Dot Baord & Extensions
As for all the Insta-Learn Boards, the math boards are self-corrective. With guidance, patience, and time, children will be able to practice associating numeral tiles with objects (pictures). The Dot Board is an excellent learning tool for associating dots, simple shapes that are free from distractions, with symbolic numbers (numerals such as 1, 2, 3….).
The Insta-Learn Boards present many learning benefits. Each board can be used with extensions which makes the material moderately novel, preserving a child’s interest. Study says that immediate feedback on errors is essentially to effective learning. The Dot Board with extensions, as with all the Insta-Learn Boards, contains a self-corrective system that allows children to instantly know if their work is correct.
How to Use the Dot Board with Tiles?
The Dot Board contains 26 compartments meant to host 26 numbered tiles from 0-25. Children can be guided through the process until they show signs of independence. The adult may offer numbers 0-8 in a mixed order at the bottom of the board. The child is invited to count the dots and match the corresponding numeral. The next series can be presented after, 9-17, then 18-25. By letting children place the tiles one by one, they are associating dots (semi-concrete objects) to symbols (numerals). They are also learning the positioning of the numbers on the board which will be helpful in future exercises.
How to Use the Dot Board with Extension M30 – Preschool Kindergarten Skills?
There are 24 golden strips that invite children to work on counting pictures objects and associating numerals to them, finding matching numerals on the board to match the sequence, and completing a sequence by finding a missing number.
Counting pictured objects:
Children use cardinality to count objects. The use their finger to count each object and understand that the last object is associated with a numeral which represents its quantity.
Matching tiles to a sequence:
In this exercise, the strips contrast numbers that could be confused by a child: 6 | 9 | 16 | 19. While practicing matching the tiles, children reinforce their visual perception of shapes, learn to pay attention to details, and refine their analytic skills.
Complete the sequence:
The last six invite children to work on completing the sequence of numbers from 1-20. This work encourage children to work with numbers in chunks. This method helps them with memorization by working at any point of the sequence and guess the next number by relying on contextual clues (abstract skill).
I hope you find the Insta-Learn Boards as exciting as I do. They provide my child so much additional practice with language and math. The work is always new to the children, but yet the concept is familiar. They can feel capable and progressing through their learning journey.
For more information on Insta-Learn Boards, visit their website using my aff. link.
Disclaimer: I received this material at no cost for third-party professional educational review. I am always sharing my most honest opinion about materials I post. I am not obligated to post here. I choose to post what we use, and what I think will be beneficial to many other children. These boards have been used in my children’s Montessori school, where I learned to appreciate them.
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Montessori Second Plane of Development 