Mathematics Curriculum

Beginning with one-to-one correspondence, children as young as three begin to develop their skills in this area of the classroom. The concepts of math and geometry as symbols on paper make sense after sensorial experience. Removed from real objects these studies become dry and meaningless. Children naturally have an interest in all aspects of mathematics, weight, order, systems, series, time, quantities and symbols, and so forth. We can serve the development of the mathematical mind by feeding this interest, giving sensorial experiences first, and only then their representatives on paper.

Sometimes people think there is something magical about sensorial math materials. Yes, the materials are certainly ingenious, but the real value of manipulatives is that they support the natural love of math concepts and activities that occurs early in life. These activities include: counting, sorting, classifying objects, experiences with series of sizes and colors, weighing and measuring, carrying out housework such as dishwashing, with many sequential, logical steps -- these are activities that nourish the mathematical mind.
(taken from Michael Olaf's Child of the World 2004 - 2005 edition)

   Children are born with a mathematical mind.  This is developed at first through "non-mathematical" means.  The foundation for the geometrical aspect of mathematics is developed through the sensorial curriculum.  Children learn about spatial relations by manipulation puzzles, the pink cubes, the brown prisms, constructive triangles, etc.  The plane shapes and geometric solids aid the child in higher math, for example, when computing volume and surface area.  The monomial, binomial, and trinomial cubes are all geometric representatives of algebraic equations that are also used in higher math.  Binomial cube w/a2+b2=c2 in caption.

  The geometric plane shapes of the square and the geometric solic of the cube are later recognized when working with the golden  bead materials (hundred square and thousand cube).  pic geo solids

  Sensorial activities also indirectly prepare for base ten counting.  Ten cubes make up the pink tower.  Ten prisms make up the brown stairs.  Ten cylinders are in each knobbed and knob-less cylinder set.  Knobbed cylinders

   The ten red rods are the same size and shape as the numerical rods.  The red rods are used for distinguishing graduated lengths.  The with the numerical rods, these lengths are divided into red and blue representations of the numbers one to ten.  The child realizes that the longer the rod, the higher the number. 

Red Blue Rods

   Children start by learning their numbers one through ten.  Next are the teens.  When those have been mastered, the child focuses on numbers to one hundred.  Then the child commences work with the golden beads, which are used for large number recognition over on hundred and the basic arithmetic functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  Additional work is then done with squared and cubes of numbers with the number chains.  Finally, some children even begin memorizing basic facts.  As each school year progresses, various special units appear on the shelves. These include fractions, measurement, time, money, and grater then/less then. The math curriculum is very exciting because of its beauty and practicality.  It's connected to every part of the Montessori Curriculum.  The foundations built in the tree to six classroom will aid with mathematical work all the way through the university level.

Intro tray