Kathy's Montessori Life

What is the Reggio Approach?

2012-01-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

As an artist, I am interested integrating art into a Montessori classroom.

I have recently become aware and interested in the Reggio approach or

method. There are a few schools that combine the methods and have

an Artilier as part of their Montessori programs.

http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/reggio/montessorijourney.html

(MacDonald Montessori Child Care combines programs with some compromises! )Here is an good article that explains Reggio and the Artilier:

This article discusses an early childhood program administrator's reflections on her visit to the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. The following six themes are discussed: (1) teachers' respect for each child; (2) teachers' emphasis on relationships; (3) the importance of art as the medium chosen to represent children's thinking; (4) the critical role of communication; (5) the relaxed pace in the schools; and (6) the teachers' different roles. The article concludes with ideas and questions inspired by the visit that the administrator would like to share with colleagues in a gifted education environment.

"The graphic arts, broadly defined as any form of
visual artistic representation, are their chosen media

to share with others what children are thinking,

doing, feeling, learning, and experiencing. They teach

children art techniques to give them tools to express

their ideas.

Being artistic and creative is highly valued in this

school culture. Large space is allocated to art

studios, called ateliers, for the school. Each

classroom has a small art studio, mini-atelier,

connected to it where art materials are plentiful and

accessible to the children. Aesthetically pleasing

environments are designed purposefully. The ateliers

in each school are filled with recyclable materials

(e.g., glass beads, pipes, sockets, ceramic pieces)

and natural elements (e.g., rocks, stones, beans,

barley, seeds, seed pods, dried flowers). All of the

materials are laid out aesthetically on open shelves

and in clear containers, creating hues of colors to

behold. In the bathrooms, there are glass containers

of colored water...mobiles hang from the

ceilings with materials that reflect light such as

clear beads, tin foil, and coins. Dividers are made

out of transparent materials including acetate murals,

strings of beads, and low, see-through shelves.

Furniture provides space to work at all levels,

including tables and chairs that are at adult heights.

Children have high stools to sit at the high tables

and small chairs to sit at the low ones. The

difference in levels is aesthetically pleasing.

The children's work in progress is left out,

reflecting active and ongoing engagement. Teachers

carefully lay out materials for the next day's choices

of activities. Materials are chosen thoughtfully. In

one room, I noticed the teacher in her mini-atelier

working with a small group of 4-year-olds. The

children were painting representations of flowers. The

teacher had premixed four shades of pink for the

children to use. No matter what the children did with

the paint, the colors were beautiful! I saw the

teacher put her hand on a student's hand to help him

wipe off the paintbrush so paint would not drip. I saw

a teacher go to another part of the room to get a

child who was engaged in another activity to come into

the mini-atelier to work on a clay representation of a

tree. It was something that she wanted him to do.

In another school, I saw large murals of colored

designs in different hues of color. One contained

oranges and yellows. Another was a mural with pinks

and purples; another contained blues and greens. The

atelierista told me that she mixed these colors for

children to "experiment with the pleasures of working

within hues of colors." There were signs on the wall

about how to mix colors. One board that was displayed

in the atelier explained in great detail all of the

ways one could mold clay to create spirals, circles,

rectangles, triangles, the sun, and crosses.

Many of the students' investigations were about

natural phenomena. I saw an ongoing study of trees.

While making clay representations of trees, the

classroom teacher helped children learn the technique

of using water and clay mixed to form a glue that held

other clay pieces together. The other teacher in the

same room showed children how to use a real leaf to

make an imprint of the veins onto a clay piece.

Children had many opportunities to learn, practice,

and apply techniques related to visual arts.

Their artistic representations were highly valued and

were the basic medium for the public to view their

work. I bought a book from one school that contained

children's drawings of trees and quotations about

their drawings. Many schools sell other artifacts,

sharing the children's work with the world...

Artifacts include bookmarks, T-shirts,

sweatshirts, books telling the story of their

projects, and posters of children's drawings.

I saw beautiful mosaics at one school where the

atelierista specialized in both science and art and

had a particular passion for working with natural

materials. The mosaics were done on glass-covered

tables-not glued but carefully placed in a background

of small seeds. The texture was like sand. Each mosaic

could be done again and wiped away with a block to

smooth the palette. Children were carefully building

structures with stones, marble scraps, blocks, and

other materials while I was there. I observed children

explaining their building structures to all of the

other children under the teacher's direction. I was

most impressed with the atelierista's guidance of an

activity with an insect. He put a dead insect under a

large magnifying glass and projected the enlarged

image onto a video screen. He provided black markers

and white paper for the children to make an

observational drawing from the large screen image."

(The article goes on to discuss music here)

ECRP

Volume 3 Number 1

©The Author(s) 2001
Reflections and Impressions from Reggio Emilia:"It's Not about Art!"
Nancy B. Hertzog
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

So...What is with those Hanging Froebel Yarn Balls??

2012-01-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

That was my question after noticing that Nienhuis Montessori is
now selling a version of Froebelian hanging yarn balls
for toddlers. The stated purpose is:
"Use of this material provides the toddler practice in hand-eye coordination, recognition of color and the differences between 2 and 3 dimensional shapes."

Check the Niehuis version out here:
http://www.nienhuis.com/index.php?target=categories&category_id=1759&page=2

The rational straight from the Froebel USA website
for the original idea (known as a Gift 1) is:
"This Gift consists of 12 soft yarn balls of approximately 2" in diameter -- two balls each in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. One of each color pair has a string, the other does not. The string (approx. 6 inches long) has a loop on one end so that they can be dangled. It is introduced while the child is still an infant and is used for children ages 3 mos. (with adult participation) to 4 years. The balls come packed in a wood slide-top storage box. Froebel recognized that a ball is often a first or favorite toy of infants. It is lightweight and easy to grasp or hold. For Froebel, the ball symbolized unity because it is a complete whole, a pure form. The whole is the beginning of understanding and everything else is derived from the whole."
These can be purchased here:
http://www.froebelusa.com/froebel-gifts/gift-1-12-yarn-balls-in-box/

Here are some creative yarn balls from Etsy:

Toddler Trays

2012-01-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

http://montessori-n-such.com/detail.aspx?ID=979

...or how to organize your activities for young
children. If your activity is organized on a tray
it isolates the activity and gives it a time (work cycle) and space
control. The child takes down the materials to
a rug (which is another space control) and lays
out the materials, does the activity, replaces the
materials on the tray and then returns the tray
to the shelf or cubby. The teacher/parent
replaces consumable items and its ready to
do again the next time or for the next child.
An important step for the teacher/parent is
to either display the work or put it in a journal
so there is a record and accountability
for the work accomplished. Sometimes this
can come in the form of a photograph of
the completed activity placed in a work
journal. If it is a stamping activity or small
book or similar consumable, the item
should be saved and/or displayed.
Some great examples of trays are
at Tot Trays here:
http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/TraysforTots.html
She gives some good storage ideas
as well. I store my materials in plastic
stacking drawers from Rubbermaid.
They are in primary colors and fit nicely
above between the spaces of my
oak shelves and the ceiling. Of course
they could be stacked up in a closet
as well or on shelves or just stacked
one on top of another in a corner.
Rotating your trays and activities
is important. I like the idea of setting
out equipment that will fit on trays
with guided activities, viz the small
red and blue rods, or numbers and
counters or part of the pink tower (the smaller cubes).
Anything that can fit on the tray
and be carried safely will work...so
be creative!
Kathy

New Geo Shapes for Toddlers!

2012-01-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!
Our friends at Young Minds at Play are
offering a coupon on their geometric shapes
puzzle. The quality is outstanding! I bought
several myself and they are really superb!
Here is a pix of my grandson working with Jeff's handmade materials.

Terrific Tesselations

2011-12-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

Did you know that tesselations are a part of the Montessori cirriculum...
falling somewhere between sensorial and geometry;or maybe better
stated a sensorial application of geometric shapes? MWEI has
a nice webpage and illustrations here:
http://homepage.mac.com/montessoriworld/mwei/sensory/stessel.html
A video presentation is here:
http://homepage.mac.com/montessoriworld/mwei/Course1/VideoCourse1/Tessellation.html

Jeff at Young Minds at play has made a beautiful set of wooden
shapes in trays following this idea which you can find here:
http://youngmindsatplay.com/tessellation_square
http://youngmindsatplay.com/tessellation_rectangular

Here are the patterns for the shapes to make control cards etc. :

Lots of Great Christmas and Winter Paper Craft

2011-12-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

This site has so many great projects and graphics...

for those last minute cards and activities or for winter

themed activities go here...

http://cp.c-ij.com/en/event/christmas/decoration/index.html

A Beautiful Nativity

2011-12-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

...the birth of my grandson! Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas Nativity Sets

2011-12-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

I love the variety and beauty of these nativity sets. (I include
some to play with in the mix...see if you can spot them!)

