Showing posts with label DIY Montessori. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY Montessori. Show all posts

Friday, February 22, 2008

More fun with paint sample cards

After using paint cards to learn color gradients, we have come up with a few new ideas for them!

First is a game of memory. We use only 3 pairs right now, and can add more as she gets older.


Second is a calendar/schedule chart...still in the works.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Ideas and Basic Montessori

What do you really want your child to learn? What can they BUILD on ? What do thay want to do???and what can we help them do right now that they can USE? I think this is the basis of Montessori ideals. And also, let us follow their interests.

3 basic "rules " we have sort of established in the sense of it:
Respect other's work
talk softly
Clean up and put away your own work
Walk gracefully was also a known montessori "rule" but not really applicable to the bongo playing , jumping, expressive ones, so...that one is a no go for us right now!

As my own montessori raised theory goes....along with some unschooling and homeshooling research...the "important" things in school theory....like times tables, state capitals, etc, are of no real use for our children. I have realized they are of no use to me unless I will be on jeopardy. I have started an edible plants and poisonous plants journal for my daughter which I think will be of a much greater value in the future. We will be focusing on that come spring.

I think the main theory is child led learning with gentle guidance and direction. Projects should be introduced one at a time when the student is ready. Shown once how to do the project correctly. Then, the student works to complete the work correctly...i.e...The "tower" should have the largest square at the bottom, smallest at the top, then the aspects of gravity, wieght/size ratio, 4 to 1 ratios, etc..can be added later. ...The teapot pouring activity can evolve into measuring..etc...but basics, first! Of course, the child can use the materials however they please!!! If they want the tower to be a staircase for dolls, so it is. If they want the teapot to water the flowers, it will work.

The basic setup is to have a few activities out and available, this goes for infant as well, and to rotate them. All materials should be beautiful and the child should take care of them, china, glass and other breakables SHOULD be used so that they can learn the value of things..not just plastic items they can throw around. Older children, 2+ should learn to take the activity from the shelf to their mat or table.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Cognative counting beads


Math Beads Counting Skills 2+


MATERIALS: Lots of beads or river rocks or similar shaped same colored objects. Card stock for cards and contact paper for lamination or thin wood and selant for heirloom cards. I printed numbers and sybols off of the computer to make them more interesting for my 2 year old, who is ready for 11-20 although I am not.


USE: Child carries tray with beautiful bowl of rocks/beads and cards to work mat. Show her how to do one or two. Bowl should be above and cards should be placed one at a time from left to right after beads are placed on top. Control of hand while placing beads as well as counting while they place are important. As in montessori style left to right is the placement to prepare for reading/writing. Child will see relation of number of objects to written number. When done , of course, they all go home to their bowl, on the tray, with the number cards stacked beside and on the shelf.....this one is still a hard one to put up as those beads are soooo fun!


Sensorial - Shape tracing


Sensorial Shape tracing 2.5+

Introduces child to basic shapes, leading to math skills, small motor skills, and color use. Before this lesson, child should learn the names of the basic shapes.

MATERIALS: We use an old wooden peg puzzle with shapes and crayons. You can also cut the shapes out of cardboard for them to use. Younger artists will probobly find the OUTLINE of the shape you cut out easier to trace...like a stencil. Cut apx. 4" squares with the shape cut out of the middle.

USE: Child brings out shapes board and coloring utinsils to work station. Show them (if it is new) how to hold the piece with one hand and trace around, moving around the hand and starting again where they left off. You can then name the shapes and color them in or for more advanced students, make designs, by turing the shape and drawing another one on top of it. For example, using a triangle to make a 6 sided star. Child places materials back where they got them when finished and their artwork can be displayed in a beautiful frame on the wall!

Sensorial - Make"somebody"




Wow, thanks to Nell, this has become a recuring fav in our house. A little preparing on mom/dad's part makes at least 30 minutes of fun for child or more if they are into it. Age 2+ (the one at the right was made by Mia (2Y2M) with help for the wand only!

Materials: Construction paper, scissors, glue stick. Parent cuts out a figure, (simple is best), as well as hair, eyes, mouth, nose, clothing, shoes, as far as you want to take it. It is best to go ahead and glue the figure to a background paper to avoid ripping and provide a base.

Use: Separate items to choose from. i.e. hair first, then face, then clothing, but show them first how to properly use the glue stick and stick it like a sticker. Then let them experiment, learning to use the glue where the clothing goes. I initially supervised and helped on this one, but learned the outcomes were much better if I did not tell her where to put the items....i.e. a bubble skirt became a crown and it was wonderful!

Sensorial - Color sorting

Sensorial Color sorting 2+

MATERIALS: Beads, jewels, rocks or tiny household items of varying colors. Small bowls or cups or a compartmented box or tray. Tweezers or pincers added to this activity make it a motor skills developer, too!

