Montessori Activity: The Exchange Game

AGE: 4.5 years old

OBJECTIVE(S):

To demonstrate that 10 units can be exchanged for a ten-bar, 10 ten-bars can be exchanged for a hundred-square, and 10 hundred-squares can be exchanged for a thousand-cube. 

MATERIALS:

1.     Supply of golden bead material

2.     1 worksheet for exercise

3.     1 mat

PRESENTATION:

1.     Explain the exchange game by saying, "We can exchange when we have 10 units, 10 ten-bars and 10 hundred-squares." Take a ten-bar and explain how it is formed with 10 one-units and counting them.
 

2.     Show your child the supply box and say, "This is our Bank. We are going to see how much "money" we have." 

3.     Let the child take all the units from the Bank, count and line them in a vertical line. 

4.     When he counts to the tenth unit, show him that it is the same as the having a ten-bar.  

5.     Let your child exchange the 10 units with a ten-bar and say "Exchange!" 

6.     Repeat in the same manner until there are insufficient units to exchange a ten-bar.

7.     Ask, “Are there enough units to create a ten-bar. If not, why?”

8.     Have your child count the ten-bars he had exchanged with the units.

9.     When he has counted 10 ten-bars, have him notice how it looks just like the hundred square.

10.  Let him exchange the 10 ten-bars with a hundred-square and say "Exchange!"

11.  Repeat until there are insufficient bars to exchange for a hundred-square.

12.  Ask, “Are there enough ten-bars to create a hundred-square. If not, why?”

13.  Have your child count the hundred-squares he exchanged with the ten-bars by stacking them on top of each other.

14.  When your child reaches 10 hundred-squares, show him that it is the same as having a thousand-cube.

15.  Let him exchange the 10 hundred-squares with a thousand-cube and say "Exchange!"

16.  Repeat until there are no more hundred-squares that can be exchanged for a thousand-cube and ask your child why.

17.  Have your child count the thousand-cubes he has in total now.

18.  Show your child that it is very easy to see how much you have in the bank after exchanging.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ns-s4K0Hyc

NOTES:

1.     Use two hands to exchange.
2.     Alternative way: you set up the first numeral cards.

EXERCISE:

1.     Show the child a supply box of golden beads and say, “This is our Bank.”

2.     Put out appropriate amount of golden beads and arrange them according to the number in the worksheet on the mat.

3.     Ask your child to count the unit beads on the mat into an empty bowl and when he reaches the tenth unit, let your child go to the “Bank” to exchange them for a ten-bar, say, “Exchange!” and place it with the other ten-bars on the mat.

4.     Repeat in the same manner until there are insufficient units to exchange a ten-bar.

5.     Ask your child to count the remaining unit beads and write it down in the space provided in the worksheet.

6.     Ask your child to count the ten-bars on the mat and when he reaches the tenth bar, let your child go to the “Bank” to exchange them for a hundred-square, say, “Exchange!” and place it with the other hundred-squares on the mat.

7.     Repeat until there are insufficient bars to exchange a hundred-square.

8.     Ask your child to count the remaining ten-bars and write it down in the space provided in the worksheet.

9.     Ask your child to count the hundred-squares and when he reaches the tenth square, let your child exchange them for a thousand-cube, say, “Exchange!” and place it with the other thousand-cubes on the mat.

10.  Repeat until there are no more hundred-squares that can be exchanged for a thousand-cube.

11.  Ask your child to count the remaining hundred-squares and write it down in the space provided in the worksheet.

12.  Ask your child to count out the thousand-cubes and write it down in the space provided in the worksheet.

13.  Ask your child to write the numbers in the bottom of the worksheet and read it out loud together.

14.  Show your child that it is very easy to now see how much you have in the bank after exchanging.

REFERENCES:

Shu-Chen Jenny Yen’s On-line Montessori Albums

www.infomontessori.com

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

We tried this for the first time on 1 May 2014 and had a lot of fun. J (5Y1M26D) has a high attention span now and could really concentrate. The whole session lasted 45 minutes.

1 May 2014 (5Y1M26D) - Ask your child to count the units and line them vertically.



Let your child exchange the 10 units with a ten-bar from the supply box.

Ask your child to count the units and line them vertically.

Look at the remaining units that cannot be formed into a ten-bar and ask the child if there are enough units to create a ten-bar. Ask the child why this is so. J chose to exchange the 3 golden beads with the pink bead stair

Have your child count how many ten-bars he had exchanged with the units and place them side-by-side.

When he has counted 10 ten-bars, have him notice how it looks just like the hundred square.

Let him exchange the 10 ten-bars with a hundred-square and say "Exchange!"

Have your child count how many hundred-squares he exchanged with the ten-bars.

Then have your child count the hundred-squares by stacking them on top of each other.

When your child reaches 10 hundred-squares, discuss how this looks like the thousand cube.

Repeat until there are no more hundred-squares that can be exchanged for a thousand-cube. If there are any left-over that cannot be made into a thousand-cube, discuss why with the child.

Have your child count how many thousand-cubes he exchanged with the hundred-squares.