Native Nativity

Japanese Kokeshi Nativity (my personal favorite!)

Crocheted Nativity

Olive Wood Nativity from the Middle East

German Nativity

Peruvian Nativity

African Nativity

Waldorfian Nativity

Little People Nativity

Polish Nativity

Nativity on the fountain at Temple Square

Thanksgiving Sale at Young Minds at Play

2011-11-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am excited to get my new order. Only one more puzzle left
to own the complete the geometry cabinet. That will be my
Christmas present to my Montessori room! Jeff is great to work
with and open to ideas and suggestions. Below is their fall newsletter

and a 20% coupon! Just click on the link...
Young Minds at Play Newsletter

Felt Food Thanksgiving!

2011-11-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

All items available at "Etsy"

Let's start with a turkey!

or Ham (or both)

Veggies

Potatoes, Mashed and Sweet Yams

Cranberries and Chestnuts

Salads (Green and Fruit)

Dessert (Tarts and Pies)

Rolls

Center Pieces and Thanksgiving Decor

montessori workjobs: Nomenclature Cards

2011-11-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

montessori workjobs: Nomenclature Cards: free nomenclature cards by montessori workjobs: botany bulb & book
pumpkin & book
earth science volcano book (only)
human bo...

Fabulous Felt Maps

2011-11-14T14:33:00.001-08:00

Hi all,
I'm back from Ohio (new grandson)...
(OSU tailgaters at the games, now there's a post!
I shall restrain myself...) I really did enjoy the visit
and the beautiful fall weather and huggin' my
little grandsons!!!

I've been wanting to make or purchase my own large
Montessori world/continents felt map. I have so many
nice plastic animals that would make a great
animals of the continents. Here's what I found in my
research:
DIY

http://www.childandme.com/geography-felt-continent-map/

http://www.unitedmontessori.com/blog/2011/4/12/geography-planisphere-map.html

http://goalongs.com/?p=51

http://www.raccoonschool.com/2011/07/felt-continent-map.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whgrad/484500603/

Wool Felt:

http://www.magiccabin.com/product.asp?pcode=185

http://www.achildsdream.com/wool_felt/holland_wool_felt.htm

http://www.achildsdream.com/wool_felt/wool_felt.htm

Pre made

http://montessori-n-such.com/detail.aspx?ID=2082

Book Binding For Kids

2011-11-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

For a how to for making mini books and
children's binding projects click:

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/

Babies Everywhere!

2011-11-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's a baby! My third grandson got here
through mom's complications (broken
hip and c section) beautiful and perfect.

We love him lots!

Beautimus Blacklines!

2011-10-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.blacklinemasters.net/category/maps (color to match your puzzles)

http://www.blacklinemasters.net/category/math (some great grids here)

http://www.blacklinemasters.net/category/flags (for geography work)

http://math.about.com/od/addingsubtracting/ss/Adding20.htm (computation...

theses make great extensions)

http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/videos/Gone%20West/496_BM.pdf

(American history and geography...I'd use these to make matching cards etc.)

http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/Games/GamestoMake/games_to_make.htm

(learning games)

http://www.abcschoolhouse.com/index.html (this site has free pre-views

of their purchased materials for free download...lots of cute pix here)

http://www.loyolapress.com/god-loves-us-kindergarten-blackline-masters.htm

(christian blacklines...good for making cards, story booklets or just for coloring)

http://lrt.ednet.ns.ca/PD/BLM/table_of_contents.htm

(the math and geometry motherload!)

http://printables.atozteacherstuff.com/645/pumpkins-printables-and-worksheets/ (in honor of the fall season...many pumpkin themed activites)

http://printables.atozteacherstuff.com/ (more of their offerings)

Enjoy!

Advanced Landforms

2011-10-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

We colored our advanced land forms yesterday.
Here are some land form resources:
(This is an amazing list with photos!)
http://geology.about.com/library/bl/images/bllandformindex.htm

http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Advanced-Land-Water-Forms-Kit-_p_261.html

http://montessoritidbits.blogspot.com/2011/02/trekking-across-us-arizona.html

http://www.4shared.com/document/yF9X2wmM/MontessoriTidbits_canyon_or_bu.html

http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/landforms.htm

Udate! Practical Life and Toddler List

2011-09-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hi there,
I am composing this list of practical life resources, including
pictures (for ideas), catalogues (ready made materials...more ideas)
and lists (albums...still more great ideas).
Have fun making your own sets of Practical Life Activities:

Practical Life Activities List:

http://montessorimom.com/practical-life/

http://thehometeacher.blogspot.com/2009/03/practical-life-more-on-montessori.html

http://www.montessoriservices.com/classroom-activity-sets/practical-life-basic-exercises

http://www.montessoriservices.com/classroom-activity-sets/practical-life-extensions

http://faculty.fullerton.edu/syen/mts/life/_link.htm

http://www.jmplearning.com/Practical_Life_jmplearning_com_s/3.htm

http://countingcoconuts.blogspot.com/search/label/Sensory%20Tubs

http://www.flickr.com/photos/montessorisecrets/sets/72157607975789604/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31530946@N05/sets/72157608280989075/

Sofia Cavalletti Passing...

2011-09-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

http://books.google.com/books?id=4U2dgU-xevkC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false

Sofia Cavalletti, 94, dies
The following is the message sent out by the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA board:
With tears and with peace, we want to share with you that our beloved Sofia Cavalletti, at 94, a founding mother of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, has entered the celestial pasture of the Good Shepherd. There is great rejoicing in heaven for her with Gianna, Tilde, Fr. Mongillo, Maria Christleib and Tina, along with members of her family who have gone before her.
Francesca Cocchini sent the following announcement from Rome, Italy: "Dearest, this is only to say that during this night - at ten after midnight (Tuesday, August 23) Sofia encountered the Good Shepherd face to face." The funeral Mass will be on Wednesday, August 24.
Francesca also shared the announcement for the Italian newspaper, Repubblica:
"The Maria Montessori Association for the Religious Formation of the Child sings the Magnificat for the life of Sofia Cavalletti who gave the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to the Church. Eucharist is at 11 am, Wednesday, 24 August, at S. Giovanni dei Florentini Church, Rome."
Sofia goes ahead of a large family of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechists and children in thirty-seven countries around the world. A Hebrew and scripture scholar, Sofia began to work with children in 1954, collaborating with Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori educator. Together they were called and inspired by the children they served to listen, watch, and deepen an understanding of children's spirituality in relationship with God.
Sofia leaves to the world an approach to the Christian formation of children from the ages of three to twelve that is theologically sound, systematic, and rich in Bible, liturgy, and sacred history. Sofia's reverence for the Bible and liturgy, her fresh and compelling style of writing and speaking, her wise and intelligent way of discussing complicated theological themes simply, her sense of humor, and personal warmth will be greatly missed by many.
Please go to our Facebook page (The National Association of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) to share your prayers and remembrances of Sofia and feel free to forward this email to other catechists & friends you know who may not yet be members of our association.
http://www.cgsusa.org/

For Godly Play click here:

http://www.godlyplayfoundation.org/newsite/Main.php

Amazing Japanese Toys!

2011-09-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

These are truly more than toys...they are works of art!
Enjoy!!

More Mats!

2011-09-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Felt Multiplication Checkerboard:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/58187180/multiplication-checkerboard-montessori?ref=v1_other_2

Solar Sytem Mat Instructions:
http://letitbemontessori.typepad.com/let-it-be-montessori/2011/07/make-your-own-solar-system-mat.html

Place Value Heirarchy Mat:
http://www.azokacompany.com/

"Counting Through" Mat (Place Value)
http://great-extensions.com/quiltedmats.html

World Mat: (lots of other great mats here too!)
http://www.wasecabiomes.org/canvas-mats/geography-mats/continent-mat/

Math Mats!

