Montessori Materials
A Checklist of Montessori Math Materials to Get a Preschool Child Age 2-6 (2021)
A quick list of the officially recommended Montessori Math materials for early childhood (preschool age 2-6) -- and where to get them if you're based in the Philippines.
Ask a Montessori student what their favorite subject is and a lot of them, surprisingly, will say math. It’s not hard to see why, when you take a closer look at how Montessori schools teach mathematics. Children use learning tools — “materials” in Montessori-speak — that are really just like toys, providing a playful, visual, concrete understanding of mathematical concepts, even as they slowly lay down the groundwork for abstract thinking later on. And because children work on their lessons individually, each child’s pace and developmental stage are respected. They can work on each math material for as long (or as quickly) as they need to, until they have totally mastered the concept and skills and are ready to move on to the next lesson.
The Montessori math materials listed below are the ones recommended for early childhood by the American Montessori Society. If you’ve ever done a search for “Montessori materials” in online shopping platforms, you’ll know that thousands of products stick the word Montessori in their names in the hope of attracting sales but without really having solid Montessori theory behind them. This article will help you identify those materials that are truly part of the Montessori math curriculum.
The list below contains the names of the AMS-recommended Montessori math materials, their purpose, and a link to resources that will teach you how to use them. There are also image that will help you identify these materials when you’re buying them — or even guide you if you plan to DIY! They are generally written in sequence, from simple to complex, and from concrete to abstract, so you will know what to work on first if you’re planning to use these Montessori math materials at home. Finally, each item contains links to three places where you can buy these materials, along with their respective prices (as of January 2021). I do not get commissions from any of them, so my advice would be to choose according to what you feel is best for your family’s needs and for your budget.
After the list of Montessori math materials, I included an FAQ section that will answer the following questions:
- What are Montessori materials?
- Where can I buy Montessori math materials?
- Are homemade Montessori math materials just as effective as the ones that have been certified by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)?
- What is the correct sequence for working on these Montessori math materials?
- I live in the Philippines. Where else can I buy Montessori materials?
- What other materials should I get my preschool child?
Montessori Materials for Age 2 to 6: Math
In a hurry? Get a quick checklist of Montessori math materials for early childhood (preschool) (PDF).
A. Materials for Learning Numbers 1-10
1. Number Rods
These are 10 wooden rods of increasing length, each of which is divided into units that are alternately colored red and blue.
The number rods help the child associate the numbers 1-10 with their name and quantity. As he or she explores the material, the child is introduced to the concepts of numerical order and combinations of 10. Later on, the number rods can help introduce the child to addition and subtraction.
Minimum age: 3 years
How to work with the number rods
Where to buy number rods:
2. Sandpaper Numerals
This material is made of numerals cut out of sandpaper and mounted on smooth green boards. Sandpaper numerals introduce the child to the symbols for 0 to 9 and their corresponding number names. Tracing the numerals also helps prepare the child for writing numbers.
Minimum age: 4 years
How to work with sandpaper numerals
Where to buy sandpaper numerals:
3. Spindle Box
The spindle box helps the child associate quantity with the symbols for numbers 0–9.
Minimum age: 4 years
How to work with the spindle box
Where to buy the spindle box:
4. Cut-Out Numerals And Counters
This is usually the final stage of introducing the child to numbers 1 to 10. They are apply their skills in associating the symbol and the quantity by identifying the numerals, placing them in their proper sequence, and then putting the appropriate number of counters under the numeral.
Minimum age: 4 years
How to work with cut-out numerals and counters
Where to buy cut-out numerals and counters:
B. Materials for Learning The Decimal System
5. Golden Bead Material
The golden beads introduce the child to the decimal system and the concepts of quantity and place value. They are provided a concrete representation of 1s, 10s, 100s, and 1000s in the form of unit beads, bars, squares, and cubes, respectively. The material helps children learn about how complex numbers are formed, as well as the process of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Minimum age: 6 years
How to work with the golden beads
Where to buy golden bead material set:
Nienhuis $678.80 | Montessori Outlet $359.95 | Shopee ₱3,825 (complete set for bank game – the photo looks right but there are no reviews so I’m not not sure I would take the risk on this, considering that the price is relatively high)
6. Large Number (Numeral) Cards (1-9000)
The number cards help the child form a concrete understanding of units, tens, hundreds and thousands. They can be paired with other materials such as the golden beads when the child is learning the different mathematical operations.
