I plan to homeschool Chloe next year for kindergarten, and with this 2020 quarantine, I am getting a lot of practice as we complete her Preschool at home. I’d had my eye on this tool from Amazon for a while, and finally purchased it. It has been absolutely amazing, and it’s the kind of tool that is so versatile that it will be used for years to come.
I wanted to share just some of the ways it can be used with young kids. I also think my activity ideas will help spark additional ideas, depending on your child’s needs. I use this tool with both Emelia, who is almost 2.5 and Chloe, who is 4.5 … Chloe especially enjoys Math and loves using this to practice.
Okay, let’s talk about the tool itself. It’s a set that includes numbers 1-10, counting rings (color-coordinated to numbers), a handful of shapes (probably the least helpful item as there are only a few) and the math symbols +, -, x, [divide], < and =
The counting rings are the most useful aspect of this tool because it’s a crucial manipulative to building number sense.
Here are just a few ideas of how to use this to help build and practice math skills:
- This is an activity great for two year olds. It’s a simple color sorting activity using cups. I place the number in each cup and Emelia sorts the rings based on the color.
- Another great way to use this for little ones is to lay out the rings for numbers 1-5. Then, count with your toddler and have him or her touch each ring as you count. Emelia can fit the rings on her fingers, too, which is another fun way to count!
- Next is simply helping your toddler count by placing the number tiles next to coordinating rings. Your toddler can place the rings OR you can place the rings and have your little one touch them as you count together.
- Up next is a simple number sense activity. Just choose a number and let your child display the correct amount of tiles OR place an amount of tiles and let your child count them and display the correct number tile. The photo below shows a way to take this to the next level. Have your child find number combinations within a sum. This is an example of finding 6 and 1 to make 7. More combinations would be 3 and 4 and 2 and 5.
- The following activity is a way to practice subitizing (a rapid judgement of the sum of items). Have your child take a number of rings and arrange them in different ways. This shows the same combinations talked about in the activity above.
- The next activity is for slightly older kids ready to start basic addition. It’s simply displaying an addition equation with the rings above the numbers. Important note: when your child counts up the rings to find the sum, DO NOT display the sum with NEW rings. Have your child take the rings he/she counted and move them over to the sum. This is a much less confusing way to teach the concept.
7. One of Chloe’s favorite activities is comparing numbers. She chooses the numbers and lays out the tiles and then places the comparison symbol in the correct place. I always make sure to read it aloud for her properly so she hears the correct vocabulary used. “4 is greater than 3 and 3 is less than 4.” This is a pretty easy concept for her with these small numbers so we have been stepping up the challenge by having her find out the difference. How much more? This is also a great way to introduce subtraction without actually subtracting. Chloe lines up the tiles next to each other and counts them simultaneously and then counts the extra. “4 is 1 more than 3.”
8. Lastly, this is another simple activity for a range of ages. I put rings into cups (mixed up colors) and have my kids count them and add the matching number tile to the cup.
I hope this helps you to not only decide if the montessori math tool is a good fit for you to have in your home, but gives you some guidance into how to use it. There are countless other activities that can be used with this, and I see my girls putting it to use well into learning multiplication and division. We are absolutely loving this hands-on kit, and as a former teacher and future homeschooling mom, I find so much value in having this available to my girls.
Happy teaching and learning!
Heidi
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