2011-09-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about making or ordering
some mats for math and for other Montessori
excercises. Here is what I found along
my research road:

http://squirrelacorns.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/golden-bead-quilt/#comment-644
http://www.bambini-montessori.com/cf-bin/prod_list.cfm?ProdCat=4
http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/270370
http://www.montessorimatsnmore.com/
http://gardenoffrancis.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_14&products_id=48
http://www.etsy.com/listing/64598371/montessori-stamp-game-mat-pattern-pdf
http://www.etsy.com/listing/76194244/montessori-checkerboard-pattern-pdf-for?ref=v1_other_2
http://www.etsy.com/listing/64813418/montessori-stamp-game-mat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22337162@N05/3371703856/in/photostream

http://www.montessori-n-such.com/detail.aspx?ID=2849

Exciting New Geo Cabinet and Puzzles

2011-09-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

I can't wait until my new things get here!

Here's what I ordered from Jeff at
Young Minds at Play...
The 3 circle puzzle
The 6 circle puzzle
The 3 shapes puzzle

The "Roundy" shapes (my kids name for them)

Next I will order the squares and
new cabinet to hold all these
puzzles! Jeff is also making some
anatomy puzzles with the
bones of the hand being his first

puzzle. Enjoy these pictures and materials!

Home again!

2011-08-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I am back home from my elementary training in Michigan.
We have a seminar in October as part of the training back
in Michigan. In the meantime...lots of organization at home!
I went through my Montessori Materials yesterday. Now that
I've had this training, I'll reorganize my shelves and albums
a bit. I have a much better idea of how the math materials
are used especially and I hope to collect or buy a complete
elementary set through this year. My classmates sent along
their pictures of the training, which I really appreciate, having
not taken many pix with an old (gasp) real 50 mil. film
camera. The job is to download them all to my computer
from those that are sharing with me....big big job.
More later...

Something New: Big Bead Work!

2011-08-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

I found these really great 2 cm beads and pointers that I want to
share:
http://montessori-filz.at/shop/article_314/QUADRATI.html?shop_param=cid%3D12%26aid%3D314%26
http://montessori-filz.at/shop/article_314/QUADRATI.html?shop_param=cid%3D12%26aid%3D314%26
These are for the bead chaining and squaring work.
Pointers for these beads can be found here:
http://217.196.69.168/0331bit2253/public_html/lernmaterial/downloads/pfeile-quadratketten.pdf
The squaring beads have heavy felts included with holes for the
beads to rest in. I suppose if you are quite handy, you could string your
own beads and make your own felts...

Zoology Nomeclature

2011-07-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today in our training we did the 6-9 zoology nomenclature and folders.
The folders are red with the parts being highlighted in red like this:

You can make your own nomenclature with blacklines or purchase the
cards or download materials here:
http://montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_13_23&products_id=15
http://www.shop.montessoriprintshop.com/Zoology_c114.htm
http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Zoology_c_20.html
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/montessori_materials/nomenclature_cards/
(freebies and member files...scroll down for all the goodies)
For a nice explanation of the role of Zoology in the Montessori classroom
click here:http://montessorischoolhouse.org/content/zoology
A free album (curriculum) is here: http://www.moteaco.com/albums/biology2.html

Puzzles are here:http://www.montessorioutlet.com/cgi-bin/item/510600130/5106/Montessori-Outlet-Animal-Puzzle-Activity-Set

Oh The Places You Will Go...No. 2

2011-07-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Fostering the spirit of independence and inquisitive exploration in our

children is the goal of a Montessori Education...so here's to you my children

now in England and Italy and Michigan!

Giant Geometry

2011-07-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

...the NOMENCLATURE, that is! Wow what a huge set of cards
and concepts. I am debating which company to order all my
geometry nomenclature from, now that I've had the training...
here are the options:
http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Geometry-Folders-Set_p_351.html
http://www.jmjpublishing.com/hope4memembers.html
(scroll down...lots of free goodies here as well, highlighted in red)

www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?products_id=48

http://www.alisonsmontessori.com/Geometry_Nomenclature_p/m182.htm
http://www.montessoriresources.com/CLASSIFIED-NOMENCLATURE-OF-GEOMETRY-P597C10.aspx
http://www.montessori123.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=geometry
A Montessori Blogger explains (Montessori Spanish):
http://montessorispanish.blogspot.com/2009/04/geometry-training-nomenclature.html
Here's another Blurb about the Geometry Cirriculum:
Geometry in Montessori follows the historical development of the subject which began as a concrete experience with abstractions following at a later time, as with the Egyptian pyramids. Each child follows the same sequence, first by exploring the concrete materials and later moving on to abstract formulae and principles. Both plane and solid geometry are explored through sensorial experience. The geometry nomenclature material provides the child vocabulary with which they can further classify their world.http://www.voyagerschool.org/curriculum_geometry.html
A great Printable Free Scope and sequence for each lesson for
the Montessori Geometry!
http://www.elizrosshubbell.com/portfolio/geometryunit.pdf

Test Tube Division

2011-07-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
We've been busy working with a material in training that I have been
curious about how to use for some time...it is known as Test Tube
Division or Racks and Tubes. Here are some links to how to do the
lessons:

http://www.infomontessori.com/mathematics/passage-to-abstraction-racks-and-tubes.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3QQfIZFKjA
http://www.tjleone.com/long_division_montessori_version.htm
http://www.alisonsmontessori.com/Long_Division_Material_p/m76.htm
http://www.montessoriresources.com/Long-Division-MaterialBoardsBeadsTest-Tubes-P890C13.aspx (Gonzagareddi is much more expensive, but you can
take a look here at the materials and Albanesi support materials)
Here is their blurb:
This material is used for both short and long division, with dividends up to the millions and divisors of 1 to 4 digits. The complete set of material consists of a) seven wooden racks (3 white for simple units, 3 grey for thousands, 1 black for millions) each containing ten glass tubes, each of which holds exactly ten beads; b) 700 hundred beads in green, blue or red, for the glass tubes; c) seven cups in white, grey or black on the outside and with the appropriate hierarchical color on the inside; d) four wooden division boards, hierarchically color-coded; e) four sets of wooden skittles in hierarchical colors, 36 in all, in a wooden box; f) a wooden tray for holding the material and a wooden box for storing the material. The printed notes of this Montessori presentation from our CME Teacher Preparation Course are available for purchase from this webpage. Please search for: Long Division Game

More Review Today

2011-06-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

We've finished our review of the 3-6 materials today. It was
quite alot to plow through in a short amount of time. It was
good to see the materials presented again and slightly differently

than in my originally training with St. Nicholas. This seems a
bit more relaxed in some ways...I have picked up many new
ideas and tips. Today we went through the entire math sequence
(love those beads!) and finished up with a "Peace" video.
I sorted and cleaned the bead cabinents and pointers. There
are a couple of young girls at the training willing to color our
charts and posters! There is so much to get done in a short
amount of time...gotta read an assignement tonight...better
get to it...
More later!

Second Day of Class

2011-06-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

...a BIG REVIEW...notice the BIG LETTERS?
It's been a good thing though. Every training does
things a bit differently. I've learned some new ideas
for transitioning from three letter words to those
with dipthongs and other letter combinations.
We learned a dot and dash method and using
fingers to sound out and combine the letters
with the use of the moveable alphabet. We also
saw two different reading schemes...I wondered
what the red and blue moveable alphabets were
about...my 3-6 training used the pink, blue and
green reading levels, so this was quite different.
More time is spend on the three letter combinations
with groupings of letters in isolation.
Gotta get some sleep! Big day tomorrow!!
K.

Summer Training

2011-06-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

I am here! I made it to Michigan to do my elementary
AMS training...it starts tomorrow morning in Rochester Hills!
I'll post my impressions as I go...
http://www.montessoriedu.com/home
http://www.montessoriedu.com/courses-of-study/elementary-courses
K.

I Kinda Had a Feeling...

2011-05-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Who Taught Wyatt How to Write?
by Pilar Bewley
Montessori Blog

Peter and Margaret had heard that children in Montessori schools were precocious learners. Their neighbor’s five-year old daughter, Jenny, began to read and write while she attended the local Montessori school. They didn’t know much about the method, but when the time came to enroll their three-year-old son Wyatt in a pre-school, they decided to give Montessori a chance.

To their dismay, Wyatt didn’t seem to do anything academic during his first year of Montessori, but he sure was active! He washed tables, sewed on cardboard, polished silver, traced and made drawings of geometric shapes, looked at picture cards, built a pink tower, stroked boards with sandpaper, and lifted little cylinders by their tiny knobs.

