This study examines how different types of concrete materials (specific and non-specific) influence children's comprehension when solving multiplication and division problems. Forty 8-year-old children were divided into two groups, and asked to solve the same problems. The children in Group 1 (non-specific) were given plastic tokens. The children in Group 2 (specific) were given objects which had a direct relation to the referents of the quantities mentioned in the problems (e.g., vases and flowers, toy cars and boxes). The specific concrete materials favoured performance and the use of more appropriate procedures than non-specific concrete materials. The conclusion was that the child's comprehension is influenced by the representational support available to him/her, and that not all concrete materials have the same effect on problem solving. It is necessary to consider not only the manipulative nature of the material, but the relation between the referents of the quantities and the representational support available as well.
children; problem solving; representational support
