20-Bead Rekenrek

MATHEMATICS MANIPULATIVE

Palma Taranto | EDU 341 02 | October 4, 2017

Description: The 20-bead rekenrek is a calculating frame or arithmetic rack. It is a visual

representation of separating numbers into groups of five or ten. Its format consists of two rows

that holds ten beads each, and for each group of ten, it is divided into two groups of five. Adrian

Treffers, a math curriculum researcher at Freudenthal Institute in Holland, created this

manipulative to enhance subitizing, which is to view objects and know the represented number

instinctually; cardinality, which is to understand how many numbers are in a set; decomposition,

which is to break down a whole number into its parts; and, anchoring groups of five and ten for

basic mathematical operations. For example, students can count on from five or ten when

anchoring groups.

Virtual manipulative: www.mathlearningcenter.org/web-apps/number-rack/

Pros and Cons: The advantages of using the 20-bead rekenrek is that it can be structured as an

anecdotal figure. It is simplistic for children to follow, and it will help enhance number sense by

creating a relationship between action and thought. It is a beneficial visual when learning how to

subitize, especially when trying to decompose numbers in part-part-whole lessons. Also, its

appearance of two groups of five in a ten-beaded rack helps students learn how to visualize

groups effectively when answering complex questions. The disadvantages of the 20-bead

rekenrek is that the manipulative cannot be used to teach about place value because of its

structure. The purpose of the 20-bead rekenrek can be time consuming because teachers must

learn how to use the manipulative before implementing it into lessons. Therefore, it can be a

distraction to children because they may use the manipulative as a toy rather

than using it for decomposing, subitizing, and incorporating cardinality if the

teacher does not state its purpose once it is introduced.

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 NYS-CCLS / +NYS STANDARDS
NY-1.OA.1
Domain: Operation and Algebraic Thinking
Cluster: Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
Standard: Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve one step word problems involving
situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and/or comparing, with
unknowns in all positions.

Please refer to mathematical practices two and three, as they are present throughout the lesson.
Students will use the manipulative to solve basic mathematical operations and explain how they
got their answers within their small and whole group discussions `.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES
(including Key Questions)
1. Students will recall the basic mathematical operations they have learned in kindergarten.
(What are operations? What can we use them for?)

2. Teacher will review addition and subtraction. (Two and two is what number? Five take away
two is what number? Which are our parts? Which is our whole?)

3. Teacher will introduce the 20-bead rekenrek virtual manipulative on the Smart Board.

4. Students will participate in the See, Think, Wonder activity and observe the manipulative.
(What do you see? What do you think about it? What do you wonder about the tool?)

5. Teacher will model the usage of the manipulative and distinguish the color of the beads as
five and ten groups.

6. Teacher will exemplify how to differ groupings. (I want to take two parts of fifteen and make
it whole. How do I create two groups? Which direction should I move the beads? Can I skip
count to get my answer?)

7. Students will be placed into groups of four.

8. Two students from each group will be asked to grab the manipulatives and handouts.

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9. Teacher will demonstrate an example question on the Smart Board. (There are nine oranges
that grew on the orange tree. Four more oranges grew by the end of the day. How many
oranges are on the tree?)

10. Students will be asked to use the manipulative and work together to answer the following
word problems. [M.P. 2]

11. Students will be asked to explain and model their answers on the Smart Board. (How did you
set up your groups? What mathematical operation did you use to answer the question?)
[M.P. 3]

12. Students will be asked to place a sticker on their favorite question. (Which question did you
feel most confident in answering? Which question was the most difficult?)

13. Students will place their handouts in the Completed Tasks bin.

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 NYS-CCLS / +NYS STANDARDS
NY-3.OA.7a
Domain: Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Cluster: Multiply and divide within 100.
Standard: Fluently solve single-digit multiplication and related divisions, using strategies such
as the relationship between multiplication and division or properties of operations.

Please refer to mathematical practices two and five, as they are present throughout the lesson.
Students will use the manipulative to construct viable answers for division and multiplicative
questions.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES
(including Key Questions)
1) Students will answer the question written on the board. (What are the four basic
mathematical operations?)

2) Teacher will demonstrate an example for each mathematical operation. (What are the correct
terms that we can use when writing an operation as a complete sentence?)

3) Students will be introduced to the virtual 20-bead rekenrek. (What is the name of this tool?)

4) Teacher will conduct the I used to think Now I think activity and students will answer
the first section.

5) Teacher will explain that rekenreks can be used for all mathematical operations, and that
there are five and ten groups located on the manipulative. (What do you notice about the two
colors on the manipulative? What types of groups can we anchor?)

6) Students will be grouped into fours.

7) One student will be asked to hand out the manipulatives for each group.

8) Teacher will demonstrate an example problem on the Smart Board. (Five times what number
is fifty? Which direction can I move the beads?)

9) Students will use the manipulative to answer the questions on the handout. [M.P. 2]

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10) As students complete the assignment, the teacher will go around each group and assign each
student a number from one to four.

11) Teacher will call a number at random for each question, and the student who has that number
will go up to the Smart Board and put his or her answer on the virtual manipulative. [M.P. 5]

12) Students will explain how they got their answers after they model it on the Smart Board.
(Why did you choose those number groupings? What problem-solving strategy did you use?)

13) Students will recap what they have learned and answer the second part of the I used to
think Now I think activity.

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