The stamp game is a manipulative tool that can be used to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems. It is a bridge that leads the child from concrete to abstract. It never fails to delight me (or impress outsiders) when my Primary children work with the Stamp Game. Best of all, it is so versatile and covers so many topics of math. It can be used in so many ways. Furthermore, it can help to explain the WHY of math.
For most of us (myself included), Math has been taught from the "how" perspective rather than the "why" perspective. In other words, most of us were taught HOW to get the answer. The question of WHY we follow the algorithm has often been overlooked. From a personal perspective, I can remember hating Geometry because I couldn't understand how to solve proofs. It took understanding the rules of geometry and applying critical thinking. I just wanted a formula to follow to get the answer. On the flip side, my first (and probably only) A in math came from Calculus where I could get away with memorizing HOW to do problems. However, in no way could I tell you WHY I was following those formulas. I was doing math with blinders on.
In an increasingly test-driven world, the math with blinders phenomenon appears to be getting worse. As a child gets older (middle and high school) there isn't enough time to find the holes of misunderstanding and fill them in. Whether teachers want to or not, they are sometimes forced to show children the HOW just to get through the material.
And so I bring you an example where the stamp game has helped to fill many sinking holes for a particular student. For the past month (meaning - a few weeks before break and this week), I have been tutoring a third grade student who has had no Montessori background. She is bright and wants to learn, but clearly has some holes in her math foundation. When doing dynamic addition or subtraction with 4 digit numbers, she has no idea when or why to carry/borrow. She was just crossing anything out and putting another number beside it.
I brought out the stamp game and first reviewed the categories. I then showed her dynamic addition and subtraction. It has been amazing. Over a couple of weeks, she has improved her skills greatly. We still have a LOT of work to do. However, I think that the algorithm she has been following (incorrectly) is starting to make sense and she is able to do it more accurately.
Simply put, I love the Stamp Game.
2 comments:
Great post! I've forwarded your blog address to my son's Montessori teacher and principal. We are currently waiting for word on a waiver so we can use Montessori materials instead of the district curriculum.
This is a good example of how Montessori math materials give children a strong foundation.
Great post about the stamp game. I need to bring it off the shelves to get my sons to want to select it more often. Thanks for sharing.
Colleen:)
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