Card Layout

Card Layout
Math - Introduction to the Decimal System
Level	Primary
Age	4+
Prerequisites	Introduction to the Cards
Materials	1 set of large number cards

This activity teaches the child the basics of the decimal system.

Presentation

1. Lay out the unit cards along the right edge of the rug. "1 unit, 2 units, 3 units..."

   

2. Lay out the ten cards to the left of the unit cards. "1 ten, 2 tens, 3 tens..."

   

3. Lay out the hundred cards to the left of the ten cards. "1 hundred, 2 hundreds, 3 hundreds..."

   

4. Lay out the thousand card to the left of the hundred cards. "1 thousand."

   

5. Have the child fetch one card at a time as was done with the introduction to the beads.
   After a lot of practice with fetching, present the child with a card and ask him to name it.

Variations and Extensions

• The same activity could be done with all of the thousand cards. The main reason they are not used normally is so the card layout will match the bead layout which (due to the cost) only has one beaded thousand cube.

  

Material

Make Your Own

Printable Large Number Cards

Where to Buy

see Number Cards

Further Reading

• Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-fives by David Gettman, pages 171-172
• Teaching Montessori in the Home: The School Years by Elizabeth G. Hainstock, pages 39-40