Decimal System-Stamp Game

Presentation 2: Addition

Note: It is a good idea to incorporate a zero somewhere so the child gets experience with it. Regarding
decorating of the paper, Maria Montessori observed children decorating paper as an expression. This
makes doing the Stamp Game very exciting.

1. Start a conversation about addition with the decimal system, to make a connection. “You’ve done
addition with the decimal system. Let’s think about that for a moment. What do we do when we do
addition with the decimal system?” As necessary, remind the child what addition with the decimal
system entails. (The child’s ability to answer this gives you valuable information.)
2. Let the child know, “We can do that same process using stamps. The names of those quantities that
we brought are called addends. I am going to write an addend on our paper.” Choose addends that
will result in a dynamic problem, so the child can be independent in working with this material after
the presentation.
3. Write some 4-digit quantity, either at the top of the paper (if this is being done on a new day with
blank paper) or in the next available row (under the decorated row from presentation 1). Invite the
child to build that quantity in stamps to the left of the box. The space under the box is cleared.
4. Write another addend on your paper and have the child build that quantity under the first quantity. Use
your pencil as a guide for where to start the columns (so they are aligned along the top like the first
addend). Leave a little space below the array of stamps and place your pencil there, oriented
horizontally. The child will then build the quantity, the same way as before, so the top edges of the
columns are just below the pencil.
5. When the child has built the second quantity, place the pencil back onto your pencil holder. Introduce
the plus sign (+). Write it on the paper using the red pencil (in the lower left corner of the row for the
second addend) and tell the child, “Addition has a symbol. We call that a plus sign. I am going to
write that on my paper to show that we are going addition.”
6. Add the equal line (in red pencil, horizontally below the second addend) and introduce that. “This is
called the equal line.”
7. Let the child know, “We have both of our addends here, but this time we are not going to dump the
quantities together.” Model pushing the columns upward from the bottom, starting from the addend
underneath, so they join their corresponding columns above (use your index finger to slide the bottom-
most stamp up the table). When you finish this, the 2 addends should be combined into continuous
columns, still separated by category.
8. Make a reference to the child, such as, “After we put our bead material together, we counted to see
how much we had all together. We are going to do the same thing here. Like before, when we get to
10 in any category, we will stop.”
9. The adult should model counting the units, pulling the bottom-most stamp in the column down
slightly while counting. Once the entire category has been counted, push the column back up (from
the bottom) into its original position, aligned with the other columns.
10. Record the number of units on the paper, in the units column (the right-most box below the equal
line).
11. Invite the child to count the tens and record the symbol in the tens column of the paper. The child can
repeat with the hundreds and the thousands.
12. When the child reaches 10 of a category, model how to make change. Slide those 10 stamps to another
place on the table (for example, the bottom right portion of the table, closer to the box). This will be
your designated change spot. You can make another connection to the child, “If we had 10 tens (state
whichever category is being changed) in the decimal system, what would we exchange it for at the
store?”
13. Take out the stamp of the next higher category (for example, 100) and place it to the right of the
column of 10 stamps of the lower category. State, “These two are the same. 10 tens is the same as 1
hundred.”
14. Return the column of 10 back to the box (using the same technique as before). Place the stamp of the
higher category at the bottom of its column on the table.
 Decimal System-Stamp Game
15. When the child has finished counting and recording the categories, read the problem off the paper. For
example, “We took 4,375. We added 3,552 to it. We put them together and counted. All together, we
had 7,927.”
16. Let the child know that the name of that quantity you get after you put everything together is the sum.
17. Do an informal second-period lesson with addend, sum, plus sign, and equal line. (“Can you show me
the sum? Can you point to an addend? Point to another addend? Show me the equal line? The plus
sign?...”) Follow this with a third-period lesson.
18. Clear the table of stamps. Invite the child to decorate the row below the problem he just completed,
using the colored pencils.
19. When the child has decorated his math paper, write another equation on the paper for the child. This
time, do not use red pencil for the symbols.
20. Invite the child to continue.
21. Fade and observe.
Note: If the child seems comfortable with this, you could invite him to write his own equation. If not,
the adult can write another for him. If the child is writing his own equations, the adult may have to
provide some guidance so he does not go over in his thousands category.

