Montessori Christmas

So here are some great ideas for Christmas themed
Montessori materials and gifts:

http://www.shop.montessoriprintshop.com/Christmas-Word-Wall-Plus-WWCF-3.htm

http://mymontessorimoments.com/12-days-of-christmas-montessori-trays/

Snow Man, Reindeer, Christmas Tree and Christmas Insets Puzzles
at Hello Wood:
http://www.shop.hellowood.com/Holidays_c127.htm

http://www.ourmontessorihome.com/2012/11/montessori-christmas-activities-for-toddlers-preschoolers/

Paper crafts at Canon Creative Park...highly recommended!

http://cp.c-ij.com/en/event/christmas/?log=m01

http://www.fgcquaker.org/faithandplay/sites/default/files/GP%20approaches%20to%20Advent%20&%20Christmas%20for%20Friends.pdf

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

FREEBEE CARD and Activity LINKS
https://www.box.com/shared/btczddav3v50ak8scgvo
http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/assets/PDF/Life_Cycle_of_a_Pumpkin.pdf
https://www.box.com/shared/e0rmgo8zyao77dtnxfa6
http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/3176/sticker-squirrel02/index.html
http://thetoymaker.com/Holidays/Thanksgiving/1Thanksgiving.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060004509?ie=UTF8&tag=reatokno-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060004509

The Florida Montessori Conference

Congrats to our friends at Young Minds at Play on their
display at the Montessori Foundation Conference in Florida this week!
Here is their "boothe" or display with all their
beautiful hand made Montessori materials. I am a big FAN!

One of their new materials includes this wooden US flag! Requests are
coming in for others from other countries.
http://youngmindsatplay.com/us_flag_puzzle

The 16th annual Montessori Foundation's International Conference is currently being held once again in sunny Sarasota, FL.

Several hundred people from all over the world are in attendence for the 3 day conference where Montessori educators and administrators are able to network, attend various classes, and shop for Montesori materials from vendors such as Young Minds At Play.

 

This year's focus is "Reflections: What it means when we call ourselves Montessorians". It has been an opportunity to reflect, rejuvenate, and reinvigorate for a great academic year. The international conference is one of a kind because it builds community during the days with plenty of time for social networking. It provides preparation for the teacher to go back into the classroom or administrative role with new skills, tools, and a new way of seeing oneself.

The Montessori Foundation is an international nonprofit organization which works worldwide to help Montessori schools to educate children in a spirit of partnership and peace. It's schools inspire a sense of wonder and nurture children's curiosity, creativity, and imagination.

More information on The Montessori Foundation may be found here: http://www.montessori.org/

 

Happy Halloween! My son and I had fun dressing
up in our Scottish regalia (think "Brave" or "Braveheart")
and visiting the neighbors and going out to eat.
My dress is made of the Black Stewart plaid
and my son was in the muted brown plaid of
the ancient kilt.

 

"Suzuki" Early Childhood Education

I find it interesting that the SSA (Suzuki Violin etc.) has
adopted Montessori philosophy and practice as the core
of their new Suzuki ECE program. There is a bit
of Reggio and other methods thrown in as well as other
early childhood music methods, like Orff and Dalcroze.
For more info see the SAA site here:
http://suzukiassociation.org/ece
http://www.suzukischool.com/Atlanta-Preschool/
http://www.thamesvalleysuzuki.com/pages/tt_brochure_page.html#description
Another excellent post on the connection between Montessori and Suzuki
can be found here:
http://bloommontessori.blogspot.com/2011/05/bloom-violinists-play-at-operation.html
Suzuki ECE
Trainers:



Dorothy Jones is a specialist in Suzuki Early Childhood Education. At the request of Dr. Suzuki, she founded a Suzuki School in London, ON, that included Suzuki baby/toddler, preschool and elementary classes. In 1993, the ISA approved her program in Early Childhood Education and designated her school as a world teacher training center. Past president of the SAA and past board member of the ISA, she was a founding member of the board of the Suzuki Association of Ontario and was president of that organization. She has been a Suzuki parent, Piano and ECE Teacher Trainer and keynote speaker at conferences and workshops around the world for more than 38 years. For the past 10 years, she has traveled extensively to train teachers in Suzuki ECE: prenatal and baby years.

Sharon Jones is a Teacher Trainer in Suzuki Early Childhood Education and an experienced Suzuki Violin Teacher. With Dorothy Jones, she developed the curriculum used world wide in Suzuki Early Childhood Classes. Sharon has been a clinician at conferences and workshops in Canada, USA, Ireland and Japan. She has taught at numerous Institutes in the United States and Canada. A singer, Sharon was the artist for the recording, Lullabies, Action Songs and Rhymes, the core material for the Suzuki Baby Program. Sharon will lead the baby and toddler classes and demonstrate the various technical and artistic approaches to babies and their parents.

Storage Links

I have received requests for links on the "Sensible Storage" post
so here they are:
Community Play Things
(also check out their numerous other offerings, many
of them specifically "Montessori" designed)
Hello Wood
(bead racks are under math/beads, and storage
under furniture, chart storage is under geography/maps)
Montessori N Such
(for the cubbies and also do a search for "trays")
Hana Montessori
(click on Language etc...this company is
quite innovative in their designs!)
Alison's
(for segmented presentation pink, green and blue reading and grammar boxes
and now individual colored boxes of most colors)

E & O Montessori
(pink, blue and green reading materials boxes)

 

 

Young Minds at Play
(Three part card Tray)

Waseca
(Grammar Storage for Cards and Reading Towers)

The Concert

Tonight I am playing my fiddle in a concert!