Montessori Activity: The Bead Cabinet - Sensorial Experiences with the Chain (Stage VII)

 

AGE: 4.5-6 (the child should have worked with the initial bead presentation and the short bead stair and be very familiar with the sensorial materials)

OBJECTIVE(S): To show the child the progression of different relationships between units, squares, and cubes.

MATERIALS:

Bead Cabinet consists of:

1.     Colored square chains

2.     Colored cube chains

3.     Several mats
4.    Short bead stair added later

 

PREPARATION:

1.     Place several mats on the floor, one beneath the other.

2.     Bring the bead presentation tray containing 1 unit, 10 bar, 100 square and 1000 cube to the mat. Later add to these materials the 100 and 1000 chains.

STAGE VII:

 

1.     From the top of a mat, right to left, place the square chains vertically. Below this, in the same manner, place the cube chains.

2.     Let the child or children observe this pattern. Place the 1 red bead next to the other red bead (moving it down). Continue in this manner placing each of the colored square chains next to each appropriate section of the cube chains from 2 through 1000. Child can count how many square chains there are in a cube chain. Leave the square chains at the end of the cube chains.

3.     Layout all of the bead bars across the top of the mat vertically from left to right. To the right of the bead bars place the square chains. To the right of the square chains place the cube chains. Let child observe the work.

4.     Layout as before in step 3. At the end of each square chain place one square and at the end of each cube place a cube. Let the child observe this pattern.

  
REFERENCES:
- https://archive.org/details/advancedmontess00livigoog
- Shu-Chen Jenny Yen’s On-line Montessori Albums http://faculty.fullerton.edu/syen/mts/math/_link.htm