Using a Montessori Finger Chart for Addition

Sweet Pea is 6 years old.

Prerequisite: This purpose of this activity is to help with the memorization of addition facts.  Your child should already be very familiar with the concept of addition and be able to write all of the numerals from zero to nine.

From: The addition working chart or finger chart is a commonly used Montessori material.  It is usually made from a solid piece of wood, but I created a paper version and laminated it.

Material:

• My Addition Finger Chart
• My Addition Booklets (Start with Numerical Order, then move on to Random Order and then finally introduce Flipped and Random Order.)
• Pencil
• Stapler
• Laminator or Self-Adhesive Laminating Sheets (Optional)

Procedure:

• Print out the Addition Finger Chart and laminate, if desired.
• Create a booklet from your selected addition worksheets, by cutting them into pages and stapling them together.
• Sit next to your child with the booklet and an addition figure chart in front of you.
• Point to the first problem on the addition worksheet and say the problem out loud (“7 plus 8”).
• Using the addition finger chart ,with your right hand move your pointer finger along the top blue line until you come to the first number in the problem, saying the number out loud (“7”).

• Keeping your right hand in place, slide your left pointer figure down the red line until you come to the second number in the problem, saying that number out loud (“8”).

• Slide your right index finger down the row, and your left index finger across the row until they meet in the square that contains the answer to the problem.

•  Say this number out loud (“15”)

•  Moving back to the addition booklet, say the entire equation out loud and have your child to write the answer in her booklet.
• Invite your tot to do the next problem on her own, guiding her as needed.

•  Allow your child to continue working for as long as she is interested.

Observations: Sweet Pea usually prefer art and science activities, but she does like to use the finger chart.   I like this activity because it allows a child to create a piece of work without being  too pushy about forcing them to learn the addition facts.  The memorization develops as a natural consequence of creating the booklets.  It is just easier to “learn” the facts than look up each one.

This is a super activity for helping kids memorize their addition facts, which I admit, can be a little tedious.  Sweet Pea really enjoyed having her own little booklets and was very motivated to complete them.  I would recommend it for advanced kindergartners or early elementary aged children.

Notes from the Trenches: As I mentioned, earlier this activity is only for children who already understand addition, but who need some interesting work to encourage memorization.  

Rating: 3 Stars * (Easy, Independent, Frugal)