Material
Number rods
Ten rods in graded lengths that let the child see and hold the difference between three and four.
- Ages
- 4–5, 5–6 years
Put this to work this week
A week gives you what to gather, one change at home and one thing to observe. It starts with four short questions.
What it isolates
Quantity as one continuous object rather than a group of separate things.
Household and DIY options first
Substitutes come before anything to buy, with the trade-off stated.
Card or timber strips marked in 10cm sections
Cut ten lengths from 10cm to 100cm and paint alternating red and blue sections.
Trade-off: Card bends over time; timber is worth it if you have the tools.
Accuracy of length matters more than finish — a 4cm error breaks the whole point.
If you do buy it
- Exactly graded lengths
- Alternating colour sections of equal size
- Solid enough to handle repeatedly
When to skip it
Skip if your child is not yet counting objects one by one and stopping at the last.
Sources and review
Nothing publishes here without a named reviewer and the sources it rests on.
- The Discovery of the Child — Maria Montessori. The number rods