The Montessori Approach to Mathematics: Place Value

Place value is a huge focus in the Montessori math programme because it is fundamental to understanding numbers and is a building block for the four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Students are introduced to the concept of place value by working with The Golden Bead Material. This Material allows students to explore the concept of place value in a sensorial way. Students can see and feel the relative value of numbers. For example, they can see and feel how big a 1000 cube is compared to a unit.

The Golden Bead Materials provides a concrete way to experience place value. As students work with the material they start to understand the significance of the number ten. They realise that ten units can be combined to make a 10-bar, ten 10-bars can be combined to make a 100-square and that ten 100-squares can be combined to make a 1000-cube.

Students implement their knowledge of place value by building and reading four digit numbers. Students are given number cards which they must read and then build the corresponding number using the Golden Bead Material.

Once students are comfortable with place value they start using a variety of Montessori math materials to build numbers when solving operations. Many of these materials use colours to represent place value. If you look at a Montessori Math shelf you will probably notice lots of green, blue, red. These colours represent the following values:

In the 6-9 level students are exposed to numbers into the millions. In order to work with these numbers students work with The Geometric Hierarchical Material. The material is a concrete representation of quantities from units to 1,000,000. The material represents the power of ten as each component is ten times bigger than the previous one.

When students are ready to start working with larger numbers they are introduced to the concept of, "family of numbers."