Large Number Rods: Composition (presentation two)

How is composition with the Large Number Rods done for the second presentation?

This activity is similar to the first presentation, this one differs as the directress uses the wooden number boards along with the Large Number Rods.

The directress asks the child to lay out the floor mat on the carpet. She then asks the child to carry the rods vertically close to his body with one hand at the top of the rod and the other hand at the bottom of the rod, he is encouraged to lay them out randomly on the mat. She then asks him to build the number rods into a stair like before. When he is finished he is asked to lay out the wooden number boards randomly on the mat.

The directress encourages the child to match the number boards to their corresponding rods. She asks him to bring the number 10 rod with the number 10 board to the front of the mat, then she asks him to bring the number 9 rod with the number 9 board forward and to place it below the number 10 rod.

The directress proceeds to ask the child how much more do we need to add to 9 to make it the same size as 10, she points at the number 1 section leftover on the 10 rod. The child should say ‘one’ and goes to fetch the number 1 rod with the number 1 board. This gives the child an idea of how numbers are written. She says to the child ‘9 and 1 makes 10’. She replaces the rods and boards.

She repeats in the same manner with 8 and 2. If the child has grasped the concept, the directress usually moves onto the written form with the rest of the operations. The child is encouraged to pack his work away and erase the sums on the whiteboard with the duster.

Large Number Rods: Composition in Montessori Math

Looking for more Montessori activities?

Here is a list of all the Montessori Maths activities including Early Maths, Introduction to the Decimal System, Seguin Boards, The Hundred Board, The Short Bead Stair, Bead Chains, The Snake Game, Group Operations, The Large Number Rods, Recording with the Small Number Rods, The Short Bead Stair, The Strip Boards, The Boards, The Stamp Game, The Abacus, The Dot Game, and Fractions. Just click on the page you want to learn about to go there.