Homemade Rekenreks

Last year there was a huge delay on the delivery of some new common core math materials to our district, and we were faced with a few months wait for rekenreks. Well, that didn't fit too well with the lesson planning, because we needed them right at the start of the year.  The solution? Homemade rekenreks! These are made out of blind strips, cut with sharp scissors into sections of around 8" long.  I punched out four holes, and added some elastic found at the fabric store.  The beads are the Perler Biggie Beads, as they seemed just the right size for little fingers, and they come in some nice bright colors. Hey presto - rekenreks for the whole class without the wait!