Tens Boards: International Version
The boards that follow the teens, taking a child through the names of the tens and the whole sequence from eleven to ninety nine. Where the teen boards hold the ten still, these change it, so a child slides from twenty to thirty and hears the pattern in the names at the same time as seeing it in the quantity. Bead quantities are built from ten bars and unit beads in the tens bead box. Two boards come with it, one holding five number slots from ten to fifty and one holding four from sixty to ninety, plus nine cards printed one to nine. Ninety nine is the last number before the decimal system needs a new category. Wood with paint, for ages 3 to 6.
“Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.”
The Tens Boards reveal mathematics as a discoverable system where children construct two-digit numbers through direct manipulation of sliding wooden tiles. Each compartment's movable panels from 1-9 transform abstract place value into visible, touchable reality.
- Understanding place value through physical construction of two-digit numbers
- Recognizing patterns in the decimal system from 10-99
- Developing systematic thinking through sequential number building
- Strengthening number recognition and reading skills
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When children slide these number tiles alongside the fixed tens column, they physically build 10, 11, 12 through 99, experiencing how our decimal system operates through their own hands. The Tens Boards' sequential layout demonstrates that numbers follow predictable patterns, after sliding all nine tiles for 10-19, children must advance to the next tens compartment. This wooden material addresses the developmental need for concrete experiences with quantity before abstraction. The boards' design isolates place value as a concept, showing how the same digits 1-9 create entirely different numbers when positioned after 10, 20, or 30. Through repeated construction of two-digit numbers, children internalize that our number system groups quantities into tens, preparing them for more complex mathematical operations.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place both Tens Boards horizontally on a mat. Ensure all sliding number tiles are positioned to show blank spaces (slid to the left). Have a container nearby for storing tiles when not in use.
- 1
Begin with the first board. Show how to slide the first tile to reveal '1', creating '11' when combined with the printed '10'
Move slowly and deliberately, allowing the child to see the number appear - 2
Continue sliding tiles sequentially to build 12, 13, 14 through 19
Point to each complete number and name it clearly - 3
When reaching 19, demonstrate sliding all tiles back to blank, then moving to the '20' row
Emphasize the pattern, after 19 comes 20, not 110 - 4
Build 20-29, then continue through all decades up to 99
Let the child take over when they show understanding - 5
Practice building specific numbers randomly: 'Can you make 47?'
This reinforces place value understanding
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
Brands used by
schools worldwide
European brands
AMI
Endorsed
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