Montessori Period 1: Part I

So, from what I understand these are the first things you should work with your child on using Montessori. However, as most readers know, I do not follow the steps, per say. I will admit that I've tried and it has led to frustration for both myself and my daughter. I like the lessons but feel the steps are just too much. HOWEVER, I do believe some precision is good. (For example, when doing pouring beans work I do focus on if a bean is spilled but rather ignore the other TWENTY-SIX steps to pouring. So...I'm going to share with you how we basically do the following....

PERIOD ONE
Practical:
- Dry Pouring between two jugs-Basically on a tray I present my daughter with two little pitchers on a tray. The tray on the right has beans in it. I start by showing her how to pour the beans in the other pitcher several times. Then I let her practice pouring the beans. If a bean spills (in a nice voice (I feel like harshness or criticism will lead to a dislike of learning) that may even be a little funny I say "Uh-oh we spilled a bean! Why don't we try again. Let's try to keep that silly bean in the pitchers."
- Opening and closing containers: I already covered this in a previous post but here it is again: This is a great activity for our little toddlers. Really, all you need to do is collect several items that the little ones can practice opening and closing. Try to get as many different kinds of lids and jars as possible (screw on, pry open, and etc..). Begin by introducing the basket of different jars to your child and showing them how to open the jars (grasping the lid with your dominant hand while your other hand holds the bottle for example).What I want my daughter to learn from the open/close activity is just that-to open and close! Basically, to help her developing little motor skills and to increase independence. I think showing her the bottles, showing her how to open them, and then letting her explore with them is enough.Often, I put a little something inside of the jars. Again, that may not be the usual way of doing this activity. However, I find that if I put some stickers, playdough, or a small book inside of the jars she is more likely to stay with the activity and enjoy it more.the containers I have inside of the basket (of course all containers are empty of product and have been washed): beauty cream container with screw on lid, empty nail polish bottle, baby food container, empty aromatherapy bottle, jewelry box with snap lid, coin purse that snaps, zip coin purse, box with lift off lid, miniature canning jar, travel soap box, film canisters, clear plastic trading card holder. Again, this is something very easily made yourself. It was one of the first Montessori activities I introduced.
- Dressing Frames:Buttoning: These are a pretty cheap Montessori item to buy from a Montessori store but if you want to make them it is simple. Simply purchase some frames from a $1 store. Staple on an old child's shirt. It's as simple as that. Start by showing your child how to undo the buttons all the way down. Pay attention to holding the button in your right hand and the fabric in your left hand. Tilt the button a little and slide it through. Next, simply show your child how to button. Next, let the little one have a try.

-Sweeping:Several books recommend sweeping up sawdust. I put this activity off for a long time because I don't have sawdust readily available. Instead we use other objects such as beans, rice, or confetti. Start by gathering the following materials: a child sized broom, dustpan and brush, small container of confetti ( or other material), and a wastebasket. I draw a square on our tile kitchen floor, rather than using tape. The square indicates to her where she is aiming the objects being swept up. I tell her "Watch me sweep it. Watch close and then you can have fun sweeping." When showing her how to sweep, my strokes are rather slow and deliberate: down, L to R, and then up. Then, I show her how to sweep it into the dustpan and dump it in the trash. (This step is normally 34 steps so this is much shorter but my point is to teach her independence and it this has worked well for us in achieving this goal). Oh I almost forgot-afterwards she cleans up the chalk using a wet mop. Remember the big thing in this activity is teaching the child independence. My daughter loves to do this! We don't have the most "Montessori Appropriate broom" as we have this Leaps and Bounds broom that talks. However, it is the perfect size.

Handling A Book: This lesson is basically about grace and caring for/respecting books. Basically have 5 hardcover books on a bookshelf with their spines facing outward. Tell your child-"Watch me carefully and then you can have a turn. I'm going to remove a book." Indicate the book you like by touching its spine and say "I'd like to look at this book." Using your thumb and index finger, pinch the top of the books spine, pull it downward, and then firmly grasp it. Lay the book down on a table quietly, making no sound. Look at the book a little. Show the child how to gently feel the corner to make sure only one sheet has been grabbed. When done indicate, "I think I'm done with this book and I will put it away." Simply put it away with grace in a vacant spot. Now let your child know it is their turn. Believe it or not there are ALOT more steps to this one--but I just see it as unnecessary. I feel, but again am no expert, that if you show the child how to remove the book with grace, it should be enough. I basically just pay attention that they remove the book gently, put it on the table silently, and place it back neatly. During this time I talk with her about how wonderful books are and how we should always respect them so that they say nice and we might always enjoy them.

