Montessori Seguin Boards
The Montessori Seguin Boards are a key component of the Montessori Mathematics curriculum, providing a tactile and visual approach to early number education.
- 📏 Range Age: 4 - 6 years (activity should be adjusted based on the child's age and skill level).
- 🧠 Prerequisites: Math Activities (Number Rods, Sandpaper Numbers), Language Activities (vocabulary building activities for numbers and place value), Cognitive Activities (understanding of number sequences, basic counting skills)
- 🛠️ Enhancement Skills: Mathematical Skills (recognition of two-digit numbers, understanding of the decimal system), Cognitive Development (logical thinking, problem-solving), Fine Motor Skills (placing number tiles accurately on the board).
This article explores the Seguin Board, its importance in Montessori pedagogy, and effective ways to utilize it in home learning environments for child development.
What are the Seguin Boards?
The "Seguin boards" in Montessori refer to two specific boards designed to teach children mathematics: the Seguin Board A (Teen Board) and the Seguin Board B (Tens Board).
These boards assist children in understanding and practicing number formation, particularly within the range of 11 to 99.
Seguin Board A (Teen Board)
It is primarily used to teach children about the numbers from 11 to 19. Each number is represented in a tactile format, allowing children to physically engage with the numbers and grasp their sequential order. Here are a couple of ways you can use this board:
- Building and Understanding Teens: Children use number cards to match with the places on the board, building each number from 11 up to 19. This activity reinforces their understanding of how numbers are structured and helps them recognize patterns within the decimal system.
- Associating Quantities: This can be enhanced by integrating Montessori bead bars, which represent quantities visually and tactilely, allowing children to connect the numeral with its corresponding quantity.
You can view the full article on the Teen Board material here.
Seguin Board B (Tens Board)
The Tens Board is aimed at teaching younger students the numbers from 10 to 99, focusing on the concept of tens and units.
This board helps clarify the transition from single digits to more complex two-digit numbers. Activities with this board include:
- Forming Tens and Units: Kids use a set of 1 to 9 numeral cards along with tens cards (10, 20, 30, etc.) to create numbers from 10 to 99. This helps them understand that two-digit numbers are made up of tens and units.
- Sequential Learning and Matching: Placing the numbers in order also helps solidify their numerical sequence understanding and reinforces their counting skills.
You can view the full article on the Teen Board material here.
These tools are a must-have, whether you're teaching in a classroom or using Montessori methods at home. They do more than just help kids get better at math; they also promote independent learning and encourage kids to solve problems on their own.
How to use the Seguin Boards
In the Montessori Math curriculum, the appropriate sequence for using the Seguin boards starts with the Seguin Board A (Teen Board) before progressing to the Seguin Board B (Tens Board). This order helps children first grasp the concept of teen numbers, which is foundational for understanding the structure of the decimal system and larger numbers that follow.
Montessori Activities to Master Before Using the Seguin Boards
Before introducing the Seguin boards, children should be comfortable with several preliminary Montessori activities:
- Number Rods: These help children recognize quantities and their corresponding numeral up to 10.
- Sandpaper Numbers: Through these, children learn to associate the physical shape of numerals with their names.
- Spindle Boxes: These reinforce the concept of zero and the association of numeral to quantity.
- Bead Stair or Golden Beads(introduction) : This activity introduces the decimal system and the teen numbers in a simpler format, setting a perfect stage for Seguin boards.
Starting Activities with the Seguin Boards
Once children are familiar with these preliminary activities, you can introduce them to the Seguin boards with the following activities:
- Seguin Board A (Teen Board): Begin with activities like Building Teens, where children use numeral cards to form numbers 11 through 19. This helps them understand the concept of teen numbers, which are made up of ten plus a single-digit number.
- Seguin Board B (Tens Board): After mastering the teens, proceed with activities like Building Tens, where children use numeral cards to form numbers 10 through 99. This helps them understand the decimal system's base-ten structure.
Using the Seguin boards in this sequence ensures a smooth and logical progression in learning numbers, providing a solid foundation in early math skills.
