Material Spotlight: Montessori Mathematical Golden Beads

Montessori Golden Beads teaches mathematical concepts such as linear counting, place value, basic arithmetic, and the decimal system. Using the Montessori hands-on approach, these materials allow our young learners to count units from ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands. We use this strategy across our campuses, from Fremont to Hercules, Milpitas to Pleasant Hill, and across our many best-in-class preschool programs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Combining independent learning with this sensorial mathematical activity builds curiosity within our Learn And Play® Montessori School students, engaging them in a way traditional math practices are unable to do successfully.

What They Are

Golden Beads visually and physically represent numbers in the base-ten system. A unit is represented by one single bead, a string of ten beads represents tens, a flat square made of ten bars represents hundreds, and finally a large cube made of ten hundred squares represents thousands.

How It Is Presented

Our teachers introduce the names of the beads by showing each model to the class while guiding the class to count each bead. Group counting is not only a practice for each child to become more confident with this new mathematical foundation but emphasizes quantity as the teacher showcases the beads with the corresponding numbers. For example, after introducing the ten-bar, the teacher demonstrates how a hundred square consists of ten rows of ten. As the class counts to one hundred by tens, the children more easily digest this new-found knowledge. We use this in age appropriate ways, including in our preschool and kindergarten classes.

Why Is This Tool Useful

Our programs combine the Montessori method and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to help our students set up a love for learning and a lifetime of success in modern society. The Montessori Golden Beads make abstract mathematical concepts visual and tangible for our young learners. This activity bridges the gap to understanding the relationship between numbers in a way traditional math teaching does not cover. Following the Montessori method, Golden Beads also allows independent learning and self-correction in the classroom.

Apart from this initial introduction activity, lessons used with this tool can become more complex as the child advances in their mathematical capabilities. This approach can be used to teach mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. At Learn And Play Montessori School, we are passionate about guiding our students to success and can’t wait to introduce this activity and advance our math skills with our young learners. If you’re looking for a best-in-class preschool program near you, please reach out for a “school tour” today.