The Memorization of Math Facts in a Montessori Elementary Classroom

“Our aim is not only to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core.”-Maria Montessori

To memorize means to learn by heart and to fix experience and knowledge in our memory. A child can memorize information in two ways. One way is to learn something mechanically and by rote. The second way is to prepare and organize a variety of activities all having the same aim that the child can work through. This variety of activities keeps the child’s imagination alive. Maria Montessori developed many different exercises for the memorization of facts for elementary students. This repetitive practice allows the child to memorize their math facts in an engaging way.

Below are just a few of the materials that Maria Montessori developed for the memorization of math facts:

Chiaravalle Montessori School also posted a great blog about the memorization of math facts as taught through the Montessori Method : http://www.chiaravalleobservations.org/2011/03/the-facts-are