Montessori golden beads are used for a variety of lessons. If you are just starting off, it is good ways for kids to learn the terms units, tens, hundreds, and thousands. 

This activity is recommended for children ages 4-6.

Montessori materials are usually placed on a cloth mat to help the child focus on the task (we just use a dish towel). Below is a quick rundown on the first few lessons I taught my children with the golden beads.

Lesson 1:

To introduce the terms, present them as follows:

  1. Present a single bead and say “this is one unit”
  2. Present a ten bar and say “this is ten”
  3. Present a hundred-square and say “this is one hundred”
  4. Present a thousand cube and say “this is one thousand”
  5. You may show them how the terms relate to each other (10 units make 1 ten-bar, 10 ten-bars make 1 hundred etc.). It’s even better if you can guide them figure this out on their own!

Lesson 2:

Lesson 2 is to emphasize the relationship between units, tens, hundreds, and thousands. On you mat:

  1. Count the single beads out as you lay them on the mat (up to 9)
  2. When you run out of single beads, say “I am out of single units, so I will use 10” and place a ten-bar down to the left of the single units.
  3. Count the ten-bars as you lay them together, “One ten, two tens, three tens, four tens, five tens, six tens, seven tens, eight tens, nine tens….I am out of tens. Next is ten tens or one hundred,” and place a hundred square to the left of the ten-bars.
  4. Lay the hundred-squares on top of each other, counting the same way, up to 9 hundreds. Then say, “I have no more hundreds. Next would be 10 hundreds OR 1 thousand” and lay the thousand cube to the left of the hundred-squares.

Lesson 3:

  1. Lay the units, tens, hundreds, and thousands together in the correct order.
  2. Give your students a tray. Ask them to bring you a number of beads. Start easy; e.g. “Please bring me two tens”.
  3. Gradually make your requests more difficult; e.g. “Please bring me one thousand, four hundreds, two tens, and six units”.
  4. When your students understand the game, you can have them play it together!

I am not a Montessori teacher, this is how we used our golden beads at home. If you have any suggestions to add to our lessons, please do so in the comments below!

Happy homeschooling!

<3 aer