Practical Life works- Shell tonging

Shell tonging - Writing and Cutting Preparations

Materials:
1. Tray
2. Two Containers
3. Tongs
4. Materials to Transfer (shells,eggs ,balls ,nuts)

Work Surface: Table

Presentation:

· Invite child/group.
· Select work from the shelf and place it on the table.
· Pick up the tongs and examine tension and hand position by opening and closing.
· Open the tongs and pick up the shells.
being transferred from the left container and lower the tongs into the right container. (As a child would move his/her head while reading a row of words on a page.)
· Then release the objects into the right container.
· Continue until all the shells are transferred.
· Reverse the procedure and transfer from the right to left. (As a child would move his/her head when he/she would move his/her head while moving to a row lower than he/she was on.)
· Admire the work and place it neatly on the shelf. Invite child/group.

Montessori Songs

Five Fat Peas
A counting fingerplay especially useful in the spring and summer

Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed
(children hold hand in a fist)
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest
(put thumb and fingers up one by one)
They grew and grew
(raise hand in the air very slowly)
And did not stop,
Until one day
The pod went POP!
(children clap hands together)


Five Cookies
Action poem
Five little cookies in the bakery shop
Shinning bright with the sugar on top
Along comes (child's name) with a nickel to pay
He/she buys a cookie and takes it away
(continue with four, three, two and one)

Important events in Dr. Maria Montessori's life

• 1870 Born
• 1896 Became Doctor of Medicine
• 1896 Represented the Women of Italy at a Conference at Berlin
• 1896-1906 Held a chair in Hygiene at a Women's' College in Rome
• 1898 Gave birth to Mario Montessori Sr. and sent him to a family in the countryside of Italy
• 1899 Addressed a Pedagogical Conference in Turin - stressed on the benefits of Education to defective children
• 1900 Represented at the Feminist Conference in London - attacked the exploitation of children in the mines of Sicily
• 1901 Enrollment in the University of Rome as a student of Psychology and Philosophy
• 1904 - 08 Professor of Anthropology in the University of Rome. Her first major publication -"Pedagogical Anthropology"
• 1909 Publication of "The Method of Scientific Pedagogy as applied to infant education in the Children's Houses"
• 1913 Conducted the First International Training Course
• 1914 She visited the United States of America. She was a guest of Thomas Alva Edison. The formation of American Montessori Society under the President ship of Mr. Alexander Graham Bell
• 1918 The Education Society of London sent Mrs. Hutchinson to take a course under Dr. Montessori. The course was considered a "Rhapsody" by the Department of Education
• 1919 The first official visit to London. She was given a royal reception
• 1922 Dr. Montessori appointed the Inspector of schools by the Italian Government
• 1925 International Montessori Congress at Helsinki
• 1929 Founded the Association Montessori International in Amsterdam
• 1932 International Montessori Congress in Europe
• 1939-1947 Dr. Montessori makes India her home. She with the help of her son conducts 16 batches of the Indian Montessori Training Courses, thus laying a strong foundation for the Montessori Movement in India
• 1947 Reestablishment of the Opera Montessori in Rome, Italy
• 1948 Dr. Montessori visits India again
• 1949 Appoints Albert Max Joosten as her personal representative to conduct the Indian Montessori Training Courses. Conducts the First International training Course in Pakistan. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
• 1951 Conducts the International Montessori Course in London. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the second time
• 1952 Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the third time. All three occasions the Nobel Prize eludes her. Dr. Montessori passes away. Interred at Noordwijk-aan-Zee in Holland

Practical Example - Wrist turning - Dry pouring

Material:
Two containers-cups .one cup half filled with beans, tray,

Work surface:
Table

Presentation:
1. Invite child
2. Select the work and go to the table.
3. Place in front of you.
4. Make the child sit on your subdominant side
5. With your dominant hand take the cup that has beans
6. Hold the cup at the top with your dominant hand and the bottom with the subdominant hand
7. Pour the beans into the empty cup slowly, until the first one is empty.
8. Return the beans back to the original container.
9. You can look inside the cup and say “empty”
10. Check for spilled beans
11. Return work to the shelf
12. Invite child

