NLVM Pie Chart

The virtual manipulative I wanted to comment on this week was the Pie Chart, available in Grades 3 through 5 Probability. This manipulative is useful in a mathematical context seeing how different percentages look when viewed in a pie. Additionally, I have found it useful in a therapeutic sense with some children. I counsel some younger individuals and quite often they falsely conclude cognitively that something is 'entirely my fault' or overemphasize one aspect of something. One common example is a child of divorce who blames him/herself entirely for the marital problems that exist. A pie chart like this along with a discussion of other factors that contribute to a given situation may ease the guilt a child is experiencing and have a positive effect on behavior and academics.