Stamp Game - Montessori Math for Early Childhood

The Montessori Math Stamp Game lesson comes at the end of Place Value and Decimal System work. The goal is to reinforce the four operations introduced with the Golden Beads but in a more abstract way. I like Montessori Math’s Stamp Game. Children do, too.

What is the Stamp Game in Montessori?

The work is familiar to them but different enough to keep it exciting and intriguing. Montessori Printshop has excellent, go to download and print Stamp Game worksheets to accompany the learning for FREE on their website. They also offer FREE Stamp Game instructions and materials.

Stamp Game Lesson

Invite the child to a lesson with the Stamp Game.

Gather the Presentation Tray and a Stamp Game. Open the lid of the stamps and place them under the box:

“This is the Stamp Game. It works like the Golden Beads, but instead of unit beads, we have these unit stamps. Instead of ten bars, we have these ten stamps. Instead of hundred squares, we have a hundred stamps. Instead of thousand cubes, we have a thousand stamps. Can you give me 5 ten stamps, 4 unit stamps,…?”

Practice until the child is quick at identifying the stamps.

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What is the purpose of Stamp Game Addition?

Stamp Game Addition is an educational Montessori math tool designed to improve fundamental mathematical skills in children aged 3 to 7. It employs a tactile approach through its use of colored chips and presents simple addition problems with the goal of helping kids learn to recognize number patterns, visualize relationships between numbers, and develop automated recall of equations.

The guiding idea behind Montessori math methodology is that children benefit from visual and hands-on explanations when mastering the basics. Through the Stamp Game Addition, children gain practice in recognizing symbols for addition, understanding the concept of carrying over digits, discovering how to correctly evaluate simple equations, and improving their skills in memorizing combinations of numbers.

Addition – Static

“Now let’s do some addition. I will write down an equation for you and you can use the stamps to solve it.”

Show the child how to line up stamps for the first, then the second addend in vertical columns.
Slide each column together to the bottom of the work area, count, and record.
Ask the child to summarize his work for you at the end.
Give any directions needed to guide the child with the equations. Watch the child and then withdraw from the work.

Addition – Dynamic

The child should be able to move onto this work quickly. Watch her to see if she needs guidance with exchanging ten of one quantity for the next highest quantity. The new stamp goes to the top of its column, and is slid down and added to the two addends when the time comes.

Exchanging 10 unit stamps for a 10 stamp and exchanging 10 ten stamps for a 100 stamp.

Multiplication – Simple

Process same as Golden Bead operation.
Write an equation for the child, and have her put out the quantity required in vertical columns. Remind her to start with the units.
Slide quantities together and to the bottom of the work area.
Count and record answers.

Multiplication – Dynamic

{Process same as GB operation.}

Exchanging is done exactly as was described for addition.

Subtraction – Simple

{Process same as GB operation.}

Invite the child to get the appropriate number of stamps for the minuend.

Have her take away the number of units, tens, hundreds, and thousands specified by the subtrahend by counting up from the bottom of the stamps column.
These stamps should be removed from the work area by placing them to the side.
Move the remaining stamps to the bottom of the mat.
Count and record each category.

Subtraction – Dynamic

{Process same as GB operation.}
Follow the same procedure as described for golden beads. When exchanging is required, go to the next column to borrow a stamp, exchange it, place exchanged stamps in the appropriate column, and proceed with subtraction.

Division – Static

Write an equation for the child and introduce the skittles: “You can use a skittle for each person you are dividing among. Why do you think the skittles are green? The reason is that they are units. Each skittle represents one person.”