Extensions and variations:

Use wide mouthed funnel
Use different small handheld objects
Finer material to pour
Containers with handles
Container with spouts
From one container to different containers

Points of interest:

Pour in steady stream
Sound of beans being poured
Empty container
Pick up spilled beans
Emptying the container

Control of error:

Beans left in the container
Spilled beans in the tray/floor
Too much noise

Language:
Beans, empty, pour, cups, tray,
Age:
2 ½ and up

Aims:
OCCI, pouring materials, preparation for reading and writing

Practical Life Example - Sorting - Rough and Smooth ( Shells)

Materials:
Wooden box, rough and smooth shells, rough and smooth label cards, tray.

Work Surface:
Rug

Presentation:
1. Invite child
2. Wash and dry your hands
3. Go to shelf and bring material
4. Open box and place on bottom of your subdominant side
5. With dominant hand take out shells from the box, one by one and place it on the right side of the box.
6. Take the rough label card, read out loud and keep it on the upper left side of the rug.
7. Take the smooth label card, read out loud and keep it to the right side of the rug
8. Take a shell and hold it in your sub dominant hand. With your dominant hand stroke and feel the texture of the shell
9. If rough say “rough” and put it under the label that says rough.
10. If smooth say “smooth” and put it under the label that says smooth
11. Repeat the same with the rest of the shells till all the shells are sorted by rough and smooth
12. Admire
13. Return shells one by one into the box.
14. Return the work to the shelf
15. Invite the child

Extensions/Variations:
1. Different objects-rocks, fabrics, wooden blocks
2. Sort rough and smooth with blind folded

Points of interest:
1. Different types of shells
2. Taking the shells out of the box
3. Holding it in the hands
4. Sorting

Control of error:
1. Tactile disharmony

Language:
Rough and smooth, shell

Age:
3 and up

Aims:
OCCI, tactile discrimination

Montessori Philosophy Rationale

“Education is a natural process carried out by the human individual and is acquired not by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment.” “Every child is unique in their own way” and “Every child grows in different paces”. Only in Montessori classroom the child get the freedom to choose what they want to do. The freedom of choice helps the children to develop an inward order through work before she chooses and carry out her own acts. In a Montessori classroom, a child is free to move about and explore the environment because with activity and movement comes learning. Movement, in fact, contributes not only to the physical, but also to the intellectual potential and spiritual development of the child. The child must have freedom achieved through order and self-discipline. The child in a Montessori environment can learn, discover and be creative. He has the freedom of choice and develops his individual interest. The child learns best in a prepared environment. Montessori classroom is calm, respectful and peaceful. This atmosphere meets the child's inner need for an atmosphere that supports concentration. The Montessori classroom is orderly and encourages the child to maintain an orderly environment. It is a place where the child can do things for him or herself. The children make their own choices of work throughout the work period, but within a carefully designed structure. This independence is necessary because it teaches decision-making skills and self-confidence.. However, the teacher is there, observing, making careful notes, and giving new lessons to children when they show signs of readiness. She follows the lead of the child and guides him towards the next level of work. A child who chooses work beyond his ability will be guided towards something that better suits his needs.To facilitate the prepared order of the environment, the teacher arranges the materials on the shelf following their sequence in the curriculum flowchart. The materials are displayed on low open shelves that are easily accessible to even the youngest children. Each has a specific place on the shelves, arranged from the upper left hand corner in sequence to the lower right. Materials are always arranged in sequence, from the most simple to the most complex, and from the most concrete to the most abstract.

The environment is created in proportion to the child and his or her needs. They decide for themselves which materials to work with. “The extern material is then offered, and left freely to the natural individual energies of the children. They choose the objects they prefer; and such preference is dictated by the internal needs of “physical growth.” Each child occupies himself with each object chose for as long as he wishes; and this desire corresponds to the needs of the intimate maturation of the spirit a process which demands persevering and prolonged exercise.” Child reinforces own learning by repetition of work and internal feelings of success. The child repeats activities until they are fully mastered. The Montessori class schedule is long and uninterrupted.

