Why I Like the Montessori Math
After 15 years as a math educator, I actually saw something new (to me) -- the montessori math education approach -- and I was really impressed! |
| Find a wide variety of Montessori math activities at Amazon.com. Here are some wonderful early childhood Montessori works to search for: "Montessori Math Cards and Counters", "Montessori Spindle Box", "Montessori Hundred Board", or "Montessori Wooden Numerals." |
My (then four-year-old) son attended a Montessori preschool class and learned math concepts in a way that I had never used myself in the classroom, nor had any of my three older children learned before.
The Montessori Approach
Based on socialogical observations done by Maria Montessori in the early 1900's, the Montessori math education concept ensures children start from concrete concepts and move on to more abstract lessons.
Referred to in Montessori lingo as “works,” these well-designed, highly specialized manipulatives each demonstrate a single math concept, and make abstract ideas much more accessible to a child.
Besides academic skills, as they master differnt "works", children also gain strong abilities in O.C.C.I.: Order, Coordination, Concentration and Independence... all important prerequisite academic skills.
Here is a video describing some of the Montessori math materials and how they make abstract concepts more concrete for preschool-age children.
Unlike traditional educational instruction, each new Montessori math work is introduced to the student only via a one-on-one lesson with the teacher. Thanks to this individualized approach, the teacher can wait until each student is ready for the next level of abstraction before introducing it.
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Sensible Reading Material: Maria Montessori's research on early childhood education is fascinating. She tested her theories on poor Italian children in her free, state-run school, and she produced some of Italy's most advanced students in math, language and fine-motor skills. Her book The Montessori Method Another of Montessoori's books, The Absorbent Mind, Montessori's 100 year old research is quite ahead of its time. Her books are fascinating reading for parents, teachers, and those interested in education, child psychology and even early feminism. |
describes her educational approach, still in use, exactly as she proposed, in thousands of Montessori schools worldwide today.
describes, in detail, Montesorri's observations and conclusions about early childhood education. Her brilliant research methods and ideas are not just as relevant for students today, but actually being tested and confirmed by today's educational experts.
Step-by-Step Progress
Some children in my son’s (mixed age) preschool class were still learning to count to twenty, while others were learning place value and addition and subtraction. But, even those younger children doing the early math works understood that they needed to master counting and one-to-one relationships in order to do the place value and addition and subtraction works.
This is an extremely important concept for children to remember. There can be no “skipping” lessons in the Montessori preschool math curriculum, (and there shouldn't be "skipping" in any math curriculum, in my humble opinion.) My son's classmates understand that mastering each lesson is a means to an end in competency in math. It is a wonderful approach to preschool math education!
Math Lessons Are Fun!
From my son’s perspective, the “works” he used to learn math were almost like toys. He got to play with them in the way the teacher showed him and then he came away with mastery of a math concept. In reality, those works are just really well-designed math education manipulatives that teach one highly focused math concept.
There are works that teach key math education skills such as:
- Measuring
- counting
- Number order
- Number Formation (including preschool tracing and number formation skills development.)
- Addition and Subtraction
- Place value
Every time the teacher introduced a new math “work,” the kids who were ready for that next math concept were excited and energized to learn a new math skill. They watch and help each other complete the tasks of the work and learn from their peers in that way. This is a great way to have group math work!
Montessori Works as Toys
Some of these math manipulatives would make wonderful toys and “kitchen table” lessons 
I was very pleased with my son’s progress in math using the Montessori preschool-math education method, of course he had an exceptionally talented teacher, but I think many children could benefit from using the Montessori math manipulatives at home, too.
| Attention Parents!
Have you found a few fun, clever ways to teach math concepts to your preschooler? Share a story about a preschool math or numbers-related game you do with your child, and read ideas other preschool parents have shared, too. |
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