Group operations

Static addition (without change)

What does the word “Static” mean in Montessori?

“Static” means without change in Montessori Maths. This activity gives the child a concrete experience of addition, it reinforces place value and teaches the child the term addition.

What materials are used for this activity?

For this activity, we need A set of large number cards, two or three sets of small number cards, A bank of golden beads, and a felt-lined tray, as well as four floor mats.

How is this activity presented?

This activity can be presented in groups or individually. The directress asks the children to lay out four floor mats next to each other one by one. She begins by asking them to set up the Small Number Cards on one mat, usually the far right mat and the Large Number Cards on another mat, and the Golden Beads on another mat.

The directress comes up with a random number and places the number such as 342 on the child’s tray with the Small Number Cards. The child then goes to the banker and asks him for the matching beads for 342. The child then brings back 3 hundreds, 4 tens, and 2 units. She shows the child how to lay out the beads correctly on the left-hand side of the mat, with the overlapped numbers on the right-hand side of the mat.

The directress makes up another number for the second child, for example, 124. The same procedure is followed with the second child by collecting the correct amount of beads from the banker. The directress then tells the children they will be adding the numbers together, starting with the units. She brings the units forward and adds them together, she gets the answer 6, the child then goes and fetches the large number card for 6.

The same procedure is followed with the tens, and hundreds. The child gets an answer of 466, this number is shown in the Large Number Cards below the sum of the Small Number Cards. The directress ends off by telling the children that “when we add two numbers together we get a bigger number”.

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.