I’m over at Confessions of a Montessori Mom sharing seven Montessori sewing lesson (there’s even a video!). Come over and check it out!
If you like these Montessori sewing lessons, subscribe to montessori works, because soon there will be a whole book! I’m writing and taking pictures of over 30 Montessori sewing works and projects, it will be for sale this fall — subscribe by email to stay in the loop!
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April flew by without bread, whoops! We will aim for two loaves this month to make up for it!
So, I was feeling a little nostalgic when we were planning this loaf of bread, and I went to an old recipe that I remember making about 7 years ago with my stepdaughter (she went through a bread baking kick). I thought it was the first loaf we made together, but looking at the date on Soulemama’s post, I know there were loaves before that!
My nostalgic memory is of a delicious perfect loaf of bread. Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened, but I imagine in was our fault and not the recipe’s. And really, I’m the only one that even noticed the overly dough texture despite the extra long baking time, and super strong honey taste — the family inhaled it!
Continue reading “monthly bread, may — it’s the experience, not the product, right?”
My very first blog post, almost a year ago, was about making bread in the classroom. I was so nervous hitting the publish button, I thought “who’s going to care about making bread in a Montessori classroom?” You know what, there were plenty of people who cared, and I discovered that I enjoyed sharing my ideas and love of Montessori, and hitting that publish button!
In the late fall our school always uses the For Small Hands (from Montessori Services) as a fundraiser for materials. It is always a great resource for parents to pick up a few stocking stuffers and support the school at the same time.
I pined for this grain mill for years. It is a beautiful, sturdy, real piece of machinery. It is practical and purposeful. It is deeply satisfying work. I knew it would be the perfect addition to our already established bread making and butter spreading works. It was the one item that I requested we purchased with the money we earned from the fundraiser, and I am so glad that we did.Continue reading “montessori bread work {part 2}”
French yogurt cake has been a staple in our house for the last few years. My obsession started after I read A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg (here is her blog post about the cake). Over time we have tried many variations, and finally settled on a recipe that fits our family.
The delightful part of the recipe is that the units of measurement are based on the yogurt container (about half a cup). The lovely and romantic story is that this is one of the first cakes that young French children learn to make. If we lived in France, I would have a darling glass yogurt jar, but since we don’t, I have an old YoBaby yogurt cup that we just reuse.
Why is this a fantastic early baking experience? Well, first it is absolutely delicious. Second, I love it as a transitional baking project. Rather than having all the ingredients premeasured (as I do with other baking projects) part of the work, and the fun, of making this cake is using the yogurt container as the unit of measurement. It adds in that next step in to the baking process. It does require support from an adult, but it is building the bridge to more independence in the kitchen. And, did I mention it’s delicious as well as adaptable?
You know when you see something on Pinterest and you can tell it is going to change your life.
Well, life changing may be a stretch, but this was a fabulous addition to our practical life shelf.
A few weeks ago, this Pin, was on my Pinterest home page. A large, stable looking French knitter, and I knew it would be perfect for the class.Continue reading “french knitting”
Most days there is some sewing happening in our class. We try to have a logical sequence of activities that call to children at different ages and stages, and a variety of works that allow everyone in the class to participate and create
I find sewing to be such a versatile area of the Practical Life curriculum. While yes, I can continue to make endless variations of pouring works, and repeated practice with pouring will no doubt help the child develop independence, improve eye-hand coordination, and will increase his self-confidence and concentration. There is something about engaging the child in creating a meaningful product with his hands – even if it as simple as stringing pony beads on yarn or sewing a line on burlap – it can focus the most unfocused child in a matter of moments.
