Montessori Geometric Cabinet

Teaching children complex and abstract concepts such as geometry is no easy task, but teaching your three-year-old toddler geometry seems almost impossible.

The Montessori Method of education is a unique pedagogical tool that allows children to explore new possibilities through hands-on learning.

According to Dr. Maria Montessori, for the initial six years of their lives, children have an Absorbent Mind and progress through stages of development called the Sensitive Periods.

 It is the educator and parent’s responsibility to provide the child with appropriate stimuli during these periods of sensitivity and cater to the sensorial requirements of the Absorbent Minds.

The Montessori Method of Education incorporates a diverse range of Montessori Materials that effectively facilitate sensory training and sensorial stimulation.

During the second half of their First Plane of Development, toddlers are in their sensitive periods and are beginning to establish values such as language as well as order.

It is best to utilize prolonged periods of concentration during periods of sensitivity to allow children to comprehend complex and abstract concepts.

The Montessori Method of education allows your toddler to comprehend geometrical and mathematical concepts through manipulatives.

Montessori Geometric Cabinets are a fun and engaging way to introduce abstract geometric concepts to your child as well as help them build a firm foundation for forthcoming mathematical concepts.

If you are a parent, educator, or immediate caregiver, understanding the functions of the Montessori Geometric Cabinet is a requisite.

To help you effectively facilitate activities and incorporate this unique Montessori Material into your child’s curriculum, here is everything you should know about Montessori Geometric Cabinets.

What is a Montessori Geometric Cabinet?

The Montessori Geometric Cabinet is a unique Montessori Material that is introduced to the child during their pre-writing and pre-mathematics stage.

The Montessori Geometric Cabinet is a significant part of Montessori Sensorial Materials and Montessori Mathematics Materials.

Just like any other Montessori Material, Montessori Geometric Cabinet is manufactured from wood and incorporates six wooden cabinets or drawers that contain differently shaped wooden insets that fashion knobs for easy manipulation as well as their respective sockets.

This wonderful Montessori sensorial material is among the first concrete manipulatives introduced to the child.

What does the Montessori Geometric Cabinet Include?

Montessori Geometric Cabinet is engaging and stimulating Montessori Mathematics and Sensorial Materials that allow your toddler to comprehend abstract geometric concepts.

Here is a list of shapes the drawers of the Montessori Geometric Cabinet incorporate:

First Drawer:

The first Montessori Geometric Cabinet Drawer consists of the following shapes:

• 6 Circles with different diameters ranging from 5cm to 10cm.

Second Drawer:

The second Montessori Geometric Cabinet Drawer consists of the following shapes:

• 6 Rectangles with different dimensions ranging from 5cm to 10 cm

Third Drawer:

The third Montessori Geometric Cabinet Drawer Consists of six different types of triangles:

• Right-angled Triangle
• Equilateral Triangle
• Obtuse Scalene Triangle
• Acute Isosceles Triangle
• Obtuse Isosceles Triangle
• Right Isosceles Triangle

Fourth Drawer:

The Fourth Montessori Geometric Cabinet Drawer consists of the following Shapes:

• Pentagon
• Hexagon
• Heptagon
• Octagon
• Nonagon
• Octagon

Fifth Drawer:

The Fifth Montessori Geometric Cabinet Drawer Consists of the following shapes:

• Quatrefoil
• Curvilinear Triangle
• Elipse
• Oval

Sixth Drawer:

The Last Geometric Cabinet Drawer Consists of the following shapes:

• Rhombus
• Isosceles
• Right Trapezoid
• Parallelogram

What is the Purpose of the Montessori Geometric Cabinet?

Montessori Geometric Cabinet is a Montessori Sensorial and Mathematics Material that represents abstract geometric concepts in a tangible and concrete form.

The Chief aim of Montessori Geometric Cabinets is to isolate and enhance the child’s visual sense.

Along with visual stimulation, children are also able to visually discriminate between different dimensions, shapes, diameters, and sizes.

The other aim of Montessori Geometric Cabinets is to expand as well as enhance the child’s geometrical vocabulary.

Montessori Geometric Cabinets essentially allow children to understand, analyze, and comprehend the characteristics of three main types of geometric shapes as well as prepare the child for forthcoming complex geometric concepts.

What are the benefits of Montessori Geometric Cabinets?

Montessori Geometric Cabinets are amongst the first Montessori Sensorial Materials introduced to the child during their pre-writing stage.

