This is an advanced exercise for counting forward and backward, teaching the formation of numbers and the conversion of numbers from base 10 to base 2 or 3 and vice versa. The Multibase Hierarchical material consists of a board measuring 65 cm x 40 cm, a variety of cubes and prisms ranging from 9 mm to 9 cm, and a set of cards. The exercise can be used in a variety of ways, but primarily it demonstrates the exponential growth of a number (in this case 2 and/or 3) using cards to show the actual numerals, as well as cubes & prisms to show the numbers in a more tangible way. For example, start with a single cube (1), then triple that to get 3, then triple that to get 9 and so forth until you reach the sixth power (3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 729).
All Gonzagarredi products are approved by the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).