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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 9:29am | IP Logged
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I am considering these...I've got a 2yo (who won't be using them now, but would in the future) a 6yo who could definitely benefit from this activity and a 10yo, who for some reason has AWFUL handwriting, and I was hoping an activity like this might help her without being too "preachy" on the subject of handwriting.
Am I way off? Does anyone have this - I know Theresa does but she's in Alaska - yay for her  - but I miss her opinion  . Anybody else have an opinion or experience with this. Thanks for the help.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 9:52am | IP Logged
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I do not think you are way off at all Jennifer! I did not purchase these yet, but they are definately on my list...
I do think these can be more easily made (such as the ones CatholicMommy did) than the Geometry Cabinet insets, just m .02 here.
I think they would be a lovely and fun approach to handling any displeasure your dd has had with her handwriting and give her some control and precision while conquering the neatness monster 
I'm sure other's will chime in here!
Blessings!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 10:11am | IP Logged
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I plan to get these- they are on the top of my list. Both my kids love to trace things, and the blue and pink shapes with the tray and stand just say: pick me up! try me!
Heck- I don't know about the kids- But *I* want to play with these
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 12:32pm | IP Logged
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hi ladies!
I am here and just checking in briefly.
I did get the insets (from M. Outlet). I was really debating on them, but after reading the presentations on them I decided they would be a good investment.
Of course I have not used them yet, but they are lovely and really drew the attention of the kids.Be warned, however, they take up a lot of shelf space.
I went ahead and got the tracing tray and pre-cut paper (it was only 1.50), thinking this would encourage their use.
Wish I could say more, but I have no experience with them yet.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 2:11pm | IP Logged
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Just in case anyone else is looking into this...
Here is a great presentation for the metal insets, and they specifically mention that they are a help for older children with poor handwriting 
and
Theresa was right - Montessori Outlet has THE best price, beating KidAdvance and Montessori Concepts. They are having a summer sale ending June 30 - it's a 25% off sale!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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Kristin
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 2:25pm | IP Logged
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We have them and have used them --- they are wonderful!!! IMHO, buying is better than making with this particular material because you want a smooth edge for tracing around and this would be very difficult to achieve for the round shapes. A great activity and I think all of your children would benefit from them, Jennifer!
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Bunch 'o Honey to my Honey Bunch and Mama to five - Noah 10y  , Rose 8y  , Dominic 2.5 y  , Oliver 16m 
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 2:59pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Kristin - they are definitely on my list!!! I'm convinced, or rather I should say hopeful, that they will be beneficial to all of the dc!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 3:36pm | IP Logged
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OK, I'm off to buy mine Thanks for the presentation link Jennifer, I missed this one somewhere along the way 
I also picked up two sets of small moveable alphabets, 1 red and 1 blue and I'll swap each vowels out to have two sets in one box I'm so glad they were on sale!!
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Meredith
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SuzanneG
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Catching up on a few past threads. I'm considering these.
Do you HAVE to have anything else for these? The metal inset stands? or the tracing tray? What is essential and what is "really nice" to have?
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Suzanne in ID
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: July 10 2007 at 2:42pm | IP Logged
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I just read the presentation that Teresa linked above and realized something. My almost-5-yr-old-dd does a variation of this ALL THE TIME. She draws all sorts of shapes and then makes lots of lines/deigns and colors them in. She's very precise and exact about it. She also, coincidently, has EXCELLENT handwriting. Her sister-age 6, has never done this sort of thing and has not-so-great handwriting.
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Suzanne in ID
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Meredith
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SuzanneG wrote:
| Do you HAVE to have anything else for these? The metal inset stands? or the tracing tray? What is essential and what is "really nice" to have? |
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I have the set up from Montessori Outlet! I bought the Insets, the Stands, the Paper, the Paper Box, and the Tray. I love them and my 2 ds's 5 & 8 have used them and love them. If you have enough shelf space you could probably do without the Stands, but they are loose and will easily fall apart if taken off a shelf without care. Perhaps you could have the ones for the day set out on a tray for them to carry to their work area. I DO like my stands though as they are a key for display, just my .02 that I don't have anymore, cause I spent it on Montessori materials
Blessings!
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Meredith
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 10 2007 at 2:56pm | IP Logged
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Suzanne,
I ended up ordering my set from KidAdvance after all because of another order I was already placing - I didn't want to have to pay shipping twice. I'm pleased with the quality very much. The insets from KidAdvance come with the sloping stand, and I have to say, I'm glad it does. The insets are quite thin, and the stand is helpful for storing them and retrieving them. You need the metal insets tracing tray and some inset tracing paper. You could certainly cut your own paper if you wanted to. HTH Suzanne!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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Kristin
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| Posted: July 10 2007 at 5:28pm | IP Logged
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I think that the only really essential thing for this is the metal insets themselves. (Of course, you will also need paper and pencils!)
