The Work Plan

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

What Would You Do ?

    Today was the first time ever that we reached a three hour work period!! The children could have gone longer, they sighed when we had to put the materials away and prepare for lunch. While the children were independently working I observed these works in action.


                                                              Botany Cabinet

She discovered the cabinet on her own. Kay is two and half years old. I haven't formally presented her any lesson in Botany. Would you have her put the material away or begin the first presentation of the Botany Cabinet. Kay worked with all drawers today sensorially for one whole hour.
                                             
                                              Binomial Cube

"Mumble" has been with us for only two weeks now. He is four years old with no prior montessori experience. I have introduced him to the Pink Tower and the Brown Stairs he loves working with them. Also he has a liken to numbers,working on recognizing them. Mumble worked today for two hours on the Binomial Cube he did not stop until he completed it, "The box closed" he shouted out.

 Having older children in our group now has helped tremendously to the function of our workcycle. Many of the younger children sit and observe them working with materials that they have never wanted to touch and now they can't keep their hands off of them. I am discovering montessori so I don't know if I was to interrupt their work and say "You have to wait to have a lesson on it".  Kay first instinct was to work with the insets as a puzzle. I have read this in Botany Cabinet presentations.  Mumble was excited to do something he saw others completing and repeated the words of success. I don't want the children to be confused at all .  I want them to understand the method and the progression of our materials.
What Would You Have Done?
Please share any experiences or suggestions. I really would like the help.
Thank You!
                                  

3 comments:

  1. I don't know the answer but I hope you get one. I'd like to find out myself. If you don't a good person to ask would probably be Pilar from Montessori Matters a must read blog!
    http://montessorimatters.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/beyond-flattery-imitation-as-a-learning-tool/

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  2. I would observe. Is the child misusing the materials? In both cases I would say no, so allow them to continue. Give the lesson on the botany cabinet to Kay at some other time. Allow Mumble to try and build the binomial cube again. If the child had been doing something totally unrelated to the proper use of the material, I would stop them and show them how to put the work away.

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  3. Ah, you have the botnay cabinet and bionomial cube--two materials I covet but won't be able to afford. I am by no means an expert myself as I am just learning as I am going from a friend who is a Montessori teacher, but I also love Montessori math. Thanks for visiting!

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