Racks and Tubes Montessori Material + Video Lesson with a Teacher

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I love the Montessori racks and tubes material.

There, I said it. I love teaching it in person and online, observing students while they manipulate all of the moving parts, watching them experience ‘Ah ha!’ moments, and working through really big problems with really young learners.

The racks and tubes Montessori math material, also known as Montessori test tube division, is an effective tool that teaches elementary students how long division works.

In this blog, I’ll introduce the parts of Montessori’s racks and tubes material. We’ll work through a math problem using our digital version. I’ll also share why I’m a big fan of racks and tubes and how our digital Montessori test tube division product is a great option for any elementary classroom.

The Racks and Tubes Montessori Math Material

There are many components to the racks and tubes division material. In fact, this is one of the most complicated of all the Montessori math materials. And that’s perfect because children in the second plane of development are up for this kind of challenge. Well, with a bit of guidance from you of course!

The racks and tubes Montessori math material gives elementary students a concrete experience of division where they can explore, with their hands and their minds, using divisors up to 9999. Amazing!

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Racks and Tubes Division With a Montessori Teacher

The best way to really appreciate the magic of this special material is to see it being used. So join me, or better yet have your learners join me, as I give a step-by-step long division presentation.

If you have access to the Montessori long division material, be sure to follow along as you watch.

⬇️ Enjoy! ⬇️

Racks and Tubes is the Best Long Division Material

This quote by Dr. Maria Montessori sums it up nicely, “What the hand does, the mind remembers.” This math material really embodies this aspect of the Montessori method.

Racks and tube, sometimes referred to as Montessori test tube division, allows students to actually get their hands on learning what division is. Students manipulate the many small pieces to really see how division works.

Talk about solidifying that hand/brain connection. It’s truly amazing!

Because of this hand-to-brain connection, students as young as six years old are introduced to racks and tubes to begin dividing big numbers using. This is one of many differences between Montessori schools and traditional schools, as children learn basic division closer to grade the age of 8 in traditional schools.

The racks and tubes material is complex and replete with many tiny parts making it somewhat intimidating and requiring teachers and learners to pack their patience.

And while it is one of the more challenging materials to teach as a guide and master as a student, it’s all worth it when you see a child glow with that lightbulb moment.

💡 With this long division material, kids grasp such an abstract concept easily!

I strongly believe that the racks and tubes materials, and all Montessori math materials for that matter, are crucial in the elementary students’ bridge to the abstraction of complex concepts.

When used at the right moment they open the child up to so much learning.

Teaching Montessori Racks and Tubes Virtually

In elementary, racks and tubes takes the abstract concept of division and puts it in the hands of the students to experience, literally!

So what about taking this material online? Does virtual Montessori material even work?

As you can see in the video lesson above, it sure does!

While the racks and tubes Montessori division materials was designed to be used for in-person learning, the material is transferrable and concepts can be explained, practiced, and even mastered virtually.

With the digital version of the racks and tubes Montessori math material students are still building numbers with their hands, moving pieces around, exchanging beads, and recording results.

They’re just doing it on a computer.

Even though their hands are not necessarily touching the beads, boards, or cups, those hands are in fact busy manipulating moving pieces to solve division problems.

Students are using fine motor skills along with hand-eye coordination to accurately move the materials around the virtual platform.

Having digital materials to manipulate still provides students with a breakdown of the mathematical processes they are working on.

So take this as your sign to implement this marvelous Montessori math material in your learning environment. Here are a few different ways I have used it.

Where to Use the Digital Racks and Tubes Material

Teaching is not limited to the walls of a brick-and-mortar classroom, we all know that very well now. Here are three platforms that you can use our digital racks and tubes Montessori material to teach long division.

📍In a Classroom or Homeschool Environment

You know it, I know it, we all know it. Children enjoy being on the computer. So, if you don’t have the budget or the space for a physical version of racks and tubes Montessori material in your learning environment, then the digital racks and tubes material satisfies everyones interests!

You can work on a computer with a small group of students and then have them practice together or independently. And depending on how many computers you have access to, several students can be working on this download from different computers. Perfect!

