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marianne
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| Posted: July 11 2007 at 9:32pm | IP Logged
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I'm a "baby" Montessori mom, I guess, and I've really enjoyed getting to know you all through your blogs and posts. We did a water pouring activity today and I was so proud I wanted to share! I set out a tray with just three cups for my 4 and 2 yo to work with and they loved it. My 2yo spent about 15 minutes pouring and pouring until magically there was no more water, except for a few splashes on the tray. Hmmmm...
I need to start helping my 4.5 yo learn his letters, so what are some of the simple M ways to teach that? He really only recognizes "P" for Paul, and it's not for not trying. We have multiple alphabet books, fridge magnets, Letter Factory, ect...He's just not picking it up naturally.
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Meredith
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| Posted: July 11 2007 at 10:01pm | IP Logged
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What fun Marianne!! They did beautifully!
I would start at the very beginning with some Sandpaper Letters, lowercase and use only the phonetic sounds, not the letter names to start. You can make these pretty easily if you don't already have some.
See how that works for him 
We're so glad you're here!!
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Meredith
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Kristin
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| Posted: July 11 2007 at 10:12pm | IP Logged
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Congratulations on your baby step, Marianne! Sounds like the pouring was lots of fun! 
As for your question, have you tried the "I Spy Game"?
LEVEL 1:
Pick a few objects from around the house that have distinctly different beginning sounds, i.e. bag, hat and spoon. (Examples of similar sounds are "p", "b", "v", "r" and "w".) Have them sitting on the table or floor in front of the two of you. First ask your child to name each object to make sure there isn't any confusion on what an object is being called (a bag could also be called a sack).
Then take one of the objects (bag) and hold it in your hand. Say, "I spy with my little bitty eye something IN MY HAND that begins with 'b' [letter sound]." When your child says, "Bag" you say, "Yes. 'B' for bag." Again, "b" is the sound, not the letter name. This is very important.
Then change the object and change the place, "I spy with my little bitty eye something on my lap that begins with "s" [letter sound]." Play this over and over with many different objects beginning with different sounds.
LEVEL 2:
Select many objects from around the house that begin with different sounds. In the beginning, always present objects with distinctly different sounds but as child is able use similar sounds as well.
Pick two objects and have them in front of you. Again, have child name them. Then say, "I spy something on the table that begins with "m" [letter sound]." Have child choose which one it is. Then spy the other object. Switch up the objects, always having only two to choose from. As child progresses, use three objects at once building up gradually to five. Make the game fun by asking child to pick up object that begins with "t" and place on their head, or put object that begins with "g" under the table or in your hand, etc.
LEVEL 3:
Can be played anywhere using just the environment.
"I spy something over there that begins with 'p'." There should be many things "over there" that begin with "p". Child may not name the one you're thinking of, no matter. Confirm correct responses and ask child if he/she sees anything else that begins with that sound. Together list as many as you see. Move on to a new sound and continue, moving to a different area in the environment as desired. The idea is that the child begins to understand that many objects can begin with the same sound!
At this point come the Sandpaper Letters, followed by LEVELS 4, 5 & 6. Once at level 5, child may be introduced to Movable Alphabet. If you're interested I'll describe Levels 4-6. A great resource for this is a book called Montessori Read and Write.
HTH! Let me know if you have any questions.
Kristin
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SeaStar
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| Posted: July 12 2007 at 6:39am | IP Logged
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Someone posted recently about making a set of glitter glue letter cards (similar to the sand paper). Fun to make and use!
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AndreaG
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| Posted: July 12 2007 at 8:19am | IP Logged
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Those are great suggestions! Kristin- thanks for the detail about the "I spy" game- I needed the refresher.
I have a suggestion that is not strictly montessori but I thought I'd throw it out there- my son loved the Handwriting without Tears wooden pieces for making letters- I think they were enough like blocks to appeal to his "all boy" personality (yes, he is my "underwear-on-the-head" child). They also sell cards that you can use as a guide for placing the pieces to form the letters, my son used to do this while I was teaching his brother.
