Math Lessons

Here is an easy to put together lesson for teaching greater than, less than, and the same as.  Using word or some other software (or even writing by hand), make several labels stating each of those things.  (You may want to do the phrases on different colors to make it easier for clean up.  I plan on re-doing my labels for that reason.) Add in a deck of cards and you have a new lesson for your shelf.  You could also use the red and blue rods (more concrete for the child) or even the sandpaper numerals, instead of playing cards.

This one is called the exchange game.  I’m not sure if this is a standard lesson in Montessori training or not, so I’m just sharing.  The aim of this lesson is to show that the highest number of ones you can have is nine because when you get ten ones, you have to exchange it for a ten bar.  This lesson is for two or more students.  Each child takes a turn rolling the die, adding to their pile until he or she gets ten ones.  When this occurs he or she must exchange the ones for a ten bar.  The exchange game continues until all of the ten bars (10) are gone.  The teacher shares at the end of the lesson that when all of the bars are put together they make 100 (ten tens equals 100).

This lesson shows children the various ways to make amounts in money.  To make this lesson you need a pen, index cards or some other paper, money stickers or printouts, and either pretend money or actual coins.  For my set, I made the amounts of one cent, five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents, and fifty cents.  At the top of the card I have the various ways of writing each (with a cents sign, with a dollar sign, and in words).  My children really enjoy this lesson and hopefully yours will too!

This lesson teaches children about non-standard measurement.   I gathered together an assortment of objects to measure and added in two containers of things to measure them with-paper clips and blocks.  You could also have the children record their measurements on paper.  I find that this lesson helps students get ready to use a ruler because of the emphasis placed on lining things up end to end.