Benefits of The Montessori Seguin Boards
Integrating the Montessori Seguin Boards into your child's learning environment offers multiple benefits:
- 🔢 Numeracy Skills: Children enhance their understanding of number sequences and place values, crucial for early math education.
- 👁️ Visual Perception: The board helps children visually associate numerical symbols with quantities, fostering number recognition.
- 🧠 Cognitive Development: Working with the Seguin Board promotes logical thinking and problem-solving skills as children determine the correct placement of numbers.
- 🖐️ Hand-Eye Coordination: Manipulating the small number tiles refines fine motor skills and coordination.
- 📚 Independent Learning: The self-correcting nature of the activity empowers children to learn through discovery and correction of their own errors, enhancing autonomy in learning.
Purpose of the Montessori Seguin Boards
The primary purpose of the Seguin Board is to aid in the understanding of numerical order and the decimal system, foundational concepts for further mathematical learning in both the Montessori setting and traditional educational environments.
How to Present the Montessori Seguin Boards?
Next, we will explain the presentation of the Tens Board (Seguin Board B), specifically focusing on 'Understanding Tens' or the terminology associated with the Tens Board. This segment aims to deepen your comprehension of the concepts integral to this educational tool.
Note: This presentation should be conducted in a manner similar to that used for the 'Teens Board' material (to connect the name and symbol of numbers 11-19, saying “This is eleven.” etc.).
Materials
- Two boards, distinctly marked with the numbers 10 through 90.
- Nine bead bars of 10, each consisting of 10 beads. These bead bars help visually and tactically reinforce the numerical sequence and magnitude of tens, linking abstract concepts to tangible learning tools.
The following instructions are the montessori presentation of Seguin Boards - B - Understanding Tens(terminology):
Presentation
This presentation explains the structure of numbers such as twenty, thirty, and forty using the Seguin board. It demonstrates that these numbers are composed of multiple tens—twenty is two tens, thirty is three tens, and so forth—clarifying their formation and introducing the associated terminology.
- Setup: Begin by placing all the beads at the top of the mat. Arrange the cards and boards in the same layout as used in the Teens Presentation.
- Introduction to Numbers: Read all the numbers on the board with the child. The child might initially say "1 ten, 2 ten, 3 ten," etc.
- Naming Numbers Correctly: Introduce the correct names (ten, twenty, thirty, etc.) using the Three Period Lesson method. Focus on three numbers at a time to ensure clarity and retention.
- Reinforcement of Learning: Once the child is familiar with the names of all the numbers, practice reading through them together, both forwards and then backwards, to reinforce their memory and understanding.
- Understanding the Suffix “-ty”: Emphasize that most of these numbers end in “ty”. Examine these numbers (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90) with the child. Explain that the suffix “ty” indicates the presence of tens in the number. For example, explain, “40 means that there are 4 tens.”
- Consolidation: Review the numbers again, asking the child to identify the quantity of tens in each number by looking at the first digit and relating it to the number of tens.
Variations & Extentions
Variations
- Introduce different numeral styles or fonts on the cards to help the child become familiar with various ways numbers can be represented.
- Incorporate other counting materials like colored counters or small tokens that can be aligned with each number for a tactile counting experience.
Extension
- Extend the activity by introducing the concept of hundreds immediately following mastery of the tens, using a similar board setup to gradually build up to larger numbers.
- Incorporate simple addition and subtraction problems that involve these tens to enhance computational skills using practical examples.
- Create a linking game where the child matches physical groups of ten items with the corresponding numbers on the board to emphasize the concept of tens in quantity.
Recommendations
- Ensure clarity in pronunciation and visibility of numbers during the three-period lesson to avoid confusion, especially with similar-sounding numbers like "thirty" and "thirteen."
- Encourage the child to articulate the numbers independently after demonstration to build confidence and verbal skills.
- Regularly review the numbers with the child, progressing from guided to independent reading of the numbers to reinforce learning and ensure retention.
References
- The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori (1967). New York: Dell Publishing. pp. 130-145.
- The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori (1984). New York: Random House. pp. 145-160.
- Montessori Life Blog - The Official Blog of the American Montessori Society - American Montessori Society
- Montessori Education Programs - Montessori Academy
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