Material name: Bells Staff Board
Area: Sensorial & Music
Purpose & developmental benefits:
The Bells Staff Board helps children connect musical pitch with its symbolic representation on the musical staff, supporting the transition from listening and sensorial experience to reading and understanding music notation. In line with Montessori principles, this material guides children from the concrete to the abstract, helping them see how music is recorded in an ordered and logical system.
Skills supported:
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Links pitch to its position on the musical staff
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Recognizes the five-line staff and the concepts of lines and spaces
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Becomes familiar with musical clefs, typically the treble clef in early work
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Identifies and names musical notes (do–re–mi / C–D–E, etc.)
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Develops basic music-reading skills
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Strengthens sequential thinking, logic, and concentration in musical activities
Recommended age:
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Minimum: from 3 years (introductory work with the staff, lines and spaces, and sound association)
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From 5 years and up: full use with the Montessori Bells to connect pitch with staff notation
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Can be extended and deepened in the 6–9 age group, depending on the child’s readiness and musical experience
Material & design:
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Made of wood or other durable materials, following Montessori standards
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Clearly displays the five staff lines and spaces
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Can be used with loose note cards or by placing corresponding bells
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Sized for use on a table or work mat, supporting self-correction
Use in the classroom / at home:
Used in the Music area together with the Montessori Bells Set. Children listen to a bell, identify its pitch, and place the note or corresponding bell in the correct position on the staff, naming and reading the note. Teachers typically introduce the material using the Three-Period Lesson.
At home, this material is best suited for children who already have experience with the Bells and who can work in a quiet, focused environment.