The practical life materials help the child to learn how to care for her/himself and his /her environment. These activities enable the child to become an independent and caring member of society. This builds the child’s self-confidence. The sensorial materials are designed to develop the child’s perceptual abilities and refine his/her observational skills. Montessori materials are multi –sensorial and self-correcting: they are designed to help the child learn how to learn. In a primary classroom, three and four-year-olds receive the benefit of two years of sensorial preparation for academic skills by working with the concrete Montessori learning materials. This concrete sensorial experience gradually allows the child to form a mental picture of concepts like "how big is a thousand, how many hundreds make up a thousand, and what is really going on when we borrow or carry numbers in mathematical operations. The values of the sensorial experiences that the younger children have had in Montessori are often under-estimated. Research is very clear that this is how the young child learns, by observing and manipulating his environment. The Montessori educational philosophy believes that the educational method, to be effective, must support and address the nature of the child. The nature of the child is not a theoretical construct, but based upon Montessori's detailed observation of the child.

The goal of the Montessori classroom whether it is a prepared environment for infants and toddlers, preschoolers, elementary or secondary students, is the development of skills necessary for a productive and fulfilling life. The best of the curriculum is useless if the child does not develop inner discipline, integrity, and respect for others and oneself. The young child who is armed with self-confidence and self-discipline is far more likely to achieve success and happiness. They will be prepared to meet any challenges that the “real world” may present.

Pongal : Harvest Festival of South India

I began discussing "Pongal" with my Montessori students as part of other culture. Having come from the same culture, it was easy for me to present it in detail.

Pongal is one of the most popular harvest festival of South India, mainly Tamil Nadu.

Pongal falls in the mid-January every year and marks the auspicious beginning of Uttarayan - sun's journey northwards. Pongal festival lasts for four days. Celebrations include drawing of Kolam, swinging & cooking of delicious Pongal.

Meaning & Significance

People celebrating Pongal should be aware of the meaning & significance of the important rituals associated with this harvest festival. Pongal or Thai Pongal is also called Makara Sankaranthi, since it is celebrated on the first day of Thai when the Sun enters the Makara Rasi (Capricornus). This signals the end of winter and the onset of spring throughout the northern hemisphere. For the next six months, the days are longer and warmer. The period is referred to as Uttarayan Punyakalam and is considered auspicious. Legend has it that the Devas wake up after a six-month long slumber during this period. And so it is believed that those pass away during Uttarayana attain salvation. In fact, Bheeshma is believed to have waited for the dawn of Uttarayana before he gave up his life. Pongal is a four-day affair.

The first day, Bhogi, is celebrated on the last day of the month of Margazhi. On this day, people decorate their homes. New vessels are bought and old and unwanted things burnt. Scholars have often compared Bhogi to the Indra Vizha celebrated by the Chola kings at Kaveripattinam, also known as Poompuhar. Indra Vizha was celebrated in honour of Lord Indra, also called Bhogi, the God of thunder and rain.

The second day is Perum Pongal, the most important. It is also called Surya Pongal because people worship Surya, the Sun God and his consorts, Chaya and Samgnya. Women decorate the central courtyard of their homes with beautiful kolams, done with rice flour and bordered with red clay. The Pongal dish is cooked exactly at the moment when the new month is born. There are several legends associated with Perum Pongal. A sage named Hema prayed to Lord Vishnu on the banks of the Pottramarai tank in Kumbakonam. On Perum Pongal day, the lord is believed to have taken the form of Sarangapani and blessed the sage. Yet another legend has it that Lord Shiva performed a miracle where a stone image of an elephant ate a piece of sugarcane.

The third day is Mattu Pongal, celebrated to glorify cattle that help farmers in a myriad ways. On this day, the cows are bathed and decorated with vermilion and garlands and fed. In certain villages in southern Tamil Nadu, a bullfight called manji-virattu is held in the evening. Bags of coins are tied to the sharpened horns of ferocious bulls that are let loose in an open ground. The young men of the village vie with each other to subdue the bull and grab the bags tied to the horns. In fact, in ancient Tamil literature, men had to subdue the bull in order to win the hand of a fair maiden and even Lord Krishna is believed to have defeated seven bulls before marrying Nappinnai. Unlike in the Spanish bullfights, in manji-virattu, the bull is never killed. Mattu Pongal has little significance to city folks. In most urban homes, the day is celebrated as Kannu Pongal. Special prayers are offered by women for the well-being of their brothers. The Tamils also remember the poet Tiruvalluvar, who was born on this.