During Parent’s Night, Peter and Margaret visited Wyatt’s classroom and found his ability to trace the sandpaper letters quite adorable. He also showed them how he formed words like cat and flag with large plastic letters on a rug. All this was charming, but they wondered how he would go from these activities to writing phrases, like their young neighbor Jenny was doing, without first practicing with pencil and paper. After all, not once during that first year had Wyatt’s teacher exposed him to a workbook, a #2 pencil, or lined paper!

The boy’s parents were nervous; many of the non-Montessori parents in their playgroup spent several hours each week engaged in workbook activities with their young children, showing them how to connect dots and color large letters. Peter and Margaret wondered if they should do the same.

Wyatt’s teacher, however, asked them to refrain from offering academic work at home, assuring them that the boy was engaged in several purposeful activities in the classroom that would eventually lead him to write and then read. She encouraged them to involve Wyatt in hands-on activities at home; share fun experiences in nature; and help him build his vocabulary through conversations, poems, and stories about the real world.

One day, when Wyatt was about four-and-a-half years old, the family was having dinner at a restaurant. With a pencil he was using for coloring, Wyatt carefully wrote his name in cursive on the paper placemat. Oblivious to his parents’ surprised expressions, he went on to write in cursive the things he saw around him: fork, dish, napkin, and plant. From then on, he wanted to write words all day long!

His parents were thrilled, but full of questions for his teacher. How was it possible for Wyatt to develop this difficult skill if he never used workbooks or connected dots to learn the shapes of letters? How was he able to hold the pencil so confidently and with so much control, when youngsters normally press the pencil so hard onto the paper that they tear it? And above all, how could he enjoy the activity so much when most children have to be forced to practice their writing skills?

The answers to all their questions can be found in the seemingly unrelated work Wyatt did during his first year in the classroom. His arm and wrist gained strength as he scrubbed tables and squeezed sponges. He gained mastery over his fingers as he carefully pushed a needle through a piece of cardboard. He learned how to control a writing instrument by applying polish with a cotton-tipped stick. By holding little knobs with three fingers he learned how to grip a pencil. He gained fluidity of wrist movement by tracing shapes. Lightness of touch was obtained by stroking different grades of sandpaper, and he expanded his vocabulary by learning the names associated with beautiful pictures of trees, birds, fruits, and insects.

When Wyatt understood the concept of writing – that letters representing sounds are put together to form words – his hand was ready and willing to help him express his thoughts on paper!

This entire process – what we call indirect preparation for writing – was thoroughly enjoyable for Wyatt because all of the activities he was engaged in fed his psychological needs. In other words, the work he did in the Montessori classroom responded to the internal drives all young children have to learn through movement, to explore their language, and to experience the world through their senses. When a child’s education is designed with these sensitivities in mind, learning is easy and pleasurable.

By satisfying his present needs, Wyatt’s teacher guided him towards the fulfillment of a seemingly unrelated future goal (writing). This indirect approach to education is a thread that is woven throughout the Montessori curriculum, from the early years of Children’s House (pre-school) through the advanced work of Upper Elementary and beyond. The feeling of satisfaction and self-fulfillment it gives the children is priceless.

Wyatt can confirm this. I recently asked him: “Wyatt, who taught you how to write?” He happily replied: “Nobody taught me. I taught myself!” And the truth is, he did.

Pilar Bewley is an AMI trained Primary teacher. She is currently enrolled in AMI Elementary training in Bergamo, Italy.

"Discipline must come through liberty. . . . We do not consider an individual disciplined only when he has been rendered as artificially silent as a mute and as immovable as a paralytic. He is an individual annihilated, not disciplined. We call the individual disciplined when he is master of himself....”

Maria Montessori

New Materials at Young Minds at Play!

2011-05-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

You've heard me rave about Jeff's wonderful handmade
Montessori materials...now he's printed a new catalogue
and even received awards for his work! Congrats!!
Check out his products at:

http://www.youngmindsatplay.com/images/SpringCatalog2011.pdf

Get Set Up and Organized!

2011-05-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

For ideas to organize your Montessori classroom at home or
at school here are some resources
https://picasaweb.google.com/learningmontessori/ClassroomOfMsCAndMsP?feat=directlink#
http://www.flickr.com/photos/montessoribyhand/sets/72157602128379274/
http://montessoritraining.blogspot.com/2009/03/principles-of-montessori-prepared.html
http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/organization
http://www.mommymoment.ca/2010/06/classroom-view.html
http://pinterest.com/thelittlelist/learning-spaces/
...and for the uber-Montessori classrooms look here:

http://www.lordequip.com/shop/
http://www.julianagroup.com/classroom_furniture.lasso?page=hits&Category=Furniture
http://www.alisonsmontessori.com/Montessori_Materials_Furniture_s/23.htm
http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/curricula/MontessoriFurniture.html
http://www.montessoriwoods.com/ (includes consulting service)
http://www.nienhuis.com/en/furniture.html

We're Home

2011-05-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

After two weeks on an Island in the Great Northwest we are home...
I already miss the forest and the water. We have lovely mountains
here though...so in honor of all the nature I've enjoyed seeing I
will do a Forest Biomes materials post.

Here are some great resources:
Enchanted Learning has wonderful print materials for forest Biomes
here: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/taiga/taiga.shtml
and http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/tempdecid/tempdecid.shtml
(for other biomes see the bar at the top of the page)

Waseca has wood biome maps you can find here:
http://www.wasecabiomes.org/continent-studies/namerica-biomecurriculum/
World Biomes website has good resources here:
http://worldbiomes.com/biomes_forest.htm
For plastic animal replicas for North American Forests

try here: http://www.shopatron.com/products/category/740.0.1.1.33307.70682.73016.0.0
or here: http://www.schleich-s.com/en/action_figures/collectables/product_range/world_of_nature/wild_life/animals_of_america/index.html
Here is a lovely set of cards and a book around the Redwood Forest Theme:

http://polaris-microsystems.com/montessori_images_shop/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&cPath=108_119&products_id=486

Living Life Cycles

2011-05-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

UPDATE
Here are a few more life cycle things from http://www.jmplearning.com/Biology_Science_jmplearning_com_s/7.htm

My parent's recent health challenges have got me
thinking about the seasons and cycles of life.
It is important to bring children into the understanding
of life, maturing, aging and death. Here are some
great life cycle resources from Montessori suppliers:

Human Life Cycle Puzzle

Bean Life Cycle Puzzles

Life Cycle strip Puzzles
(Melissa and Doug)

Plastic Ladybug Life Cycle Models

Butterfly Life Cycle Cards from Montessori Print Shop

Frog Puzzle

Apple Life Cycle Chart and Cards

Butterfly Life Cycle Puzzle

Life Cycle of the Pumpkins Cards

Human Embryo

Chicken Embryo Chart

Frog Life Cycle Stamping Set

Life Cycle Booklets from Enchanted Learning

Happy Mothers Day!!

2011-05-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Children's Book Illustrations

2011-05-05T01:49:00.000-07:00

I love collecting vintage children's book illustrations to

print in my own books that I bind. I am taking my third

bookbinding class and enjoying myself.

Here are some great examples of illustrations I've collected...

Sorting Cards for Biology

2011-04-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

The pictures from the former post (below) would be great for
making cards for sorting. Here is a really wonderful
post describing how to create and use cards for biology
and takes you through the steps of living/ non-living and
then the classification of zoology.
It is worth the read through the post!
http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2011/03/zoology-taxonomy.html

Great Free Botany and Zoology Pix

2011-04-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

My favorite nature site is back blogging and posting.
She's actually been busy photographing an entire book
soon to be published. Many pictures are up online
and would be great to make matching, sorting, or three part cards.
Just go to any of her titles from this page and click:
http://www.english-country-garden.com/

You can access her blog from this page too:
http://english-country-garden.blogspot.com/

More Mini Montessori

2011-04-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.absorbentminds.co.uk/acatalog/Absorbent_Minds.html
Absorbent Minds out of England now
has smaller sized versions of maps:

5 puzzle maps of the world, Europe, UK, Ireland and France.
The puzzles are 37cm x 29cm.

5 puzzle maps of 5 continents: North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.

The puzzles are 37cm x 29cm.

4 mini knobbed cylinder blocks (157mmx40mm) with 5 cylinders in each.

