The importance of the use of concrete manipulatives as an aid to mathematical learning is
a central theme and targeted in scientific studies of the specialty. On the other hand, the
use of these materials allows the pupils to feel, touch and manipulate, moving from active
representations to visual and/or symbolic representations, evolving from concrete to abstract.
During the accomplishment of the training inserted in the educational practice in the first year
of primary education with 25 students, we noticed that the students had some difficulties in
the understanding of addition meanings. The difficulties related to the notion of the number
sense and little understanding of arithmetic operations meanings, namely addition, represent,
according to several authors, the great difficulties felt by the pupils in Mathematics. Thus, the
following research question arises: Does the use of the Decimal Board influence students’
understanding (ou knowledge) of the meanings of arithmetic addition and the fundamental
principles of decimal number system? Thereby, it became relevant the development of a
qualitative study, of interpretative nature and with an action research design. The analysis
of the collected data shows an improvement in understanding the addition meanings, the
principles of decimal number system and the composition in a superior order unity. These
evidences suggest that the use of the Decimal Board was an artifact that helped promote
these mathematical learnings.
Keywords: Primary school; manipulative materials; addition meanings; learning.