The last day is Kaanum Pongal. It is that part of the festival when families used to gather on the riverbanks and have a sumptuous meal (kootanchoru). It is also time for some traditional dances such as kummi and kolattam. In recent years, that day is celebrated as Uzhavar Tirunal in honor of farmers.

Following are some of the international harvest festivals

• Chu'sok
• Tori no Ichi
• Ulavar Thirunaal
• Thanksgiving
• August Moon Festival
• Tet Trung Thu
• Succoth
• Kwanzaa
• Yam Festival

Montessori Outdoor Play

Let us always remember that inner discipline is something to come and not something always present. - Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Outdoor playtime in your Montessori preschool does not have to be completely unstructured. In fact, studies have shown that unstructured or lightly-supervised playtime can actually lead to aggressive play and behavior problems. Playing organized games and activities teaches cooperation, sharing, following the rules, helpfulness, social skills, and control of emotions. Additionally, organized play makes sure that all students are actively participating in some physical activity.

Here are some suggestions for activities during your Montessori outdoor play time:

1. Outdoor Car Wash

Materials: Car, Wash kit,water

Description: Set up an area outside where the children can wash the playground “cars”.

Children can have three stations: soap and sponges; clean water and sponges; and drying cloths.

2. Outside Basketball hoops

Materials: Basketball hoop,basketball

Description: Set up an area outside where the children can play basketball

3. Outside Water Table

Materials: Water Table,squirt bottles

Description: Set up a water table so that children can play water squirt

Nutritional Health In Montessori

More schools are developing initiatives to promote healthy nutritional choices by establishing policies that everyone in the school community can embrace. The key to success is thoughtful preparation and effective communication so that faculty, students and parents are able to implement a clear, user-friendly program designed for success.

While organic foods would be the first choice, this is not always available for various reasons. Perhaps you live in an area where it is difficult to purchase organic food, or higher prices for organic food may be prohibitive for some families. Being sensitive to and respectful of this issue is always important. Keep your emphasis on awareness of and choices for nutritious foods.

Components of a Healthy Lunch

Lunch should consist of one serving of each per day:

• whole grains
• fruits and vegetables
• lean protein
• calcium

Provide examples of each of the above categories so parents have a better idea of what to include in their child’s lunchbox.

A chart is a great way to illustrate healthy alternatives to common food choices (http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/general/lunch.html)

Parents Introduction to Montessori Pre School

This is to introduce parents on Pre school. After all, preschool is going to be fun for your child. There are nice teachers and lots of children to play with. There is a playground with a sandbox, tricycles, and a garden to rake. There will be story time, singing, painting, and all those wonderful Montessori Practical Life materials on the shelf that you saw on your visit to the classroom. You just know it’s going to be wonderful, but the hardest part is going to be leaving your little one at the door of his or her new Montessori classroom on that first day.

To help you prepare for what to expect from your child’s Montessori classroom experience, here is a short primer on what he/she may be talking about when he/she comes home.

Circle time - These are daily gatherings of the whole Montessori class and occur at the beginning and end of the day as well as at transition times. Circle may include: calendar, singing, stories, science experiments, group lessons, problem solving.

Lessons/Activities – This is direct instruction by a teacher. Lessons are usually presented one-on-one or in a small group. After a lesson is presented, your child may work on that activity any time it is available.

Work – A child’s work refers to a learning activity or set of Montessori materials. It includes direct and indirect aims, control of error, points of interest, and extensions. Work in the preschool classroom mostly consists of one- or two-person activities.

Mats – All work in the Montessori classroom, except written work, is done on mats. The mat clearly delineates the student’s personal work space. Don’t be surprised if your child comes home asking for a mat to work on!

Snack – It is not unusual for snack to be a child’s favorite activity! Snack in the Montessori classroom is treated as a work. Your child will have a lesson on snack preparation. Afterward, he will be able to prepare and serve himself a snack during the day. Snack is kept simple and is not meant to replace a healthy meal.

