Ten Boards with Beads and Cards
Materials:
Tens Boards (Seguin Boards) consisting of two boards with 5 spaces each
One board has 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, printed on it and the other board has 60 - 90 printed on it with a blank space at the bottom
9 wooden cards with the numerals 1-9 printed on them - these slip into the slots of each space over the 0's.
A Rug
1st Presentation: A box with 45 ten bars
2nd Presentation: A container with 9 ten bars and 10 unit beads
Purposes:
To show the child that 2 tens is twenty, 3 tens is thirty … up to ninety
To learn the names for 10-90
Association of quantity, name, and symbol for the numbers 11-99
To realize how numbers progress from one ten to the next
Age: 4-5
Preparation: The child has worked with the Teens Boards and Beads
The child has been introduced to the beads and card of the Decimal System.
Presentation 1: Renaming the Tens
Note: Most children have been introduced to the decimal system and have been referring to these numbers as 2 tens, 3 tens, etc. This presentation gives those same numbers a new name.
Invite the child for a lesson, to unroll a rug, and bring the boards. The guide will bring the box of tens.
Line up the boards vertically with the box of beads on the left.
Notice the numbers are different from the teens board.
Ask for 1 ten, place it to the left of the written 10 and say, “Ten.”
Trace your finger under the 10 and say, “Ten.”
Ask for 2 tens, count them aloud, “One ten, two tens.” While they are in your hand say, “Two tens is twenty.” Place at the board and trace under the number and say its name.
Repeat for up to 40 in this manner.
Commence a Three-period lesson of 20-40 include bead building by the numbers and pointing to the number in the second period commands.
Repeat introduction up to 70 in the same manner with Three-period lessons and then 90 if the child is willing. They may not need a Three-period lesson for 80-90.
Note: Once the child has been introduced to 10-90, have them lay the bars out by each of the numbers and count by tens forwards and backwards by pointing at the numbers top to bottom and then bottom to top.
Presentation 2: Passing from One Ten to the Next
Note: Make sure this lesson is done before the Formation of Numbers Magic Slide! The child has to have heard the names of the numbers read conventionally.
Set up as before except bring the box of beads that contains the units.
Place a ten bar by the 10 and say, “Ten and one.” Place one unit bead to the top right of the ten bar.
Slide in the one card and say, “One.”
Count the beads.
Trace the finger under the number and say, “Eleven.”
Remove the card and place it upside down to the right.
Say, “ten and two.” Place another unit below the first.
Slide in the two card and say, “Two.”
Count the beads.
Trace the finger under the number and say, “12.”
Remove the card and stack it upside down on the other.
Continue and let child take over at 14
Rejoin at 19.
Place one more unit bead and ask how many units there are and what is done with 10 units. Place the units back into the container and remove a ten bar. Place it beside the other ten bar.
Slide out the nine card.
Move the beads down to the twenty. Run the finger under the 20 and say, “Twenty.”
Get the child started with 21 and transfer is back to them.
Around 24, show the child the counting shortcut. Ex: for 24 point to each ten then the units “10, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Repeat as before for 21-50 (go as far the child can go).
Note: Be nearby when the child bets to the exchange to walk them through moving from one ten to the next if they need it.
Control of Error: None: The child’s knowledge of the numbers and sequence of 1-10.
Following Exercises:
Extended Second Period: Say a random number for the child to build with beads and card.
Extended Third Period: Build a random quantity with the beads. The child names it and makes it with the cards.
Pedagogical Notes:
Why wouldn’t we have an introduction to the tens beads? The child has experienced them already.
This exercise starts at association. The child had already had the concrete experience through the decimal materials.
If this exercise is too much for a child to do in one sitting, encourage them to finish the first board. If that is too much, have them finish the set of tens they are working on.
When saying the numbers, stress the ‘ty’ at the end of the word to distinguish them from the ‘teen’.
The empty spaces at the end of the Teen and Tens Boards piques the interest of the child. It is telling them that there is more coming.
The 100 Board Material, created by Mr. Neinhuis the Montessori materials manufacturer, is not an AMI material or is used for teaching the child to count to 100, but it can offer a nice visual for number patterns.