The Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract Approach is an effective teaching approach that helps to develop a deep and sustainable understanding of mathematics in students.

When integrated into your classroom it helps to build on your students existing understanding and making complex mathematical concepts accessible to all.

Concrete: refers to the 'doing' stage. Where students manipulate concrete materials to solve problems. This is the first stage of the approach or framework.

Pictorial: refers to the 'seeing' stage. Where students create visual presentations of the concrete objects that they have just used to model the problem. This allows students to make connections between the objects they have just used and the abstract pictures they have drawn.

Abstract: refers to the 'symbolic' stage. Where students use numbers and symbols to model a problem. This is the final stage to mastering a concept. Students will not move onto this stage if they do not have a solid understanding of the concrete and pictorial representations.

It is also important to go back and forth, continually practicing each stage to reinforce mathematical concepts.