How is this activity presented?
The directress usually presents this activity in a group. She begins the activity by asking each child to lay out the floor mats one by one onto the carpet. She then asks one child to lay out the small number cards on one mat, another child is asked to do the same with the large number cards on another mat while the other child is asked to lay out the golden beads on the other mat.
The directress comes up with a number, such as 1141. Each of the three children gets the same number, the directress places the small number cards onto each of their trays for that number. She asks each of the three children to collect the corresponding beads from the bead bank and asks them to lay the number cards below each other on the mat.
The children begin counting the units and placing the corresponding large number card below the unit beads on the mat. Then they start counting the tens, and on reaching 10 tens the directress tells them to change one 10-bead bar for a 100-bead square from the bank.
The children then take the 10-bead bars back to the bank and exchange them for the 100-bead square, they add the 100-bead square to the other hundred squares on the mat. The children are encouraged to count the remaining 10-bead bars and collecting the corresponding large number card for the answer.
The children are encouraged to count the hundreds and thousands in the same manner, exchanging if necessary. The answer is made up of the large number cards.
What do children learn by doing this activity?
This activity reinforces multiplication involving exchange, it teaches the children how to exchange to higher hierarchies when multiplying, this activity reinforces place value as well as develops their mathematical mind’s.
Looking for more Montessori activities?
Here is a list of all the Montessori Maths activities including Early Maths, Introduction to the Decimal System, Seguin Boards, The Hundred Board, The Short Bead Stair, Bead Chains, The Snake Game, Group Operations, The Large Number Rods, Recording with the Small Number Rods, The Short Bead Stair, The Strip Boards, The Boards, The Stamp Game, The Abacus, The Dot Game, and Fractions. Just click on the page you want to learn about to go there.
Early Maths
Large Number Rods
Sandpaper Numbers
Spindle Box
Number Rods and Cards (presentation one)
Number Rods and Cards (presentation two)
Cards and Counters
Introduction to the Decimal System
Presentation Tray
Large Number Cards
Bridging exercise between the Presentation Tray and the Large Number Cards
Counting through with the Golden Beads
Bring me game with the Golden Beads
Counting through with the Large Number Cards
Bring me game with the Large Number Cards
Birds Eye View
Banking Game
The Changing Game
The Short Bead Stair
The Short Bead Stair: orientation exercise
Seguin Boards
Seguin Board A: learning quantities
Seguin Board A: learning symbols
Seguin Board A: bridging exercise
Seguin Board B: learning quantities
Seguin Board B: learning symbols
Seguin Board B: bridging exercise
Seguin Board B: association from 11-99
The Hundred Board
The Hundred Board
Bead Chains
Bead Chains introduction: stacking squares and cubes
Bead Chains: showing the square of a number
Bead Chains: showing the cube of a number
The Snake Game
The Snake Game: bonds of ten
The Snake Game: changing using the black and white stair
Group Operations
Group Operations: Static addition (without change)
Group Operations: Dynamic addition (with change)
Group Operations: Static multiplication (without change)
Group Operations: Static subtraction (without change)
Group Operations: Dynamic subtraction (with change)
Group Operations: Static division (without change)
Group Operations: Dynamic division (with change)
Large Number Rods
Large Number Rods: Composition (presentation one)
Large Number Rods: Composition (presentation two)
Large Number Rods: Decomposition
Recording with the Small Number Rods
Recording with the Small Number Rods
The Short Bead Stair
Addition with the Short Bead Stair
Multiplication tables with the Short Bead Stair
Subtraction using the Short Bead Stair
The Strip Boards
Addition Strip Board (presentation one)
Addition Strip Board (presentation two)
Subtraction Strip Board (presentation one)
Subtraction Strip Board (presentation two)
The Boards
Multiplication Board
Division Board
The Stamp Game
The Stamp Game: bridging exercise
The Stamp Game: formation of a number
The Stamp Game: Static addition (without change)
The Stamp Game: Dynamic addition (with change)
The Stamp Game: Static multiplication (without change)
The Stamp Game: Dynamic multiplication (with change)
The Stamp Game: Static subtraction (without change)
The Stamp Game: Dynamic subtraction (with change)
The Stamp Game: Static division (without change)
The Stamp Game: Dynamic division (with change)
The Abacus
The Abacus: bridging exercise
The Abacus: counting on the Abacus
The Abacus: formation of a number
The Abacus: counting and recording
Operations with the Abacus: Static addition (without change)
Operations with the Abacus: Static multiplication (without change)
Operations with the Abacus: Static subtraction (without change)
The Dot Game
The Dot Game: Static addition (without change)
The Dot Game: Dynamic addition (with change)
The Dot Game: Static multiplication (without change)
The Dot Game: Dynamic multiplication (with change)
The Dot Game: Static subtraction (without change)
The Dot Game: Dynamic subtraction (with change)
Fractions
Fractions (presentation one)
Fractions (presentation two)
Fractions (presentation three)
Fractions (presentation four)
