Nurturing Quiet

One of my favorite games to play in the Montessori setting is the Silence Game.  This activity, while promoting a child's awareness of the sounds around them, also cultivates an inner sense of peace and quiet.  As a Montessori educator, I feel it is critical to provide children with opportunities to simply 'be,' without interruption, and give them a chance to know 'quiet.'  For a detailed description of the Silence Game, read THIS POST from Montessori Print Shop.  Be sure to follow the link at the bottom and read what Maria Montessori herself had to say about the Silence Game.

In our classroom, we have enjoyed playing this game as a group.  The sense of intrigue and awe is evident each time no matter how many times we play.  I always begin the activity by asking the children what the word 'silence' means.  Then I bring our special "Silence" frame, reserved only for this purpose, to a mat along with the Silence Game candle.  The candle is lit and and we begin the game.  Usually, the children choose to close their eyes.

The Silence Game

After the last time we played this game, one of the children enthusiastically shared, "Ms. Sasha!  We should have the Silence Game set up as a work!"  What a perfect idea - and to make it even more perfect, this child had recently given me a sea-glass decorated photo frame which I could use in putting the lesson together for an individual activity:

Individual Silence Game set up.

The items for our individual Silence Game include the sea glass frame with the word 'silence,' battery-powered tea light candle, a copy of Jennifer Howard's book When I Make Silence, and a three-minute egg timer.  Some children might find  the "quiet" by simply watching the sand move through the timer!  The blue mat not only coordinates with the other items, but it's color also designates the mat's only purpose for use with the individual Silence Game.  Additionally, it is the only blue mat in the classroom, so I imagine that its significance will become a major point of interest for the children in our class.

It has been a pleasure watching the children take this activity out and actually use it!  They close their eyes, take deep breaths, and simply enjoy the silence.

Montessori Monday Link-Up

A Week of Valentine's Delights

It must be Valentine's Day soon...  :)

Painting with Do-a-Dot Painters on heart-shaped paper.

Water transfer with dropper.

Teddy bear transfer - irresistible, as predicted!

Mixing primary colors.



Constructive Triangles



Math work with Hearts and Flowers.



Heart shaped pin-pushing.

Static Subtraction with Golden Beads.



Using tongs to transfer pom-poms.



The Adjective lesson with 'The Farm' and grammar symbols.



Spooning red stones.



Painting at the easel with red and white on black paper.
"Look, I made pink!" 

  

February Math

My students look forward to the seasonal and holiday changes in the classroom throughout the year.  The following Math activities provide fun festivity in the classroom during these Valentine days:


A Valentine variation...



...of hearts and flowers.  Handling these tiny flowers requires plenty of concentration while helping to promote fine motor development. 



Matching number symbols with quantity...



...to "mend the broken hearts!"

On the Shelves: February

Can it really be February already?  I set up the February shelves last weekend, so the children have been all smiles this week with the new activities available to them.  Here are some highlights:



Sponging colored water:  I think the color and shape provide a meaningful point of interest for the kids, and I appreciate how the containers fit the tray perfectly when one is upside down.



Simple transferring using pincer grasp...



...to place these adorable teddy bears in to each heart shape.  I decided not to have a utensil for the lesson because I wanted the children to be able to feel the soft bears - which are completely irresistible! ;-)



These wooden heart shaped containers are perfect for spooning...



...colored rice.  Opening and closing the boxes provide an additional point of interest for the children.



Water transfer with a small dropper...



...to fill each tiny cup of this suction cup mat (I seriously don't know what these are called!).



Our Valentine's Bead Tray which we will use to make...



...beaded hearts...



to hang on a Valentine branch.

Art Appreciation:  Degas Dancers. 

Group Art Project: Snowflake Cuttings

Last month, the children enjoyed cutting paper snowflakes featured in THIS POST.  They  turned out so beautifully, I thought it would be fitting to preserve them.  So, I set up a (reused) canvas one morning and had the children take turns painting the background. 


Painting a reused canvas - the blue parts are bits of paper from a previous project...

I had some gray paint leftover and thought it would make an ideal background.  We also added some black and white which the children enjoyed mixing.  The end result was interestingly textured with moving shades of gray.  Unfortunately, the photo I took of this stage came out blurry, but you can still get a sense of the varying shades:


Background completed.

Once the children had taken turns painting the canvas, I photographed each of them holding their individual snowflake.  These photos will allow viewers of the art piece to identify whose shape is whose - and while I cannot share pictures of the children's faces on this blog, I must tell you how adorable they came out!  The pictures capture each child's personality more than I could have ever imagined they would have.  When I ordered the prints, I chose to assemble a collage, which we plan to hang next to the group artwork.  Anyway, back to the snowflakes...here they are mounted on the canvas with a coat of matte Mod Podge:

Group Snowflake Cuttings project.

                        And finished off with a black frame, adorning the wall near our cubbies:


Loving the black frame!  Our latest group project:  Snowflake Cuttings.



Montessori Monday Link-Up

A Sweet Surprise

Sometimes, I hear people complain about all the emails waiting for them upon return to work after an absence, and all they have to do to "catch up."  Well, I returned to the classroom today after missing one day and this is what was waiting for me on the morning message board:


Each morning, we typically read a message together beginning with Dear Friends,...and ending with Love, Ms. Sasha.  On the day I was out, the kids, with the help of my assistant and substitute, wrote a message for me!  And right under the message waiting on the shelf...



...a perfect bouquet of flowers!

 I don't think anyone will ever find me complaining about the messages which await me when I have returned from being away!  :)  Thank you, little friends of mine, for this act of kindness!

Keeping Up with the Crowd

Well, it's been one of those weeks when it feels as if one can hardly keep up with everything that's happening...!  Thankfully, this was due mostly to fact that many of my students were ready for new lessons which is yet another sign of positive developments in the classroom.  And then, in the midst of all this activity, we had a snow day!  Additionally, I've been fortunate to be participating in a trial with Montessori Compass, an online record keeping system for Montessori schools and teachers.  Consequently, I've been inputting information and data regarding our lessons and activities in the classroom while learning the details of the program.  I'll let you know more about that as I become more familiar with the system and its impact in the classroom.  Meanwhile, here are some highlights of our week:

Flower Arranging



Mittens and Snowflake math.



Celebrating Chinese New Year by making good luck banners.

More word building with the Moveable Alphabet.

 

Numbers 11-19 with the Teen Beads.

Numbers 11-19 with the Teen Boards and Beads.

The Article lesson.

Painting on canvas (which are are reusing from a past project) for the second part of a group art project.  I'll post about it in the near future! :)

Table Washing lesson - always a favorite with the children!

One of the moms came in to talk to the children about Chinese New Year.  We listened to Chinese music, learned how to say, "Happy New Year!" in Chinese, and even tried a few Tai Chi moves!  Good fortune was already upon us because she gave us these beautiful banners to hang in our school.  Thank you, thank you!



Dynamic Addition with the Golden Beads.



A "Puzzle Party!"



Exploring shapes with the Geometric Solids.  Two children in the back were reading a set of Phonetic Word Cards - you can see the word 'stop' in the background...

 It appears I'm left with fewer pictures than usual this week with the combination of many lessons unfolding in the classroom, me learning the latest record-keeping system, and the snow day.  Next week will bring new works on the shelves and the completion of our latest group art project!