Minimum age: 4 years
How to work with the large numeral cards
Where to buy large numeral cards:
Nienhuis $21.90 | Montessori Outlet $10.95 | Shopee – Honestly, you might as well just make your own.
7. Stamp Game
This material consists of wooden skittles, counters, and green, blue and red wood tiles labeled with 1, 10, 100 and 1000. When the child has understood the concept of the decimal system, he or she can use the stamp game to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The quantity and symbols are combined to help the child transition from concrete to abstract.
Minimum age: 6 years
Where to buy a stamp game set:
8. Teen Boards / Ten Boards
The teens (or tens) board gives the child a visual introduction to the quantity, symbol, vocabulary, and order of numbers 1-99.
Minimum age: 5 years
How to work with the teen board
Where to buy teen/ten boards:
9. Hundred Board
This material — consisting of a framed wooden board with 100 squares and wooden tiles numbered 1 to 100 — helps the child master the numerical order of numbers 1 to 100 and also helps them perceive numerical patterns.
Minimum age: 6 years
Where to buy the hundred board:
10. Bead Stair
The bead stair is a work that uses chains of beads, a different color for beads from 1 to 9. It helps children master their understanding of numbers 1-9 as well as associate each number with a color that is used in subsequent, more advanced Montessori math works.
Minimum age: 4 years
Where to buy bead stair:
Nienhuis $88.80 (10 sets with box) | Montessori Outlet $1.95 (1 set only) | Shopee ₱89 (1 set beads only); ₱256 (1 set beads with wooden tray)
C. Materials for Learning Addition, Multiplication, Subtraction, and Division
11. Short Bead Chains
The child uses short bead chains to do skip counting, preparing him or her for the process of multiplication. This work also introduce the concepts of squaring.
Minimum age: 5 years
Where to buy bead chains:
Nienhuis $128.80 | Montessori Outlet $37.95 | Shopee ₱559 (with hanging frame)
12. Addition Snake Game
This material serves as an introduction to the simple addition of units.
Minimum age: 4 years
How to work on the addition snake game
Where to buy the addition snake game set:
Nienhuis $129.30 | Montessori Outlet $39.95 | Shopee ₱1,939 (but honestly can be done using the other materials in this list)
13. Addition Strip Board
The addition strip board helps children understand basic addition, begins the process of memorizing addition facts, and prepares them for more abstract math.
Minimum age: 5 years
How to work with the addition strip board
Where to buy the addition strip board:
Nienhuis $67.70 | Montessori Outlet $29.95 | Shopee ₱524 (The Shopee product is the same board as the subtraction board, the next material on this list)
14. Subtraction Strip Board
The subtraction strip board helps children understand basic subtraction and prepares them for more abstract math.
Minimum age: 5 years
How to work with the subtraction strip board (also known as the negative strip board)
Where to buy the subtraction strip board:
Nienhuis $116.50 | Montessori Outlet $39.95 | Shopee ₱524 (The Shopee product same board as the addition board, the previous material on this list)
15. Multiplication Bead Board
The multiplication board gives children a visual understanding of multiplication. It helps them learn and practice the multiplication tables.
Minimum age: 5 years
How to work with the multiplication bead board
Where to buy multiplication bead board:
16. Unit Division Board
This material helps the child practice and master division equations with dividends from 1-81 and divisors 1-9.
Minimum age: 6 years
How to work with the unit division board
Where to buy unit division board:
17. Addition Working Charts
These charts help the child memorize addition facts and unit addition combinations.
Minimum age: 5 years
How to work with addition working charts
Where to buy addition working charts:
18. Subtraction Working Charts
These charts help the child memorize addition facts and unit subtraction combinations.
