| After 15 years as a math educator, and parent | | | | math curriculum, in my humble opinion.) My son's |
| of five children, I actually saw something new (to | | | | classmates understand that mastering each lesson |
| me) in math education this past year, that really | | | | is a means to an end in competency in math. It is |
| impressed me. | | | | a wonderful approach to preschool math |
| My (then four-year-old) son attended a | | | | education! |
| Montessori preschool class and learned math | | | | Math Lessons Are Fun! |
| concepts in a way that I had never used myself | | | | From my son's perspective, the "works" he used |
| in the classroom, nor had any of my three older | | | | to learn math were almost like toys. He got to |
| children learned before. | | | | play with them in the way the teacher showed |
| The Montessori Approach to Math | | | | him and then he came away with mastery of a |
| The Montessori math education concept is based | | | | math concept. In reality, those works are just |
| on going from concrete to more abstract lessons, | | | | really well-designed math education manipulatives |
| referred to in Montessori lingo as "works," which | | | | that teach one highly focused math concept. |
| are really just manipulatives. | | | | There are works that teach key math education |
| These well-designed, highly specialized | | | | skills such as; measurement, counting, number |
| manipulatives for each "math work" make the | | | | order, number formation, one-to-one relationships, |
| abstract ideas much more accessible to a child. | | | | addition and subtraction, and even higher math |
| Each new work is introduced to the student only | | | | concepts. Every time the teacher introduced a |
| via a one-on-one lesson with the teacher. | | | | new math "work" the kids who were ready for |
| Thanks to this individualized instruction, the | | | | that next math concept were excited and |
| teacher can wait until each student is ready for | | | | energized to learn a new math skill. They watch |
| the next level of abstraction before introducing it. | | | | and help each other complete the tasks of the |
| Step-by-Step Progress | | | | work and learn from their peers in that way. This |
| Some children in my son's (mixed age) preschool | | | | is a great way to have group math work! |
| class were still learning to count to twenty, while | | | | Montessori Works as Toys |
| others were learning place value and addition and | | | | Some of these math manipulatives would make |
| subtraction. But, even those younger children | | | | wonderful toys and "kitchen table" lessons for |
| doing the early math works understood that they | | | | parents to do with their children when introducing |
| needed to master counting and one-to-one | | | | math concepts at home. I was very pleased with |
| relationships in order to do the place value and | | | | my son's progress in math using the Montessori |
| addition and subtraction works. | | | | preschool-math education method, of course he |
| This is an extremely important concept for | | | | had an exceptionally talented teacher, but I think |
| children to remember. There can be no "skipping" | | | | many children could benefit from using the |
| lessons in the Montessori preschool math | | | | Montessori math manipulatives at home,too. |
| curriculum, (and there shouldn't be "skipping" in any | | | | |