Practical Life – Practical Life activities are the traditional works of the family and home. They allow children to gain independence and self-discipline, develop gross and fine motor skills, build concentration, as well as indirectly prepare for math and writing. Maria Montessori observed that children prefer real work over imaginary work and real, child-sized tools are used.

Sensorial –Sensorial work covers every quality that can be perceived by the senses. The purpose and aim of Sensorial work is for the child to acquire clear, conscious, information and to be able to then make classifications in the environment. The Sensorial and Practical Life work is unique to the Montessori classroom.

For further reading on the Montessori preschool environment you may wish to try:

• A Parents’ Guide to the Montessori Classroom, by Aline D. Wolf
• How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way, by Tim Seldin
• The Montessori Way, by Tim Seldin

Montessori Teacher

Teachers who understand how their goals of education relate to their teaching strategies are more likely to implement practices that consciously emphasize some goals and eliminate those practices they consider not useful.

In many parts of the world, summer is about to end and a new school year is about to begin. Now is the time when I think seriously about what I need to improve in my Montessori classroom for the coming year. I think about my older students who will be returning for another year. What were their individual challenges last year? What are their strengths? I review teacher notes for incoming Montessori students and begin preparation for their introduction into the new Montessori classroom. I assess Montessori environmental design and curriculum, asking questions, such as: Do material and subject areas make sense where they are located? Is there a logical flow to the Montessori classroom? Do I have any curricular deficiencies or challenges?

There are more to add, but above should make a dynamic Montessori teacher

Teaching Writing and Pencil Hold

Young children when they begin to write they face a hardship in holding the pencil. As a parent we will not be able to guide them in a proper way. That's where Maria Montessori brings in hands on approach in young children for it prepares the child's pencil control for writing in several ways.Pre-writing activities designed to prepare the child’s hand for handwriting can be found throughout the entire Montessori classroom.parents can help the children making these activities at home.

Practical Life – Tools
Activities include tonging, tweezing, stringing, and twisting.

Materials: pasta different shapes,tweezers/tongs..two similar containers,and a tray.

Preparation:

• place the bowls in a tray.
• put a handful of pasta in the left side bowl
• place the tweezers/tongs in the middle of the bowl
• bring the work to the floor or to the child size table n chair set
• show the child to transfer the pasta from left to right with the help of tongs
• then back to right to left.
• left to right concept indirectly helps the child prepare for reading and writing.

you can use beans,big beads, etc.Make sure you have an eye on the child so that it doesn't put the things in the nose. these activities surely help the little finger get trained to hold the pencil later.“Little fingers” include the thumb and first two fingers – the same ones that hold a pencil.

Art – Coloring and Painting

When a child started to color or draw most of the parents doesn't appreciate it rather they think that its a scribble.what the parents and the child may not know is, when the child uses art materials for free expression, he is gaining important writing skills. The marks at first appear random, then with maturity, become more controlled and purposeful. Letters, as well as shapes, will start to appear. Lessons in this area focus on the proper use of the various art media, including markers, pencils, chalk, and paintbrushes. Scissors activities also provide pencil control.

Practical life Exercises

In a Montessori Method Practical Life activities are very important.Practical life Exercises are are Exercises the child can learn how to do living activities in a purposeful way.The purpose and aim of Practical Life is to help the child gain control in the coordination of his movement, and help the child to gain independence and self confidence.Practical Life Exercises also aid the growth and development of the child’s intellect and concentration and will in turn also help the child develop an orderly way of thinking.Practical Life Exercises also aid the growth and development of the child’s intellect and concentration and will in turn also help the child develop an orderly way of thinking.Below are some of the activities you can help your child with.