Saying Thank You:Out of any skill, I most want my child to be courteous. I can not stand it when I child doesn't say thank you, excuse me, or etc. Currently, she does a really good job with courtesy work. Seriously, I'd rather her be courteous than know any letters, numbers, and etc. I will admit that I do judge a person's character somewhat based on their level of courtesy. If I say thank you and a "Your Welcome" is not returned, I will likely remember the incident. We don't work on this too much now because it is mastered but I simply started by handing her objects and when she received them saying, "Please say thank you when someone hands you something". Then I went on to show how to thank someone when they say something nice/do something nice for you. Consistency is the key.

Walking The Line: This is helpful in both developing balance and quieting the mind. Use tape to make an eclipse with 2 straight sides and 2 curved edges. We have our line permanent on a floor of our home guests do not see. I play some calm music while walking the line. The first step is normal walking. When this is successful move on to teaching them to walk heel to toe. Step 3 involves carrying objects in this sequence: hand flag/bell---glass of water---2 different objects from this list--all of the above with a basket on head.

Silence Game: We definitely do not have this game down pat and any suggestions are welcome! You start by telling your child you are going to play the silent game, that their body has to be quiet and they can't talk. Have them listen for quiet noises like breathing, birds chirping, and etc.

Cylinder Blocks: This helps with visual discrimination of size, prepare for writing, and developing math ability. Wow, these are so expensive to buy!! We still don't have any yet. (On sale right now at a store they are $85, marked down from $105.00). Since we have never used them, I can't say much about them. I did find these for only $15.00; They aren't the same thing but it seems somewhat close at least. I think a socket set could be used to mimic this activity but I'm still trying to figure it out.

Pink Tower: First, I don't really get why THE pink tower beats other similar towers out there such as this one for $15 instead of $60+ for a true pink tower. The only thing I can think of is extension work with the brown stair. I'm even cheaper than this though, people. I feel like we already have enough stacking/size sorting toys. I found a download for the pink stair, where you prink out the pattern and fold into box shapes. If interested, the pattern is here. I really am not sure yet, what to think about this one.Anyway, the idea is to help the child to judge sizes, fine motor control, mathematics foundation, and some language. I simply have her build the tower. If it is incorrect, it will fall down. See, this is why I don't see why you HAVE to have a pink tower. Whether it is a paper tower or a $60 perfect pink tower, they both fall down if not build correctly...Sorry but some Montessori things seem a little "culty" and not so much about the actual learning of concepts.

Paper Pink Tower Vs. Wooden Pink Tower; Hmmm...practically free vs.. $60. Is it that much different? Now...of course if I had a lot of money I'd go with the $60. But in the meantime I'll stick to the knock off version or paper version. Probably the knock off version because obviously it holds up better...
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Music, Letters, Animals, Insets, Balloons, and More

MEGAPHONE:

The first thing we did was to make a megaphone. This is a very simple project with a big payoff for your little ones. Simply trace a large circle on poster board. Cut the circle out and then cut it in half, making two half circles. Roll one half circle together at the straight edge to make a cone shape. Seal it with tape and then cut the small end off for the mouth. It's almost guaranteed your little one will have fun playing with it.

PLAYDOUGH B'S:

Our letter of the week was B. Was practiced making play dough B's.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom:

We printed off this Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree, colored it, and then made our magnetic alphabet letters climb the tree. We still have a few more activities we want to complete in this theme. This is the theme over at TinyTots, be sure to check out her blog for more activities.

Act Like Animals:

We had fun acting like different animals. Here my daughter is pretending to be a turtle and kitty cat.

Porcupine Play Dough

For this project the little one just makes a ball and then sticks objects in the round play dough. It is supposed to be tooth picks but I couldn't find any, so we used crayons instead.

