What happened
In a guest post for The Learning Scientists, Karla Valencia-Quiroz and Alberto Guerrero-Velázquez propose using movement, space and gesture to help students understand abstract mathematics. Valencia-Quiroz’s Living Board has students stand for ones, tens or hundreds and change position to show how a digit’s value changes. Missing positions prompt discussion of zero.
Why it matters
For teachers and instructional designers, the distinction is between reading or writing numbers and explaining place value. The authors report that some students who struggled with abstract explanations engaged through the Living Board, including students with attention difficulties. These are classroom observations, however, not evidence that this specific activity improves outcomes. They cite Novack and colleagues’ finding that gesture, unlike physical action alone, helped children apply what they learned to mathematical-equivalence problems requiring generalisation. Research they cite on gradually fading concrete representations involved university students, limiting direct guidance for younger pupils.
What to do next
Consider trying a brief place-value activity in which learners physically represent digits, change positions, explain the new value and discuss what an empty position means. Follow the movement with drawings and written numerals, then ask learners to explain unfamiliar examples without the physical model. Compare their explanations before and after the activity rather than treating participation as proof of understanding. The authors say not every mathematics lesson needs physical activity; research they cite on broader classroom physical activity did not specifically test the Living Board or students with ADHD.
About this briefing
Reviewed by TutorFlow Editorial. We link the primary source, preserve its publication date, and distinguish reported claims from TutorFlow analysis. Our commentary focuses on practical decisions for educators and training teams.
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