Pretty Practical Life

2011-04-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

Practical Life objects can be BEAUTIFUL! I've been
hunting around on Etsy for hand made containers...
child sized bowls, pitchers, for transferring,
pouring, juicing etc. There are some really lovely things,
for quite reasonable prices. Some of the vendors
will custom make items.
Here is the list:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/glyntpottery?ref=top_trail
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DirtKicker?ref=top_trail
http://www.etsy.com/shop/IllyriaPottery?section_id=6636833
http://www.etsy.com/shop/nealpottery
http://www.etsy.com/shop/darshanpottery
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrimativePots?section_id=7321954

Back from Michigan!

2011-04-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Wow is Michigan beautiful. I had a nice visit with my daughter
and grandkids. I got to visit their Montessori school twice and
tour three primary classrooms. The school is great...well
staffed and equipped. There is the spirit of Montessori
dwelling there. The staff seems well prepared and
qualified to teach. It is interesting seeing a large
school operating from the primary through the
middle school levels.

Today I put together a button box for my little grandson.
I've been collecting large, larger and HUGE buttons for
a couple of years now. I found the perfect box for
the buttons...a used Huggies wipes box with the
soft opening in the top. He's enjoying putting in the
buttons over and over. For this activity you need
a tray, a bowl for the buttons and the wipes box.
(I did have to show him how to open the box after
he put all the buttons inside.) Make sure the
buttons are really big so that they cannot
be choked on!

Super sized buttons can be found here:
http://www.k12schoolsupplies.net/Arts-&-Crafts-Buttons-s/83.htm

Box can be found here:
http://www.huggies.com/en-US/products/wipes
(of course you'll need to remove the wipes)

Tray can be found here:
http://montessori-n-such.com/detail.aspx?ID=979

Happy Birthday to Crazy Jo

2011-03-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

Today is my No. 1 grandson's birthday!

Already a big boy 5 year old!!

... and here's the little No. 2 grandson eating

Sketti in my kitchen...

An Amazing Discussion!

2011-03-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.mothering.com/community/forum/thread/199405/what-do-you-think-of-montessori

Gotta read through this thread at Mothering dot com.

I found it rather enlightening, especially about the

pros and cons of Montessori schools and homeschooling

with Montessori. Also, people wrote in from around
the world with their own experiences. For example
Montessori in Sweden seems to be quite more open
and aligned with the national agenda vs. more
structured Montessori programs. Schools can be

so different. One lady expressed her frusteration

over the equipment being for only one use

ie. no creativity with the pink tower for example.

What do you think? Is Montessori too structured?

Not structured enough?

Sensory Table Ideas (or bins)

2011-03-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

Since I mentioned a Sensory Table in the last post,
I thought I'd share some ideas. First of all, there
are tables that can contain either liquid or dry materials
that are available from school supply vendors. OR, if
you are handy/crafty, you could figure out how to
make or repurpose a child sized table with a tray that fits down in the middle...
OK, there's a challenge for Dad. Bins on a table may work as well if the
table were low enough and the bin stable enough.
I suggest cutting down the legs on a table or purchasing a low toddler table.
Here are some great Montessori like ideas for
activities for your table:
http://prekinders.com/sensory-table/
Here are suppliers for child size sensory tables:
I personally like this one by Jonti Craft.

http://www.sensoryedge.com/tosaandwata.html
A low toddler table can be found here:

http://www.lordequip.com/shopping/index.php?cPath=30_22
Also from Lord tables that can hold liquid:
http://www.lordequip.com/shopping/index.php?cPath=30_22

Here's My List of Favorite Activities

2011-03-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

1. Pony Beads on Pipe cleaners http://totschool.shannons.org/?p=1541
2. Discovery/Sensory Tubs (or Sensory Table if you are lucky enough

to have one of these)

http://countingcoconuts.blogspot.com/search/label/Sensory%20Tubs

http://www.feelslikehomeblog.com/2010/04/how-to-make-a-sensory-tub/

3. Sorting objects into Ice cube trays or Empty egg cartons etc.

    (Our latest activity is sorting ping pong balls or pom poms into an empty
    chinese dumpling tray...lots of chinese goodies come packaged in
    small compartmental trays...I save these.)
  4. Pouring activities between little pitchers using liquid, rice,sand etc.  I purchased these child sized glass      pitchers and tray.
5. Counting/transferring small potatoes, apples or any other hard fruit or vegetables. (Break open a bag of small red potatoes and get out several medium- sized bowls or baskets.) This is a favorite activity of my grandson.

Birthday for My Big Girl!

2011-03-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today is Miss Lauren's birthday! So have a happy one...
Love,

Your Ma

Sensational Stackers!

2011-03-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hi again,
Today I am featuring the wonderful world of stackers. These have
special appeal to babies, toddlers and younger children, teaching
them order and coordination. I generally do not like the rocking

kind...find a stacker with a nice sturdy flat base. This is less

frusterating for the child and adult! Stackers can have no base

at all, but should have pieces that will stand on their own with

out tipping. The pieces should not be easily knocked over.
It's worth the investment in a quality and safe stacker.
Here are some of my favorites:

Classic Clown Stacker (non rocking)

Rainbow Tunnel Stacker

Tree Stacker

Stacking Cups

Square Stacker

Number Quantity Stacker

Round Stacker

Rainbow Arches Stacker

Ring Balance Stacker

Cone Stacker

Latest Chinese Montessori Materials

2011-03-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

I found these very interesting chinese language puzzles from
Taiwan from JMP Learning.
Go to :http://www.jmplearning.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=JS%2D3246

Also "My Learning House" has teamed up with Montessori for Everyone

to make more Montessori cards in Chinese:http://www.mymontessorihouse.com/Mandarin_Chinese_Children_Language_Montessori_for_Everyone.html

Red and Blue Rods Revisited!

2011-03-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.montessoriprintshop.com/uploads/MF-45_Number_Rods_Control_Chart_____Cards.pdf

Presentation: Matching the Red Rods with the Red and Blue Rods

Materials:

1.Set of red rods

2.Set of red and blue rods

Prerequisites:

Mastery of gradation of red rods.

Control of error:

Visual and tactile: lengths of pairs of rods must mach.
Aim:

Transition from sensory area into Math.
Point of interest:

Making the match.
1.Invite the child to look at the environment and say " Do you see any materials that look like the red rods?"

2.Define what we are going to do, such as "we are going to match the rods."

3.Teacher chooses a red rod and separates it from the group and lets the child feel how long the rod is.

4.Let the child go to the Red and Blue Rods and find one rod as long as the one the teacher just showed.

5.The child carries the rod back and checks by himself.

6.Let the child move the matching pair to another empty rug.

7.Continue doing the same activity until all rods are matching.

Options:

1.Put set away.

2.Grade Red and Blue Rods.

3.Grade pairs.

References

Binda Goldsbrough (1995) The Aperfield Montessori Course

Link Farm

http://sharmila-montessorimaterials.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

www.myfamilyschool.narod.ru/MONTESSORIALBUM.doc

http://www.infomontessori.com/mathematics/numbers-through-ten-number-rods.htm

http://www.mecssoftware.com/rods1m.htm

http://www.alisonsmontessori.com/Blue_and_Red_Number_Rods_p/m01.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_4510054_use-montessori-number-rods.html

http://ahandmadechildhood.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-make-montessori-number-rods.html

http://athousandjoys.blogspot.com/2009/01/montessori-monday-red-and-blue-rods_15.html

http://lettersnumbersandbooksohmy.blogspot.com/2010/11/homemade-red-and-blue-rods-jenga-style.html
(and if you leave these as separate units, they can be matched up to
the longer rods...so many units equals the number 8 rod for example)

Red and Blue Rod segments
Each Segment is 2.5x2.5x10cm

Walking the Rod Maze

Red and Blue Table Rods

Vertical Rod Storage

Red and Blue Small Rods with Number Tiles

Red and Natural Wood Table Rods

Electronic Rod Apps

Red and Blue "Rods" made with snapable plastic blocks

Matching the Numerals to the Rods

Arranging the Rods in a Box two ways

Jenny's nice illustration from her Album

Homemade Red and Natural Rods (Link in the Farm)

More Numeral Matching to radomly placed rods

Addition with the rods (Link in the Farm)

The Perfect Rod Excercise all neat on the rug

Felt Fun ...again!

2011-03-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been over to Etsy for awhile, there are some really
cute felt objects that would work well for practical life activities
and even a bit of math and language. Enjoy!

Dinner

Number Balls

Melon and Fruit

Letter Balls

Snow Peas

Totally Toddler

2011-03-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hope you enjoy the video of the new materials at Young
Minds at Play. I am getting my order of new items...so
excited to try them out! The latest is the toddler

cylinder block. ( Here is a picture.) I am also thrilled
to see the constructive geometric triangles and inset board completed.