It is certainly very nice to have the stands and paper tray (which I have), but you could come up with alternatives for those. I know that Hainstock (Montessori in the Home) speaks of using a cookie sheet with lip for her homemade insets, I imagine you could do the same with the metal ones, or use another tray of some type.
As for the inset tray, I am using a standard large wooden tray from Michael's. I got a small rectangular piece of wood and glued stacks of three popsicle sticks on to make a 3-pencil holder for the tray it actually looks nice and works very well. Everything else that is needed is also placed on the tray and taken to the work table. The presentation I have for the metal insets indicates that the child holds the inset still with the sub-dominant hand, so I've never really understood the need for a special tray that holds the insets. Is it just for transporting the materials to the table or is it actually used for the tracing???
Kristin
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 10 2007 at 5:45pm | IP Logged
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The tray I have is for actual tracing, but will be great for carrying the insets to the table as well.
I was reading in Montessori Play and Learn that they use a square tile to carry the insets and frames to the table, using the thumbs to steady it on the tile. I think that would be a great option, picking up an inexpensive smooth ceramic or vinyl tile at a home improvement store.
The only reason I got the tray is that it will help in holding the paper still while tracing, which I've found is a frequent cause of frustration for this age group.
metal insets tracing tray
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Theresa
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Meredith
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I also have the tray and they still have to hold the inset with the sub-dominant hand as they do not fit snuggly, here's about a centimeter or so around the edges, or they can puch the inset into one of the corners to steady somewhat and hold it there. Love the ceramic tile idea!
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Meredith
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Genevieve
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I actually bought these and me kids love it. I didn't get the actual metal inserts but these They are plastic not metal but only cost $27.50. Mine were pink and blue.
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Genevieve
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Kristin
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Genevieve, how many of those would fit on a standard cookie sheet? They are smaller than the metal ones and some people may be interested in this option!
Kristin
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ALmom
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Ok, I have the metal insets and am really confused about which are supposed to inscribe in which. Most of my pieces inscribe in the circle except:
the square (the circle inscribes in the square)
the rectangle
the triangle
the 4 sided figure with 2 sides parallel and 2 sides not.
Now the info I have is that all but the parallelogram should inscribe - but I have more than 1 parallelogram (including the square, rectangle). I would not expect the quadrilateral described above to be inscribed in a circle but then maybe there is something I don't know. The triangle is certainly not a parallelogram so I thought it would inscribe in the circle - it is too big and actually fits in the square, having its base equal to the length of the square's side.
What exactly should fit where. We haven't gotten to this in our class yet and I need to say something if this isn't right, but I do want to be educated and not panicky.
I also have a question about warping? Do you call right away and let folks know or do you simply wait to see if it settles. I've already called about my warping in the botany cabinet. I had huge warping on my botany cabinet insets (the one on discount) and I will be expected to cover shipping since it was a sales final one - though they are letting me trade the warped pieces so shipping shouldn't be too bad. I sent photos though it is hard to see warping when you are taking an angle photo - thought they are obvious and unusable in real life.
Do you always have returns/items needing attention when you order Montessori materials? I've been a bit shocked by the extent of problems with orders. We are in AL so it is very hot and generally humid, though we're currently in a drought.
Thanks for helping educate this beginner.
Janet
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Eleanor
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| Posted: July 12 2007 at 2:41pm | IP Logged
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Sorry, I can't help you with the insets, but just wanted to share our experience with buying materials.
We've ordered a few things from premium suppliers, and had absolutely no problems. Of course, for that price, you'd expect the materials to curtsey, do a little dance, and make your breakfast for you!
We've also ordered a few things from Alison's, and noticed slight defects with about half the items (warping, uneven paint, minor scratches), though nothing serious enough to make us go through the hassle of returning them. The materials that seemed like the biggest bargains (e.g, the number rods, which were about 1/8 the price of the premium version) ended up having the most noticeable problems. I wasn't entirely surprised by this; after starting to make my own rods, and giving up, I realized that the simplest materials are in some ways the hardest to get right. With so few variables, the lower-grade materials and less-precise workmanship make a very obvious difference. This isn't so much the case with "fancier" items, like the globes, the land forms, or even the bead chains (none of which we've bought from Alison's, but I've seen many discount and even homemade versions that looked very good).
Still, the rods and other items are quite functional, and the children seem to like them fine.
BTW, we're in California and have very low humidity, but still encountered some warping... so I'm inclined to doubt that your climate is to blame.
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Angel
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Most of my materials are from Montessori Outlet. I had a few problems with them leaving things out of the orders, but not with quality.
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Metal Insets and Tracing Tray