📍 Tutoring Students In-Person

Being nomadic, I love that my digital racks and tubes material lives happily on my computer and can easily be packed up and taken with me no matter where I have to teach.

When I’m tutoring in person with students who have the physical or printed Montessori racks and tubes material I will pop open my laptop and make my screen visible to them. Students get to follow along with me as we divide and they can use my screen as a reference.

I have to say, this digital material is super helpful when teaching on the go!

📍 In an Online For-Profit Classroom

Virtual learning platforms such as Outschool have been around for several years now and it’s safe to say they are here to stay.

On these sites, students take small group classes or private lessons with a teacher online from the comfort of their own homes.

I offered a six-week racks and tubes course on Outschool and ended up connecting with a student who I continued to teach privately for over a year. And to think it all started with digital racks and tubes.

Teaching online using the digital racks and tubes Montessori material is a great way to make some extra money!*

I have used this exact virtual Montessori material to make money teaching privately online. It’s really useful for students to see me go through the steps of division with the digital racks and tubes material. They can check their work against mine as we work to solve complex division questions together.

*Remember to always buy a license or reach out to the original creator to make sure it’s ok to use their material for profit.
You can usually check their Terms of Use first.

Our Digital Racks and Tubes Are the Ideal Alternative

As you can see from our double-digit racks and tubes video, our 2D digital version of racks and tubes looks pretty similar to the 3D in-person material with some modifications to make it functional on screen.

Our digital racks and tubes Montessori material has colour-coded boards, beads, skittles, cups, and even a few tubes, too.

The main difference is the number of tubes filled with beads. To save space on the screen and to fit everything in, sacrifices had to be made. 😮

But don’t fret, these sacrifices do not take away from the integrity and amazingness of this math material. 😀

This digital racks and tubes material is set up on Google Slides. This platform allows users to copy and paste the number of beads needed for any question and move them around.

Being able to move pieces around mimics the hands-on nature of this amazing material. Fine motor skills are challenged while the abstract concept of division is displayed in a concrete way.

I always have six tubes filled with colour-coded beads displayed on the screen: two with ten green beads each, two with ten blue beads each, and two with ten red beads in each.

The colour scheme of green-blue-red is familiar to students and common throughout all levels of the Montessori math curriculum.

This digital division lesson even comes with two warm-up activities to help students prepare for math. We believe there are many benefits to using games in the classroom, so our products are designed to include engaging activities for classroom enjoyment.

While it may seem like a lot of work to use racks and tubes with young elementary students to teach one math concept, we’re here to say we’ve used it, tested it, and it’s well worth the time and effort involved.

✖️ We have Montessori checkerboard material too!
Explore our TPT store or Etsy shop for visually appealing, space-saving, and Montessori-approved math materials!

The Story Behind Our Digital Montessori Math Material

By now, maybe you’re a little impressed by this digital version of a familiar Montessori elementary math material but also probably wondering how I got it to work virtually. Well, let’s get into that.

In 2020, I was hired to work virtually with two different homeschooled Montessori elementary students who lived south of the border from me.

While both students had access to the racks and tubes material at home, I did not. So now what? Our lessons were online on a virtual teaching platform. How could I possibly teach this concept virtually without having the materials?

Thanks to my business partner and That’s So Montessori designer extraordinaire, Karen, a digital version of racks and tubes was created! Her skills and creativity allowed me to continue my lessons remotely using my laptop.

➗ The racks and tubes Montessori material even impresses adults!
When I asked my partner, Karen, to create the racks and tubes Montessori material digitally, I first had to teach her all about it. I showed her all of the pieces and how to use the material, then we discussed why it works. Talk about an ‘Ah ha!’ moment!

After practicing with the racks and tubes long division material, Karen now feels she has a deeper understanding of what division is.

That’s so Montessori!

As a creative human and a visual learner who grew up in the public school system, Karen always swoons over any Montessori material I introduce her to. She sees their value and wishes materials were available to all elementary students.

My students enjoyed following along as we completed long division questions together virtually with the digital material. It was perfect!