Montessori Style Geometric "Metal" Insets Kinda/Sort:

Okay, before strict Montessori mommies cringe, this is not exactly, okay not even really close to the proper Montessori Metal Insets. So, I'm going to start by telling you about the correct insets and then our style we did. The correct has

Ten geometrical shapes in metal or plastic. The frames are in one color and the inset shapes are in another. The squares of colored paper are cut to fit the frames exactly. Colored pencils in a box of 48+ colors should be provided. The teacher places the frame exactly over the square of paper, showing the child that no paper can be seen around the edge of the frame. Next, the teacher draws around the shape. She then removes the shape and lets the child see the drawn shape. Next, she uses a different colored pencil and fills in the drawing with light parallel lines from side to side. takes one pencil and draws around the shape. She removes the frame and lets the child look at the drawn shape. She changes for the second pencil. She fills in a small part of the drawing with light straight parallel lines that go exactly from one side of the drawing to the other.Then, the child is allowed. Here is a pic of how the real ones look- Our version was really a very quick and non precise attempt. We've been sick this week. For the square I used a little frame that I have and popped out the glass. I think it works good. The oval is one of those magnets where the inside can be removed. We also did a triangle out of cardboard. We didn't use colored pencils because I forgot. Can anyone tell me why you must used colored pencils? For proper insets here is a good place to download the shapes and cut out of cardboard.

Bubble Wrap Dance:

Next, we laid out some bubble wrap and simply danced on it. I took this time to introduce different types of music and discover her likes/dislikes. Her favorite types of music were Jazz and Fiesta Mexico-style music. (She also had fun playing with a flashlight during this time).

Practical Life: Washing Dishes

She always enjoys washing dishes...I really hope this hobby continues, lol!

Painting the Letter B:

I gave her a wooden letter B and let her paint it. We are decorating all the letters of the alphabet to go up in her room. This one isn't being painted yellow and black, as in a bumble bee. The letter A was done in green with red apples.

Balloon Fun:

Lots and lots of fun with a balloon. (Note: Almost everyone knows to watch their children carefully but just in case I want to remind everyone that children can die if they swallow balloons).

We were sick most of the week so didn't come near to meeting our curriculum goals for the week, but at least it makes next weeks planning easier!

Monday's Toddler School Events

I'm a little late posting this but thought I'd share some of what we did for school time on Monday. Our physical play was baby basketball, which was just throwing bean bags into a basket. You can see she her playing above. I was surprised that she didn't stick with it very long, though. She preferred to throw the beanbags in the air, rather than in the basket. However, it was close to naptime and she is very defiant when sleepy. For music, I taught her the fingerplay "Caterpillar Song". We are focusing on the letters B and C, so we've also been looking at butterflies and caterpillars. Here's the lyrics to the song:

One little caterpillar crawled on my shoe,Another came along and now there are two.Two little caterpillars crawled on my kneeAnother came along and now there are three.Three little caterpillars crawled on the floor.Another came along and then there were four.Four little caterpillars watch them crawl awayThey'll all turn into butterflies some fine day.

Our Montessori focus activity was opening/closing drawers. The child practices closing a drawer until they can do so without making any noise. She liked doing this and did it quite well.

The picture above shows her playing in her "Indoor Sandbox". I dumped some rice into a plastic bin and let her have fun. She LOVES any of these type of exercises and will spend more time doing them than any other toy or activity. She practiced spooning the rice and pouring it between cups.

We did try to play hide the beanbag but it wasn't a hit. She hasn't shown any interest in hide and seek type games.

She has always loved brushing her teeth and since it is Dental Care Month I thought we'd focus a little more on it. Like I said, she's been brushing her teeth since before she turned one but I worry she doesn't do a good job and she won't let me brush them for her. The research I've done has said to let her brush if possible--but I worry about her not doing well enough and her teeth decaying. People say, what's the big deal-they are just baby teeth. Sorry, but I don't want her going around with cavities for the next several years. Hopefully genetics will come into play-my husband nor myself have ever had a cavity. Now here comes one of my little mommy secrets-you know the areas that you don't want to write about on a mommy blog. Just the type of thing Nanny 911 would be talking to you about. Okay...here goes...confession time. I let my daughter go to sleep with a sippy cup of milk. I've tried stopping her cold turkey but eventually gave in. I've tried diluting it down or just adding water and she just threw the cup across the room and screamed "milk". So our big focus for dental care this week is going to be getting the sippy cup away. I'm embarrassed to admit that I let her do this. Some of you know she has sleep problems and I think that the desire to get sleep led to this decision. Please don't judge too harshly. However, I will say that she does not leave any milk in her mouth and doesn't go to sleep with the sippy cup in her mouth. She takes it to bed, drinks it as she is falling to sleep, removes it, and then goes to sleep. Therefore, really how is it any different than having a glass of milk before going to bed?

