AGE: 5.5 to 6 years
OBJECTIVE(S):
1. To show the possible combinations of 10, emphasizing that in addition, you are making tens.
2. To show that addition and multiplication are of the same concept.
3. To show that no two numbers will add up to be greater than 18.
MATERIALS:
1. 1 box containing 5 sets of colored short bead bars (1-9).
2. 1 box containing 25 golden 10-bars.
3. 1 box containing 1 set of black and white beads to represent the remaining beads (1 through 5 beads are black and from 6 beads one white bead is added for each number. For instance, 7 has five black beads and two white beads and 9 has five black beads and four white beads.)
4. 1 notched cardboard or plastic counter to act as marker.
5. 1 empty container to contain the used colored bead stairs (the empty black and white bead box may be used for this).
6. 1 mat or felt cloth to work on.
PRESENTATION:
1. Place the black and white bead stair at the upper right hand corner of the mat and arrange them into a triangle with the 1 black bead at the bottom and the 9 bead at the top.
2. Place the notched card below the stair and explain, "This card is to mark where we finished counting."
3. Randomly arrange the colored bead bars (use one of each and an extra 5-bar) in a zig-zag line like a snake.
4. Ask, “How many beads do you think there are in our snake?”
5. Count the beads and insert the marker after the 10th bead has been counted.
6. Place a golden 10-bar next to the colored bead bars.
7. Count the remaining beads of the bead bar, i.e. if a bar of 7 was counted first and bar of 5 second, thus 7 and 3 of the 5 would make 10. The remainder would be 2.
8. Place the black bead of 2 at the end of the 10 bar to hold the place for the remaining beads of the 5 colored bead bar. Remove the colored bead bars you already counted, 7 and 5 into the empty container. Join the snake.
9. Starting from the black bead of 2, count the beads until you reach 10 and mark it with the notched marker. Place a golden 10-bar next to it, count the remainder, place the appropriate black and white bead bar and remove the colored bead bars into the empty container. Join the snake.
10. Continue in the same manner until all the colored bead bars are replaced by golden 10 bead bars. If a black and white bar remains, replace it with the corresponding color bar and return the black and white bead bar back into its stair.
11. Arrange the golden 10-bar vertically, count them and the remaining colored bead bar and say out the answer.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION:
Basic: Counting 1 bar at a time...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvOILklErlY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2_wVxEwsz4
https://youtu.be/n08hSky3gcY
https://youtu.be/n08hSky3gcY
More advance: counting 2 bars at a time...
Place the golden ten-bars in vertical rows. Take the colored bead stair that formed the snake earlier and match it next to the golden ten-bars to make 10. All combinations should be made until all 10s are matched and all bead bars are used.
CONTROL OF ERROR:
The number of bead bars, the colored bead bars should be equal to the number of ten bars, less 1. If a larger black head is desired then make the colored bead bars equal to the 10 bars, less the amount of the black bead used.
1. Place the black and white bead stair at the upper right hand corner of the mat and arrange them into a triangle with the 1 black bead at the bottom and the 9 bead at the top.
2. Place the notched card below the stair and explain, "This card is to mark where we finished counting."
3. Randomly arrange the colored bead bars (use one of each and an extra 5-bar) in a zig-zag line like a snake.
4. Ask, “How many beads do you think there are in our snake?”
5. Count the beads and insert the marker after the 10th bead has been counted.
6. Place a golden 10-bar next to the colored bead bars.
7. Count the remaining beads of the bead bar, i.e. if bars of 1 and 6 were counted first and bar of 7 next, thus 7 and 3 of the white 7-white bar would make 10. The remainder from the white 7-bar would be 4.
8. Place the black 4-bar at the end of the 10 bar to hold the place for the remaining beads of the white 7-bar. Remove the colored bead bars you already counted, 1, 6 and 7 into the empty container. Join the snake.
9a. Starting from the black 4-bar, count the beads until you reach 10 and mark it with the notched marker. Place a golden 10-bar next to it, count the remainder and place the appropriate black and white 6-bar representing the remainder and remove the colored bead bars into the empty container. Join the snake.
9b. Starting from the black & white 6-bar, count the beads until you reach 10 and mark it with the notched marker. Place a golden 10-bar next to it, count the remainder from the purple 6-bar and place the appropriate black 2-bar next to it, representing the remainder.
9c. Starting from the black 2-bar, count the beads until you reach 10 and mark it with the notched marker.
Place a golden 10-bar next to it, count the remainder from the blue 5-bar and place the appropriate black 1-bar next to it, representing the remainder.
9d. Starting from the black 1-bar, count the beads until you reach 10 and mark it with the notched marker. Place a golden 10-bar next to it, count the remainder from the blue 5-bar and place the appropriate black 1-bar next to it, representing the remainder.
9e. Starting from the black 1-bar, count the beads until you reach 10 and mark it with the notched marker.
Place a golden 10-bar next to it. There is no remainder from the blue 5-bar in this case.
10. Remove the colored bead bars, continue in the same manner until all the colored bead bars are replaced by golden 10 bead bars. (If a black and white bar remains, replace it with the corresponding color bar and return the black and white bead bar back into its stair.)
11. Arrange the golden 10-bar vertically, count them and the remaining colored bead bar and say out the answer, in this case it is 61.
12. To verify the answer, take the colored bead stair that formed the snake earlier from the container and place them next to the golden ten-bars forming combinations of 10. All combinations should be made until all 10s are matched and all bead bars are used.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
I tried this with J for the first time on 6 August 2014 (5Y5M1D). He understood the concept, but having difficulty using the markers.
J wanted to do a Montessori activity that does not require him to write. So we tried it again on 25 May 2015 (6Y2M20D). We tried this again on 26 May 2015, so that he got to practise more. He is getting better and better. He likes to have me around when he is working on it, but I need to let him try to take it all the way from the beginning to the end without my supervision.
J wanted to do a Montessori activity that does not require him to write. So we tried it again on 25 May 2015 (6Y2M20D). We tried this again on 26 May 2015, so that he got to practise more. He is getting better and better. He likes to have me around when he is working on it, but I need to let him try to take it all the way from the beginning to the end without my supervision.
REFERENCES:
- Shu-Chen Jenny Yen’s On-line Montessori Albums http://faculty.fullerton.edu/syen/mts/math/_link.htm
The Montessori Addition Snake Game is available from Amazon:
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| 6 August 2014 (5Y5M1D) |
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| 6 August 2014 (5Y5M1D) |
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| 25 May 2015 (6Y2M20D) |
