Hundred Board
The hundred board is a 10 by 10 grid and 100 tiles numbered 1 to 100. A child of about 5 lays the tiles in order, row by row, and checks against a control chart. It comes after counting the hundred chain and turns that line of 100 into a square. Montessori's 1917 children used printed squares of 1 to 100.
Sourced from the texts, not yet presented at home
| Typical age | 5 to 7 years |
|---|---|
| Area | Math |
| Before this | |
| Materials | |
| Direct aim | To place the numbers 1 to 100 in order and see the pattern of tens. |
| Control of error | The control chart, and the board's own pattern. Every row starts with a number ending in 1, and every column shares a last digit, so a tile out of place breaks its column. |
| Leads to | Later lessons in this line are in preparation. |
| Time | 20 to 30 minutes for all 100 tiles (our estimate). Two sittings are fine. |
| Grouping | One child, or two taking turns |
| Parent prep | Low. The board, the box of tiles and the control chart. |
| Cost | Buy about $34 to $98. Make: easy to make at home. |
| Other names | Hundred chart, 100 board, Hundred square |
What the work teaches
Direct aim. To place the numbers 1 to 100 in order and see the pattern of tens.
Indirect aims, the ones you will not see at once
- Reading and ordering two-digit numbers
- Seeing that every row begins one ten further on
- Preparation for multiples and skip counting on a grid
- Sustained attention over a long task
Set it out before you invite the child
A framed board of 100 squares, 10 by 10. Alison's is 10 by 10 inches; The Montessori Room's is 34 cm square.
100 tiles printed 1 to 100 in a box. Sorting them into ten small dishes by tens before the first lesson makes it easier.
A control chart printed 1 to 100 in the same layout. Alison's includes one; with some sets it's extra.
The wooden board is the later form. Montessori's 1917 children used paper sheets with 1 to 100 printed in rows of ten to make a square. They underlined the multiples.
Presentation, step by step
- 1Set the board on a table with the tiles. Take out 1 to 10 and lay them in order above the board.
- 2Place 1 in the top left square and 2 beside it, reading each aloud, through to 10.
- 3Find 11 and place it at the start of the second row. Point out that it sits under 1.
- 4Invite the child to finish the second row, 11 to 20.
- 5Go on row by row while interest holds. The rest can wait for another day.
- 6When the board is full, lay the control chart beside it and check row by row together.
Details that hold the child's attention
A full column: 7, 17, 27, all the way down to 97.
The last tile, 100, alone in its corner.
Hunting for 50 in the pile.
The board filled, a square made of a hundred numbers.
How the child sees a mistake
The control chart, and the board's own pattern. Every row starts with a number ending in 1, and every column shares a last digit, so a tile out of place breaks its column.
The words come after the hands
| Words | Shown with |
|---|---|
| row | Ten tiles across. |
| column | Ten tiles down, all ending in the same digit. |
| hundred | The last tile, and the whole board. |
| control chart | The printed board the child checks against. |
The three-period lesson, scripted
You need the tiles 10, 20 and 30.
| Period | What you do and say |
|---|---|
| 1. Naming | "Ten." "Twenty." "Thirty." |
| 2. Recognition | "Give me twenty." "Put thirty on the board." |
| 3. Recall | Hold one up and ask "What is this?" |
Our suggestion: the three periods are for the tens names only. The board teaches the rest.
Extensions and variations
- Filling the board from a mixed pile of all 100 tiles
- Placing only the tens column, then only the fives
- Coloring the multiples of 2, then of 3, on a printed hundred square, as Montessori's 1917 children did
- Turning a few tiles face down and asking which numbers are hidden
- Writing 1 to 100 on a blank paper grid
Variations
- Sorting the tiles by tens into ten piles before placing them
Make it or buy it
| Material | Make it | Buy, approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Hundred Board | Easy | $34 to $98 |
Prices noted . Approximate US street prices for home-use versions; they vary by maker and change often, so recheck before buying.
Making it at home
Print a 10 by 10 grid of 2 cm squares on card, and a second sheet numbered 1 to 100 to cut into tiles. Laminate both if you can.
What to check when buying a set
Check that the set includes a control chart, or print one. Wooden tiles last; thin ones warp.
Printables for this age
This work needs only the material, so it has no printable of its own. The shelf plan below places it among the other works for the same age.
- Shelf plan for age 5PDF, 1 page, 250 KBEvery work for this age on one page, in order, with a column to date each presentation.