Practical Life Areas
Dressing oneself
Knowing parts of the body
Putting on jacket and zipping it
Hanging jacket on low hook
Putting clean clothes in drawer
Washing hands & drying hands with paper towel & throwing towel away in the trash
Blowing nose and throwing away tissue properly

Table manners
Setting the dinner table
Cleaning up spills with a sponge
Polishing shoes
Fastening clothes on a line with clothes pins or pegs
Using scissors with skill
Washing linen or dolls clothes on a wash board (you can buy these at a hardware store)
Learning home address and phone number
Pouring beans, rice, sugar, etc. without spilling
Pouring liquids without spilling
Sitting on the line
Sitting next to the line
Walking on the line
Carrying objects without dropping them
Carrying liquids without spilling
Walking without knocking into furniture or people
Dancing without knocking into furniture or people
Putting materials, books, and toys away on the shelves
Working carefully and neatly
Dusting and polishing exercises
Sweeping with small broom and dust pan
Flower arranging
Caring for plants
Caring for animals
Folding napkins, towels and own clothing
Simple use of needle and thread
Use of tweezers, tongs, eyedroppers, and locks
Small hammer and nails to make wood projects out of scrap lumber
Weaving and bead stringing
Sorting Beads
Braiding
Stamping
Modeling with clay
Cutting and pasting
Simple cooking and food preparation and baking with mom or dad

Here are some favorite kitchen activities:

Using an old fashioned egg beater or whisk
Sifting flourScooping flour, sugar, salt, etc. with large and small scooperswashing vegetables and fruit, peeling with a vegetable peeler
Spreading (like peanut butter on a cracker)
Stirring mixture
Basting with a large turkey baster
Using a ladleOpening and closing lids
Screwing and unscrewing lids on jars
Dishwashing and washing table with a sponge

Montessori Classroom

It is true that we cannot make a genius. We can only give to teach child the chance to fulfill his potential possibilities. (Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, 1995)

Now, more than ever, citizens of the 21st century need to be not only skilled at what they do, but they need to be informed and capable of great thought. Like the great thinkers of the Enlightenment, they need to creatively embrace the quest for truth. They must be capable of great love and compassion for the cosmic interdependence of life on Earth. Gone are the days of rote learning and memorization. Instead, children must be given real life scenarios in which to apply their learning in new situations.

Montessori in the Home: Through the Eyes (Ears, and Nose) of the Child

Maria Montessori would have cautioned that children not only hear everything, but they also see, imprint, and even mirror our behaviors. The child is watching the adults around her/him from birth. Everything we do, everything we say is locked away in her/his memory. In her book, The Child in the Family, (1956) Montessori makes her point very clearly:

The child is sensitive and impressionable to such a degree that the adult ought to monitor everything he says and does, for everything is literally engraved in the child’s mind. (p 40)

Parents need to understand how important behavioral modeling is for their children. Discrepancies between home and school environments can be challenging for students. The role of parents is to put their beliefs in what their children should do and say into action. This means becoming an active role model for their own children.

Montessori at Home

More and more, I meet and speak with parents who embrace the Montessori method, and wish to implement the Montessori philosophy and methodology in their homes. To do so successfully, it is important to have a well-prepared environment.

Here are some helpful guidelines to consider when creating the Montessori environment at home.



Everyone’s home is unique, and every Montessori prepared environment in the home will reflect those nuances. Although the home Montessori environment will have its own flavor, all Montessori prepared environments have the following features in common:

They are attractive,orderly and clean.
Have a place where children can store and organize personal items
Have adequate open space for children to easily move around.
Have children access their Montessori materials from low shelves so that they can also help maintain the order on these shelves.
Maintain appropriately-sized tables and chairs so the children can sit and move with ease.

Famous Montessorians

• Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of Google, credit their Montessori education for much of their success
• Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com
• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis wife of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy
• Julia Child Master chef
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Prize-winning novelist
• Anne Frank, famous child diarist from World War II
• Prince William and Prince Harry of Wales
• T. Berry Brazelton, noted pediatrician and author
• Melissa and Sarah Gilbert, actresses

Maria Montessori Quotes

• "Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed”
• “Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world”
• "We cannot create observers by saying "observe," but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses”

How can I prepare myself to teach my child?

One of the first things to do is find a quiet space to do the activities with your child with child sized chairs, table, bookcase for books and supplies, and a small area rug.
Make a firm date and time every week or day to do the activities. Try to stick to your schedule.
You can use some of these activities for a playgroup.
Make sure the family takes a field trip at least once a month.
A great book to prepare you for the Montessori method of education is Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. It is a delightful fictional account of the Montessori philosophy used in the life of a misunderstood girl. It’s probably even at your local library. It is really insightful to the approach that we will be using.
Most of all, believe in yourself. Parents are natural teachers!