We did a letter B box which was just a box filled with objects that start with the letter B-balloon, banana, ball...

For our Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom Activity we watched some videos at You Tube.
BooksChicka-Chicka Boom Boom. The first one my daughter's favorite. I liked it too.






Be sure to check back tomorrow. We will have Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom activities all 5 days this week. I participate in Teaching Tiny Tots weekly reading challenge and this is the book for this week. The link to the challenge is http://teachingtinytots.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/reading-theme-challenge-chicka-chicka/.

This Week In Review

It's hard to remember everything we've done this week. It has been a busy, hectic, and stressful week but we did still manage to have a lot of fun. I doubt I can remember everything we did this week and didn't blog as much as I'd hoped to...but here we go...

She spent a lot of time practicing her transfer skills. Seriously, if you need a few minutes for a little down time to read, watch TV, or fold laundry-this is such great Montessori inspired activity. Like I've said before, there are several steps involved in true Montessori but we don't really do it that way. Simply hand your kiddo 2 bowls. The one on the left is filled with sugar, rice, beans, or whatever would be could for using a spoon to transfer. Then hand little one a spoon and instruct them to spoon the material from one bowl to the next. She spent a lot of time on this and pouring this week.

My daughter spent a lot of time playing with her Operation Silly Skill game. While this game is an absolute BLAST it is really great for developing fine motor skills. Children use the tweezers to extract strange items from Cavity Sam and this develops muscles required for pencil grasp. With all of our "learning toys" when you stop and think about it...is there anything better than operation for fine motor skills? I have to tell you that I did NOT think of Operation of anything more than a fun game but it is so wonderful for this purpose. Furthermore, it is a great game for toddlers who do not put items in their mouth as reading isn't required for this version, nor do you have to count money. There isn't a lot of strategy of understanding of rules either, other than removing the pieces without the buzzer going off. I like that it can be used for YEARS to come. This version is a little different than the original Operation game in that it is sillier sounds and kids who enjoy body humor are sure to get a laugh out of it,

She had a lot of fun sneaking into the bathroom and putting lotion all over the room and herself involved in a sensory activity involving lotion. She has drove me crazy washing her hands nonstop this week has done a great job mastering hand washing this week. Seriously, she has really gotten obsessed with hand washing this week, but I think it is so she has an excuse to get to the lotion because she loves "ocean" as she calls it. Still, I am proud that she really learns hygiene and manners quite easily.

She did learn how to weave this week. If you'd like to try this with your toddler, it is extremely easy. Simply cut a border around a piece of construction paper, leaving vertical pieces. Have two other colors of construction paper. Hand the pieces to your child and instruct them how to weave over-under and so on.

My silly girl enjoyed applying stickers to her eyes for a laugh...

Frequent readers of this blog will note that my daughter loves bubbles. For a craft this week, we made a bubble bottle. Simply fill a soda bottle one third full of water. Add a few drops of dish soap and a few drops of food coloring. Close the bottle tightly. Then simply shake, shake, shake.

As part of our Tinytots reading challenge, we did a snowman puzzle. I'll post more on this when I do my post tomorrow about this challenge (but we spent a lot of time learning about snow this week).

She also tried to complete this wooden apple puzzle. It was too difficult for her (truth be told, it was almost too difficult for me). However, she did have fun arranging the blocks in her own way.

We spent this week learning about taking turns. The Noodleboro theme park game is great for this. I love the game so much, I have a separate post about it coming up soon.

