The Broad or Brown Stair
Ages 2 ½ to 5
Material: Ten, Brown, wooden prisms all the same length, varying in height and width from 1 centimeter to 10 centimeters square. The blocks vary in 2 dimensions.
Presentation: Mix the prisms on a mat or rug on the floor. Arrange them in order; usually from largest to smallest, to form a stair. The two sides of the stair have to be even. When moving the stair stretch out your hand on the thickness to measure with a muscle impression the thickness.
Exercise: The child does the presented exercise. He can use two hands to pick up the largest prism and use his/her one hand for the smaller ones. Later, show how your child that the smallest prism fits on top of each stair of each level.
Control of error: Usually a child can find any mistakes by feeling the stair.
Purpose: Visual perception and muscular feel of differences of size.
Understanding and awareness of dimensions.
Math readiness-emphasis on 1 through 10
Relationship of square numbers 1 through 10
4 of the smallest prism makes the second stair.
Nine of the smallest prism makes the third stair.
100 of the smallest prism makes the last stair.
Again, count the stairs from 1 to 10. Also, your child can place the pink tower next to the brown stair as a visual comparison.