How we use Montessori Number Cards (FREE Printable)

DIY Math Montessori Number Cards

Learning Place Value 

Number cards are an amazing resource to have when learning place value, your child can view all the components broken down to make the whole part, thus developing their number sense.

To introduce number cards to your child I would start like you can see in the picture. Lining up the units in sequence, then the tens, then hundreds and then thousands all placed in their columns as you would find in a stacked up math equation. This helps the child to familiarize themselves with the order of place value. They also begin to understand through direction that units are from 1 to 9, tens start from 10 to 90, hundreds begin from 100 to 900 and thousands are 1000 to 9000 etc. Teach this by having your child recite each column, for them to familiarize how to read each number.

Playing games

Turn one card over, facing down and have your child guess which number has been turned over.

Call out a number from the laid out cards for your child to point out for you.

Mix up 5 cards in different order of column for your child to correct.

What number is this? Point to a number and ask them to say it for you.

Making Numbers from 1 to 9999

Place value and making numbers

Getting used to large numbers, we would play with making numbers great and small and learn how to read the number we have made. Begin with small with units, writing down the number on a piece of paper or white board for your child to find, gradually working through each place value until they are confident in it. Especially with the hundreds they will need to learn how to read numbers with a hundred for example; 361 is read three hundred and sixty-one. We made numbers and broke them down to see how the number is made i.e. 300, 60 and 1, I would say this helped tremendously in understanding place value thoroughly.

Exercises with Montessori number cards

Decomposing numbers

Age 3 Math Decomposing Numbers

With the aid of Montessori number cards my DD learnt how to decompose numbers, this simple exercise develops number sense in wholes and parts. This is a cutting and gluing exercise.

Math from a 4 year old

Age 4 Math Learning Place Value

Here are some more exercises we did using the number cards. Making numbers I wrote in the answer in numeral form in the answer bar and she would write down the parts of that number in order above,. I would also write out the number in words and she would have to read the number to write in down in numeral form.

Using Manipulative's with number cards

Stamping place value

I brought these nifty place value stamps on amazon, as an alternative to the physical blocks of hundreds, tens and units, simply because it took less space in the classroom, cost effective and I wouldn't need to use them for long, just a short period of time to get the point across. Spreading out each card to see its value and making corresponding stamps for that value worked very well in reading out the number more accurately and solidifying understanding of place value.

One step further, Number Cards for Addition

Using Number Cards for addition

When beginning double digit addition I would recommend using number cards as a bridge from single digit + double digit addition to low value double digit + low value double digit as it starts off a little complex for them to grasp at first but by showing them with the number cards, your child can break up numbers and add them individually the together, and this will also help with learning carrying over addition.

Aged 5 addition with number cards

This is an activity my DD would like to play for her math addition lesson, choosing her own addition sums and working them out in her exercise book. In one lesson, she would have to choose 4 sums using units, 4 sums using tens and units and 3 sums using hundreds, tens and units. And if she wanted she could do addition sums with the thousands.

DIY your very Montessori Number Cards

These numbers cards I had DIY'ed, we don't have a printer and its difficult to go to the printer shop at times. So, I had time on my hands and thought I would give it ago, little did I know how time consuming this was...

Using green, red and blue colored paper, I measured, folded and cut out enough for three numbers each. Then with wooden numerals and ink I had lying around i carefully stamped on each number in its place, my work station got messy, my hands were inky and I was running out of ink, but it was very therapeutic. Lastly was to laminate and neatly cut around the edges which was the hardest part as my laminator broke and I spent a while manually ironing the laminated sheets between a tea towel. But when they were finished the final product looked very appealing and my daughter thought so too, she couldn't wait to use them, and 2 years on she is still using them. Ah, that is what makes DIY's worth doing.

Download My Free Montessori Number Cards

But if you don't have time for that, I have made for and your child to enjoy your very own Montessori number cards to print, laminate and enjoy.