Multiplication with Short Bead Stair Lesson

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This colorful Montessori Bead Box is one of my favorites. You can purchase a Montessori box of beads on Amazon for a reasonable price. You will get a lot of use out of this box of beads. Imagine a child learning multiplication with such beautiful objects? That'll hook them if nothing else will! Below is a lesson on Multiplication with Short Bead Stair. Let me know what you think!

Invite the child to learn how to multiply. Carry box to table or mat.

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Multiplication with Short Bead Stair Lesson

Presentation I: Introduction to Multiplication

“We will begin by multiplying threes. 3 taken 1 time is 3.” Lay a 3 bar horizontally.

Show the product underneath with a vertical bead bar: “Now, let’s see how many 3 taken 2 times is…3 taken 2 times is 6.” Place two three bars horizontally. Then place a six bar vertically underneath the three bars.

Continue with 3 taken 3 times by placing and so on to 3 x 10.

Show the child how to record the equations in a blank booklet.

Return the bars to the box and invite the child to try another numeral.

If a child runs out of bars doing the layout, suggest that he identify the needed bars in the products. So, for example, if the child runs out of three bars then he can retrieve a two bar and a one bar to add up to three.

Presentation II: Multiplication by Ten

“One taken ten times is the same as what?”

“Two taken ten times is the same as ten taken two times. What do we call two tens? Yes, twenty.”

Continue with this approach through 100. When you get to 100, ask the child if the bars remind her of anything. Get out the hundred square and place it beside the answer. When the child records these numbers, have her write the zeros in red to emphasize the ten times any number can be formed by adding zero to that number.