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Understading the Math Environment Series: Part 2July 9, 2008 by Miss Norma | No comments

Working with the Practical Life activities is one of the first ways the child will begin to gain concentration, order, coordination and independence which are necessary to work successfully with the Math materials. The Practical Life exercises involve working through a process; one thing being built upon another. Working through these activities, the mind begins to control the body as a sense of logic and order is developing. Most of the Practical Life materials prepare the child for Math because it is here that the child learns to succeed and develop his concentration, coordination, order and independence.

Practical Life is the base for all of the curriculum areas because the child learns all the basic things he needs to know and as a result the child becomes more confident and independent. This allows the child to be able to succeed in more difficult activities such as the ones for Math. Table scrubbing is something basic and simple to do, but it is one of the activities that is most helpful for preparing the child to work with the Math materials. One can say that scrubbing a table is similar to working with the 45 Layout because both activities require a lot of steps, concentration and coordination. Practical Life also helps teach the child the importance of paying attention to details, which is something that is extremely important when it comes to Math. This sense of order and physical control are the foundation that is needed for the child to be successful with the Sensorial and Math materials.

The Sensorial materials are a system of mathematical abstractions in concrete form. Dimension, size, length, width and form are all represented within the Sensorial apparatus. The base of ten, which begins our Decimal System, is found here in the Knobbed and Knobless Cylinders, Brown Stair, Red Rods, and Pink Tower. Through these materials the child’s perceptions of same and different are becoming fixed as he explores and manipulates these didactic materials. This also becomes the basis on which he begins to understand the concept of “sets” as it applies to concrete quantities, a very important aspect of the abstract mathematical thinking that will begin to take place with the actual Math materials. These materials also give the child experience with 1-1 correspondence and gradation. The Triangle, Rectangle and Hexagon Boxes, and the Geometry Cabinet are materials that help the child develop a mathematical mind and his knowledge of geometry.

Like the materials above with this equipment the child gains knowledge of 1-1 correspondence, gradation, combination, and differences. The Color Tablets, Fabrics, Sorting, Baric Tablets, Thermic Bottles, Sound Cylinders and the Bells give the child a foundation of similarities in preparation for Math.