The math area in a Montessori classroom begins by working with the numbers 1-10 and the concept of zero, thus forming an understanding of the base ten system. Sandpaper numerals, number rods, spindle boxes, cards and counters, and memory games all strengthen the knowledge of and comfort with 0-10. Once this foundational building block is firmly ensconced in the student’s understanding, the decimal system is introduced.  Unit beads, ten bars, hundred squares, and thousand cubes are held and compared, providing a tactile, as well as aesthetic representation of what is commonly presented in other teaching methods in an abstract way. Decimal cards are then introduced and paired with the bead material to solidify the concept of association of symbol and quantity. Arithmetical operations are introduced once the concept of the decimal system is firmly understood. And as with any concept or subject area taught in a Montessori classroom, each child is followed and learns at their own pace. 

Montessori’s Appreciation of Language

The language area is full of beauty and wonder. Language itself is a means to express thoughts, share culture, and pass along wisdom. It is a creative act with beauty, form, and structure. Every area within a Montessori classroom is alive with language, fulfilling the needs of the sensitive period in which the child is immersed. Montessori uses a language approach which is holistic; it is based on listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and is rooted in an individual’s experience. 

The sensorial area holds many keys to future reading and writing skills. The student’s eye is trained to distinguish form, and perceptual and manipulative skills are sharpened through the use of the pink tower, constructive triangles, geometric solids, and geometric cabinet. Several materials emphasize shape, which is indirect preparation for reading and writing skills, as shape is the defining characteristic of each letter of the alphabet. Strong listening skills, which are imperative to learn letter sounds, are developed through the sound cylinders, silence game, and bells, to name just a few.

The hand must be prepared to write between 2.5-3.5 years of age, and the child needs certain manual and mental skills to master this critical skill. The ability to hold a pencil, trace a line, perform lightness of touch, and adapt the movement of the hand in an available space are all needed in order to begin writing. These skills are enhanced through various materials in other areas across the Montessori classroom, such as practical life grasping work, and sensorial knobbed cylinders, as well as sandpaper letters and metal insets from the language area. The grasp of words, the ability to visualize corresponding letter shapes, express ideas, and the order in which to present those ideas are all necessary mental skills that are developed over time through these activities.

Both the eyes and ears will also need to be trained prior to reading. Matching work refines visual acuity, rhyming work refines aural acuity, opposites and positional work define purpose and space – all of these materials are pre-reading activities. Encoding, or recognizing the sounds within words and their order, comes before reading, as well. The moveable alphabet is a tool used to build words, beginning with three letter phonetic ones, or CVC words, (consonant, vowel, consonant).