Decimal Checker Board
Decimal Checker Board lets a child aged 6 to 12 work short and long multiplication of whole and decimal numbers on a single grid of 49 squares, colored in the hierarchical shades of green, blue and red that carry through Nienhuis mathematics materials. The diagonal squares mark each hierarchy from millions down to millionths, so a child places counters and reads results without losing track of place value. Made from wood and fabric, this AMI aligned material extends the decimal system into multiplication work children continue further along the Faborino shelf.
“The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'”
The Decimal Checker Board transforms the invisible architecture of our number system into a tangible, color-coded landscape where children physically move numbered tiles across logarithmic progressions. Each fabric square on the 7×7 grid represents a power of ten, creating a visual hierarchy from units to millions that children navigate with their hands. The Decimal Checker Board addresses the developmental need for concrete experience with abstract mathematical relationships, particularly the challenge of understanding how multiplication creates exponential growth across place values. Through positioning tiles on specific colored squares, children discover that multiplying by ten means moving one square to the left, making the base-ten system a physical journey rather than a mental abstraction.
- Understanding place value through physical placement of tiles on color-coded squares
- Multiplying multi-digit numbers by moving tiles across the grid systematically
- Recognizing patterns in powers of ten through the board's logarithmic scale
- Converting between expanded and standard notation using the grid positions
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This material exists because children at this stage need to see and manipulate the mathematical patterns that govern large-number operations before they can internalize these concepts.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the Decimal Checker Board on a large work mat. Arrange number tiles 1-9 in a container nearby. Have paper and pencil ready for recording.
- 1
Introduce the board by having the child identify the color pattern and count the squares in each row
Let them discover that each color represents a different place value category - 2
Begin with simple multiplication like 23 × 4 by placing tiles on appropriate squares
Start with the multiplicand in the bottom row - 3
Multiply by moving tiles according to the multiplier, creating partial products
Work from right to left, just as in written multiplication - 4
Exchange tiles when ten or more accumulate on one square
This physical exchange reinforces the concept of regrouping - 5
Read the final answer by noting tile positions across the grid
Have child record each step to connect concrete to abstract
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
Brands used by
schools worldwide
European brands
AMI
Endorsed
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