Introduction and exercise ideas for the Small Moveable Alphabets

Constructing a square inscribed within a circle

This lesson provides the step from working with the pegboard or counters to recording prime factors on paper only. The lesson presents the "T" method that represents the pegboard and also the classic "root" method.

Exploring Prime Factors using the traditional bubble or "root" method as demonstrated in Unit 4 of the Marshall Math Series Book A.

Finding a line segment that is the mean proportional to two given line segments

How to construct a similar triangle to a given triangle

To divide a line segment into two parts that are proportional to two given line segments

Construct a line segment that is proportional to three given line segments using parallel lines constructed of an angle.

This is an Introduction to the Moveable Alphabet. It presents the first exercises of forming words with cut-out letters.

How to construct a circle inscribed within a triangle.

How to find the center of a circle.

How to construct a circle that circumscribes a given triangle.

Construction of a line tangent to a circle from an external point.

Constructing a line tangent to a given circle.

Construction of a triangle with two given angles and one given side.

Constructing a triangle from two given sides and one given angle.

Construction of a triangle from three given sides

How to construct a line parallel to a given line through an external point.

Learn how to divide a given line into three equal parts using only a compass and a straightedge.

Learn how to establish the altitude of a right-angle triangle. This completes the three-part lesson of finding the altitude of different triangles.

Learn how to establish an external altitude to an obtuse-angle triangle. This is an important skill in finding the area of obtuse-angle triangles

Learn how to find the altitude of an equilateral triangle. This is the first of three lessons that show how to find the altitude or height of different triangles.

This exercise presents pouring water from a pitcher into four equal containers. It helps the child develop precise movement, eye/hand control, and is an indirect preparation for fractions and division.

In this material the child experiences pour water into two equal containers. The control of error is increased as the child needs to carefully control the amount of water poured into each vessel. This is an indirect experience of fractions and division.

The use of an eye dropper and baster are great early activities for the young child. These exercises build hand strength, fine motor development and prepare the child for more complicated activities using these items.

This exercise gives the child the sensorial experience of the constancy of matter by transferring water between different shaped vessels. For the young child this is simply an exercise of pouring, but an indirect aim is to give the child an experience how the quantity of water does not change as the shape takes new form.

The first water pouring exercise allows the child to practice pouring water to a definite line on a vessel. This is great practice for self-care and pouring one's own drinks.

The first pouring exercise introduces the child to transferring rice or other small grains from one small pitcher to another. It provides the child with a fun and easy material to practice careful pouring.

This lesson introduces the numerals from 11-99 using the Montessori Tens Boards. If follows the lesson that introduces the same quantities and is parallel to the Decimal System material.

This lesson introduces the quantities from 1-99 using the Golden Beads and is a parallel exercise to the Decimal System material. It is the first of three lessons working with the numbers from 1-99.

This is the third lesson with the "Tens Boards" where the child associates the quantity formed with the golden beads and the numerals formed on the the tens boards.

This lesson shows how to find the prime factors of numbers up to 100.

This construction shows how to draw a line perpendicular to a given line that goes through an external point to the line.

Construction ten demonstrates how to construct a median to a triangle by drawing a line from one vertex to the middle of the opposite side of the triangle.

Learn how to bisect an angle of a triangle.

Learn how to find the "centroid" of a triangle.

Opening and closing screw-top bottles, jars and nuts and bolts aids in independence and fine motor strength and control.

This is a very poular exercise in the Montessori Primary classroom. The child can prepare and bake an egg for oneself or choose to serve the dish to a friend.

This lesson shows how you can find the Lowest Common Multiple of two or more numbers using counters and paper. This is an important skill for later work with adding and subtracting fractions.

Finding the common factors is an important ability that will help as a student works with adding and subtracting common fractions by being able to find the Greatest Common Denominator of two or more fractions.

Discovering the factors of a number is presented using the traditional Montessori Pegboard, but it can also easily be experienced with other objects like coins or counters. This lesson can be done with younger students with great success. Older students benefit from the clear manipulative visualization of the concept of factors.

Unlocking and locking padlocks is a fun activity that helps the child build hand strength and independence. It also is an indirect preparation for handwriting.

Opening and closing clothespins is a fun and engaging activity for young children. It builds independence, hand strength and pincer grasp in preparation for handwriting.

Opening and Closing boxes and other items is an important skill for gaining independence and fine motor development. It is a skill that can be introduced to the very young child.

Spooning (or transferring material from one bowl to another) is a basic lesson for the young child (ages 2-4) that builds independence, hand strength, and eye-hand coordination.

This is the beginning of the the Second Great Lesson of the Montessori elementary. The "Prelude" leads up to the unrolling of the Time Line of Life, The geologic timeline of the Phanerozoic Eon. This prelude ties together the first Great lesson and tells of the important job Life had to help balance the ecology of the earth.

Discover some additional activities you can do with the Sandpaper Letters including ideas on how to make them yourself.

This video presents an introduction and the presentation of the Sandpaper Letters.

Chapter 3 covers factors and prime numbers of numbers 2 to 50. It is a great follow-up practice to tables A, B, and C.