Multiplication Board (Nienhuis)
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
The multiplication board, for working the tables from one times one through ten times ten. It is the material where a table is built rather than recited: the multiplicand is set once, a marker moves along to say which multiple is wanted, and the beads are laid out that many times. Seeing seven laid out four times, taking up four times the room, is what stops seven times four being a sound with no size attached to it. Wood with plastic, for ages 3 to 6.
“The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence.”
The Multiplication Board bridges concrete manipulation and abstract mathematical thinking through its 10×10 grid design and red counting beads. Each placement of beads on the board transforms multiplication from an abstract concept into a tangible, visual experience where children physically construct mathematical relationships. The numbered columns create a systematic framework that reveals multiplication patterns through hands-on exploration.
- Understands multiplication as repeated addition through bead placement
- Recognizes number patterns within the 10×10 grid structure
- Develops systematic thinking through sequential bead arrangement
- Builds visual memory of multiplication facts through repeated use
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As children place red beads in precise grid positions, they discover how numbers grow in predictable ways, building multiplication understanding through repeated addition made visible. The board's storage compartments teach mathematical order alongside computational skills, emphasizing that mathematics requires both precision and organization. This wooden board serves as a mathematical laboratory where abstract multiplication concepts become concrete through the methodical placement of beads, allowing children to see, touch, and internalize how numbers multiply before moving to paper-based calculations.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the Multiplication Board on a mat with red beads in their storage compartment. Position the numbered disc at column 1. Have equation slips ready (e.g., 3 × 4).
- 1
Select an equation slip and identify the multiplier (first number) and multiplicand (second number)
Start with smaller numbers like 2 × 3 for initial presentations - 2
Place the numbered disc above the column matching the multiplicand
Say 'We're multiplying by 4' as you position the disc at column 4 - 3
Count out red beads equal to the multiplier and place one bead in each row of the selected column
Count aloud: 'One group of 4, two groups of 4, three groups of 4' - 4
Count all placed beads to find the product, touching each bead as you count
Emphasize the total by counting in a different rhythm than the placement counting - 5
Record the complete equation and clear the board for the next problem
Have children verify their answer by skip counting before recording
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
Multiplication Board (Nienhuis)
