Where Did All Of The Leaves Go?

If you haven't witnessed the life cycle of the butterfly first hand I strongly suggest that you do. It is so much fun and the learning that the kids get from observing this miracle is unbeatable to any book on the subject.

                                                                               

When the first child witnessed all of the leaves were gone from the milkweed plant he was upset and thought someone had destroyed the plant. It took an older child to calm him down by explaining that the caterpillars ate the leaves. At first he didn't accept the explanation, but after I suggested to the older child to read the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle to him, Maddux the younger child gleamed with excitement. 

Now Maddux is interested in learning how to grow a milkweed plant, luckily we have some seeds. I love how learning about insects, specifically butterflies is leading Maddux to make connections in the Botany area.  Stay tuned! 

It Is That Time Again...

When we go a little deeper into our study of Butterflies!

This year we will be comparing the Painted Lady Butterfly to the Monarch Butterfly. Also following the interest of the children we have been and will continue to learn more about host plants. 

                                                                         

    Revisiting the life cycle of the butterfly.  

                                                                         

This year the children are asking questions without prompts and recording their observations all by themselves!

                                                                         

This book has been very popular among the children to grab and find some quick answers to their questions.

I learn something new every.single.time. we raise caterpillars!

We are in summer session in a new location, click here for a little tour of our new learning space.

                         

Beginning Woodwork

Lots of things have changed with the program that I offered in my home. If you have been following along with me on my other blog then you are up to date on what has changed as far as the program is unfolding. I am opening up a Project Based Learning Studio. This program is strongly influenced by the Montessori Method and inspired by Reggio Emilia as well. I have four children who will be continuing their learning with me and I hope that time will allow me to share their activities with you here. To learn more about the Project Learning Studio you can visit the website at www.thinkcreateexplore.com.

One of the activities that has been a big hit with the kids is this Melissa & Doug woodworking set.

                                                                                 

It is a car that comes in a wooden box, with a screwdriver ready to be assembled. It is a great work for children to really get use to using a screwdriver.

                                                                       

One of the children who isn't reading yet was able to give it a go using the pictures. What a great skill it is to be able to follow the directions without being able to read a word. What I like most about this kit  is that it is something that can be done over and over. Most importantly it builds confidence within the child to want to complete the task and still want to enjoy learning more about woodworking.

I found this kit at JoAnn Fabrics and with a coupon this well put together kit cost me $12.00. As soon as it is assembled I'll share a picture of the car completed, and yes my first grader who is a girl can't wait to get her hands on it too.

Inspiring Project Work Among Preschoolers

If you have been reading my other blog, or following me on facebook then you know about my latest craziest risk. I am starting a business that will be a Project Based Learning Studio for children from ages three years old through high school. Some of the services that I will be providing are parent/child preschool classes, hosting birthday parties, and selling project kits prepared by me for the child to work on while at the Studio or at home. The bonus is if  the child chooses to work at the Studio is that they will have access to well equipped materials that may inspire projects of their own and a place to showcase/present their project work if they desire. The beauty of it all is that if a child is currently working on their very own project they may bring their own work. Of course my training to become a certified Montessori Guide is definitely preparing me for this task.

One set of materials that I am really giddy about being available in the Studio is this set of music materials that will accompany the Montessori Bells.

This set of materials are not intended to teach the child any music lessons. They are intended to inspire a child! There will be Parts of the Cards available for the child to work with so they can have something to hold, identify, take apart if they so desire. I hope to one day see a child get inspire and research musical instruments. Perhaps some child may be inspired to make their own instruments, what a great project that would be!

The Montessori Bells materials would definitely be used for teaching music. I will follow, observe, and present because surely a child will come back to them if they are interested.    

I'll still be working at home as well too, although I will only be offering half day Montessori Preschool classes three times a week. I will service those who need full time care as well, and relying on a lot of support to make the details solid.

If you are interested in reading more about Project Based Learning I highly recommend this book.

Here is a great link that shares how Montessori IS the original Project-based learning..

Well expect to see more postings as it relates to Project Based Learning for the preschool crowd.    

