Same Math › Grades K–1 › Rekenrek
What is a rekenrek?
A rekenrek is a rack with two rows of 10 beads, each row split into 5 red and 5 white. Kids slide beads to the left to show a number, and the colors let them see 5s and 10s without counting.
- Slide beads to the left to show a number.
- Five red, then white: 7 is all the red and 2 white.
- One push of five, then two more: no counting.
Why schools teach it
Kids see numbers in fives and tens
The rekenrek comes from the Netherlands (the name means "counting rack") and isn't named in the standards, but it supports the same goals as ten frames: knowing numbers up to 20 as 5s, 10s and some more.
Kids are encouraged to move beads in groups, one push of 5, not one bead at a time. That habit builds the jump from counting by ones to thinking in chunks.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
Can you show 7 in one or two pushes?
5 red and 2 white.How many beads are left on that row?
That's how many more make 10.Show 12 using both rows.
10 on top and 2 below, or 6 and 6.How many did I push? Don't count, just look.
Skip this
- Sliding beads one at a time.Pushing a group of 5 is the skill being built.
- Treating it like an abacus.It doesn't use place value columns like an abacus. Each bead is just 1.
- Counting every bead.The colors are there so kids don't have to.
See it in action
Showing 8 + 6 on a rekenrek
Push 8 on the top row
5 red and 3 whitePush 6 on the bottom row
5 red and 1 whiteSee it as 10 and 4, or as two 5s and 4 more
8 + 6 = 14
Some kids see 5 + 5 + 4, others move 2 up to fill the top row. Both are great.
Free practice sheet
Make a rekenrek sheet
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Parents: tell your child's teacher about this guide
Parents also ask
Can we make one at home?
Yes: two pipe cleaners with 10 beads each (5 of one color, 5 of another) stretched across a piece of card.
Is a rekenrek an abacus?
Not quite. An abacus has columns for place value; a rekenrek is just 20 beads arranged in fives.
What age is it for?
Mostly kindergarten and 1st grade, for numbers up to 20.
How is it related to ten frames?
Same idea, different tool. Both show numbers as 5s and 10s.