Minimum age: 6 years
How to work with subtraction working charts
Where to buy subtraction working charts:
19. Multiplication Working Charts
These charts help the child memorize and practice multiplication facts and multiplication combinations.
Minimum age: 6 years
How to work with multiplication working charts
Where to buy multiplication working charts:
20. Division Working Charts
These charts help the child memorize and practice division facts and division combinations.
Minimum age: 7 years (so this isn’t really for early childhood per se, but the American Montessori Society included this in their list so I did as well, and who knows, maybe your child is a math genius — but please just don’t force these onto them or expect too much, let them develop at their own pace!)
How to work with division working charts
Where to buy division working charts:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Montessori Math Materials
1. What are Montessori materials?
Materials are one of the essential elements of Montessori education and a hallmark of Montessori classrooms (including the home!) everywhere. They are educational tools that children can manipulate by themselves in order to gain a deep understanding and mastery of the different lessons in the Montessori curriculum. A lot of them were actually designed, tested, and implemented by Dr. Maria Montessori herself, based on her observations of the children under her care as both a physician and an educator. Although they are learning tools, Montessori materials are often colorful, kid-size, attractive, and interesting enough by themselves such that they can be — and often are — used as educational toys for kids, whether or not they are in the Montessori system.
2. Where can I buy Montessori math materials?
In each item above, I linked to three shops:
- Nienhuis – a Montessori materials supplier that is 1 of only 4 accredited by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI, the organization founded by Dr. Maria Montessori) and thus can be considered the gold standard;
- Montessori Outlet – an affordable Montessori materials supplier based in California; and
- Shopee – different shops, some China-based and some located in the Philippines, that sell that specific Montessori math material. This will be the cheapest option, but as always with Shopee, make sure you read the descriptions, check out the reviews if any, and look at the seller’s overall rating, all of which will give you an idea of what you can expect. For example, the description might indicate that you’re getting a smaller version compared to the standard Nienhuis dimensions — but you could decide that you’re okay with that as a tradeoff for the more budget-friendly price.
3. Are homemade Montessori math materials just as effective as the ones that have been certified by AMI?
Ahhh, the answer to this will probably depend on if you ask someone from AMI, someone from the certified manufacturers, or someone who takes a more liberal view on the matter. (The latter would probably point out that Maria Montessori herself DIY-ed the materials she used when working with the kids at her Casa dei Bambini!) Personally, I think that as long as: (1) you’ve read the description of each material, and (2) you understand what they are used for and how they are used, and (3) you have the tools and the time needed to make your own materials, there shouldn’t be a problem. Your child will benefit as much from carefully thought-out homemade Montessori math materials as from the AMI-approved ones.
4. What is the correct sequence for working on these Montessori math materials?
Generally, the order in which they are written above. The child gets to know the symbols (the numerals) first, then they learn about the decimal system and the concepts of quantity and place value, and then they can work on materials used for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Observe your child so that you can get a feel of when he or she will be ready for the next step. (Observation is always an important aspect of Montessori, anyway, whether it’s Math or something else.) The rule of thumb is: follow the child!
5. I live in the Philippines. Where else can I buy Montessori materials?
Aside from Shopee (which I’ve linked to after each item above) and Lazada (where most of the Shopee sellers have set up shop too) there are other sources of Montessori materials in the Philippines. These include:
- Five Senses Educational Materials (FSEM) Montessori Materials PH
- Tahanang Walang Hagdanan
- Planet Montessori
You can message them directly for a catalog of the materials that they sell and their price list.
6. What other materials should I get my preschool child?
For early childhood — usually defined as kids between 2 (or 3) to 6 years old — there are recommended materials in the following areas:
- Practical Life, Arts and Crafts
- Sensorial
- Math
- Language
- Cultural (Geography, History, Natural, and Physical Sciences)
You can check out this list of sensorial Montessori materials to get a preschool child (age 2-6).
Lists for the other areas are forthcoming.