Bead Stems (Math-y Monday)

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've posted any Math-y Monday posts!  The days really get away from me sometimes and I lose track of time and this blog, unfortunately.  Today I want to share with you my math activity for the week and get back on track with the Mathy Monday!

This week we are working on adding within 20 and the activity we are using this week is called, Bead Stems.  In this activity, students are learning to move from using manipulatives or physical object to making a mental representation of the number of objects when items are screened.  This is an important skill in connecting a written amount to the understanding of a quantity.

What you need:  beaded chenille stems (5 to 15 beads), large cup, cover, card set
  *Notice the different color beads.  I put five blue and then five red to help the students see how many are there without counting from one.  There are ten stems, beads number from 5 to 15.

What you do:
1. Place beaded stems in a large cup. Shuffle cards and place in a stack face-down.
2. On your turn
a. Draw 1 beaded stem and determine the number of beads.
b. Place stem under a cover.
c. Draw a card. Look at it briefly and then turn card over (or place it under a cover).
d. Determine how many in all.

In this picture you see the setup of the tools you will need for the activity.

In this picture you see the tools in use.  Notice that the bead stem is covered, screening the beads.  The student must remember how many are on the stem to be able to count on the bead that would need to be added.  We are working mental math here! :)

Modification:
Leave either the bead stem or the card uncovered, allowing the student the ability to count the beads if needed.  You can also determine which bead cards you use and limiting what the students add to 3 or 4 beads at a time.

Enjoy!
Kim