Decimal Board Activity Set, Alison’s Montessori

• Math 6-9, 9-12

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• The Decimal Board Activity Set is a series of 18 cards that are incrementally organized to reinforce the formation and reading of decimal fractions.

Materials

• Decimal Fraction Board Activity Set (18 cards with problem/control)
• Decimal Fraction Board and Exercise (Value Line) or (Premium Quality)

Why we like them

• I have been apprehending teaching the decimal fractions with such a sophisticated looking material. We finally got to learn decimal fractions formally, and I have been highly impressed with the progress we have made.
• Before using the Decimal Board Activity Set, we formed our own decimal fractions to read and to form using the cards from the Decimal Fraction Board and Exercise.
• It was time for me to leave the work on the shelf. I introduced the Decimal Fraction Board Activity set by modeling it. We read place values from each set together. I showed where the set is located on the shelf, and let the child approach it in the next days. The goal was to reinforce the reading and forming of decimal fractions using the materials from the Decimal Fraction Board.
• The set contains a color-coded numerical values on the front, and a control for errors on the back. The values are written using the color coding of the Montessori categories (light blue=tenth, light red=hundreds, light green=thousandth).

• These cards are extremely effective. I was able to step back and let the child work independently, confidently, and successfully. Her confidence level and excitement increased by the day. She was ready for the next presentation, addition of decimal fractions. She also knew the material can be revisited for practice and retention purposes.

How to use them

• We used the Decimal Fraction Board Activity cards after we did the presentation on quantities (cubes) with the Decimal Fraction Board, and linked them to symbols (numbers).

• The set contains 4 categories (A, B, C, D):
• Set A allows the practice of tenths place value numbers
• Set B allows the practice of hundredths place value numbers
• Set C allows the practice of thousands place value numbers
• Set D is a mix of the 3 values above.

• Children can begin to select a card from Set A, and practice reading the place value on the card. For example, 0.10 would be read “one tenth”.
• After reading the place values, the children can use the Decimal Fraction Board and Exercise materials to form the number. After forming the number, children can turn the cards to check a visual control for errors on the back of each card. They feel very proud when the succeed. I feel proud to be able to step back, and let the children take ownership of their learning.

In conclusion

• I hope you enjoyed this post. For me, materials that allow me to provide independent work that the child can fully check without the assistance of an adult is a big step forward. I hope appreciate that the work is clearly organized and incremental. It takes the child slowly and surely to the next level. After repetition, the child has figured out patterns in the decimal fractions without them being explicitly taught.

Disclosure: The Decimal Fraction Board Activity Set has been provided by Alison Montessori for me to experience. I share with you an honest and unbiased review, because I freely write about the materials I think will be beneficial to my readers. In this post, I used my Decimal Fraction Board for which is Value Line. You may want to take a look at the Premium Quality line, which contains more components than the Value Line.

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