Share This Montessori Division Lesson with Others!

Let everyone around you know just how great the racks and tubes Montessori material is by sharing this post with others. Spread the knowledge as far as you can!

The digital racks and tubes Montessori material is an excellent option for teaching and practicing long division. Be it in class, at home, or online, there is a place for this material in all elementary learning environments.

Sure, a classroom environment with actual physical materials is ideal, but they are not always available to students. 

Well, now they can be as technology has made it possible to convert this material to digital form.

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Tell everyone about our racks and tubes Montessori material!

Our digital racks and tubes Montessori math material for long division is something that can be taught from anywhere. We made this elementary math resource that was once only accessible in the classroom available to teachers, tutors, homeschool families, and students everywhere. Everyone benefits!

This digital long division material is also a great space saver and money saver. Two things everyone likes to hear!

While the foundations of the Montessori method revolve around hands-on, tactile experiences to enhance students learning experience, sometimes it’s just not possible.

In some scenarios, children have Montessori materials at home and partake in supplemental math lessons online to support their schoolwork. Teachers and tutors can use our Montessori virtual material, such as the digital racks and tubes, and have students follow along with their own material.

While you are guiding the work, in the eyes of the student it feels more like you are doing the work together. And that feels good to them because they are being supported.

There certainly has been a rise in children learning from home with little or no access to materials. With our virtual materials, lessons can continue to move forward so that skills can continue to be practiced, developed, and even mastered.

Click to see all of our racks and tubes material!

📚 Encourage their fascination with numbers using these exciting money books for kids!
Explore our blog post 35 Money Books for Kids that Teach Financial Literacy for a range of captivating reads perfect for number enthusiasts.

Why Use Montessori Math Materials Anyways?

Simply put, Montessori math materials are amazing. Ok, well that’s my biased Montessori elementary teacher opinion.

But seriously, these materials were designed by Dr. Montessori to develop the young mathematical mind by providing students with a tactile learning experience.

The use of materials that can be manipulated allows students to use their sense of touch to engage in learning. The hand is working with the brain. Students are building visual and physical impressions of the concept they are practicing. They are also learning in disguise!

Montessori math materials are perfect for elementary-aged children.

The materials in a Montessori environment reflect the child’s developmental needs. The elementary child is in the second plane of development and wants to know everything!

Students at this stage are able to get their curious minds and hands involved in the learning process with Montessori math materials.

While using the math materials, students are able to attach concrete knowledge to abstract concepts.

The Montessori math materials are tactile, structured, rational, and logical. The focus of these materials is on the process and not necessarily on the accuracy of the results.

It’s important to note that many Montessori elementary math materials resemble those of the previous levels. As students progress over the years of Montessori education they continue to engage with the same colour scheme and manipulatives.

And of course, there is a reason for this.

Developing comfort and a self-guided routine are important parts of learning in a Montessori environment.

Having familiar, but increasingly complex, materials at hand helps students to move from the concrete to the abstract, with confidence.

With the use of Montessori materials, students are given a chance to understand concepts deeper and really enjoy learning math.

Imagine that!

I’ve observed firsthand just how the Montessori racks and tubes material captivate learners with their colours and moving parts. Students want to engage. They want to explore.

Montessori math materials connect learners with their learning.

Montessori students learn the why and how of math as opposed to just memorizing facts and steps in order to get to an outcome.

This is a major difference between Montessori and traditional schooling. The learning experience in a Montessori environment is enhanced, especially when it comes to math using materials are used.

💡 Want to learn more about the differences between Montessori and Traditional schooling? Check out this blog post!

The Wrap-Up: Montessori’s Racks & Tubes Division Lesson with a Teacher

You’re now in the know about all there is to know on how to successfully complete a double-digit divisor division question using the racks and tubes Montessori math material.

But more importantly, you have a wealth of knowledge about the material and hopefully a better understanding as to why it is so amazing.

Save this comprehensive guide to digital racks and tubes and share the video with your elementary students as well as your teacher colleagues. Everyone can benefit from a little long division refresher in their life. And what better way to do so than with the racks and tubes Montessori math material.

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