Young children often learn mathematics concepts with concrete manipulatives (e.g., blocks, counters); yet, the mere use of manipulatives does not ensure successful learning. The current study compared different ways of using manipulatives (i.e., base-ten blocks) in conjunction with written symbols. Children (N = 138, M age = 6.86) learned about place value in one of four conditions: Concrete Only, Direct Comparison, Two-Step Fading, and Three-Step Fading. Condition differences at posttest favored the fading conditions in which problem formats transitioned from concrete objects to written numerals. More robustly, children who learned the connections between the objects and symbols exhibited higher posttest and transfer test scores relative to children who did not, over and above general learning during the lesson.