How does a child progress from concrete to abstract in the use of the Mathematics Material?

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How does a child progress from concrete to abstract in the use of the Mathematics Material?

Introduction

Some ten years ago, while struggling with the trigonometry sums my Math tutor had given me, I asked her why we needed to study mathematics. Her answer was sadly, forgettable, and so were the sines, cosines and tangents that came along with algebra and geometry. Throughout my school days, mathematics had been a nightmare. It was not until now, ten years later and after understanding all about how mathematics is taught the Montessori way that I truly realized how wonderful and interesting mathematics could be!

In this essay, you will read about the importance of mathematics in our daily life. I will also discuss why a good foundation in Practical Life and Sensorial activities is necessary before starting on Mathematics. I will explain the concept of the Montessori Math Materials and lastly, talk about how the materials itself provide concrete experiences that lead to abstract understanding of Mathematics.

Mathematics Everywhere

The primitive people used sticks, notches and stones to count. The earliest records of counting came from physical evidence, in the form of scratches on sticks and stones,