Abstract
Abstract The use of practical apparatus to help children to learn about arithmetic has a long history, but many teachers have found that it is not as useful as theorists claim and in the current review of practice occasioned by the National Curriculum its use is being questioned. This article reviews the arguments for the value of practical number apparatus and examines the practical activities for which the apparatus is used, to try to explain why the theoretical benefits do not seem to be translating into practice. A number of possible reasons for the divergence are found, most notably the widespread unhelpful use of the apparatus as an aid to calculation. A change of emphasis in the use of number apparatus is recommended, rather than its rejection.
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