When devising her early childhood math curriculum, Maria Montessori wanted to create materials that are appealing, interesting and purposeful for a child. The materials offer the child a developmentally appropriate way to explore mathematical concepts. 

Similar to the Sensorial area of the classroom, the math material begins with concrete experiences and then moves the child towards the abstract through a logical progression of difficulty. 

After learning to and sequence materials in the Sensorial Area, the child will begin learning numeration using the Number Rods. The purpose of the Number Rods is to show the child the relationship of 1-10 in terms of quantity. They also demonstrate visually how each number increases by 1 unit when in its natural order.

Next, children will learn the symbols for 0 to 9 using Sandpaper Numbers. They will learn to associate the numerals with their quantities by placing each Sandpaper Number card in order with its corresponding Number Rod. 

From here, quantity and symbol association are reinforced through other materials and exercises such as the Spindle Boxes. Gradually, the child will learn to work with higher numbers and begin to learn the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.