Montessori in a Minute: Geometric Stick Material

The Montessori method for teaching mathematics is known for its hands-on, concrete approach to teaching both simple and complex math concepts. Instead of relying on memorization alone, Montessori materials help children physically experience and understand math concepts before moving to abstract thinking.

The Geometric Stick Material is an excellent tool that helps children explore geometry, measurement, and spatial relationships. Our teachers use this material to introduce our Elementary-aged students to lines, angles, triangles, polygons, and areas.

Teachers introduce the material and explain its contents:

• Wooden or plastic sticks of various lengths

• Thumbtacks (pins) for connecting sticks at pivot points

• Cork or felt board to pin the sticks onto

• Protractor and ruler for measuring angles and lengths

• Colored paper or labels for marking angles and sides

Together, the teacher shows the child how to use these materials to form lines and shapes. For example, they could create a right angle by placing two sticks perpendicularly. Then, the student can adjust to make an acute or obtuse angle. The teacher and student will measure the new angle with the protractor. 

After they complete an example lesson, the students will select different sticks and use pins to attach them to the corkboard. They arrange sticks to form their own angles and lines. Using their protractor, they will measure and compare different angles they create.

The Importance of the Montessori Geometric Stick Material

The Geometric Stick Material is vital for our Elementary students' foundation in understanding higher-level mathematics and geometry. By encouraging hands-on learning and exploration, this work helps children visualize and manipulate abstract geometric concepts. Creating their own lines, angles, and shapes strengthens their problem-solving and logical thinking while providing a unique multi-sensory approach to geometry.

The Geometric Stick Material teaches an array of geometry concepts:

• Students form straight, curved, parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines while exploring how different lines relate to one another.

• Children create acute, right, obtuse, and straight angles with sticks and measure them using a protractor.

• The class learns to classify triangles (equilateral, isosceles, scalene) and find the sum of interior angles (180°). They can also create and measure different types of triangles.

• The students study quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagon sides, vertices, and angles and find the sum of the interior angles of polygons.

• Children discover and understand proportional relationships by constructing and comparing shapes.

• Students use sticks to form geometric shapes and compare their area and perimeter. They learn and apply formulas to find the area of triangles, rectangles, parallelograms, and more.

The Montessori in a Minute Series

The Montessori In A Minute series regularly explores the unique benefits of Montessori philosophy, its fundamental materials, and areas of the classroom. For all parents at Hudson Montessori School (Jersey City, New Jersey), the school hosts Parent Education Nights every year to teach parents about the Montessori method and how the students learn curriculum components using a Montessori framework.

Contact us to learn more about Hudson Montessori School's theme-based learning approach to education, the Montessori philosophy and methodology, or how the school fosters the love of learning for children aged 2 to eighth grade.