Counting Chain Arrows

Ages

4 to 6 years old

Free Printouts

Download the Counting Chain Arrows printout (PDF) — ready-to-use arrows labeled with multiples of 10.

Download the Blank Arrows printout (PDF) — blank arrows you can hand-print with any numbers you wish to use.

About the Counting Chain

The counting chain actually originated from a lesson in square roots for older children. The younger children in the classroom were attracted to the 100 and 1,000 golden bead chains and began counting the ten-bead bars on their own. Dr. Montessori encouraged this activity, and counting chains became a beloved part of the preschool and kindergarten math curriculum.

You can introduce this activity after the child has worked with the Short Bead Stair and the Golden Bead Material and has a good understanding of counting by 10s up to 100 and 1,000, respectively. The child should also recognize number symbols from 10 through 1,000. Children as young as four can do this activity with great enthusiasm. It connects beautifully to other counting games you may already be doing in the classroom.

Materials Needed

100 chain — a chain of 10 golden ten-bead bars attached together with small metal rings
1,000 chain — a chain of 100 golden ten-bead bars attached together in the same manner
Counting arrows — printed and cut from the PDFs above (or hand-written on the blank arrows)
A large rug or floor mat — you'll need plenty of open space, especially for the 1,000 chain!

If you need golden bead chains for your home or classroom, the Golden Bead Chains of 1000 by Montessori Outlet is a wonderful option that includes the full chain with arrows. For a complete set that also supports the colored bead stair work, the Colored Bead Chains & Squares by Elite Montessori is a good choice.

Presenting the Lesson

I usually place the arrows in order in the beginning — 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100. Continue on in the same way for the 1,000 counting chain.

From the cupboard, I show the child how to fold up the chain and carry it carefully to an open area on the rug. We gently spread out the chain in a long line. Then, counting by 10s, we mark each ten-bead bar with an arrow: 10 for the first ten-bead bar, 20 for the second, and so on.

Children love the sense of accomplishment when the chain stretches across the room and every arrow is placed! This is a powerful sensorial math experience — the child can see and feel the quantity that each number represents.

Advanced Counting Games

Once your child is comfortable counting by 10s, there are many ways to extend this work:

Compare the 100 chain to the 1,000 chain — lay them side by side and let the child observe the difference in length. Ask, "How many 100 chains would it take to make the 1,000 chain?"
Count by 100s — use larger arrows to mark every 100 beads on the 1,000 chain
Count by 5s — a lovely bridge to telling time and money concepts
Count by 2s — a wonderful introduction to even numbers
Count by 1s — for the child who is ready, counting every single bead from 1 to 100 or even 1 to 1,000 is a deeply satisfying achievement

You can make custom arrows for counting by 100s, 5s, 2s, and 1s using the blank arrow printout. Simply hand-print the numbers you wish to use.

For more printable math materials, visit our Math Printouts page. You might also enjoy pairing this work with the Pink Tower and Counting activity for additional hands-on number exploration.