How will the material be taught?
The preschool materials will be presented within the Montessori approach using equipment that can be made according to the directions provided. Every activity is developed to promote the joy and wonder of learning. Following the Montessori philosophy and methodology will give your child the tools of self-discovery and learning. The ultimate goal is to provide life long learning that is fun and joyful. The program will integrate the following 10 areas of development to teach and reinforce the lessons.

10 Areas of Emphasis


Everyday life skills, which include development of the 5 senses
Development of small and large muscles
Art
Math readiness
Reading and language readiness
Science, including biology, chemistry and physics
Foreign language
Finger plays and dramatic play
Singing
Family and group activities

Preschool Matching and Sorting Games

Sorting objects or toys according to size helps children develop their intellect. These lessons are not only fun, but are building blocks for later learning. Montessori used sorting, matching and classifying as a means to academic learning in math, reading and science.

Here are some facts about matching and sorting puzzles:

Noticing different shapes or patterns helps children categorize.
Discriminating items from smallest to largest helps with math concepts of less and more.
Sorting and matching are muscle and mind exercises.
Understanding sequencing from smallest to largest, or largest to smallest, helps children discern subtle differences.
Using the material from left to right helps with reading and writing skills in many cultures.

The Mystery Bag in the Montessori Classroom

The Mystery Bag is a versatile and essential material in the early childhood and lower elementary Montessori classrooms. The Mystery Bag is simply a bag (or box) in which the Montessori teacher places objects that the students cannot see. The students then use their sense of touch to explore the object without removing it from the bag. Eventually, depending on the lesson, the students or the teacher will reveal the object. It can help to develop the sense of how things feel (stereognostic sense) and refine all of the senses overall. It stimulates and cultivates the student’s intellectual curiosity and has endless options for use in the classroom (i.e., the type of bag or box used, the items placed in the bag, the curricular area being taught). Even a toddler will enjoy exploring objects and vocabulary with the Mystery Bag material.

In the Montessori early childhood classroom, one lesson idea for the Mystery Bag begins with the teacher placing objects in the bag, such as a large sea shell, a piece of coral, and a sand dollar. Though related, the objects are different in texture, size, etc. The student is shown the objects before they are returned to the bag. The student is then asked to find the object that is smooth, large, etc.

The Mystery Bag can also be used to reinforce the geometric solids from the sensorial area in the Montessori classroom. A student can close her/his eyes and be asked to find a particular geometric solid from the bag. Montessori students could do this with the teacher or with another student. A Montessori teacher can also place objects related to current studies in the bag. For example, the objects listed above (a large sea shell, a piece of coral and a sand dollar) could be used while the students study ocean life in the geography curriculum.

Language can also be explored with the Mystery Bag. In an early childhood classroom, students may take turns feeling an object in the bag (without removing it), and describing it to others. An advanced student could record this work on lined paper. A variation to this would be for students to take turns taking the Mystery Bag home, and choosing an object based on a theme chosen by the teacher (e.g., it could be an item that begins with the letter "A", and continues with each child through the alphabet). The student would write clues and bring the Mystery Bag bag to school with the object and clues to present to their classmates for guessing what's in the bag. In the Montessori lower elementary classroom, this activity may be presented as a way to practice adjectives. Students may record short, descriptive sentences about their mystery objects.

Once you begin to explore the Mystery Bag, you will find infinite possibilities for ways to use it in the Montessori classroom!

Welcome to My Blog

This is officially my first entry in this blog on Montessori! I want to thank you all for taking an interest in the information I have here. As this is my first correspondence, I thought it is best to let you know what I will be doing here. I want one centralized place for people interested in Montessori-related topics can chat, ask questions, or just keep informed. This blog is going to cover a great deal of information, and I hope all of you can get what you need here!

As for me, I am Jeya Karthik, a Montessori educator who is trained to work with children from three to five years of age.

Welcome and enjoy!