Continent Work

 DJ  has been working on the Africa map puzzle for about a week now. He tends to choose to do this work last. I asked him why, he said "I just want to work on Africa when it is quiet". I love DJs' work ethics anything that he is interested in he always wants to do his very best.

 

                                                          Africa Map Puzzle

DJ  is very happy with the shape of Africa. DJ works with this puzzle and completes it multiple times a day

Using the control chart to trace the map of Africa.

Proudly showing me his traced map work. It is 10:00 p.m, he is working while I am working waiting on the last child to leave for the day.

Coloring the map he traced.

Writing the names of the countries using the control chart.

Along with working on the map puzzle. DJ has been independently reading Lions at Lunchtime . This is a book by Mary Pope Osbourne a part of her Magic Tree House series. Now he is also learning about the different animals that live in Africa.  I am happy that his interest is growing beyond the map puzzle. It looks like we may be doing a lot of work on the continent of Africa.

                                        
                                            

                                          
                                      

                                          
                                           

New Format

I received my vacation notices from the parents that I request at the beginning of our summer session. Quite a few children will be in and out during our summer season. I will still be for the most part continuing on with our montessori activities with the children that are in daily attendance. I am going to use this time to become a better observer. So I decided that I will be journaling more about montessori activities with the three children that will be in my care twenty four hours, seven days a week, my children. Their ages are 6, 9, and 12. I love taking pictures, but its time for me to carry my clipboard around and really start absorbing this great magic that is happening right now. On a daily basis I have become entranced by the fascinating minds of  the children I have been working with. I want this blog to be able to show developments of each child individually that enters my home. I feel the name of this blog is very fitting, each day that I blog will be about a specific activitity that the child is working on and how we are accomplishing it.

                                                   Lisa is reading aloud for the first time to a small group of children. One of the things that she did before she asked anyone if they would like to hear a story was prepare her work on the mat, like she would  independently working.

" There is in every child a painstaking teacher, so skilful that he obtains identical results in all children in all parts of the world.  The only language men ever speak perfectly is the one they learn in babyhood, when no one can teach them anything!"

                                                                                                                       -Maria Montessori

                                                                      

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!

                                  

Toddler Tuesday

   The toddlers have been very patient with the rearranging of spaces. Some were frustrated at times when they went to find certain things on the shelf and could not find them right away. So we went over the school area from corner to corner naming things and finding out where the items are now being kept. So language was a heavy subject. A lot of prepositional phrases were used and a lot of games were played like "Where is the___" They enjoyed this and it helped them to remember where things belong. Change was good it added flavor to the everyday routine and allowed natural learning to occur. Not really too many pictures to show their actual montessori works, but I will share what I have.

                                                               Language

Practicing the sound C makes while making the dots in the circle. This was also a fun hand eye coordination to be able to dot the marker in the circle.

                                          Practical Life
                                        

Sponge squeezing the Island landform . This work idea came from Karen Tylers' Album at Worldwide Montessori. The children loved this work and now they name the landform.

Exploring the broom and dustpan she sees everybody using.

Independently working on putting on her own shoes. This was very rewarding for them. They realized that we could all go outside and play sooner when they didn't have to wait for Miss R and me to put on their shoes.

Outside Fun

                                                            
                                Overall I feel that we had a well rounded week, and looking forward to more real life learning experiences. To see other toddler activities pop over to One Hook Wonder.

Montessori Monday

Yeah!! We received our new materials last week. The children have been more busy helping prepare their enviroment than actually doing independent montessori work. Our space just got a little smaller adding in new materials and shelves. Our days have been spent rearranging and exploring the new goods. Well you know once children get the montessori bug you can't stop them from itchin to do some works. So here are some pics of them squeezing in some work, while preparing the enviroment, and enjoying the sun.

                                                               Practical Life
                                            

Sorting by color and tonging barrettes.Sorting spoons, forks,and knives. Matching measuring spoons and spooning sugar. Tying ribbons on spindles. Scrubbing table.

Language

Working with sandpaper letter and sound drawer. Creating own work, parts of the car.(Any guess who is doing this work?)

                                           
                                                 Geography

Working with United States,and Africa maps.

Art

Botany

Planting herbs.

Outside Fun

Climbing. Blowing Bubbles.

Don't you just love freedom of choice?

 To see what other children have been doing using the montessori method hop over to One Hook Wonder.

                                               

Advanced Practical Life

 The elementary aged children have been very much interested in practical life works. I am slowly but surely adding new items on the shelves to accomodate their interest and needs. I observed that they all liked the lock and key work that I had on the shelf before so I set up this.

                                                        The Combination Lock

                         The child must follow the four steps on the card to succesfully open the lock.
What I really enjoyed while observing them doing this work was how they had to really work hard on their hand eye coordination,and pincer grasp to line up the numbers with the dial.  They reviewed left and right.  Understanding how to count between numbers was also reviewed. There are a lot of  teachable moments with this work. I also heard one child say when they opened the lock "all I had to do was follow the directions". That is a great reward for a child to be able to recognize the process and the result on their own.
                                                                          

Having this work avaliable on the shelf allowed the children to understand the importance behind other works. Now they ask me "why did I put this on the shelf " asking about different works. I answered one of them using the correct language used to describe the aim of that particular work.  Then I asked her "why did you  think I put works on the shelf" ? She said "So we can have fun". That statement made my day.

                                                                          

Early Practical Life

 The more I learn about the montessori method the more excited I become. Being a child care provider for eight years in my home my spark always came from preschoolers. They could talk in complete sentences, answer you back, etc. So my entire child care was set up just for preschoolers. I had the required equipment to serve younger children but my whole daily schedule addressed learning goals for preschoolers. Well, I am happy to say that has all changed, I am just excited to find more activities for the infants as I am for my toddlers, preschoolers, and schoolagers.  The montessori method  helped me to become more aware of the enviroment and I have learned so much about the  "prepared enviroment" that it has kept me focused and sane. My mind has been able to become free of gimmicks, promising your child will be able to do this and that  and back to what really counts.  For $2.00 I brought a comb and a brush . I prepared a early practical life lesson Combing and Brushing the hair.

Miss R presenting "Eli" the brush.

"Eli"  independently working with the comb and brush in front of the mirror.

                                                                            
                               The joy  on "Eli's" face was something I couldn't even photograph. I was so thrillled  for that very moment I couldn't remember the camera, I was so engrossed with pure happiness. Were on a beautiful journey here and its' just getting started!!