Every printable for one age, by email
The shelf plan and the lesson printables for your child's age in one email, then three short emails on the first lesson, what to make or buy, and what comes next.
Signs the child is ready, and signs it is done
Ready for the first presentation
- Counts the hundred chain to 100.
- Reads the numerals to 20 and the tens to 100.
- Sits 20 minutes with one task.
- Asks what number comes after a given one.
Ready for the next lesson
- Fills the board from a mixed pile.
- Reads any number to 100.
- Says what's above, below or beside a number without looking.
- Points out patterns in the columns, unprompted.
Fitting it into a home, not a classroom
| If you have | Do this |
|---|---|
| A tight budget | Print a 10 by 10 grid of 2 cm squares and a second sheet cut into 100 tiles. The material page has the steps. |
| Little time | Fill one row a day. The board can stay out on a tray. |
| Two children | One reads a tile aloud and the other places it. |
| A child who already writes | Writing 1 to 100 on a blank paper grid is the same work with a pencil. |
When it does not go to plan
| When | Try this |
|---|---|
| The child puts 21 under 2. | Point to the start of the row: every row begins with a number ending in 1. |
| Tiles end up everywhere. | Sort them into ten small dishes by tens before starting. |
| Interest drops after 30. | Stop there. The board can be finished another day. |
| 16 and 61 get swapped. | Read them aloud side by side. The order of the digits changes the number. |
Hazards to check before each session
The tiles are small enough for a younger sibling to swallow. Count 100 back into the box.
Where other sequences and standards place it
We have not bought the paid homeschool curricula, so they are not listed here.
| Framework | Where it sits |
|---|---|
| This site's Math sequence | Lesson 11 of 12 published, after Short Bead Chains (Squaring Chains) and Tens Boards (Seguin Board B). Checked in: the scope and sequence |
| Montessori, The Montessori Elementary Material (1917) | Multiples: test sheets with 1 to 100 in rows of ten, multiples underlined until they stand out as a design. Checked in: Part III, Table D |
| Montessori, The Montessori Method (1912) | Lessons on decimals: almost all the children count to 100, given in response to their own curiosity. Checked in: Chapter XIX, Lessons on Decimals |
| Common Core, Grade 1 math | 1.NBT.A.1: count to 120 starting at any number below 120, and read and write numerals in that range. Checked in: tasks.illustrativemathematics.org |
| Common Core, Kindergarten math | K.CC.A.1: count to 100 by ones and by tens. Checked in: tasks.illustrativemathematics.org |
Hundred Board: questions parents ask
What is a hundred board in Montessori?
A 10 by 10 board and 100 numbered tiles. The child lays the tiles in order and sees 1 to 100 as ten rows of ten, each row starting one ten further on. A control chart checks the work.
Hundred board or hundred chain first?
The chain, on this site. Counting the chain gives 100 a length the child has walked along; the board then folds those numbers into rows. Some albums give them close together.
Can I make a hundred board?
Yes. Print a 10 by 10 grid and a sheet of 100 numbered squares, and cut the tiles apart. Card tiles work; laminate them if they'll be used often.
What age is the hundred board for?
About 5 in most albums, after the hundred chain, and on this site up to 7. It overlaps first grade, where counting and writing to 120 is a standard.
Sources cited by book and chapter
- Maria Montessori, The Montessori Elementary Material (1917)
Part III, Table D
There are test sheets on which the numbers from 1 to 100 are arranged in rows of 10, forming a square, and the child underlines the multiples of 2 to 10.
On the hundred square the multiples of 2 stand out in vertical columns and the multiples of 3 in oblique lines, like a design.
Part III, Counting-frames
The Children's House child already knows how to write ten and one hundred, and writes in columns from 1 to 1000.
Part III, Tens, Hundreds, and Thousands
Children set to work patiently counting the hundred chain bead by bead from 1 to 100.
- Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method (1912)
Chapter XIX, Lessons on Decimals
Almost all the children count to 100, a number given to them in response to the curiosity they showed about it.
Reviewed by
What to offer next
Once the child chooses this work unprompted and finishes it without help, the next lesson to prepare is Addition Strip Board.
- Short bead chains4.5 to 6.5 years
- Tens boards4.5 to 6.5 years
- Fraction insets4.5 to 7 years
- Hundred Board5 to 7 years
- Addition strip board5 to 7.5 years