No this is NOT a small bead frame, but it is an amazing abacus that I bought before the kids were born that they have LOVED and enjoyed it!
Since this work Xander is looking at it in a whole new light.
Xander really loved the small bead frame (numbers 1 -10,000).
This is another passage from concrete to abstract counting and problem solving.
My manual - Montessori Research & Development Mathematics Vol 1 - suggests an introduction presentation with the Golden Bead material to relate quantities.
Xander started to make and read numbers from the frame readily, so we did not spend a great deal of time as he felt very comfortable with the frame.
Practice writing numbers from the frame, and working problems can be done on the notation paper, but he went straight to writing problems in his journal instead.
After working some addition and subtraction problems he really wanted to check out the large bead frame!! He was so excited to work out a problem in the millions!
I will print some notation paper for the large frame for practice reading and creating numbers, as it was a bit of a challenge for him to readily read numbers to millions.
This is a very simple material, but again lots of great discussion came out of this.
We chatted about commutative law, as he has discovered. He created his own problems to solve on the frame. We chatted about multiple addends and aligning numbers of different place value.
He counted and listed all of the different ornaments on our small tree, and added them up.
He has developed great interest and fascination with tables work, as we have progressed. He has not been terribly interested in tables work to this point I think mainly because he didn't quite understand the value of it, so it is interesting to watch this unfold.
This is a material you could easily make with plastic beads, wire, and a simple wood frame that is drilled out and screwed together to receive the wire for the beads.
Number labels could be printed and adhered down the sides, or written.
I have also seen a great one made from a Melissa & Doug Abacus.
You can get free notation papers free here.
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The bead frames are amazing. Love your personal account of how it is working for Xander. I have made several DIY bead frames just as you described and it is cheap and doable!
ReplyDeleteThank you Aubrey!!! Mr. Xander fills my heart with his view of the world everyday:)) I'd love to see your frames!!!
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