Pink Tower and Counting

This is a great math and reading activity. The numbers are available in Spanish, French and English.

The pink tower is such a important foundation in Montessori sensorial education. For example, you introduce degrees of word comparisons with the pink tower. You teach words to describe the smallest to the largest cube, words such as small , smaller , smallest , large, larger, largest . It is also the first piece of math equipment.

Montessori was observant about how children learn to count. In our Montessori classroom we used the pink tower to teach linear counting. The smallest cube was one and the largest cube was ten. The difference in cube sizes makes it possible for a young child to see that each number gets bigger when they count the cubes from 1 to 10. Most preschool children can count (which is wonderful!), like memorizing a rhyme, but they don't always understand the value of the numbers. Using the pink tower puts together the concept of counting and value in an easy, tidy package.

Primary Activity

You can make a control or an answer card by cutting out each card and gluing them onto tag board or cardboard in proper order (smallest to largest). For very young children, you can cut off the numbers to avoid confusion.

Let your children match the individual cards onto or under the control card.

Next, we can make the exercise a little bit more challenging by putting the cards in order without the control card.

The first step is to show your child how to put the cards in order, smallest to largest, in a row from left to right. You can do this activity on a rug or table. For younger children, use 3 to 5 cards. Add more cards as they master the lesson.

After this activity is mastered, use the cards to teach counting from 1 through 10. Again, start with a few cards for younger children. Add another card until your child can count to 10.

You can make these printouts as 3 part cards for older children. Make control cards by printing a second printout. Count and use the matching number under each card. Use the three period lesson if your child needs to learn number symbols. Older students can use the written number words for this exercise.

Use the Spanish or French pink tower cards in the same manner as the English cards. This is a great way teach a new language to your child.

Always adapt lessons for your child's needs.

Other Concrete Activities

Use measuring cups that vary in size as another way to count concrete objects. You can use nesting toys or ring stacking towers too.

Check out amazon.com for more nesting toys.

Primary Activity

Other Concrete Activities

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