I'll show you how to make DIY rekenreks using two different types of materials. You can pick the best option for your budget or supply closet... wait, what's that?! I get you, it might be called "Walmart" or "Amazon."
The directions below are for FOAM DIY rekenreks, scroll down and see if this is a good-fit for your classroom.
If not, click here to read the directions for PLASTIC CANVAS DIY rekenreks.
HOW TO USE FOAM FOR A DIY REKENREK
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Materials Need for EACH Rekenrek:
- 3 x 5 ½ inches foam piece (I found a pack of colored foam at Walmart and used one side to give me this measurement. The longer the foam, the more defined, or clearer, the beads “in play” will be though. Eight inches in length shows the space between the beads “in play” and the beads “resting.”)
- 10 red pony beads
- 10 white pony beads
- 2 black pipe cleaners
- hole punch
- silver Sharpie marker
- tape
1. Gather the materials.
You will need the materials listed above specifically, which include foam, pony beads, pipe cleaners, hole punch, silver Sharpie marker, and tape.
2. Punch four holes in the foam using hole punch.
I'd love to tell you that I measure the distance from the end for each hole, but I merely eyeball it!
3. Insert pipe cleaners through the holes in the foam.
Place the pipe cleaner through the hole and pull across the foam to insert it through the second hole. Repeat this process for the second pipe cleaner. The two pipe cleaners should form two parallel lines.
It is IMPERITIVE that you place the pony beads in the correct order, using only red and white colors.
The colors and arrangement of colors are intentional to support mathematicians seeing the number and keeping the tool consistent across settings.
OPTIONAL: Add a little tape around the ends of the pipe cleaners to prevent poking.
6. Push pony beads across the rows to use.
Slide the beads across the rows to use! Remember, "white to the right!"
All of the pony beads start on the right side of the rekenrek. Beads are slid from right to left.
OPTIONAL: Add a smiley face to the upper right-hand corner to help with directionality.
If this isn't a good-fit, try PLASTIC CANVAS DIY rekenreks.
Want the printable directions for DIY rekenreks sent straight to your inbox? Fill out the form below!
If you want to hit the ground running using rekenreks with your elementary math classroom, you might be interested in my ultimate Rekenrek Toolkit.
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My Rekenrek Toolkit is complete with these printable directions, lesson plans, printables for your mathematicians, number booklets, puzzles, and so much more!
I have used the tools found in this toolkit in my personal classroom to teach mathematicians how to use rekenreks and it is now a classroom favorite!
Rekenreks are great for composing and decomposing numbers, as shown in the photograph below.
Mathematicians learn how to structure numbers one through 20 using rekenreks.
I hope this post inspires you create rekenreks for your elementary math classroom to support your mathematicians' number sense.
What materials will you use to create your rekenreks? I'd love to see them in action!
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