This is a lovely activity that teaches the child how to multiply with the dot game. The directress begins the activity by reading through the operation with the child (2342 x 2) that is written in expanded notation on the dot board.
The directress reminds the child that they need to add this number twice as they are multiplying by 2. The directress draws two green dots in the unit column and the child draws another two green dots in the unit column. The directress draws a line between the first two dots and the second two dots to show the number has been taken twice. The child is asked to add the dots together and record the answer (4) in green in the unit column of the dot paper.
The child is encouraged to draw four dots in blue twice in the tens column, ensuring to draw a line between the first four and the second four dots to show the number has been taken twice. The child then adds up the dots and records the answer in blue in the tens column on the dot paper.
The directress encourages the child to continue in the same manner with the hundreds and thousands, ensuring to record the answer in the correct coloured marker in the correct column. The directress reads through the operation and the answer with the child once completed.
What does the child learn by doing this activity?
This activity reinforces place value in the decimal system and the (x) sign, as well as the child gets practice in multiplication using more abstract materials.
Looking for more Montessori activities?
Here is a list of all the Montessori Maths activities including Early Maths, Introduction to the Decimal System, Seguin Boards, The Hundred Board, The Short Bead Stair, Bead Chains, The Snake Game, Group Operations, The Large Number Rods, Recording with the Small Number Rods, The Short Bead Stair, The Strip Boards, The Boards, The Stamp Game, The Abacus, The Dot Game, and Fractions. Just click on the page you want to learn about to go there.
Early Maths
Large Number Rods
Sandpaper Numbers
Spindle Box
Number Rods and Cards (presentation one)
Number Rods and Cards (presentation two)
Cards and Counters
Introduction to the Decimal System
Presentation Tray
Large Number Cards
Bridging exercise between the Presentation Tray and the Large Number Cards
Counting through with the Golden Beads
Bring me game with the Golden Beads
Counting through with the Large Number Cards
Bring me game with the Large Number Cards
Birds Eye View
Banking Game
The Changing Game
The Short Bead Stair
The Short Bead Stair: orientation exercise
Seguin Boards
Seguin Board A: learning quantities
Seguin Board A: learning symbols
Seguin Board A: bridging exercise
Seguin Board B: learning quantities
Seguin Board B: learning symbols
Seguin Board B: bridging exercise
Seguin Board B: association from 11-99
The Hundred Board
The Hundred Board
Bead Chains
Bead Chains introduction: stacking squares and cubes
Bead Chains: showing the square of a number
Bead Chains: showing the cube of a number
The Snake Game
The Snake Game: bonds of ten
The Snake Game: changing using the black and white stair
Group Operations
Group Operations: Static addition (without change)
Group Operations: Dynamic addition (with change)
Group Operations: Static multiplication (without change)
Group Operations: Dynamic multiplication (with change)
Group Operations: Static subtraction (without change)
Group Operations: Dynamic subtraction (with change)
Group Operations: Static division (without change)
Group Operations: Dynamic division (with change)
Large Number Rods
Large Number Rods: Composition (presentation one)
Large Number Rods: Composition (presentation two)
Large Number Rods: Decomposition
Recording with the Small Number Rods
Recording with the Small Number Rods
The Short Bead Stair
Addition with the Short Bead Stair
Multiplication tables with the Short Bead Stair
Subtraction using the Short Bead Stair
The Strip Boards
Addition Strip Board (presentation one)
Addition Strip Board (presentation two)
Subtraction Strip Board (presentation one)
Subtraction Strip Board (presentation two)
The Boards
Multiplication Board
Division Board
The Stamp Game
The Stamp Game: Bridging exercise
The Stamp Game: formation of a number
The Stamp Game: Static addition (without change)
The Stamp Game: Dynamic addition (with change)
The Stamp Game: Static multiplication (without change)
The Stamp Game: Dynamic multiplication (with change)
The Stamp Game: Static subtraction (without change)
The Stamp Game: Dynamic subtraction (with change)
The Stamp Game: Static division (without change)
The Stamp Game: Dynamic division (with change)
The Abacus
The Abacus: bridging exercise
The Abacus: counting on the Abacus
The Abacus: formation of a number
The Abacus: counting and recording
Operations with the Abacus: Static addition (without change)
Operations with the Abacus: Static multiplication (without change)
Operations with the Abacus: Static subtraction (without change)
The Dot Game
The Dot Game: Static addition (without change)
The Dot Game: Dynamic addition (with change)
The Dot Game: Dynamic multiplication (with change)
The Dot Game: Static subtraction (without change)
The Dot Game: Dynamic subtraction (with change)
Fractions
Fractions (presentation one)
Fractions (presentation two)
Fractions (presentation three)
Fractions (presentation four)
