The Story Of The Three Kings
A story that ends in the invention of the decimal system: three kingdoms parade, a revolution follows, and what comes out of it is the way we write numbers. It is written to prepare a child for the Arithmetic Trinomial Cube, which is the material the story is really about and which is sold separately. Stories do a particular job in the elementary years, since they give a child a reason to want the material before it is ever presented. Paper.
“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.”
The Story of The Three Kings emerges from Maria Montessori's understanding that young children grasp abstract mathematical concepts through concrete manipulation of objects. These three wooden cubes in graduated sizes allow children to physically explore size relationships before they can articulate them verbally.
- Visual discrimination of three-dimensional forms
- Understanding of size gradation and seriation
- Development of mathematical vocabulary (small, medium, large)
- Spatial reasoning through cube manipulation
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The material's storytelling element engages the child's imagination while their hands discover mathematical truths about volume, dimension, and proportion. Each wooden cube represents a different 'king,' transforming abstract size comparisons into concrete characters children can manipulate and understand. The Story of The Three Kings builds the sensorial foundation for later work with the pink tower and brown stair, as children internalize concepts of 'large,' 'larger,' and 'largest' through repeated handling of these precisely crafted wooden forms. This progression from story to mathematics reflects Montessori's observation that children learn best when abstract concepts are embedded in meaningful, manipulable contexts.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the three wooden cubes on a mat, arranged randomly. Sit beside the child, ensuring both of you can easily reach the materials.
- 1
Introduce each cube as a 'king,' starting with the largest: 'This is the Great King'
Use deliberate, slow movements when handling each cube to emphasize their different weights - 2
Present the medium cube: 'This is the Middle King,' then the smallest: 'This is the Little King'
Let the child hold each cube to feel the weight difference - 3
Tell a simple story involving the three kings going on a journey, using size-appropriate language
Incorporate mathematical language naturally: 'The Great King needed the biggest throne' - 4
Invite the child to arrange the kings from smallest to largest for their 'royal procession'
If the child struggles, place two cubes and ask 'Which king is bigger?' - 5
Encourage the child to create their own story using the three kings
Accept all narratives while gently reinforcing size vocabulary
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
Brands used by
schools worldwide
European brands
AMI
Endorsed
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