Montessori Math

Bear has been struggling with the concepts of number and how to write them for the last year or so.  This is such an intuitive thing that I feel it is really hard to teach systematically.  Inspired by Montessori methods this is what we've been doing:

1. Introduce the numerals using sand paper number.
     The book Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years has a pattern for number that I            traced and pasted to poster board.


2. Teaching the quantities 1-10 and their names using the red and blue rods.


Directions:
http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Number_Rods

Later the child can add the symbol.


3. The spindle box
     In the last exercise the quantity was fixed and the child assigned the numeral.  In this exercise the numerals are fixed and the child add the correct quantity.


Directions:
http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Spindle_Boxes

4. Cards and counters
     In this exercise neither the numerals or the quantity are given.  The child must put the numbers in order and assign the correct number of counters to that number.

Directions:
http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Cards_and_Counters




I love Montessori Album for simple and clear exercises with lots of pictures.

http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Main_Page