If your child can identify numbers 1-10 and can match a quantity of objects from 1-10 with the correct
number by counting, your child is ready to begin using the Montessori Golden Beads. Children learn
place value as well as the abstract concepts of addition, multiplication, subtraction, division, and
exchanging with these concrete materials. Concurrently, children should also be working on Teens
Boards, Tens Boards, and the Hundred Board, but there is no reason to introduce the Golden Beads
after you have introduced those materials. For some children, using the Golden Bead materials can
strengthen their understanding of counting past 10.
The first lesson is called the One Tray. It is comprised of one unit bead, one ten bar, one hundred
square, and one thousand cube along with the corresponding numeral cards. Next is the Nine Tray
which contains nine units, tens, and hundreds, with one thousand cube and the corresponding numeral
cards. Children are introduced to the concept that you can only have nine of each number before
needing to move up to the next place value. The 45 Layout lesson expands upon this concept and i
ncludes understanding numeral and quantity up to 9000; it provides a powerful visual representation of
place value. It is also the first lesson that includes the concept of the "bank". Children move back and
forth from their work rug to the "bank" to get the number of Golden Beads that they need, using a tray
to transport the bead materials. The final introductory Golden Bead lesson is Formation of Number.
Children first set up the numeral cards, and then an adult can give the students one numeral card from
each place value to get from the bank. Once the child has brought back to her/his work rug the correct
numbers of materials from the bank, the child sets the number up on the work rug. Formation of
Number is an extremely important step as it allows the child to see number in standard and expanded
form, and is the foundation for beginning to learn mathematical operations.
I have created a set of companion worksheets for the introductory Golden Bead lessons that you can
check out here.
