Storage Box: Wooden Container for Number Shapes
A wooden storage box for the Montessori hollow number shapes and other small materials. The open top lets children take out and return materials independently, supporting order and self-reliance in the prepared environment. Natural wood and plywood, 12 x 12 x 10 cm.
“Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment.”
In Montessori education, the prepared environment is foundational to the child's development.
- Development of visual discrimination through organized material presentation
- Refinement of fine motor control through careful handling and replacing of materials
- Cultivation of order and sequence through systematic storage habits
- Enhancement of independence through accessible material management
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This storage box exemplifies the principle of order, which Montessori identified as a sensitive period in early childhood. The open-top design respects the child's need for independence and accessibility, allowing spontaneous repetition of work. The natural wood material provides sensorial feedback through texture, weight, and temperature, enriching the child's tactile discrimination. By housing hollow number shapes, this container bridges sensorial and mathematical experiences, supporting the child's journey from concrete to abstract thinking. The careful organization of materials demonstrates respect for the child's work and creates an external order that helps develop internal cognitive organization.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the box on a low shelf at the child's eye level. Arrange hollow number shapes inside in sequential order from left to right. Ensure the box is positioned with adequate space for the child to work comfortably on a mat nearby.
- 1
Invite the child to carry the box with two hands to a work mat
Model slow, deliberate movements to emphasize care and control - 2
Demonstrate removing one number shape at a time, examining it carefully
Use the three-finger grip to model proper pencil grasp preparation - 3
Trace around the hollow space with your index finger
Move slowly and precisely, preparing for later writing movements - 4
Return each shape to its place in the box before taking another
Emphasize the satisfaction of restoring order - 5
When finished, carry the box back to the shelf with both hands
Wait until the child has observed the complete cycle before inviting participation
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
Brands used by
schools worldwide
European brands
AMI
Endorsed
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