Teen Board (Seguin Board A)

Teen numbers are the first extension past ten. Their English names are irregular and confusing in isolation. The Seguin Board anchors them concretely: a ten-bar with one unit beside it is 'eleven', and the numeral tile confirms the same story. The ten-bar and loose units together must equal the numeral formed — any mismatch is visible.

• Framework: Montessori
• Unit: Mathematics
• Learning area: Linear Counting
• Level: Ages 5-6

Objectives

• Form the numerals 11-19 using board and loose numerals
• Associate each teen with its bead quantity (a ten-bar plus units)
• Understand that 'ten and one' means 'eleven'
• Prepare for counting through the teens and into the tens

Materials

• Seguin Board A: two wooden boards, each with five panels printed with '10', arranged vertically
• Set of loose numeral tiles 1-9
• Nine golden ten-bars and nine loose golden unit beads

Instructions

1. Place the board and beads on a mat. 2. Point to the top '10' panel and place a ten-bar beside it. 3. 'This is ten.' 4. Slide the numeral tile '1' over the zero of the top '10' to form '11'. 5. Beside the ten-bar, place one unit. 6. 'Ten and one: eleven.' 7. Continue down the board, turning '10' into '12' with the tile '2' and placing two loose units, and so on to '19'. 8. Remove all tiles and beads, then invite the child to reconstruct. 9. Later, reverse the work: name a teen and have the child build it.

Educator tip

Present in stages: first the quantity, then the numeral, then the combination. Rushing obscures the sense of 'ten and one' — which is the whole insight.

Assessment

Observe whether the child reads each teen fluently and can reverse the work (name to form).

More from Mathematics

• Tens Board (Seguin Board B)
• Stamp Game
• Checkerboard for Long Multiplication
• Racks and Tubes: Long Division
• Hundred Board
• Addition Strip Board
• Subtraction Strip Board
• Multiplication Bead Bars