As I mentioned before, this week was very stressful. My daughter has sleeping problems. I've brought this up to the pediatrician several times before, but I'm going to get forceful about it. Last week, she was up until 2:30 am at least every day and one day all the way until 6:30 am. I feel like this is very concerning and should be taken more seriously than it is. Every night we do a structured bedtime routine, no caffeine is allowed, and etc.. I've read probably every book there is about sleeping problems in children--at times things work for a bit but within a few days we are back to where we started. When my daughter only wakes up once night, it is a BIG deal for us because it is nothing for her to wake up 5+ times a night. So, for 2.5 years we've all been sleep deprived basically. Right now, I'm still up at 2:00 am because I slept until noon after being up with her until 4:00 am...so our sleep patterns are very off. Anyway, last week was one of the WORST when it comes to her sleeping, therefore I was so stressed. Then, because she was so tired, her behavior was horrible. I remember reading a child development book long ago that stated right before/after a learning surge behavior and sleep difficulties can occur. The week before I was amazed by how many new words and skills she was picking up. Maybe this is the explanation...

Okay, now to explain the picture above. I'm been wanting to learn felting for so long. I've especially wanted to learn it to make items for my daughter's nature table. So, this week I got my supplies and decided to wet felt and bowl. It did not turn out at all. It completely fell apart and I ended up giving it to our cat to play with. I've going to continue trying to learn this. We'll see if I end up with anything or if my cat just keeps getting some strange looking toys (toys that will actually just sit in a basket because she doesn't play with toys; alas another source of stress is that my cat I've had for 11 years and was my fur baby before my human baby is very sick and therefore isn't much for playing these days).

Fancy Friday: NapTimeQuilts4Baby

I'm so pleased to review for my wonderful readers, this fabulous Etsy store. I'm sure most of you have heard of Etsy but just in case you haven't, let me start by telling you about this wonderful website. Etsy's primary focus is as an opportunity for the general public to buy and sell handmade items. I have always loved going to craft fairs and this great site is like being able to go to a craft fair every day, even every hour if you like! I am personally a huge supporter of buying handmade items and for so many reasons. A handmade item to me seems more full of love, care, and adds a special quality to any item. I love having items that are produced from skill instead of at a huge manufacturing plant.

Today, I have a wonderful Etsy shop to introduce you to. This shop is owned by a very sweet woman named Marci and her shop is named NapTimeQuilts4Baby. The direct link to her shop is at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5433472. Marci resides on a farm in Oregon with her 17 month old daughter and teaches middle school math 1/2 time. She's taken the last year off of teaching to stay home with her little one. She's been sewing for about 10 years, mostly gifts for her family. In November 2007, she was introduced to Etsy and started her shop. In January 2007, she began selling her baby quilts and learning toys at a gift shop as well. In June 2008, she opened up her fabric shop. She is hoping to spend the next few weekends sewing and adding new creations to her site that we will definitely have to check out.
The lovely product I'll be reviewing here today is her Snake Learning Toy. The original idea for this toy came from a free pattern she found online and she modified it. A few months ago she began offering toys made with organic wool and has found she really likes working with it. The snake learning toy is great for toddler-preschool age and is a toy that can grow with the child. The younger children enjoy feeling the different fabrics, buttons, and Velcro. The older children can practice their practical skills with this toy.

Our little ones can learn to tie...

Velcro....

Snap...

Button...

Play Creatively...

Then of course...there is chasing Grandma's with the snake

Then putting it in Grandma's bed at night so grandma will pretend to be scared and little one can laugh

My little girl is at that stage where she wants to prove she can do everything herself (and much she can thanks to Montessori practice). She spends a lot of time dressing, undressing, and redressing currently. This little toy gives her an opportunity to practice these skills while playing instead.

This toy is so well made and the sewing is spectacular. The fabric prints are so pretty too! The toys allows the child great fastening practice with the snake pieces having Velcro, buttons, snaps, and tying. This great toy combines imagination with motor development. I have to admit that some of the motor learning toys I've seen are...well...boring. This great toy gives her chance to better develop her motor skills while at the same time allowing for play, imagination, and creative use of the toy. Another reason (A REALLY BIG REASON) I love this toy is that it allows for quiet play. This toy is the perfect toy to take with you to church.

This product is offered at a great price. When I searched online, I found similar products selling for double the price she offers them at (and these were mass produced, not handcrafted with love)!

Below are a few pictures of her amazing baby/toddler quilts. They would make such a lovely and special gift for a little one that she could treasure forever and someday hand down to her own child:

She also offers child sized aprons, another huge plus for any Montessori mamas. I love that the aprons are reversible! She offers a fantastic price on these HAND SEWN aprons at only $10.50!
She's recently added handmade Christmas stockings to her store as well. I adore these so much! Again, the link to her shop is http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14479834.