Jeff has put alot of thought into
his materials...of course I've raved about the quality
before...nicer than any of the usual Montessori toddler
materials. Here is my grandson using some of
his materials: (pix are from my phone so they
are grainy, but you can see him in action!)

The beads in the background I painted to match the
colors of the Montessori bead bars. If you are handy,
it involves some dowels, big beads, a board, some wood
glue and non-toxic spray paint.

Vertical Shape Sorter!

2011-02-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

Kingdoms of Life: Figures and Pix

2011-02-18T21:58:00.000-08:00

Hi Again,
I am on a roll when it comes to animal
replicas. Did you know that Schleich has "screensavers"
that would make good matching cards to their
animals. There are also coloring pages here:
http://www.schleich-s.com/en/playground/playground.php?lang=2

http://www.schleich-s.com/en/playground/wallpaper.php?lang=2

The farm animals and other figures can be found here:
http://www.schleich-s.com/en/action_figures/toys/new_products/news_farm_life/farm_life_new_in_january_2011/index.html

I have been also looking for good cell and microscopic animal
models. I found these nice colorful plastic models through
Tedco Toys here:http://www.tedcotoys.com/dyn_prodlist.php?k=51117

There is print material included that could be used to
make description cards for the elementary level.
If your children/students are younger, simple
picture matching cards or three part cards would
work to match the models.

K.

Classification with Safari Animals

2011-02-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

Today I went to Red Ballon and found some toddler sized
plastic animals for classification. Then I went online
and found these pix on their website. I will make
matching cards to go with these items. I was
so excited to find really cute versions of a
jellyfish, crab, snail, ladybug, starfish and
butterfly. I will be adding to this set as I
go along...

http://www.safariltd.com/

Sensible Storage for Space

2011-02-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

Plastic Tool Drawers
( with Free Labels for Pink, Blue and Green Reading Schemes)

Cubby with Containers Small, Medium, Large

Botany Cabinet with Puzzles
(Everything in one Cabinet!)

Hi All,
I've wanted to do a post regarding storage and space savers for
some time, so today I shall tackle the subject. Some suppliers
are becoming aware of the limited space of some Montessori
environments and addressing the issue. In order to leave open
space in the middle of the Montessori room I am always on the lookout
for great and innovative space saving solutions!
(I'll be adding to this post...so I guess we could call it
officially UNDER CONSTRUCTION for a few days at least...)
For Practical Life storage I found a great post on this blog:
http://mymontessorijourney.typepad.com/my_montessori_journey/2008/06/practical-lif-1.html

Curved/Circular Montessori Shelves

Assorted Presentation and Storage Baskets

Washing Stand

Pink Language Materials Box
(Also available in Blue and Green)

Cubby on Wheels

Stand for Red Rods or Red and Blue Rods
(Love this...gets the rods vertically placed)

Canvas Number Pocket Chart
(Use with your wood or paper number cards)

Cart for the Golden Bead Materials

Stand for Cylinder Blocks

Folding Shelves

Trays for Bead Chains

Free Standing Language Shelf

Long Division Cabinet

Large Moveable Alphabet Stacking trays

Paper Map and Chart Storage

Sandpaper Rough and Smooth Boards in a Stand
(Love the rounded shape of this set!)

Language Card Storage
(Also could work for other color coded materials)

Table or Shelf Top Land Forms Cabinet
(You can pour water into the forms!)

Display for the Sandpaper Landforms
(Good for Sandpaper Letters or Numbers Too)

Stackable Wood Boxes (Pink Reading)
(These come in other colors)

Double Stand for Insets for Design

Double Stand for Fraction Circles

Language Objects and Cards (Green Level)

Hand Made Maps and Puzzles

2011-01-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

I found these puzzle maps which are handmade and
available either in colors or woodtones. There are
also other nice puzzles from these suppliers which
would work nicely with the Montessori cirriculum.
http://www.thepuzzleman.com/maps.html
http://www.thepuzzleman.com/educational.html
http://www.objects-of-design.co.uk/products/88/scatlev/Wooden%20Jigsaws.htm
http://www.mrpuzzle.com.au/category58_1.htm
(George Luck Animal Puzzle Maps...unique!)
http://www.woodentoysuk.com/shop/index.php
(click on George Luck on the left side bar.)
http://www.puzzlepeople.com/yellow/yMain.html

And for the Babies...there are teethers in the shape of states!

(Found these on Etsy)

UPDATE! Beautiful Badges and Buttons

2011-01-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

Calling all Montessori badges and buttons...
if you have a badge or button you'd like
to share on this blog, I'd be happy to post
it on the side bar. Please send
your html script in the comments.
(Update...just put your blog address in
the comments and I will upload your
html script from your site!)
Thanks,
Kathy

Gears Gears Gears

2011-01-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

Young Minds at Play has invented a puzzle with gears...
geared (pun) to the young child. There are several developmental
levels. Check them out on their home page at http://youngmindsatplay.com/home
scroll down to their new product launch.
I also love the new ring toys...better and more beautifully finished that
the usual toddler toys with rings. I ordered this one for Christmas
and it is a hit with my grandson. We also got the geometry blocks
and inset, which he plays with every day he's here. They are just
the right size to fit in the hand and the right thickness. I got the ones
without knobs and a set with knobs for later.
(And no, I don't work for Jeff...just love his materials. The quality
is really amazing. He and his wife are a young family hand making
these beautiful toddler materials! I offered to put a coupon up on my blog for him...

please feel free to spread the news!)

New Company Eco Friendly

2011-01-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

I was happy to come upon this great company.
Their card boxes are well designed and made

from recycled "fallen trees". The cards they

produce and sell are keyed to books and lead

into direct reading from well known and

beloved books. Check them out here:

http://montessori-images.com/threepartcardtrays.html

http://www.montessori-images.com/downloads/MICatalog_2011.pdf

http://montessori-images.com/index.html

Here's a blurb about this company from:
Jocelyn Scotty

Chicago Montessori Learning Examiner.
June 29th, 2010 2:25 pm CT.

Picture Book Extension activities for young children are available from Montessori Images

Most young children love everything about picture books; listening to the spoken words, studying the illustrations, retelling the story and eventually reading the story aloud themselves. Language development in young children is achieved through a wealth of print-rich activities that practice the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Montessori Images, an innovative educational Montessori materials company, has created Picture Book Extensions that incorporate a child's love of picture books with high quality Montessori activities to encourage language development in young children.

A Montessori beginning
Montessorian Rita Akins along with her artist husband, Ronn are the creators of a new series of Picture Book Extension activities, just one of a variety of original Montessori materials and supplies available exclusively through their company Montessori Images. Like many upstart companies, Montessori Images has grown and evolved from a passion. Rita Akins shares how she first became interested in Montessori and creating materials.

I have a BA in Family Life Studies and Child Development, and considered a career in social work, until I came upon Montessori. I was so intrigued with the philosophy, and realized that I could assist family life in a very significant way by practicing this philosophy in a classroom setting and educating parents to its' benefits. So I set my sights on 3 -6 Montessori training with the St. Nicholas Montessori Training Centre; and, also, New Jersey state certification, while working full time so my husband could finish his second art degree. After certification, I went on to teach at the 3 - 6 level for two years before making the decision to open a Montessori school in my home county in South Jersey. It was 1985 and this would be the first Montessori school in our county. Running head on into a mountain of Montessori myths, I realized I had a lot to prove and disprove. Like any respectable Montessori teacher, I worked tirelessly. To beat the stress and "normalize" myself I discovered how much I enjoyed creating new materials. My husband, Ronn, was very supportive. He would draw . . . I would laminate!

Necessity is the "mother of invention"

The experience of starting a new Montessori school required Rita to think creatively in order to strike a balance between educating and introducing both parents and children to Montessori using traditional Montessori materials and a very familiar educational tool, children's picture books. Rita explains how her original idea of Picture Book Extensions began.

