In the early stages of Montessori mathematics, children work with physical objects that represent mathematical concepts. These materials are designed to engage the child’s senses and allow them to explore math in a tangible, interactive way.
Through concrete materials, children experience mathematical concepts in a real-world, hands-on way, which helps solidify their understanding.
After the child becomes familiar with the concrete materials, they move to semi-concrete representations. This is the stage where children begin using symbols or pictures to represent the concrete materials they worked with earlier.
Once the child has a deep, intuitive understanding of mathematical concepts through concrete and semi-concrete experiences, they are ready to understand the abstract symbols and operations used in formal mathematics.
This progression from concrete to abstract ensures that children build a solid foundation of understanding before moving to more complex, symbolic math.