Math Work at 3 - Parts of a Whole

At 3.5-years-old, Nora has a lot of different interests. Here at home and at school, we follow her lead and let her natural desires drive her activity. Right now, Nora has taken an interest in math work. At school, she spends her time working on the number rods, sandpaper numerals, and counting in general. Here at home, I have seen the same interest intensify. She has been counting everything and pointing out numbers she finds around the house. 

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Since she does attend a Children's House I don't feel the need to duplicate traditional Montessori materials here at home. But, I do want to have materials available that fit her current interests and needs. And, that's where parts of a whole work have come in! Basically, this work is fraction work. But, instead of introducing it as "this is 1/8" we have used these materials to talk about all the different ways to make 1 cube or 1 circle. Specifically, we have had two different materials on her shelves.

This fraction cube is basically a small wooden box with a bunch of small pieces that make a whole cube. Nora can use a variety of combinations to fill the box and make a cube. Or, make several cubes stacking on top of one another. Then, Nora can count the number of blocks she used to make the whole.

She absolutely loves this work. It's one of the things she chooses the most from her play shelves these days. There are so many different combinations that will make the cube that it seems to be an interesting challenge for her. 

The other parts of a whole work we have on our shelves right now are fraction circles! Again, we aren't introducing the specific concept of "fraction" but the relationship between smaller pieces and creating something larger. This work is more like a traditional puzzle with the color matching aspect. But, it has the flexibility to change the pieces to see which fractions go together to make a whole circle. This toy is much more extensive with lots of circles to use. 

At this point, Nora really loves making the color-coded circles. Henry was working with her and was discovering the pieces that could be used together to create the whole. In first grade, we are giving him the language to match the pieces and a deeper understanding of fractions. So, this work will last Nora (and Henry) for years to come! 

Does your 3-year-old like math? What kind of materials have you introduced at home?