I was starting from scratch - everybody was new. While new parents " oooed and ahhhed" the didactic materials- very excited about the tactile element, etc.; the children, all 3‘s and young 4's, were drawn to the familiar- the "warm fuzzies" that they knew from home. Every picture book present in the environment was in and of itself a point of interest. I began to see that these picture books that the children loved and enjoyed so much could be a portal to specific areas of the language curriculum. Why not introduce size comparisons with a story children relate to? (I began with) Titch by Pat Hutchins, a story about the youngest sibling who always gets the littlest one while the older, bigger siblings get the biggest. As an extension, (I created) big and little comparison cards with illustrations of objects in the book. (This) offered the child a way to organize thinking within the context of the story and prompt discoveries of big and little objects in the classroom. Perfect! I continued to make more and more picture book extensions - sometimes using props, sometimes language cards, and keeping Ronn very busy.

What I discovered next was the real benefit of using extensions with picture books. By incorporating picture books and extensions neatly into the daily curriculum, my staff and I were reading aloud to individual children more often - responding to the child's interests, addressing the child's individual needs, and providing the "human contact" element so critical to literacy. Reading aloud was not being held to the perimeters of the program (group story time at the end of the morning); but, instead, teachers were modeling what good readers do and how good readers think throughout the day using authentic texts and extensions that built on language skills and concepts. I felt the success of this approach many times over watching teacher and child engage in a good read.

A new Montessori material company begins

After 20 years, Rita and her husband Ronn sold their school and moved to 23 acres of forested and protected land off the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and began a new company, Montessori Images. Utilizing years of Montessori experience, they began to produce unique high-quality materials for Montessori teachers worldwide. Today, an extensive offering of Picture Book Extension materials include pre-reading card sets for matching, sequencing, comparison and lotto games all based upon a variety of beloved children's picture books including classics like Goodnight Moon, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Snowy Day, Frog and Toad and Seven Blind Mice.

Laminated card sets are durable with safe rounded corners and Cut and Laminate sets come with detailed directions, a black-line master for booklet making, informative teaching and classroom organizing tips and a brief summary of the picture book. Montessori Images also offers Picture Books Extensions of laminated Montessori three-part cards in both English and Spanish and Reading and Grammar sets that focus on reading, word study and word function.

Later this year, Montessori Images will be rolling out new Picture Book Extensions featuring wordless picture books, an often under utilized kind of picture book that helps to develop visual literacy skills in young children. Rita also is committed to the Montessori ideal to respect and appreciate nature and explains how she turned this value into another Montessori material now exclusive at Montessori Images.

We also make Fallen Tree wooden trays on our site here in Maryland. These are custom-sized to hold our extensions, and involve the woodworking skills of another member of my family - my brother, Jim. We hold true to sustainable practices as our land is in Forest Stewardship. It is a small part of our business, but a big deal for us because we want to draw attention to sustainable forest use, and the importance of every component of healthy forest structure, including the fallen tree.

Montessori Images products are available on-line and Rita and her husband will also be exhibiting at the American Montessori Society Annual Conference in Chicago in spring 2011.

Geo Puzzles

2011-01-15T00:58:00.000-08:00

A Montessori find:

Like puzzle maps these puzzle pieces are by the states, provinces or countries,

not just jigsaw puzzles pieces. These would be a great addition to your geography area. These puzzles can be built on a floor or table top. They are stored in a box but a

"frame" could be constructed using a large tray or board.

http://www.amazon.com/GeoToys-4102371-GeoPuzzle-Europe/dp/B000K3A1JW

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

2011-01-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

The title of this blog features my daughter...time goes so quickly by!
Now she has two children in a Montessori school! Just being a
bit nostalgic today...

More Freebies!

2011-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

I found these lovely card materials for download here:
(Aesops Morals, Burgess Birds and Artists)

http://www.thatresourcesite.com/montessori_literature_aesop.htm

http://www.thatresourcesite.com/montessori_literature_burgess_bird.htm

http://www.thatresourcesite.com/montessori_art.htm

Make sure you scroll down the page to find the files!

For Mini Units and Mini Books click here:
http://www.thatresourcesite.com/my_book_minibooks_unit_studies.htm

Tiles N Such

2010-12-29T01:10:00.000-08:00

All from Montessori N Such

Category
Tiles

French Picture and Labels

Tools Shadow Match

Animal 3 part tiles with matching object

Simple Picture Matching Tiles

Big Bigger Biggest

Sensorial Match

Fruit and Veggie Match

Fruit and Veggie 3 part tiles with objects

More Animal 3 part cards with objects

Fruit and Veggie Match

2010-12-27T05:43:00.001-08:00

Lillard montessori flyer

View more documents from Alan Evans Photography.

Merry Montessori

2010-12-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

“We must take into consideration that from birth the child has a power in him.We must not just see the child, but God in him. We must respect the laws of creation in him.”
Maria Montessori, 1935

The Child as Spiritual Embryo

Montessori often compared the process of psychological and spiritual development to the physical unfolding of the human organism. Just as the material body first takes shape as a self-forming embryo, requiring during its formation the protection and nurturance of the womb that envelopes it, the human soul first appears in the newborn child in an embryonic form that requires nourishment from a psychic womb—the protective environment of loving, caring parents and a spiritually responsive education. Montessori’s distinctive notion of the child as a “spiritual embryo” emphasized her key principle that the growing human being is not simply a biological or psychological entity, but a spiritual energy seeking expression in the form of a human body within the physical and cultural world. She compared the mysterious emergence of spiritual life in the child to the Incarnation of God in Christ described in the New Testament, “when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (Montessori, 1972b, p. 29). For Montessori, the Word is made flesh in every child born in the world; each human being has his or her path of incarnation to follow, his or her destiny. Montessori, like Emerson, referred to the “secret” within the soul of every child—the personal spiritual imperative that transcends whatever social prejudices, ideologies, and mundane educational curricula that adults seek to overlay onto the child’s personality.

Reflecting on the unusually lengthy period of physical dependence that human infants (compared to other species) experience, Montessori was convinced that early childhood is designed to be a time of intense psychic receptivity. The young child takes in the world through an ”absorbent mind,” literally incarnating (taking into its bodymind) the sensations, impressions, and feelings it receives from the surrounding environment. One of the guiding principles of Montessori pedagogy, the concept of “sensitive periods,” expresses her observation that young children move through periods of development during which they are especially attuned to particular characteristics in the environment. When they are ready to acquire language they hungrily, effortlessly absorb it by hearing it spoken around them; when they are ready to develop fine motor skills they begin to act on their surroundings accordingly. It is the task of parents and educators to provide the stimulation and resources the developing child needs at these critical times. Keep in mind that for Montessori this is not simply a biological or pedagogical responsibility, but a profound spiritual task, because the child is being directed by its embryonic spiritual energies to reach out to the world to fashion a personality. Careless parenting or education, by stifling optimum development, frustrates the child’s spiritual formation.

Montessori frequently commented that the child creates the adult—not, as our modern common sense has it, the other way around. The spiritual energy seeking expression through the child’s encounters with the world is engaged in building a person in a way that no adult education or conscious effort can achieve. By adulthood an individual’s psychological identity is deeply engrained, and learning no longer takes place through “incarnation” or absorption. Therefore it is crucial for parents and educators to allow the child’s own inherent nature to emerge and act within the world. As Montessori put it in 1915, Montessori called the spiritual embryo humanity’s “most precious treasure” because it was only this divine formative power that could transform the world: “The child promises the redemption of humanity, and we might say that this truth is represented by the mystical symbol of the Nativity” (1972a, pp. 36, 104). By failing to appreciate the value of this treasure, and educating young people only to participate dutifully in a materialistic, mechanistic system of economic production, modern societies are diminishing the visionary creativity, the moral insight, and above all the loving compassion that divine energies promise to bring to bear on the problems of human life. Montessori was convinced that through the child, these energies could be released into the world as a powerful source of good. It is evident throughout her work that the heart of Montessori’s educational mission was not to introduce special techniques or materials into pedagogical practice but to make a fervent plea to the modern world to become “sensitive to the wonder of life revealing itself” through the life of each child. That was the appeal she made for fifty years to audiences and readers throughout the world.

From: Nourishing the Spiritual Embryo:The Educational Vision of Maria Montessori
Published in Nurturing Our Wholeness: Perspectives on Spirituality in Education, Edited by John P. Miller and Yoshiharu Nakagawa (Brandon, VT: Foundation for Educational Renewal, 2002)

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

Godly Play Resources

For unto us a Child is born,

unto us a Son is given,

and the government

shall be upon His shoulder;

and his name shall be called

Wonderful,

Counsellor,

the Mighty God,

the Everlasting Father,

the Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6)

Handmade Wool Nativity

Advent Spiral

The Advent Spiral has been a long standing tradition in Germany and in Waldorf Schools. The spiral contains 24 holes and a figure or candle can be added to a hole each day of the Advent season. Or, a single candle can travel each day until it arrives at the end of the spiral on Christmas. This is a lovely way to celebrate the joy and beauty of the holidays.

