Cards and Counters

What are Cards and Counters?

Cards and Counters is a fascinating activity in the Maths area of a Montessori classroom. The cards are kept in a wooden box, which contains a set of numbers from 1-10 on little wooden boards. There are also 55 red, circular counters which are kept in a separate compartment in the box.

How Cards and Counters are presented in Montessori

Cards and Counters is an Early Montessori Maths activity that introduces the child to odd and even numbers, as well as encouraging the child to practice counting.

The directress shows the child how to carry the box carefully with two hands to the floor mat. Once on the floor mat, she opens the lid of the box and unpacks the numbers onto the mat. She then asks the child to find ‘number one’ and to place it on the top left-hand side of the mat. She then asks him what number comes after one, the child says ‘two’ and places it next to number one. The child continues in the same manner until all of the numbers from one to ten have been placed at the top of the floor mat.

Matching the number card with the right number of counters

The directress tells the child that they will be looking at the number and then counting out the correct number of counters to match the number. She points to number ‘1’ and says “one”; she then picks up one counter with her right hand and places it in her left hand and places it underneath number 1.

Odd and even numbers in Cards and Counters

She repeats in the same manner with the remaining counters, usually until ‘number 4’. The directress then places them underneath the corresponding numbers at the top of the floor mat. For even numbers, the counters are placed in two columns underneath the number, with the odd numbers putting the remaining counter at the centre of the bottom two columns.

Checking odd and even numbers

Once the child has completed counting the counters and placing them under the correct number, the directress tells him that they will now check which numbers are ‘even’ and which numbers are ‘odd’.

She shows the child how to feel the numbers by running her right index finger down the middle of the two columns. She shows him that if it is an even number her finger slides gently down, but if it is an odd number her finger will bump into the extra counter at the centre of the bottom two columns. She continues running her finger down to see which are odd and which are even numbers, repeating the words “odd” for the odd numbers and “even” for the even numbers.

The directress can ask the child to show her some odd and even numbers once the activity is completed. The child will then be asked to pack the work away.

What does the child learn by working with the Cards and Counters?

The child will be able to identify odd and even numbers. This activity helps the child to associate the real quantity with the numerical symbol. It also develops the child’s auditory perception, as well as giving the child further practice with working with loose quantity and loose numbers.

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.