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Homeschool Montessori

Tens Boards

Tens boards are two wooden boards printed 10, 20 and so on to 90, with nine cards that slide over the zeros, for counting from 11 to 99 at about 4.5 to 6.5. Sets cost $39.95 to $84.75 at the US sellers we checked on October 5, 2026. A strip of card and nine sticky notes make a working version.

By Owen WrenLast updated

The first lesson with it is Tens Boards (Seguin Board B). Not sure your child is ready for it? Two minutes of questions place your child on the sequence.

At a glance
AreaMath
Used in
From age4.5 to 6.5 years
Make itEasy to make at home
Buy itAbout $40 to $85 (noted )
Montessori teen and tens boards (arithmetic frame), cards 10 to 90, Fig. 42 in Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook, 1914
From Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook (1914)Fig. 42, the arithmetic frame, as printed in Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook (1914). Public domain.

What the tens boards are for

The child lays golden ten bars beside each panel to count by tens, then slides a number card over a zero and adds unit beads to build numbers like 47. The boards come right after the teen boards and before the hundred board.

Montessori's 1914 handbook describes frames holding cards printed 10 to 90, with the figures 1 to 9 slipped in over the zero. The wooden boards sold today are the later form, and albums call them Seguin board B.

Parts of the tens boards
PartWhat it looks like
BoardsTwo, with nine panels printed 10 to 90; each 19 by 4 inches at Alison's
Number cardsNine, marked 1 to 9, the width of a zero
BeadsGolden ten bars and unit beads, sold separately

The lessons that use the tens boards

  • Tens Boards (Seguin Board B)

    4.5 to 6.5 years

    Counting by tens from 10 to 90 with golden ten bars, then sliding unit cards over the zeros to build and read every number from 11 to 99.

Buying one: 4 listings checked October 5, 2026

Prices checked October 5, 2026
Seller and setMade ofPrice
Montessori OutletTen Boards, USA Print (510500201)Two boards and nine numeral tiles 1 to 9. Market price shown $84.75. In stock.Wooden box, wooden numeral cards$39.95
Alison's MontessoriTens Boards (M12)Sale price; regular $50.00. Two boards, 19 by 4 inches, and nine wooden cards 1 to 9. Made in Thailand.Wood$45.00
NienhuisTens Boards: US Version (003103)Two boards, 10 to 50 and 60 to 90, and nine number tiles. US store price.Birch plywood, beech$84.75
The Montessori RoomTeens and Tens Boards (C070)Canadian store. The teen boards and the tens boards sold together.Beech$99.99 CAD
Prices read on each seller's page on , before shipping and tax. They change often; check the seller's page before you buy. None of these links earn us anything.
  • Montessori Outlet's $39.95 and Alison's $45.00 boards are the same design as Nienhuis's at $84.75.
  • Beads are extra. Nine golden ten bars and nine unit beads are enough to start; forty-five bars let you lay out every panel at once.
  • If you're buying the teen boards too, The Montessori Room sells the pair together.
  • Montessori Services had no tens boards we could find.

Making the tens boards at home

What to gather

  • A strip of stiff card about 50 by 8 cm
  • Nine small square sticky notes or card squares
  • A ruler and a thick marker
Cut list
PieceSize and markingHow many
Board stripAbout 50 by 8 cm, nine boxes of 5 cm1
Number cardsAbout 2.5 by 5 cm, the width of one digit9
  1. 1Rule nine boxes down the strip and write 10, 20, 30 up to 90, one per box, the digits large and evenly spaced.
  2. 2Check that a number card covers the zero of each completely.
  3. 3Write 1 to 9 on the cards in the same size and style.
  4. 4Store the cards in an envelope taped to the back of the strip.

Keeping a full set on the shelf

  • Keep the nine cards in their box or envelope. A missing 7 means no 17, 27 or 97.
  • Store the boards flat so the card slots don't warp.

Questions parents ask about the tens boards

Are tens boards the same as Seguin boards?

Yes, Seguin board B. Board A is the teen boards. Both are named after Édouard Séguin, whose methods Montessori built on.

Do tens boards come with beads?

Usually not. The boards come with nine number cards; golden ten bars and units are sold separately or come from your golden bead material.

Can I make tens boards?

Yes, easily: a strip of card printed 10 to 90 and nine small cards or sticky notes. The build above takes about 20 minutes.

Before the tens boards, make sure the work before it is solid. The teen boards (seguin board a) lesson lists the signs that a child is ready to move on.