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Students who learn math by rote, often have no real understanding or ability to put their skills to use in everyday life. Learning comes much more easily when they work with concrete educational materials that graphically show what is taking place in a given mathematical process.
Montessori students use hands-on learning materials that make abstract concepts clear and concrete. They can literally see and explore what is going on. After much practice, the child attains a meaningful knowledge of concrete numbers. A very young child is then able to work with four digit numbers at a manipulative level, preparing for an understanding of the decimal system. The child does not learn these concepts by rote, but rather through real experiences with concrete materials, which develop genuine comprehension. It is not surprising, then, to see children in a preprimary classroom performing multi-digit addition and subtraction with accuracy.
This approach to teaching Mathematics, based on the research of Dr. Maria Montessori, offers a clear and logical strategy for helping students understand and develop a sound foundation in mathematics and geometry.
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