Learning basic addition facts is an important skill in beginning math. Once learners understand the operation of adding, they need to practice it in many ways to secure number bonds and begin to recall sums automatically. The Snake Game is a Montessori material that helps learners practice adding in a new and different way.  This unique material allows them to see the relationships between addends and sums visually through the use of place holder beads. 

Learners need to have their own Snake Game set. You can find these from various Montessori supply places online. You can purchase the "Addition Snake Game" but I usually suggest that you go ahead and purchase either the "Subtraction Snake Game" or the "Negative Snake Game" because it will grow with your learner. The Negative Snake Game gives you the longest range of ages, as it allows learners to add and subtract negative numbers when they are older. This class will focus only on the boxes used for Addition Snake Game: golden bead bars, colored bead bars, and black and white placeholder beads. 

I will use a shared screen in class that shows me working directly with the hands on manipulatives. I'm expressive and I encourage enthusiastic participation. Learners should have something to write with in class to record their work.