Community reviews for Thinking Blocks

I liked the engagement that the students had, though it would not keep them there for long. But this is a great math tool that can help with states that have certain requirements they need to meet and can drive points home in a way that students understand them.

The Thinking Blocks app is great for teaching students to use bar models to solve story problems . Bar models, rectangular models, or area model are common terms used when teaching math to help model and visualize story problems! When using this app, student go through the process of identifying the representing word problems and their number relationships to solve problems using different bar models. This app is a good resource in teaching students strategies to tackle story problems. While this app could be used for skill practice, I think it would be best utilized as a direct instruction resource.

Thinking Blocks is not a bells and whistles app but I value the step by step approach and visuals it provides for students as they complete different types of word problems. For many of my students who struggle with word problems it's because they don't know where to start. This app forces them to solve a problem 1 step at a time. It forces them to label a block picture then add bars and finally the corresponding numbers. Only after each of these steps has been completed correctly can students give their answer. I also like the feedback that appears after each step. It supports the math I am already doing with my students. I would like to see a further breakdown of numbers--1-20, 1-50, 1-100, 1-500.

Thinking Blocks is truly required for Common Core and PARCC assessments. It also works great with Singapore Math. Today's math requires students to make visual graphics of math operations and problem solving. Both PARCC assessments and Singapore Math use bar modeling extensively. Thinking Blocks guides students through demo videos and actual step-by-step problem solving. This app is not a gaming app, so it is not action packed for students, however, I am so glad that I found it.

If your math program attempts to use any element of Singapore Math in which students construct models of equations with blocks, you need this site! Your students' parents need this site! This truly removes the mystery from the process of equation modeling, and helps students to understand its very usefulness in solving word problems that many adults would have difficulty solving, even with a fair understanding of algebra. The site is NOT one where you could just "send the kids." Teachers need to preview the modeling and become familiar with the step-by-step processes that the site helps you to understand. Once students see HOW the site works, however, most students in grades 4 and up would be able to take on the well-paced and incrementally more challenging problems.

Students often have difficulty understanding what is being asked of them in math word problems, especially students with math anxiety and reading difficulties. This site helps students to think carefully about all the parts involved in the problem and make a plan for how to solve it. Students are practicing the skills of solving word problems in addition to practicing computations and building part-whole relationship understanding. Students feel empowered to attempt problems that may have been too intimidating at first.