                                                            
                                                        

Guess The Mystery Number

Lately Maths have become a huge deal around here.

 Working with the Sandpaper Numbers and Number Rods are certainly paying off well for them.

Since the Math shelves have been getting a lot of attention I have been creating some original work of my own, that I must admit that they are loving:)

I found this bank with a fun combination lock on clearance at Target for just $5.88. 

The cool thing about this combination lock is that you can set the number yourself. This inspired me to make  the Guess The Mystery Number work.

  The clue is how many pennies are in the dish on the tray.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 The child counts the pennies as they are putting them in the bank.

 Then they turn the dial to find the number.

Their reward is huge when they have discovered the mystery number and unlock the door, because they get to do it all over again, and again.                                                                         

                                            

We have had wonderful math related conversations since this work has been introduced. Most importantly the children are discovering how numbers are relevant to them.

Linking up with to some amazing blogs!!

                                      

                                                                                                             

Their Status

Really I try to share photos of the children working with different activities, but it ain't happening! They truly are choosing their favorite works over and over which is making them become masters of their work.

 Avi is sharing with her friend that she has a plum, articulating every sound PL-U-M.

 E has been into Sandpaper letters for awhile and he truly knows them all, but isn't quite ready to move on. He loves to trace them and say the sound. Every now and then he will get an object to match it to the letter.

 Mia is so absorbed by the pictures in the Africa folder and can name some of the objects and places.

 Maddux is doing quite well, his sense of order shines. He supervises the shelves to make sure everything is in it's proper place and ready for the next person. If it isn't he does the work himself and places it back on the shelf correctly, every time.

 Jaida is learning a lot from the environment, she follows and observes. Her practical life skills are awesome.

 I was really happy when I saw Jaida using the Metal Insets to assist her with the sorting work.

 Eli ask so many questions! We have decided to write them all done so I can make sure we get the answers before the week is over. His most favorite question is Can I have a lesson? It doesn't matter if it is the Checkerboard material or the Pink Tower, he wants a lesson.

Here's Jalen one of the toddlers who tries his best to join us everyday. Jalen is leaving for the day and wants to say good bye to the Numnber Rods( he really wanted to take them home:).

It just isn't enough time in our day!
                                                                          

Cleaning Up!

Clean up time here is one of the best parts of the school day here. The children love to dust, roll the mats , check the shelves. One of the struggles I have had was finding a good child size sweeper. We do have a corn broom, but often times that leaves a mess behind too, it can be a bit frustrating especially for the kiddos who have worked so hard to master the sweeping process.

About a month ago I was contacted by someone who works for a marketing company for Bissell to see if I would like to try out one of their sweepers, I jumped at the chance and I am so glad that I did! I chose the Natural Sweep Sweeper.

                                                                                 
After I opened the box I became really excited, and so was my son (age8) who was able to put  it together in under ten minutes.

    It is really simple to put together and it really sweeps!

Another feature that I was looking for in a sweeper is the size. As you can tell from the above photo it is just the right size for my son. He is able to gain control of the sweeper which makes it a joy for him to use.

The handles that attach are adjustable, so it can be used by a much smaller person as well. It is truly a one size fits all sweeper.

     
One more thing that make this a perfect sweeper for us is there is no noise. While some children may be working, others may be finding their work in sweeping. No one has to be disturbed and no long cords needing to be plugged in or dragged around.. A toddler has also been able to use this sweeper because of  it's light weight and the handles can easily be adjusted.

We have had our Natural Sweep for about a month now and it is still working just like it did the first day. The only problem I have is making sure everyone gets the job of sweeping, because the children love it too.  I haven't had to sweep since it's arrival!            

I am very impressed with this sweeper as a mother and a preschool owner I can't tell you enough how the Natural Sweep has improved our clean up time and spirit. It is affordable! Right now you can purchase the Natural Sweep for just $29.99 with free shipping, just click here.  I also have a coupon code "sweepupMS" which will get you $5.00 off your purchase, it is good until the end of the year.  


Disclaimer: I was given a Natural Sweep in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.