Why Is Math Important in Montessori Preschool?

Your child’s Montessori daycare takes a whole-child approach to education. Academic skills, social skills, and physical and emotional development are all presented as a seamless learning system. Physical and emotional development are ofter the focus of discussions about the Montessori Method, but the inclusion of subjects like math should not be overlooked.

Authentic Montessori Learning Tools

The tools that were designed for Montessori daycare education are intended to provide lessons in many ways. Items like the Pink Tower and Brown Stair are inherently mathematics and teach simple skills like counting, sorting, and geometry, all without pressure or confusion. And since the same tools will be used for ever-advancing lessons over the years, they simplify the learning process by reducing the adjustment process of newly introduced objects and processes.

Practical Life Experience

Math is fundamental to our lives. We use it to purchase things, cook dinner, and manage our schedules. Through play-based activities, math is a built-in function of the Montessori Method. Enjoyable activities encourage children to learn about everything from sorting to addition and subtraction. More complex concepts come into play as your child becomes familiar with the basic ideas, presented in a seamless extension of what she has already learned.

Simple Tools, Complex Concepts

Some of the tools of Montessori learning are more complex than they appear. The binomial and trinomial cubes, for example, begin with sorting and stacking before progressing into critical thinking concepts like 3-dimensional puzzles. Children who remain in Montessori for the elementary years will even experience more advanced ideas from them like factorial applications and the principles of quadratic equations.

Montessori Math at Home

Education does not end when the school day is done. At home, including your child in activities like cooking will help him grasp math concepts like measuring, portioning, and time. Simple outdoor games like counting trees or drawing in the sand help develop an understanding of the importance of math in nature and encourage children to explore geometry and other advanced math functions. 

When your son’s favorite play-based activities incorporate those ideas as a natural matter of course he will be more inclined to pursue the use of numbers and less afraid of the unrealistically daunting operations that they require. Learning by doing is the key to success, and the Montessori Method is built around real-life activities.