Success

Despite some sniffles and some colds, we continue making progress in our classroom!  I am excited to make note of the many successes, both big and small, that occur each day:

Floor Scrubbing

Weaving practice.

Spooning and sorting (gold or silver) bells.

Scooping beads into three containers - this little scooper is adorable! :)

Drawing and writing on the easel.

Bells - listening.

Writing preparation with the Metal Insets.

First Color Tablet Box

Poinsettia craft.

Visual discrimination of length:  Red Rods

Dynamic Addition 

Conjunction work using the Farm materials...

...and symbolizing with the Grammar Symbols.

Making the shape of Europe with play dough.

Re-enforcing beginning letter sound/symbol.

Sandpaper Letter practice.

Extension work with the Teen Bead Hanger.

Counting the Decimal System with the Golden Beads.

Exploring concepts of geometry with the Constructive Triangles.

Building concentration and developing writing skills with pin-pushing -  shape of Europe.

Animals of North America

Exploring dimension - Knobless Cylinders.

Color mixing.

Number writing practice withsSandpaper Numbers.

Numbers 11-99 with the Tens Board and Beads.

Dressing Frames:  Large Buttons

Art:  Weaving with paper

Telling time to the hour.

Dynamic Addition

Decimal System Cards

Binomial Cube

Static Subtraction with Golden Beads.

Checking the edges of the Brown Stair. 

Working with numbers 11-19 to understand place value.

More drawing at the easel (and then washing it, too!).

Painting with Two Colors

The way in which I have set up the Painting with Two Colors activity is just as much about the procedure as it is about creative expression!  I have given much thought to the steps necessary to complete the lesson.  Doing so allows for greater opportunities for my students to practice specific skills such as motor planning and sequencing of actions.  The set up for this painting lesson follows the same principles as many Practical Life activities such as Washing the Easel, Table Washing, Handwashing, or the Floor Scrubbing exercise recently introduced.  In these lessons, the child is continuously thinking about steps in sequence and acting upon the necessary components.  Additionally, the process of cleaning up not only emphasizes these procedural steps, but also reinforces an integral Montessori classroom feature of always leaving materials ready for use by another student upon completion.

Painting with Two Colors  
(I have replaced the bottles with two smaller flip top containers since taking this photo).

The materials in use.

"It's all about the process, not the product!"

Weaving with Paper

The idea to set up this lesson came to me when I had a collection of leftover black construction paper from an earlier gluing lesson.  I have also noticed the satisfaction of many students with a weaving lesson utilizing ribbons and a wire rack.  This is an ideal variation which many children are enjoying:

Weaving with paper materials:  Black construction paper (back) cut in to halves with slits cut one inch apart - these create the warp strips for the weaving mat.  Three sizes of strips for weaving called weft strips.  A tray to collect the papers and for bringing the materials to a workspace.  The white pencil is for writing one's name and glue stick is for securing the ends of the weft strips.

Weaving with Paper

They create such an interesting look in our hallway!

A Lesson, Please?

The best way I can describe the activity of our classroom is humming along - like a busy hive...  I find that I've been in the midst of many new presentations and the children are appreciating the boundaries of a Montessori classroom.  I hear the children say, "I would like to use these (the bells, for example) and I've never done it before so could I have a lesson please?" This always brings a smile to my face.  I appreciate the fact that they can clearly articulate their interest and want know how to use a particular material.  Here are some snapshots of our week together:

Transferring water with a small ladle.  The lids are behind the tray on the table which the children must remove (opening practice) to begin the activity and replace (closing practice) at the end.  Also, I have specifically saved these jars because they show the outline of Italy so well - a geography too! :)  The ladle is a new tool for everyone and this lesson has been in constant use.

Tweezing small bells - its hard to see in this picture, but the bells are the small craft bells.  The children are very much enjoying this activity.

Using two Solid Cylinder Blocks for a little extra challenge.

Here, two children are working together to learn the names of the continents with the Puzzle Map of the World.

This child has received a new lesson- - Static Addition with the Stamp Game.

Reviewing quantity and symbol with the Number Rods and Cards.

I added the Montessori Bells to our shelves this week!  Please be sure to read more about this DYI set in THIS post.  It is always so lovely to have the bells being used...! :)

Working with our Seasons Timeline.

Looking at pictures in our Continent Folder for Africa.  I appreciate how this student has carefully lined the photos up at the edge of the circular table - it looks so inviting! :)

A multiplication lesson with the Golden Beads:  2,234 x 3 = 6,702.

Addition with two sets of Small Number Rods.

Number Writing practice.

More multiplication!

Coloring a Short Bead Stair (numbers 1-9).

Helping a fried tie his shoe. :)

Geography: Land and Water Forms - System of Lakes/Archipelago.

Building words with the Moveable Alphabet.

Letter sound/symbol 'c' language work.

Building concentration and and fine motor skills with this new water transfer activity.

Carefully creating a a pattern with the pegboard.

Initial lesson of the Metal Insets - a material which promotes writing skills.

Introduction to the Decimal System - counting the Thousand Cube with the Hundred Square.

Working with the Solid Cylinders.

Grammar lesson with symbols:  Conjunction

Understanding the concept of zero:  Spindle Boxes.

Walking the Line:  Although it cannot be seen, the child in this photo is holding a flag while completing this exercise.

Practical Life:  Spooning balsam fir - smells great! :)

Enjoying a quiet moment with the Individual Silence Game.

Numbers 1-9 re-enforcement with an extension of the Short Bead Stair. 

Sewing with the Sewing Block.

Writing prep with the Botany Cabinet - tracing leaf shapes.

Painting with two colors.

Language development and writing preparation with the Geometric Demonstration Tray.

Counting the Decimal System

Exploring size and dimension with the Knobless Cylinders.

Metal Polishing

More fun with the Sensorial materials - I love how this student took of his shoes to complete the work! :)