You can also make letters out of playdough, and have a sand tray for writing (have the child trace the sandpaper letter, then write it in the sand).
Also you can have cards with pictures for each letter, that you can keep in an index card file box, with each picture filed under the appropriate letter. Introduce one letter at a time and show the chld how to take out the cards, say the words (focusing on the initial sound) and put back (filed under appropriate letter). You can write the words on the back of the card so later they can use them for reading and writing with the moveable alphabet. My son had no interest in the file box (which I had used with success with his older brother) so I made sound boxes, basically same idea only I used little white jewelry boxes for each letter and put pictures and objects inside.
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Meredith
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| Posted: July 12 2007 at 9:10am | IP Logged
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Great description of the "I Spy" game Kristin, thank you for sharing it here, and I appreciate you mentioning not starting the Sandpaper Letters until after a few levels of this game, I hadn't read that in my manuals yet  , Good to know!!
Andrea, we have the HWT set and it's wonderful!! It's like a gigantic moveable alphabet in Capitals  My ds 5 used these alot last year, need to bring them out again!
Melinda, I think it was DonnaMarie who made the glitter glue letters (??)
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KackyK
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| Posted: July 12 2007 at 9:18am | IP Logged
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I've done the glitter glue letters. Another game we have played, doesn't have to do with the sound the letters make (but I'm sure that could be done)...we would have two fulls sets of letters, both sets of cards have a captial letter on one side and a lowercase on the other side. You "hide" (really just thrown about the floor) a few lowercase letters around a room. Go to another room, give the child the uppercase card for one of the letters in the other room. They run over and try to find it's correct lowercase as quickly as possible. Then they come back for another card.
All of my kids, even the bigger ones at the time (7/8yolds) liked it! I guess we're competitive!
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Meredith
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| Posted: July 12 2007 at 10:30am | IP Logged
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That sounds great Kacky!! I love all the creativity coming up here, it's wonderful!
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Meredith
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marianne
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| Posted: July 12 2007 at 10:39am | IP Logged
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AndreaG wrote:
Those are great suggestions! Kristin- thanks for the detail about the "I spy" game- I needed the refresher.
I have a suggestion that is not strictly montessori but I thought I'd throw it out there- my son loved the Handwriting without Tears wooden pieces for making letters- I think they were enough like blocks to appeal to his "all boy" personality (yes, he is my "underwear-on-the-head" child). They also sell cards that you can use as a guide for placing the pieces to form the letters, my son used to do this while I was teaching his brother.
You can also make letters out of playdough, and have a sand tray for writing (have the child trace the sandpaper letter, then write it in the sand).
Also you can have cards with pictures for each letter, that you can keep in an index card file box, with each picture filed under the appropriate letter. Introduce one letter at a time and show the chld how to take out the cards, say the words (focusing on the initial sound) and put back (filed under appropriate letter). You can write the words on the back of the card so later they can use them for reading and writing with the moveable alphabet. My son had no interest in the file box (which I had used with success with his older brother) so I made sound boxes, basically same idea only I used little white jewelry boxes for each letter and put pictures and objects inside. |
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Oh yeah - I own the HWT letter pieces so I will bring those out again while we do things. They will look great on a tray or in a basket. Right now they are in a plastic bag - not so inviting. Thanks!
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acystay
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| Posted: July 12 2007 at 10:51am | IP Logged
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I think when I started out trying to teach my DD it just didn't interest her at the time. She's now 5 1/2 and reading only b/c her friend was doing it. I think that made her see she wasn't doing something her friend wasn't. I will say when she made this choice though she picked up sounds so quickly. I stopped focusing on what the letter was (as I learned more Montessori methods) and started just saying sounds to her. She started reading Bob books (set 1) a month ago and now is almost done with set 3.
This is totally not Montessori, but she loved it! go to Starfall and you get some great online phonics activities. My dd does the computer on her own b/c sometimes I need her to do something.
or try these too
Literacy Center Education Network
Game Goo site--letters and spelling
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Startin' small
