The material has many variations, and children may enjoy working with it from their first year in the Montessori classroom to their last!
Geometry Cabinet and Cards
The Geometry Cabinet contains a wealth of knowledge to be explored, and is compelling for the young child because of its intricacy and depth.
The Cabinet contains 6 trays holding up to six different wooden shapes with a small knob for easy handling. Along with the 6 trays that are contained like drawers in the cabinet, there is also a Presentation Tray which sits on top of the cabinet and has three shapes, a circle, a square, and a triangle.
Typically, the presentation tray will be a child’s first interaction with the Geometry Cabinet. The child learns to appreciate the differences in shapes by lifting the wooden inset by the knob with one hand, and tracing the outline of the shape before replacing it in its appropriate place.
The Cards provide an extension to the material. Beginning with a limited number of cards determined by the guide, the child practices his or her visual discrimination by matching the shape represented on the card with the wooden inset from the cabinet.
The Geometry Cabinet provides a child with the foundational elements of geometry, including an extended vocabulary and familiarity with many shapes he or she will find later on in mathematics.
For more from the Sensorial Area of the classroom, check out the Binomial Cube or the Red Rods!