BW has been working with addition using stamp game (carrying). He has begun to grow tired of the work even though he has yet to truly understand all the work. He has a good visual idea of numbers and is able to grasp mathematical ideas. He does get confused occasionally with writing numbers left (units) to right (largest value). Anyway, BW is asking for multiplication. OK. A few addition problems in the morning and we will begin working with multiplication. Today, we began with the idea of multiplication.
Multiplication with Bead Bars is a bit like doing chain work without the chains.
We discussed an example of 3 x 4 = 12. I took out a handful of three bars and asked him, “BW what if I wanted to know how many beads are in my hand. What could I do?” His eyes got larger and his mouth went into the shape of the letter “O.” He told me that I could count each bead but that would take a long time. (I knew that he struggled with bead chains in Casa and he dreaded the thought of them even now.) I told him that there was another way. We could skip count the numbers.
I put back all the three beads and chose three bars again. This time I only took four bars out.
On the paper I wrote down 3 x 4 = ___. Under it I wrote: 3 x 1=____. Then I picked-up one three bar and said: “Lets take three one time. How many beads are in this bar?” He replied, “three” without counting the bar. I wrote down three. Then we added a second bar to the first. I wrote down 3 x 2 = “How many beads are there now with three taken two times?” He thought for a second not touching the beads and said, “six.” Next to the 3 x 2 = BW wrote 6.
We kept going until we reached 12. At the end of 3 x 4=12, I reached into the box and brought out one 10 bar and a 2 bar and placed it up above the three bar grouping. Then at the top of BW’s paper we wrote 12 next to the original problem.
He reached into the box and pulled out a handful of two bars to do the next set of problems (2 x 9). He did three sets of these numbers. His last set was threes again. He pulled out 13 bars. Ohhhhh.
When he had cleaned up, he said, “I love it!”
PS: For all the Montessori folks, We don’t have a multiplication bead board. I have chosen to begin here instead of where I might begin in a different situation. However, he has difficulty with fine motor skills and individual beads are very difficult for him. So, maybe I wouldn’t change what I’m doing.
Love of learning.
The Inclusive Atrium 