Multiplication - Short Bead Stair

Age

3-6

Materials

1. 10 Sets of Short Bead stair.
2. 10 Ten Bead Bars.
3. Work cards with multiplication tablets.
4. Felt mat.

Presentation

1. Directress selects a card, e.g. 3 times tables.
2. She lays out the 10 sets of Three Bead Bars on a small felt mat.
3. Directress works though the card, reading out "1 times 3 is ..." as she takes one of the Three Bead Bar and places it in front of her, and counts it "1, 2, 3". "1 times 3 is 3". She shows the child where to record the answer.
4. "2 times 3 is..." and she takes another Three Bead Bar and places it besides the first one, and counts "3, 4, 5, 6". "2 times 3 is 6".
5. She shows the child where to record the answer.
6. Directress works through the examples on the work card.
7. When finished, Directress may mention to the child that they could check the final answer by looking at the summary of multiplication tables.

Control Of Error

1. The Short Bead Stair acts as a control of error because the quantities are fixed.
2. The Summary acts as a control of error for the child to check his own multiplication cards.

Purpose

• To give the child concrete experience of multiplication tables, dealing with equal sets of numbers which magnifies.