Painting with Primary Colors

I wanted to share the following art lesson which the children have been really enjoying.  In all honesty, I was a bit skeptical about this activity as it contains numerous steps and details to remember - with it still being so early in the school year, I was wondering if the lesson might be too complex.  The children, however, have amazed me once again and are completing this lesson with aplomb!

Materials on the shelf:  white paper; wooden art tray with cardboard circle cutout (this was saved from a board game); tray with jar for filling with water; paintbrush; dish with sponge; small tray with pencil and two small clothespins; paint palette.

First, the child brings the materials to a workspace and fills the jar with water.  Then, the clothespins are used to clip the cardboard on the the paper.  Next, the child traces the circles onto the paper, as in this photo.

Now, the child removes the clothespins and cardboard and begins filling in the circles with the paint.  To change colors, the paintbrush is dipped in the water-filled jar and excess water is dabbed onto the sponge.

The children are having much fun with this lesson!!!

Finding our Balance

Our class seems to be moving along quite well and we are getting used to our new daily rhythms.  It appears the group is quite capable of a a fairly long work period in mornings. The children's individual activities have been balanced by group circle times highlighting the Montessori Grace and Courtesy lessons.  Of course, our outdoor play is a highlight for many!  Here are some photos from this week:

Odd/even numbers with Cards and Counters.

The children still very much enjoy this rock painting activity!

Working with the Hundred Board.

Numbers 11-19 with the Teen Beads.

Writing with the Moveable Alphabet:  I asked, "What did you have for breakfast today?"

Magnetic/Non-Magnetic science activity.

Making a Mondrian paper collage.

Color-coded Decimal System symbols...

...and their corresponding quantity of Golden Beads.

Counting the Tens Board with Golden Beads.

Math concepts including zero with the Spindle Boxes.

Working with a set of Knobbed Cylinders.

Writing practice on the squared chalkboard.

Tracing Sandpaper Numbers.

Geography:  Land and Water Forms - Lake and Island.

Quantities 1-10 with the Number Rods.

Visual discrimination of size with the Brown Stair.

Reinforcing initial sound of objects with the letter symbol.

Parts of a Tree puzzle.

Beginning sounds of words with the Moveable Alphabet.

Reading practice with the Phonetic Object Box.

Addition with the Stamp Game.

Fine motor practice with weaving.

Teen Beads and Boards.

Sewing practice.

Reading practice with the Language Step Board.

Mondrian Paper Collage

The beginning of the school year seems to me the ideal time to explore primary colors.  Currently, we have numerous Practical Life exercises highlighting these colors on the shelves.  I thought it would be pertinent to introduce the children to Piet Mondrian's compositions while learning about lines, angles, and color while simultaneously practicing basic collage techniques.

I introduced this activity at circle time by showing the children a Mondrian print which is displayed on our Sign-in Table.  We talked about the various elements of the piece and then I demonstrated how to make the collage:

The materials on the art shelf:  white construction paper; small tray with black strips; three sizes of squares in primary colors; tray with glue and pencil.

The child places all components of the project on the tray and carries it to a workspace at a table.  Next, the child begins gluing the back lines...

...and colored squares...

Mondrian inspired collage.

Here are some finished pieces hanging in our hallway - I do love how the attention to angles and lines is so apparent!

And the Learning Continues...

Welcome back to school!  I feel very fortunate that the majority of our class has returned for either a second or third year in our Montessori classroom.  Through the viewing of the following photos, one can see the effect of last year's learning.  I remain very proud of my returning students and how they have worked this week in our classroom as if they had never left for the summer!  How lucky our new friends are to have so many peers to learn from as they navigate their new setting.

Spooning colored rice - A preliminary Practical Life exercise promoting CCIO (concentration, coordination, independence, and order).

Basic cutting with scissors.

An introduction to the Red Rods providing visual discrimination of length.

Working with the Knobbed Cylinders - visual discrimination of size and development of the pincer grasp.

Writing practice with the Metal Insets.

Math practice with the Short Bead Stair.

This is what last year's students came up with!

"Bears in a Line"

Creative exploration with clay.

Counting, cardinality, and odd/even numbers with Cards and Counters.

Laying out the Decimal System Cards for work with the Golden Beads.

Building fine motor control with a dropper activity.

Naming and counting the decimal system categories - Introduction to the Decimal System.

Number writing practice.

Metal Polishing - a Practical Life exercise in Care of Environment.

Working with the Teen Bead Hanger.

"Sticks and Stones" math game.

Writing practice and letter/sound recognition with the Sandpaper Letters.

Preparing apple slices...

...and offering them to friends.

A group of students even requested to practice addition with the Golden Beads - I've never had that happen during the first week of school (or even the first month or two)!  We have certainly begun our school year with finesse!