Presentation 3: Subtraction / Static and Dynamic

Note: Begin with a static equation.

1. Invite the child and name the activity. Use the same set up as for presentations 1 and 2.
2. Start by making a connection to decimal system subtraction. Guide the child to remember, “In
subtraction, we take away from a quantity, and are left with a smaller quantity.”
3. Write the initial large quantity on the first available row of the paper and name it. “This is the large
quantity we start with. It is called the minuend.”
4. Have the child build the minuend on the table using stamps.
5. Remind the child, “There is something that we are going to take away from the minuend. That
quantity is called the subtrahend.” Write a subtrahend on your paper that will result in a static
subtraction problem.
6. Mention, “This operation also has a symbol. It is different from addition. It is called a minus sign.”
Write the minus sign (-) and the equal line on the paper, using the red pencil.
7. Demonstrate how to subtract. Starting with the units (remind the child of this), check your paper to see
how many are in the subtrahend. As you count the stamps, pull them down from the units column.
Once you have counted out what you need to subtract, slide that new column (for the subtrahend)
down so it is below the minuend (similar to the orientation of the addends in addition). Record the
difference.
8. Repeat this process with the tens, then, invite the child to do the same with the hundreds and the
thousands. Child records the difference as it is revealed.
9. Once you have taken away from every category you need to, verify the subtrahend is the same as what
you have written on your paper.
10. Make another connection to the decimal system. “We started with this large quantity, but that is not
what is left. The minuend disappeared, and now we do not know what the quantity is that we have left
up here.”
11. Have the child count what is left (in the upper quantity on the table, now the difference) and record it
on paper. Let him know that the quantity that is left is called the difference.
12. When the child has finished recording the difference, go back and read the problem off your paper.
For example, “7,867 minus 4,352 equals 3,515.”
13. Do an informal 3-period lesson on minuend, subtrahend, difference, and minus sign (include equal
line if desired).
14. Clear the table of stamps. Invite the child to decorate their paper.
 Decimal System-Stamp Game
15. Dynamic-Write another equation. This one will be dynamic and requires changing (borrowing) in at
least 1 category. It is probably clearest if only 1 change is needed. (Do not use the red pencil this
time.)
16. Proceed in the same way as for static subtraction.
17. When the child realizes he does not have enough of a category in the minuend, guide them to take 1 of
the next higher category and exchange it for 10 of that category. “Where can we get more tens?...
What can we exchange 1 hundred for?” “What can we exchange to get more units?”
18. As with addition, make the trade in a separate place on the table and always make sure you have the 2
equal parts of the trade next to each other before moving on. You can make a point of verbalizing, “1
hundred – 10 tens: same.” Only after you have verified that you are making an even exchange should
you put away what is being traded and add the new stamps to their column.
19. Once a higher category has been traded and 10 of the next lower category has been added to the
minuend, continue taking away from the category where you left off. Count on starting from the ones
you already took away.
20. When the minuend has been taken away from the subtrahend and the difference has been counted and
recorded, invite the child to decorate his paper.
21. Write another dynamic equation for the child.
22. Fade and observe.

Presentation 4: Multiplication

Note: In primary we never use a multiplier larger than 9.