USE: Have one bowl of assorted colored objects. Child brings tray wtih materials to their work mat. Child places all items of similar colors into other bowls(compartments, etc). Also can be used with color cards (see sensorial color gradients) and sorted from darkest to lightest. Child places all materials back in their home after finishing.

Sensorial - Color Gradients


Sensorial Activity - Matching colors and grading by shade 2+

MATERIALS: Color cards from any paint store, thin wood and sealer or clear contact paper if you want to make them last a long time. To make really nice ones, I would glue them to a card or wood then coat with clear sealant like Mod-podge. We just use them as they are because, well they are free and I can always get more if I need :) Get 3-4 shades of each of the colors, primary, red, yellow, and blue, and secondary, orange, green, and purple. Aslo get 2 of each shade for matching if you desire. Put in a pretty colorful box or tray for storage.

USE: Step one: Using only two of each color, primary only to begin with. Naming colors and matching the doubles of each. Mix up the pairs and show child how to name each color, then find its match, placing neatly on their work station.

Step 2: Sort by color shade. Start with only one color, show them the darkest one, putting it to your right at the top. Then pick the next darkest of the color putting it right under the darkest one. then they have 2 left, which one is darker? Put it under, then the lightest one goes at the bottom. Move through all the colors making a neat chart on their work mat, darkest at the top, lightest at the bottom.

You could get enough cards to make 2 separate projects for this so that the child does not get confused which one is for what activity. Keep in separate distinguishable trays.

Practical Life - Sewing

Practical Life sewing activities age 2.5+

MATERIALS: Felt pieces (25 cents at craft stores), scrap fabrics, plastic canvas, etc. Large plastic needle. Yarn or thick thread. Cut out shapes or draw onto plastic canvas.

USE: Needle may need to be threaded and knotted for younger child. Show them how to start from underneath, pull through, then stick down again, pull through.......You can have them follow a line, or around the edge of a shape or fill in a drawing.

Practical Life - Food prep


Practical Life - Cutting and preparing food

MATERIALS: Soft/firm food, dull butter knife, cutting board, stool to let child work at counter with you, serving dish.

USE: Soft foods like hard boiled eggs, avacado, tofu, and slightly cooked carrots are perfect for this. Show child how to prep the food (peel the egg, etc). Then show them how to cut into small pieces away from the fingers and put into a serving dish. The child can then clean up materials and offer to friends, eat.

MATERIALS: Potatos, carrots, cukeumber, etc..
USE: Show child how to use a peeler, away from body and fingers and give them a small bowl for peels. Show them how to scrub the vegetables as well.

Practical Life - Sweeping

Practical Life - Sweeping activity age 2.5+

MATERIALS - masking tape, contruction paper, small broom or whisk with dustpan. Tape a small square on the floor then sprinkle small pieces of construction paper (dirt) all around.

USE: Show the child one time first. Sweep all the pieces to inside of the square, then into the dustpan and dump in trash.

Practical Life - Pour Tea


Practical Life - Pouring liquids age 2 and up

MATERIALS: 2 Beautiful small spouted cups, teapots, creamer jars, measuring cups, etc. We have moved on to a teapot and 2 small cups as seen in the photo. Towel to clean spills.

USE: Prior to play, fill one vessel up with water, colored with food coloring if desired. Child carefully carries tray to work station. If new, show them how to pour carefully from the left container into the right container and back again. Wipe up any spills with rag. Place back in home.

Practical Life - Dress forms


Practical Life Dressings forms: Zipper, Button, Snap, Lace and Buckle

MATERIALS: Picture Frames, staple gun , old clothing or fabrics. I used one dollar unfinished frames from Michaels arts and crafts and fabric scraps and clothing. Center the frame over the portion of the clothing that will be used and cut around it about an inch or two away from the frame (depending on the thickness). Wrap edges to back of frame and staple, being sure to hammer in any loose staples or sand rough wood. For the buckle frame, I just covered it, then used ribbon and old buckles of varying sizes stapled to the back.

USE: Child brings form to mat or table. If new, you can demonstrate once how it is done, working from left to right or up to down. (Buckles need to bepushed with fingers out so they dont get pinched!) Back to its home when they are done.

Practical Life - Chopsticks


Practical Life - Chopstick transfering - small motor skills Age 2 and up

MATERIALS: 2 pretty matching bowl, chopsticks, rubberband, pompons. Before introducing to child, place a small piece of folded up cardboard at the top of the chopstics right under a rubber band...see photo. This will let the young child learn with the pincer method. Once mastered, the rubber band can be removed and proper way taught.

USE: Child can carry the tray to their mat or work table. Show child how to pick up one pompon at a time from one bowl and transfer it into the second bowl. When child is finished, they should put materials the way they found then and place the tray back where they got it.