Montessori Geometric Cabinets are engaging Montessori Material that allows children in their first plane of development to comprehend geometric concepts ahead of their age.

Here is a list of benefits your child will enjoy when you incorporate the Montessori Geometric Cabinet into their curriculum:

Sensorial Stimulation:

As a significant feature of Montessori Sensorial Material, Montessori Geometric Cabinets are a great way to provide children with appropriate stimuli which promote sensory development.

With the help of this tangible material, children are able to actively partake in the exercises involving Montessori Geometric Cabinet.

Children are able to physically manipulate the materials and achieve a sense of fulfillment when they succeed in the tasks.

Visual Discrimination:

Montessori Geometric Cabinets are concrete representations of complex and abstract geometric shapes.

Children are able to fully comprehend, analyze, discriminate, and distinguish between various shapes with the help of Montessori Geometric cabinets.

Development of Fine Motor Skills:

Fine Motor skills are the ability to utilize smaller muscles situated in fingers, hands, and wrists to perform tasks such as writing, grasping, or holding.

Montessori Geometric Cabinet insets that fashion knobs for the children to grapes on to with the three-finger pincer grip that facilitates the development of Fine Motor Skills.

Enhanced Vocabulary:

Montessori Geometric Cabinets introduce children to a diverse range of Geometric shapes.

With the help of Montessori Geometric Cabinets, children are able to enhance their vocabulary and efficiently identify geometric shapes.

Control of Error:

Like any other Montessori Material, Montessori Geometric Cabinet has a built-in Control Of Error.

Control of Error in Montessori Materials allows children to independently identify and rectify their mistakes without any adult supervision.

In the case of Montessori Geometric Cabinets, children are able to identify their mistakes by incorrectly placing the insets in the sockets.

When is the Montessori Geometric Cabinet Introduced?

Montessori Geometric Cabinets are amongst the first Montessori Sensorial Materials introduced to the child.

This fun and exciting Montessori Material is a quintessential manipulative that facilitates visual stimulation.

Montessori Geometric Cabinets are introduced to children when they are between 3 to 4 years of age or during the second half of the first plane of development.

How to introduce the Montessori Geometric Cabinet?

Before proceeding with the Montessori Geometric Cabinet Activities, it is best to identify its objectives and appropriate vocabulary:

• Objectives:
  • Tracing Around the insets
  • Utilizing the three-finger pincer grip
  • The texture of the shapes
  • Placing the shapes back into the cabinet in an appropriate manner
  • Introduction to Geometry
  • Pre-writing prep
  • Developing the child’s knowledge of shapes and varied dimensions
  • Encouraging the child to associate geometric shapes with the surrounding environment.
• Vocabulary:
  • Knobs
  • Triangle
  • Square
  • Circle
  • Inset
  • Template
  • Drawer
  • Tray
  • Geometry
  • Cabinet

Montessori Geometric Cabinet Demonstration:

• The Adult will first demonstrate how and where to find the Montessori Geometric Cabinet and then ask the child to bring the material to the workstation.
• The adult will instruct the child to take out the insets moving from the left side of the cabinet and place them on the workstation table in a random pattern.
• The adult will demonstrate how to pick up the inset by using a three-finger pincer grip and placing it near them.
• The adult will then gently trace around the inset counterclockwise with their primary finger.
• The adult will then trace around the geometric cabinet sockets indicating the varied shapes and dimensions of the sockets.
• The adult will then find out the corresponding inset to the socket by gently tracing the inset and socket with their primary finger.
• The adult will continue to repeat the process with the other insets and shapes until all the shapes have been matched.
• When all the insets have been successfully placed in their corresponding sockets the adult will direct the child to participate in the activity independently.

Should you incorporate Montessori Geometric Cabinets?

Geometric concepts can be quite perplexing to comprehend on their own and teaching geometric concepts to one’s curious toddler is a whole other ordeal.

Montessori Geometric Cabinets are a fun Montessori Math and sensorial material that promotes children between the ages of 3 to 4 years to comprehend abstract geometric concepts.

Not only does this exciting Montessori Sensorial Material allows children to develop an appropriate vocabulary of geometric shapes, but it also promotes sensory development in children.

Montessori Geometric Cabinets are versatile and highly effective Montessori Material that provides children with a myriad of benefits, hence becoming a great addition to one’s home environment.

See Also:

• Math Montessori Materials
• Sensorial Materials in Montessori
• Montessori Geometric Solids