First 2 Strips For Addition / Subtraction Strip Board: Red / Blue / Natural
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
The first two strips for the addition and subtraction strip board, in the red, blue and natural of that material, sold as replacements. The strips are how the board says a number without writing one: a length stands for a quantity, and the colour says which side of the operation it belongs to. Two strips short and a child cannot build the row they were told to build. The strip board itself is a separate item.
“The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence.”
The First 2 Strips for Addition/Subtraction Strip Board transform abstract numbers into tangible wooden pieces that children can physically manipulate and combine.
- Physical understanding of addition as combining quantities through strip placement
- Concrete comprehension of subtraction as removing or comparing lengths
- Recognition of number relationships through visual strip comparisons
- Development of systematic problem-solving by organizing strips methodically
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Each red, blue, and natural wood strip represents a specific quantity through its precisely marked length, allowing the child to build equations by placing strips end-to-end on the board. This wooden material bridges the gap between counting objects and understanding numerical relationships - when a child places a 3-strip next to a 5-strip, they can see and touch that together these strips reach the 8 mark on their board. The color-coding of red and blue strips distinguishes between addends in addition work and minuend/subtrahend in subtraction, while the natural wood strips provide flexibility for various mathematical explorations. Through repeated manipulation of these wooden strips, children internalize that addition means combining lengths and subtraction means removing a portion, building a concrete foundation for abstract mathematical thinking that emerges naturally from their physical discoveries with the strips.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the Addition or Subtraction Strip Board on the work mat. Arrange the red strips 1-9 vertically on the left side, blue strips 1-9 on the right side. Keep natural strips available for extended work.
- 1
For addition: Select any red strip (first addend) and place it starting from the left edge of the board
Let the child choose their first strip to increase engagement - 2
Choose a blue strip (second addend) and place it directly after the red strip with no gap
Demonstrate precise end-to-end placement for accurate results - 3
Read where the blue strip ends on the numbered board to find the sum
Run your finger along both strips while counting to reinforce the combining action - 4
For subtraction: Place a blue strip at the number being subtracted from (minuend)
Start with larger numbers to make the 'taking away' more visible - 5
Place a red strip from the left edge to show what's being subtracted
The gap between red strip's end and blue strip's position shows the difference - 6
Record the equation on paper using the strip numbers and result
Connect the concrete strip work to abstract number symbols gradually
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
First 2 Strips For Addition / Subtraction Strip Board: Red / Blue / Natural
