A Reflection on Math in Montessori

Each year the last week of February is designated for Montessori Education Week worldwide. From February 26-March 1, we’re excited to share videos, tips, anecdotes and more to help parents and children on their Montessori journey. Today Ms. Burkett highlights both the excitement and logic involved in our Math materials. This is a journal she wrote during her training in 2022.

by Maria Burkett, Montessori Assistant and Trained Guide

Math has always been my favorite subject since I was a young girl at school. As a young child, I never had issues in regards to the abstraction in math. I always loved math because it just made sense! I would just look at a mathematical equation and most of the time just knew the answer. My teachers only had to show me once, how to do something and then there it was engraved within. I can remember the time when a "scientific calculator" was needed in one of my classes. I was highly disappointed. It took away the thrill for me! It seems to me that from very young I was in tune with my mathematical mind. However math was a subject in school that most of my classmates needed extra assistance with or tutoring. 

During my years as a tutor for my own classmates and other younger students, I myself found that all they really needed was something concrete to understand abstraction. I remember using crayons or candy to represent quantity. These techniques always helped. I always could tell by their expressions how satisfied and happy they felt when they were able to touch and see to understand.

A typical scene from Ms. Summer and Ms. Burkett’s Primary classroom at VIMSIA.

When I was introduced to Math in Montessori, once again it felt like home! I was blown away by the amazing way the math materials were carefully thought of and designed for the child to have a tactile and concrete understanding of what they are learning.

I am also impressed by the clever way these abstractions are introduced to the child little by little as he gets older. I love Math in Montessori because it is created in a way that allows a child to understand it naturally. It introduces him to be connected to that mathematical mind that he already possesses as a human.

My initial impression of how Math is approached in Montessori could only be described as it makes my heart glow! It reassures me that no child will get that feeling of failure! It gives me hope, because in this area so many people always feel so incompetent and not confident.  I am so happy to be able to play a small part in changing this perception.