Bells Music Strip Boards (Nienhuis)
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
Sixteen boards for reading and playing groups of notes, the step between knowing single notes and handling a phrase. A child reads a group off the board and finds it on the bells, and the board stays put while they do it, which matters because a phrase has to be held in mind long enough to be played through. Working from a fixed board rather than loose notes is also what makes a mistake visible: the group either matched or it did not. Laminated cardboard, for ages 3 to 6.
“Children display a universal love of mathematics, which is par excellence the science of precision, order, and intelligence.”
The Bells Music Strip Boards bridge sensorial sound exploration and abstract musical notation through carefully designed laminated strips displaying musical staffs. In Montessori music education, children first experience pitch through the concrete work with bells, then the Music Strip Boards introduce the corresponding written symbols. Each strip's precise note markers create a visual-tactile connection between the bell's tone and its position on the staff.
- Associates specific bell tones with their positions on the musical staff
- Develops understanding of high and low pitch through visual representation
- Builds foundation for reading standard musical notation
- Strengthens auditory discrimination through visual matching
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This sequential presentation honors the child's need to move from concrete to abstract understanding. The laminated strips allow repeated handling as children match physical bells to their written representations. By providing this intermediate step between hearing sounds and reading music, the Strip Boards respect the child's developmental readiness for symbol recognition. The material's design enables independent discovery of musical notation patterns while maintaining the direct relationship to the familiar bell work.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Arrange the Music Strip Boards in sequence on a mat. Place the corresponding bells nearby in random order.
- 1
Strike one bell and listen carefully to its tone
Allow the sound to fully resonate before proceeding - 2
Find the matching strip board showing this note on the staff
Point to the exact position of the note marker - 3
Place the bell below its corresponding strip board
Align precisely to reinforce the visual connection - 4
Continue matching all bells to their strip boards
Work systematically from lowest to highest pitch - 5
Verify matches by playing bells in staff order
Listen for the ascending or descending pattern
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
AMI approved
To the association standard
Bells Music Strip Boards (Nienhuis)