German Turning Candle Pyramid with Figures

Wendt und Kuehn figures

Handpainted Christmas Figures

Christmas Mobil

Wood Nativity

Scandanavian Woven Ornaments

More Ornaments

Christmas Figure with Lantern

Farmy Farm...E I E I OOOO!

2010-12-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

Farm Labels from Montessori Print Shop

Color Coded Pockets for Farm Cards

Farm Labels from Montessori for Everyone
(She has a nice description on her site of the rationale of the Farm
...it's more than just a nice nostalgic environment!)

Farm Cards and Farm Board from Lakeview Learning Materials (Canada)

Paper Boxes for the Farm Object and or Cards
can be found here:http://www.papermart.com/Product%20Pages/Product.aspx?GroupID=20363&SubGroupID=11265&ParentGroupID=18993#11265
Fabric Pouches can be found here:
http://usbox.com/Pouches/Gingham-Fabric-Gift-and-Jewelry-Pouches-Drawstring/1LV

Farm Base from Nienhuis

Farm House from Nienhuis

Farm Nouns from Nienhuis

Farm Article,Adjective, and Noun Strips

Farm Animals and Fence from Plan Toys

Farm Fresh Veggies

Farm Tractor from Plan Toys

Plan Toys Farm Garden ...so cute!

More Plan Toys Farm Animals...love the Pigs and Sheep!

Horses and Stable from Plan Toys

Threading Sheep

Big Barn from Plan Toys

....and now for a some truly amazing grammar card storage options:
Montessori Grammar Cabinet from Waseca (all the bells and whistles...drooool!)

You could get the budget plastic version of a cabinet and create your own sticky labels.
Montessori Print Shop has free labels for drawers here:
(Scroll down to the farm game labels)

Wood Grammar Boxes

How to Make a Montessori Phonetic Farm Lesson Set

By Carole Vansickle, eHow Contributor

The Montessori phonetic farm lesson can be used in conjunction with many other Montessori learning tools to teach beginning reading, phonetic reading, parts of speech and even primary sentence construction. The phonetic farm comes in many forms, and you can either order a set complete with a model farm of make one out of objects that you probably already have in your home.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Plastic animal figurines (Note: or wood, felt, modeling clay, modeling wax etc.)

Note cards

Black marker

Red marker

Blue marker

Large box

3 smaller boxes

Collect as many farm-related items as possible. You should have, if available, plastic figures of ducks, pigs, dogs, cats, kids, ram, hens, pens (for animals) and a farmer. These items should have a simple name. So if you have goslings, for example, you might want to make them "ducks" or "ducklings" instead.

Make a note card for each object. Every object should have a corresponding note card with its name written on the card in clear, proper lettering. The writing on these cards should be black, because the words on the cards are nouns. Once you have completed all the noun cards, place them in a small box, label it "Noun" in black marker and put that box in the larger box.

Create verb cards that go with each object. The writing on these note cards should be red because all verb-related lessons will also have corresponding colors. Use simple verbs that describe things that farm animals and objects might do. For example, "run" is a good verb because it can be used with many different nouns. The completed verb cards will also go in a small box labeled "Verb" and be placed in the large box upon completion of the set. You should have a verb card for every object, but the action does not have to only fit one object.

Make adjective cards using the blue marker. As with the verb cards, the adjectives do not have to correspond to just one object. For example, "big" can be used to describe multiple things on a farm, as can "fat" and "old." These words are also easy to sound out phonetically. Upon completion, label the small box with these note cards in it "Adjective" with the blue marker and place it also in the large box.

Label the large box, which now should contain the farm objects and three small boxes labeled Noun, Verb and Adjective, with the word "Farm." The entire box should be placed where the children will have easy access to it, and you can use this box to teach a wide variety of lessons.

Read more: How to Make a Montessori Phonetic Farm Lesson Set

eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4523251_make-montessori-phonetic-farm-lesson.html#ixzz18A24KI5Orn

Beadie Stringy

2010-12-08T00:03:00.000-08:00

I was looking for beads for stringing that would be safe

for a toddler. Here are my finds...Enjoy!

Easy Bead Stringing with Toddlers

Posted by mizdg
Bead stringing is a classic activity for young children that helps strengthen their fine motor skills and allows them to perfect their hand-eye coordination. Three year olds are just about the right age for bead stringing and card lacing activities without frustration.
For beginners and younger children (two and up), bead stringing can be introduced by using large, wooden beads and pipe cleaners. The firm but flexible pipe cleaners allow small hands to point the tip accurately through the bead's opening. Once the pipe cleaner is through the bead, help young children learn how to grasp the top of the pipe cleaner to slide the bead down.
Caution: This is a good time to introduce words like sharp or "pokey" as M and I call the cut ends of the pipe cleaner. Also, just bend the bottom of pipe cleaner to make a little loop so the beads don't slide off the end.
Sorting and Classifying: Beads can be grouped by color and shape. This is a beginning math skill.
Patterning: Whether stringing them or stacking them, you can introduce beginning patterns by alternating colors and pointing out the pattern to your child, "look, this one has red, yellow, red, yellow, red. Let's make another one that matches." This is another important math skill.
Math Vocabulary to Introduce: different, same, matches, pattern, more, less

My Note: You can "string" on a wooden dowel or pipe cleaner.
Beads should go on easily but not too loosely. Dowels can be
either held or put into a wood base and glued. Sand and round
off the ends of dowels. A bead glued to one end of the dowel
can hold on the remaining beads to be strung.

Vehicles Stringing

Giant Beads

Geo Beads

Fun Shapes Beads

Farm Stringing

Textured Beads

Stringing Shapes Disks

Melissa and Doug Beads

Foam Beads

Plan Toys Beads

Heirloom Beads

Baby Bead Stringing

Froebel Fun!

2010-12-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

The Froebelian gifts offer exceptional opportunity for concrete illustration of the conceptions of whole and part, through the creation of wholes from parts, and the breaking up of wholes into parts. This aspect of number is at least as important as the series aspect, which children get in counting and for which the Montessori "Long Stair" provides such good material. The Froebelian material may be used very readily for counting, however, and the Montessori material gives some slight opportunity for uniting and dividing. So far as preparation for arithmetic is concerned, a combination of the two bodies of material is both feasible and desirable.

"Introduction." by Henry W. Holmes

From: The Montessori Method (1912) by Maria Montessori, translated by Anne Everett George. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1912. pp. xvii-xlii.

http://www.froebelfoundation.org/giftsmain.html

http://www.froebelfoundation.org/occupationsmain.html

http://www.froebelfoundation.org/musicff.html

Banger Bongers

2010-11-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

My kids classified all instruments in the big box
of instruments as "Banger Bongers" You can start adding to
your collection today. I have quite a box collected
and the kids as well as the grandkids love it now.
They just enjoy exploring and banging along with
recorded music or singing. Check out these suppliers.

http://www.musiciselementary.com/index.php?cPath=36
(don't forget to click "next" at the bottom of the page to
see all the selections available.)
http://www.suzukimusic.com/education/rhythmband/

http://www.plantoys.com/products.php?sort_by=ordering&sort_mode=DESC&child_skill=18&show_all=true

Egg Shakers

Color Hand Bells

Fishy Clackers

Color Xyllophone (The original "Banger Bonger")

Doggy Clacker (Castanets)

Little Wood Drum

Fun Drums

Bumble Bee Maracas

Grasshopper Giro

Fruit Shakers

Froggie Jingle Bells

Duo Frog Shakers

Koala Clacker

Penguin Tambourine

Whale Clacker

Monkey Jingle Bells

Walrus Tambourine

The perfect book to introduce rhythm instruments to young children. The activities bring music into the classroom and offer ways for children to participate in the music experience, using rhythm sticks, sand blocks, bells, shakers, and more! Children make the sound of the ocean waves using shakers, pretend to be a train using sand blocks, create a rainstorm with rhythm sticks and perform circus tricks with jingle bells. Plus, they learn to play the instruments along with their favorite songs. 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities is perfect for parents, early childhood teachers and music teachers who work with toddlers through age six.

Abigail Flesch Connors is an early-childhood music specialist. Her programs include singing, dance, rhythm instrument activities, literacy/music activities and listening games.