More DIY materials: The teens and tens board

The first number concepts are very difficult to grasp for young children, and I have found that, as with all the materials that form part of the Montessori Math apparatus, this particular item has has been amazingly useful and effective in introducing place value.

First, here is what it looks like in Montessori classrooms (This materials can be found at alisonsmontessori.com):

Teens board

Tens board

And here is how you use them to present the concepts.

Now, my DIY version took only a few minutes to make, and I have used it with my three children over a period of five years... It is durable, and takes up very little space, which makes it ideal for the home environment.

Cut 4 tan felt rectangles, approximately 16" by 6"
Cut 16 tan felt strips, 1/4" by 6"
Cut 18 tan felt rectangles, 2 1/4" by 2"

Now the assembly part:

Follow this diagram to divide each 16" by 6" rectangle in five portions. Mark the horizontal lines with a pencil.

Using felt glue or a glue gun, attach one strip of felt on each horizontal line. Repeat with each 16" by 6" rectangle.

Now, with a Black Sharpie, proceed to write the numbers (centered on each column) as follows:

For the TEENS BOARD

Board 1:

Mark the individual rectangles 1 to 9. These are going to be your movable parts.

For the TENS BOARD

Mark the individual rectangles 1 to 9. These are going to be your movable parts.



And you are done :)

Tangram fun!

The tangram (Chinese: "seven boards of skill") is a dissection puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, called tans, which are put together to form shapes. The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific shape (given only an outline or silhouette) using all seven pieces, which may not overlap. It was originally invented in China at some unknown point in history, and then carried over to Europe by trading ships in the early 19th century. It became very popular in Europe for a time then, and then again during World War I. It is one of the most popular dissection puzzles in the world
(From Wikipedia)

We just love tangram... it can be quite easy or quite challenging, and it just provides a wonderful fun way to improve geometrical perception.
These are some of the shapes you can build...I have a book that boasts +6000 combinations, with the corresponding "solution", so it is a self correcting work that allows children to work independently... I am going to make some cards to share soon...

But let's start with the set itself.

I have a black plastic Tangram set, but my children each wanted their own, so made a very simple one with black construction paper that has been previously laminated.

You can basically use any material you want, from  cereal boxes to wood, of any size you want. All you need to do is start with a square.

Step 1

Draw a square of at least 8" x 8"

Step 2

Step 3

 

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

 

Step 7

Step 8

Portable spindle "box"

This is my version of the Montessori Spindle box, (you can see how this material is used here) which allows children to learn to count to 10, and to learn the symbols for each number.



Ok. Technically I did not use spindles. And it is not a box. But it works!!! What I love about it is that it is portable,takes 30 minutes to be made, and achieves the same results!! :)

All you need is felt, scissors and a glue gun. (and the 7" spindles/sticks/ of your choice = 45 of them :))

Basically you glue ten 3" x  6 " pockets onto a felt 50" x 10 " felt rectangle. Cut out the numbers in felt and glue on top. That's it :)

Use a ribbon to tie it up (or any method you feel appropriate for your child to use independently) and make a 4" by 6" felt pouch to store the sticks.

DIY Apron

Children’s aprons are really one of the most used tools in our classroom, together with the mats!! We use them every time we work on art, science, or practical life activities that require protecting our clothes. 

So I though it would be a good idea to share with you my very favourite DIY Montessori apron out there. It is from Sew liberated  (photo below)

The main characteristic of this apron (apart from the cuteness factor!) is that it is designed in a way that allows the children to put it on and fasten it by themselves, without adult help. 

Happy sewing!!

 

Thanks to a fellow blogger, I decided to try the "felt puzzle" for the botany cabinet. It works great, the kids loved it and it folds neatly into a small pouch I made for it. It is a great idea, it can be done in half an hour, and is especially appealing if you do not have much space in your "classroom".

I adapted mine for my 4 year old, using a basic 3-6 puzzle, but I added the flower, fruit and seeds since we have seen that before with the classification cards.

I completed the set with a hand made card as a control chart for labeling.