The child develops a stronger level of concentration the more he manipulates the materials. Activities are designed to be repeated over and over again. Repetition deepens the child's concentration, thus allowing him to be more receptive to academic learning.
Montessori materials require dexterity on the part of the child. She often must use the pincer grasp as she carefully lays out the materials. She also must use care to treat the materials gently with respect. This careful manipulation helps her build coordination skills.
Montessori lessons follow a specific sequence of presentation. A child must master one activity before the next one is presented. Within each lesson is a set of steps that must be followed in order. They are also placed on the shelf in order of difficulty from top-to-bottom and left-to-right. Children are expected to maintain order in their environments and to control their own actions. They crave order and function best when they know their boundaries.
Montessori materials are designed to be self-correcting. This means the child should be able to discover his own mistakes without requiring an adult to step in and point them out. These materials also are used to teach the child lessons that will help him better function in the real world.
Once the child has laid the foundation for academic learning by developing a strong sense of concentration, coordination, order and independence, she is ready to use Montessori materials for academics. Each lesson uses materials to teach concepts in a concrete fashion. For example, a child does not merely learn how to rote count numbers. She handles individual objects as she counts them. When tracing sandpaper letters to learn sounds, she is also learning how to write them in preparation for reading and writing.