Solaris: Montessori Clock with Interchangeable Faces
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
A clock the child builds rather than reads. The components assemble into a working clock, and the face can be swapped between Arabic numerals, Roman numerals divided into minutes, and a sundial. Changing the face is the lesson: the same moment in time looks completely different depending on the system used to write it down, which is exactly the insight that makes telling time click rather than being memorised. A sundial alongside a numbered dial also quietly says that clocks came from somewhere. Wood, metal and plastic, 27 cm, for ages 3 to 6.
“The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence.”
The Solaris introduces time-telling through Montessori's principle of materialized abstraction, where the wooden base and interchangeable rings transform the abstract concept of time into tangible, manipulable elements. By switching between standard numbers and Roman numerals on the Solaris rings, children physically experience different symbolic representations of the same quantities, building flexibility in mathematical thinking.
- Reading analog clock faces with standard Arabic numerals
- Interpreting time using Roman numeral notation
- Understanding the relationship between hour and minute hands
- Developing concepts of duration and time intervals
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The Solaris addresses the developmental need for concrete experiences with abstract concepts during the absorbent mind period, when children aged 3-6 construct their understanding of temporal relationships. Unlike traditional clocks, the Solaris's three-ring system allows isolated practice with hours, minutes, or specific number systems, following Montessori's principle of isolating difficulty. This wooden clock learning system bridges the sensorial work with quantities from earlier materials to the abstract work of reading conventional timepieces.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the Solaris wooden base on a mat. Arrange the three number rings nearby: standard numerals, Roman numerals, and practice ring. Set moveable clock hands to 12:00 starting position.
- 1
Begin with the standard number ring, naming each hour position while touching the numerals 1-12
Move clockwise slowly, allowing the child to absorb the circular sequence - 2
Demonstrate moving the hour hand to specific positions, stating 'three o'clock' while placing the hand at 3
Use only hour positions initially, keeping minute hand at 12 - 3
Introduce the minute hand after mastery of hours, showing 'half past' and 'quarter past' positions
Connect to fraction work if child has experience with fraction materials - 4
Switch to Roman numeral ring once comfortable with standard time-telling
Allow child to match Roman positions to previously learned Arabic positions
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
AMI approved
To the association standard
Solaris: Montessori Clock with Interchangeable Faces
