Developed by Narelle Rice with support from Dr Paul Swan
Bond Blocks is both a unique manipulative and the associated Bond Blocks Teaching System designed for the teaching of counting and addition / subtraction.
The Bond Blocks System has two targeted uses:
  1. Whole class teaching (Tier 1): teaching well initially in order to reduce the number of students who need intervention efforts,
  2. Maths Intervention (Tier 2 and 3 Intervention): in small groups or with pairs of students to build up foundational skills.

The two main projects in the Bond Blocks system are the school-based kits:

The Bond Blocks Counting to 10 & 20 Kit and the Bond Blocks Core Addition & Subtraction Kit.

These kits come fully supported with included Professional Learning and Assessment & Monitoring tools.

For homeschool and tutors we also have a smaller booklet that can be used with any individual set of wooden Bond Blocks.

Features of Bond Blocks
  • They are not scored, reducing the tendency to simply count.
  • The natural wood colour of the sustainably-sourced New Zealand Pine reduces distraction of colourful plastic and focuses children on the numbers.
  • Represent ten with two different blocks: Linear Ten and Empty Ten Frame, similar to a ten strip and ten frame.
  • They are a ratio of one unit : 2 cm making them easy to manipulate.
  • Self-checking. Encourages number sense and estimation.
“I think 9 - 4 is 6. Oops! 6 is one too big.”
“It must be 5. I’ll check. Yes 9 - 4 is 5.”
Features of the Bond Blocks Intervention System

The Bond Blocks Maths Intervention Program is fully sequenced, Australian Curriculum linked and follows a Concrete-Representational-Abstract approach. It supports both Intervention and Class Teaching needs (often also known as a Multi-Tiered System of Support).

  • A comprehensive learning system – 108 activities
  • Activities are completable in 10 minutes
  • Activities are modelled on video (example) with explicit teaching and demonstration to teachers on how to link the mathematical manipulative, the language and symbols.
  • Explanation of the mathematics
  • Mathematical language specified
  • Assessment and monitoring
  • Positive Testimonials from Schools & Teachers, Homeschoolers & Students
108 activities
Two Students playing a game from the Bond Blocks Core Kit
See the lessons & Read the Testimonials: www.bondblocks.com

Bond Blocks is an Australian Maths Intervention Support Program.

Additional Media

An Introduction to the Bond Blocks Manipulative

Unboxing the Bond Blocks Counting to 10 & 20 Kit

Assessment with Bond Blocks Core

An example Bond Blocks lesson from the Bond Blocks Core Kit