Bead Worksheets

I made 3 different kinds of worksheets with beads:

Horizontal Beads -- Handwriting (pdf)
Vertical Beads -- identification (pdf)
Vertical Beads -- numbers and number words (pdf)

I found this PowerPoint Presentation on working with the beads to add and subtract, and there is this E-How article on teaching addition, though it uses red and blue counters.

Here's an E-How on teaching counting using the beads. And here's one on teaching squaring. It will be some time before we get to that!

I found this Addition Worksheet generator that lets you control the size of the font, number of problems, maximum and minimum numbers, etc, and print them out in PDF.

What I plan to do is to have Aidan match the beads with the number words and symbols until he is quite familiar with them, and then start simple addition. Paddy is already basically past this stage.

I apologize a bit for using the word "Montessori" for these when lots of times they are my adaptation and may not be at all like "real" Montessori. However, I do want them to come up on searches and the like. I did use the visuals on places like this to give me a guide for what colors to use. I am sure Aidan would love to use actual wooden beads but we don't have it in our budget atm.... and little manipulatives get scattered quickly in this absent-minded household. Cards, I can print out again and again.... and for Aidan, watching me make them is like a presentation in itself... he gets so enthusiastic watching them get cut and laminated and backed with cardstock.