1. Invite the child and name the activity. Use the same set up as for the other presentations.
2. Start by making a connection to the decimal system multiplication. “In decimal system multiplication,
we took the same quantities and put them together. We are going to do the same thing here. That
quantity that we take is called the multiplicand.” Write a multiplicand on the first open row of your
paper. This equation can be static or dynamic.
3. Continue by telling the child, “Remember how we had the other numbers that we took out of our little
pouch, and those numbers told us how many times we took our multiplicand. We call that number the
multiplier. I will write that here.”
4. Write the multiplier under the multiplicand, right justified.
5. Introduce the times sign (x) for multiplication, writing it in red. Write the equal line in red as well.
6. Guide the child to create the same quantity (the multiplicand) 3 times (however many times your
multiplier specifies). As in addition, use a pencil to separate the quantities being combined.
7. When the child has created the quantity the correct number of times, indicate that, just like in addition
and in multiplication with the decimal system, he will need to put them all together to see how much
there is in total.
8. The child should push each category together so they are in continuous columns. He should then count
up the total, beginning with the units and making trades as needed (carrying, or trading up). If at any
time a particular category’s column becomes unmanageably long, a temporary second column can be
made adjacent to the first. As he counts the total for each category, the child should write that result
under the equal line.
9. Let the child know that the total in multiplication is called the product.
10. Read the problem off the paper, then do an informal 3-period lesson on multiplicand, multiplier,
product, and times sign.
11. Clear the table of stamps. Invite the child to draw his design on the paper.
12. Invite the child to write his own multiplication problem, giving him some guidelines so he does not
exceed the limits of the materials (which is easy to do with multiplication). The child will want to
have a multiplier that is not too large, because he will likely run out of not only stamps, but also table
space.
 Decimal System-Stamp Game

Presentation 5: Division- Static

1. Invite child and name the activity. Use the same set up as for the other presentations.
2. Make a connection to what the child did in decimal system division. Remind them as necessary,
“Remember, division is sharing equally. We can do the same with stamps.”
3. Turn the stamp game paper, now orienting it horizontally. Write a quantity in the top row, left justified
(1 digit per box as before). Let the child know, “I am going to write a quantity to start with. The
quantity we start with in division is called the dividend.”
4. Invite the child to build the dividend on the table using stamps.
5. Remind the child, “We have to decide how many shares we want to make.” Your divisor should be 1-
digit and should result in a static problem.
6. Choose a divisor and write it in the same row as the dividend, leaving a space (1 square) in between.
Let child know, “We call that number the divisor. It lets us know how many shares we are making.”
7. Introduce the division sign (÷), writing it in red in the empty space between the dividend and the
divisor. Also introduce the equal sign (=), writing that in red to the right of the divisor.
8. Show the child the skittles that will be used to represent the shares. Remind them that you will be
using green because these skittles all represent units (like during decimal system division, when
children had the green ribbons and were collecting for units).
9. Remind the child, “We always start with the highest category in division.”
10. Model dividing the thousands and the first hundred, setting the pattern for the child to follow. The
skittles should be lined up horizontally on the table with space between them. The categories that are
distributed to each skittle should create columns with no space in between them, centered under each
skittle in hierarchal order.
11. Let the child continue distributing to the skittles. This should be a static problem.
12. Invite the child to count the value of a share and have him verify that all of the shares are the same.
Write that value to the right of the equal sign on your paper.
13. Let the child know, “The value of 1 share is called the quotient.”
14. Read the problem off the paper. For example, “6,639 divided by 3 equals 2,313.”
15. Do an informal 3-period lesson on dividend, divisor, quotient, division sign, and equal sign.
16. Clear the table of stamps. Invite the child to decorate their paper. They can decorate the horizontal row
just under the problem, either going all the way across the row or decorating only under the squares
that have writing in them.
17. Dynamic-For the next problem, write a dynamic one that involves trading and can have a remainder.
For example: 3784 ÷ 3. Do not use red pencil this time.
18. You will need to show the child how to clear a category by trading a stamp for 10 of the next lower
category (as with subtraction).
19. You will also have to notice any remaining stamps (remainder) and show the child how to record that
on their paper. Leave a space after the final digit of the quotient, write an uppercase “R,” then write
the value of the remainder. “Do you hear the ‘r-‘ in ‘remainder’? We write the first letter of that word
here. I am going to use an uppercase letter, just like this.
20. Might want to write one more problem for the child
21. Fade and observe.

