Welcome To Touch Masters

Touch Masters specialize in learning tools that are primarily manipulative and sensorially appealing for learners aged 4- 10 years old (pre-K to grade 5).

Mission statement

TOUCH MASTERS ensure learners get the opportunity to MASTER learning concepts through TOUCH, MANIPULATION and FUN while stimulating the senses. All learners will be actively engaged in a learning situation to MASTER the content.

How Touch Masters came about

I, Candice Prinsloo qualified with a B.Prim Ed (WITS) and a B.Ed in Special Needs (hons) (TUKS) and am a proud mum of two young girls. As a committed and passionate remedial specialist, I was challenged to find a mathematics learning tool that would assist in the mastery of number sense concept and the place value (H, T and U - hundreds, tens and units) concept. In my research and experience with many young math learners I noticed the need for an apparatus that facilitated the mastery of number sense along with initiating and integrating the place value concept. The Place Value concept being one of the first complicated abstract concepts that early mathematics learners need to grasp, requires intense focus to establish a sound foundation for all mathematics learning that is to come. I was desperate to help the many learners struggling with the mastery of this concept. I therefore through some trial and error came up with a design of a learning tool that had to meet a number of requirements that I deem crucial in the teaching of mathematics to young learners. I searched for a tool that would accompany math learners along their journey of climbing the spiral mathematics curriculum and ultimately boost their ability to master number knowledge in a fluid and flexible manner.

The tool had to stand up to the following requirements:

•     Manipulative.
•     Tangible and practical.
•     Visual and engaging.
•     Colourful and dynamic.
•     Three dimensional.
•     Sensorially appealing.
•     Simplify abstract concepts.
•     Allow for exploration, experimenting, developing relational understanding of mathematics concepts     and discovery.
•     Self-corrective.
•     Versatile (developing various number skills and math concepts simultaneously).
•     Durable.
•     Warm to touch (reason for using wooden apparatus).

Mathematics is a subject that progresses along a continuum. All concepts need to be introduced in a concrete, HANDS - ON method. The concepts then develop on a semi-concrete level aiming towards mastery on an abstract level. Mastering learning concepts are highly dependant on the hands on use of concrete manipulatives. Insufficient exposure to active learning situations supported by concrete manipulatives, may lead to poor concept development.