montessori works - Page 6 of 9 -

baric chests — what I made this week

I have had these DIY Montessori baric chests half put together for a little too long, it was about time to finish them up! These are completely inspired by this post from the wonderful blog Smiling like Sunshine.

These baric chests, like the baric tablets, require the child to focus on sorting the material based on one sensorial aspect, in this case weight. Each Montessori sensorial material targets one sense, this allows the child to work on refining that particular sense in a specific and isolated manner. By working with all the different sensorial materials the child has the opportunity to develop the ability to not only focus on certain types of sensory input, but also to notice and be aware of subtle differences in the world around them.Continue reading “baric chests — what I made this week”

toy storage – my montessori corners

Sorry for that longer then planned absence, but hi and I’m back! During this unplanned break I did a complete sort through of Imogen’s toys and I firmly established our toy library area.

First, I highly recommend the book Simplicity Parenting, by Kim John Payne. There is an entire chapter that deals with toys, it can be summed up by this one quote from the book:

“A smaller, more manageable quantity of toys invites deeper play and engagement. An avalanche of toys invites emotional disconnect and a sense of overwhelming.” pg. 65

That being said, we still have way too much. But, here is how I try to contain and organize the seemingly endless stuff.

This is our main living area and her main play space. She was in a funny place where she rarely played with her trains anymore, but was HIGHLY resistant to any mention of packing them up and putting them in the toy library (more on this whole situation later in the post). Continue reading “toy storage – my montessori corners”

rainbow ball stackers and text copies – what I made this week

I made these little guys, but I’m still not sure what to call them. I thought they looked inviting and they seemed like a good work for the beginning of the year. I see them as a Practical Life work, but I would totally understand if someone used them in Sensorial. They were a pretty easy DIY Montessori material.

That being said, I don’t really love them. Even though I see them as a Practical Life work, the idea of them in Practical Life kind of bothers me. I am really trying to focus on making our Practical Life as practical as possible, and is practicing balancing colored balls on top of matching pots really practical? I know that having a child use tongs to move the balls to the pots will help fine motor and reinforce how to use tongs (which is how they serve themselves snack) so it does go back to a true practical skill. But, I am still struggling with it as more of a busy work than a true practical activity.Continue reading “rainbow ball stackers and text copies – what I made this week”

many mini book nooks – my montessori corners

The books, oh the books. They’re everywhere – tucked into shelves, under beds, in baskets and bins. I love the variety and the options, but when there are too many choices and no organizational framework, the options are no longer fun but rather overwhelming – for both me and the children.

In a Montessori classroom the space should be thoughtfully organized and beautifully maintained (just don’t check how dusty my moveable alphabet might be okay?). This external organization should make the materials (in this case books) easily accessible to the child, be simple to maintain and be somewhat intuitive, it makes sense to both the child and the adult. While all areas of the home do not have to live up to these same standards, there are some basic ways we can implement the same ideas throughout our homes and spaces. This is my approach to finding a system to both showcase and wrangle all the wonderful books that were overflowing in our house.

What made the most sense to me was to gather up ALL the children’s books in the house – and I mean all of them. I then found some deeply discounted storage bins, I bought six and I just used five. I labeled each bin, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Winter Holidays. And then I started sorting. I had been rotating books by season for a while, but I never really had a system, it was more of a grab and go situation.Continue reading “many mini book nooks – my montessori corners”

sensorial extension cards – what I made this week

One of the most beautiful areas in the Montessori class has to be sensorial. Dr. Montessori designed each material as a means for the child to explore and refine his senses. Each material encourage the child to compare, categorize and make order. These ideas then carryover and the child can use these sensorial experiences to see patterns, compare leaves, describe tactile experiences, etc. The materials provide the child the means to help interpret his world.

The sensorial materials themselves are substantial and impressive and are constantly in use in our class.

I have always had sets of extension cards for the knobless cylinders, and the base matching cards for the pink tower and the broad stairs. My coteacher and I also both know a handful of extensions that we always show the children, especially ones that combine using the pink tower and the broad stair. We decided that we wanted to make a collection of cards showing more and various extensions to help inspire the children that are drawn to these materials but are beyond the initial lessons.Continue reading “sensorial extension cards – what I made this week”

Father’s Day French Yogurt Cake

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?

Continue reading “Father’s Day French Yogurt Cake”