Control of Error: None

Following Exercises: None

Pedagogical Notes:
 This activity is still practice for the child (stage 4 in the mathematical progression).
 There are several main advantages to this activity:
o It is individual work. As such, it is particularly helpful as verification of the child’s
knowledge. In the collective exercises where each operation was introduced, it is easy for a
 Decimal System-Stamp Game
child to get swept along with the group, and it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what each
knows.
o It is more symbolic. This is the first time that the child is recording mathematical equations.
Although it is more symbolic, however, the child is still experiencing these operations
through the use of some concrete materials.
 This activity introduces the symbols for each operation (plus sign, minus sign, times sign, division
sign, equal line, and equal line). It also introduces the names of each part of the operations (addend,
sum, minuend, subtrahend, difference, multiplicand, multiplier, product, dividend, divisor, quotient,
and remainder).
 A highly valuable application of this material is to the process of division. It is well suited to showing
the many special cases that are possible within that operation.
 Although these exercises are undoubtedly valuable, this is typically an overused material.
o Because this work “looks like math,” it can be especially attractive to teachers. It is also
impressive to parents when their children come home with stamp game paper, for the same
reason.
o This line of thinking quickly leads to adults valuing the product of children’s work, rather
than the process. The product is not the point, and accuracy is not required at this stage.
Parents may notice errors in their child’s calculations, and wonder why their child is being
taught to do math incorrectly. Understanding of the mechanics of each operation must come
before accuracy can reasonably be the goal.
 The adult should not formally check the child’s work here. She can note mistakes
simply by observing the child at work. These observations should inform her future
instruction.
 It is extremely important that the child has had a great deal of practice with the decimal system
materials before moving into this work. It is best if the child has already done all of the operations
before starting this work.
o The only exception would be an older child just entering the classroom. To expedite the
process, this child may potentially be shown each stamp game presentation directly after its
corresponding operation of the decimal system.
 The child has now progressed from using decimal system cards (like the Moveable Alphabet of math)
to build composite numbers to writing them using a pencil and paper.
o For any children who cannot yet write numbers, the adult can either write equations for them
or supply pre-made equation cards for independent use. However, the child should be capable
of writing numbers at this point.
 Do not align the columns directly under the box for this work. This can become a crutch that the child
relies on, rather than his own memory. Placing the open box of stamps in the upper right corner of the
table but building the quantities in the table’s center helps avoid this issue. With this set up, he child
cannot pattern his layout after the position of the categories in the box, but must use his understanding
of place value.
 At the start of each of these presentations, always connect the child to what is familiar to him. For
example, remind him of the process he used to do a given operation with decimal system materials,
then show him how to do the same operation using stamps.
 By aligning the columns of stamps at the top (top justified), the child is seeing quantity represented by
a visual impression of length.
 Like just about everything else in the classroom, there should be only 1 set of stamp game materials.
 The stamp game paper used for this activity has a grid on it (5x20). One digit is written in each box.
 By the time the child gets the presentation for multiplication, he should already have done addition
(which is very similar) and should be comfortable using stamps. The child can, therefore, go straight
into creating his own problem after he has received the presentation for multiplication.
 When the child begins doing operations with the stamp game, he should be invited to decorate his
paper after each problem. This serves to divide the equations from one another on the page.
 Decimal System-Stamp Game
 Originally, this material consisted of actual stamps. Maria Montessori would take sheets of paper and
run a sewing machine along them in a grid pattern. The child would then punch out the stamps and
paste them onto paper.
 The large green skittle (used for a 4-digit divisor) is typically not used, or used very rarely, in primary.
Whenever the child does work that involves writing on paper, he should write his name on it (typically on the
back). If the child cannot yet write his name, he should be encouraged to at least write his own initials.