The Pink Tower is an iconic Montessori material found and recognized in every Montessori primary classroom worldwide. The Pink Tower is a seriation that consists of 10 cubes increasing in size from 1 cm³ to 10 cm³. The Pink Tower is introduced to children as early as age 2 and 1/2 in the early years of preschool. Although the Pink Tower is a sensorial material, it serves other indirect purposes by providing early language and an early mathematical experience with the decimal system.
The Pink Tower is first introduced to teach children about ordering things per size. While carrying each cube, one by one, the child is refining fine and gross motor skills simultaneously. The Pink Tower’s exercise and extensions are meant to provide many cognitive and physical development opportunities. These opportunities include order, eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, midline crossing, bilateral work, baric sense refinement, concentration, and self-confidence.
In this article, we would like to share a few classic ways of utilizing the Pink Tower, which can also be used at home. The Pink Tower is different from similar child-oriented sets of colored cubes, which are commonly found on the market. The difference is that the Pink Tower’s cubes are designed with specific weights and uniform solid color to avoid distractions such as colorful pictures. They also provide children an implicit impression of weight differences which will later transfer to a mathematical understanding of quantities (small volume feels light, large volume feels heavier).
Horizontal Arrangement & Heights
The horizontal arrangement is the first presentation given to children. They are invited to grade the pink cubes from biggest to smallest. First, each cube is carefully carried to the working space, one by one, from smallest to biggest. Each cube is placed on the rug in a linear mixed fashion. The cubes are observed and compared with a light touch on the top surface. The adult moves slowly to allow children to absorb all these movements that aid in assessing heights and sizes. Finally, the biggest cube is selected with two hands and placed forward, on the left side of the working space. Then the next cube is selected, creating a descending pattern of cubes. Children are delighted to be invited to climb the cubes with their fingers. This experience helps them feel the consistent size difference between each adjacent cube.
Vertical Arrangement and Precision
In this lesson, children reconstruct the Pink Tower vertically. They are invited to carefully bring to the working space each cube, one by one, using two hands. This method helps them fully experience the weight and size of each cube. Once all the cubes have been brought forwards and placed in the working space in mixed order, the adult demonstrates how to compare and stack each cube, from the biggest to the smallest, by carefully aligning one corner and two sides. The cubes which are designed with precise edges, when surveyed with their fingers, will stimulate the child’s senses.
Vertical Concentric Arrangement
This arrangement requires more dexterity, observation, and patience. Aligning the cubes in a concentric manner requires children to stand atop the tower at times to verify that each cube is as centered as possible. This practice is common in Montessori and will be reapplied in other areas such as geometry. With such experience, children are provided opportunities to pay attention to detail and develop extended concentration and control of movement.
Unit of Measurement
Children are also invited to use the smallest cube to travel along each edge which equals 1 cm, the size of the smallest cube. The cube can be pushed with one finger, from left to right, from top to bottom. This practice requires maximum precision, eye-hand coordination, hand control, and concentration. Children also develop an implicit understanding of units of measurement. This experience will be useful when demonstrating the Pink Tower extension using the Box of Cubes.
Language: Comparatives & Superlatives
Any Montessori presentation is an opportunity for language enrichment. In this presentation, children are provided language using comparative adjectives such as bigger and smaller and superlative adjectives such as the biggest and the smallest. You may select three of the biggest cubes or three of the smallest cubes to begin this presentation. The size differences must be visually obvious. Use a three-period presentation to introduce the vocabulary and associate it with the material by saying, “This is small. This is smaller. This is the smallest.” You may proceed with the second part of the three-period lesson by asking the children, “Show me small. Show me smaller. Show me the smallest.” Finally, during the third period of the lesson, children are asked to perform a variety of commands such as, “Place the small cube here. Place a smaller cube here. Place the smallest cube here.” The same presentation can be done using the three biggest cubes and using vocabulary such as, “Big, bigger, the biggest.”
Creative Arrangements
Montessori materials are designed with precision and used with precision to allow children to develop through consistency and begin to notice patterns and reapply knowledge in new contexts. This design consistency also allows children to create logical and artistic patterns, which are preparatory mathematical works. You can demonstrate making creative patterns using the Pink Tower Extension Cards and then allow children to come up with their own original designs.
Stereognostic & Baric Senses
This presentation recruits both the stereognostic sense (using hands only to guess objects manipulated) and the baric sense (using weights as a reference). Children can either place cubes behind their backs or use a mystery bag to feel cubes without looking and continue a sequence of cube alignment. You may want to start small by providing the sequence’s beginning and putting the five or six smallest in a mystery bag. Some children may find it interesting to use a blindfold.
This concludes our post on the Pink Tower! There are countless ways to utilize the Pink Tower. We recommend that you seek professional guidance using teacher’s manuals or training. The purpose of this post is to provide our community with some information about the tremendous benefits of Montessori materials. For more Montessori sensorial high-quality materials, visit our website at www.alisonsmontessori.com.