Variation: I after mastering 2 bowls, I set out bowls that matched the pompons so Mia could transfer as well as sort colors. I used one master bowl with 4 smaller bowls for transfering to. I used thrift store ceramic bowls painted with actylic paint and a poly sealer (do not eat off of these bowls after painting:)

Saturday, February 17, 2007

2+ Sensorial list

From Sue Chens Online Montessori Website

The Cylinder Blocks
The Pink Tower large to small, rebuild
The Brown Stair descriminate height
The Red Rods
The Colored Cylinders
The Binomial Cube
The Trinomial Cube
Geometric Cabinet shapes for tracing
The Cards For The Geometric Cabinet
The Constructive Triangle - triangle
The Constructive Triangles - rectangle
The Constructive Triangles: Large hexagon
The Constructive Triangles: Small Hexagon
The Constructive Triangles: Square Box The Blue Triangles
Color Box No. 1 match by color
Color Box No. 2 match by shade
Color Box No. 3 gradients
The Geometric Solids name, feel
Bases For The Geometric Solids match to shape
The Mystery Bag name by feel alone
Rough And Smooth Board #1 discriminate texture
Rough & Smooth Boards 2 & 3
Rough & Smooth Tablets
Fabric Box match by feel alone
Thermic Bottles feel hot, medium, cold
Thermic Tablets
Baric Tablets
The Sound Cylinders
The Bells lower vs. higher
Smelling Jars match smell (cards)
Colored Bead Bars

additions:
Treasure Hunt
Nature Close Up Growing plants
Bird Feeder
Mother animal to baby animal
Theme days - all day green and Irish or all day pink ballerinas and french food etc..
Yoga pose book or karate moves - print offline and let them follow the moves or rent vidos..

Friday, February 16, 2007

2+ practical list

PRACTICAL LIFE LIST FOR 2+ YEARS

SMALL MUSCLE -transfering
Spooning beans
wet pouring
pouring with funnel

SMALL MUSCLE - squeezing
chopsticks
clamping with clothespins and pincers
making bubbles with sponge
basting water

SMALL MUSCLE - twisting
opening bottles and lids

SMALL MUSCLE - sorting
Sorting By Color
Sorting By Shape

SMALL MUSCLE - Art activities
Playdough
Making Necklace
Cutting
Oil Pastel Stencils
Gluing Work

LARGE MUSCLE
Walking the loopy line
Throwing at a target
Walking while holding a cup
Echo clap
The feather brush
Simon says
locks and keys
nuts and bolts
tool kit, hammer, wrench and screwdriver
Balance beam

CARE OF PERSON
Blowing Nose
Drinking At A Water Fountain
Washing Hands At Sink
Dressing And Undressing
Taking Off A Coat
Handing Up A Coat
Putting On A Coat
Putting On An Apron

DRESSING FRAMES
Buttoning
Zipper
Snap
Buckle
Bow Tie
Safety Pin
Lacing

GROOMING
Wash hands
wash clothes, hang to dry
Iron
shoe polish
brush hair
braid
clip nails

CARE OF ENVIRONMENT
Water plants
feed pets
Using mats - carrying, rolling and unrolling, walking around
Carrying a tray
Using a soft cover book
sitting at a table
Opening and closing doors softly
Sweeping
Crumbing a table
Wiping up wet spills
Sorting laundry
Dish washing and drying
Dusting


POLISHING
Wood, metal, glass

FOOD PREP
Bread slicing
Nut cracking
Apple cutting
OJ fresh squeezed
Peeling carrots and potatos
cutting soft foods
spreading PB and J

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Please and Thank you
Group art
Recognizing and describing emotions
Planning a trip, map, packing
Roll play for introductions and goodbyes
How to ask for help from an adult wait for pause and quietly ask
Cleaning up for snack or lunch time
How to observe with the eyes ask first, may I watch, no hands
How to knock on door a few times then wait
How to Ring bell once then wait
How to use telephone

ADDITIONS:
Flower type journal with edible plants and posionous plants, field trips in spring

Thursday, February 15, 2007

2+ cognative list

Sort by concept
Associate object with number
Match geometric shapes
Transfer equal number of objects
Match geo shape to outline
Transfer water
String objects on cord
Walk the line

Montessori List for 1-2 Year olds

From the teachers Handbook for Montessori

Cognative:Matching cutout to outline
assembling puzzles
matching shapes
same/different
matching numbers
grouping (by color, etc)
sequence of events
matching by concept


Sensory:
identify colors
identify body parts
identify by feel (soft, scratchy)
theme walks
match by pattern/texture
play dough
loud and soft
source of sounds
smells

Motor Skills:
clipping clothes pins
in and out
lids on and off
unwrapping
magnet lifting s
tringing
tranfering/pouring
Language;
Naming body parts
naming colors
naming objects and shapes
basic counting
add and subtract
identical objects
like phonetic sounds

Social:
imitating facial expressions
pass it on with objects
imitate body movements/yoga?
identify others feelings
group music