying and Dividing with 10 and 100
This tool allows you to demonstrate the effect of multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100.
Multiplication with Arrays
This tool allows you to represent multiplication by uncovering parts of an array of counters.
 Multiplication Facts
This tool allows you to represent multiplication as repeated addition using a grid of blocks or counters.
Multiplication Practice
This tool allows you to set up a multiplication table.

 Multiplication Puzzle
The tool can be used to practice the recall of multiplication and division facts and use of these number facts to generate other facts.
Multiplication Table
This tool allows you to represent multiplication as the multiple of two numbers in an array.

 Number Balance
This tool allows you to put objects on a balance that represent numbers. It also allows you to pratice number expressions on the balance. There are no instructions for this tool.
Number Cards
The tool can be used to display sets of different numbers that children can compare and order.

 Number Chart (Like a 100 chart with a twist)
This tool generates a 100 square. Choose a colour or the grey mask. You can then click on individual cells to hide or highlight them in different colours, and by clicking on the box at the left-hand foot of the grid and using the pointers you can hide or highlight rows and columns. The prime numbers and multiples can also be highlighted.
Number Spinners
This tool generates random numbers using ‘spinners’ with 3, 4, 5 or 6 sides.
 Place Value Modeler
This tool displays on-screen place value cards to construct and partition three-digit whole numbers.
Ratio Tool
This tool has two on-screen containers, holding different coloured liquids, to model ratio and proportion.
 Ruler Measuring
This tool displays an on-screen ruler you can use to measure lines and the sides of shapes.
Symmetry
This tool displays a grid, which has a ‘mirror’ in the middle.
 Thermometer
This tool displays a thermometer. The scale, range and the interval markers can be changed and a slider control can be dragged up and down the length of the thermometer to set the height of the column.
Telling Time Clock
This tool displays on-screen analogue and digital clocks separately or together. The clocks can be moved around the screen and their sizes altered.
 Weighing Scale
This tool allows you to add different masses to or from a scale pan.

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