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Eleanor
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| Posted: Aug 13 2008 at 4:32pm | IP Logged
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Our major goal for the upcoming year is to establish a 3-hour work period (as described here). I've read and re-read Maria Montessori's writings on the subject, and I'm thoroughly sold on the benefits. It's just a question of making it work for our family.
The major obstacle for us seems to be a basic, physical one. Our materials aren't in one place; they're spread out around the house and yard. It's pretty much impossible to assist children in different places at the same time (short of bilocating  ). So I don't think they're going to be able to choose from everything at all times.
Then there are my own daily chores and "mother culture" to consider. I'd like to have something productive that I can work on while the children are doing their own thing. It would need to be something that could stand a lot of interruption (i.e., no heavy intellectual work or complicated sewing projects). Computers would be out, too; they would be guaranteed to take my attention away from the children.
And then there's the baby. We would try to schedule our work periods to coincide with her naps, but she would also need to have her own safe area, adjacent to the older children's work space.
Taking all of this into account, I'm thinking that the best approach would be to set up different areas, and choose one each day. It would look kind of like this:
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"Today we're going to work on the patio"
Children's work: tempera painting, clay, gardening, woodworking, outdoor cooking, messy practical life
Mother's work: outdoor cooking, gardening, DIY projects
Baby's work: napping (indoors or out) or playing in a large playpen
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"Today we're going to work in the kitchen and dining room"
Children's work: various art activities, lots of practical life including food preparation and serving, flower arranging, cleaning, polishing, etc.
Mother's work: you name it; there's no end of work in this area! 
Baby's work: napping in bedroom, or playing in family room (adjacent to dining room) or highchair
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"Today we're going to work in the schoolroom"
Children's work: sensorial, math, geography, botany, zoology, language arts, fiber arts, non-messy practical life
Mother's work: knitting, catching up on paperwork, attending to laundry (nearby)
Baby's work: Napping, or playing in hallway adjacent to schoolroom
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"Today we're going to work in the living room"
Children's work: religion, art appreciation, music, puppet theater, listening to read-alouds, and eventually Latin.
Mother's work: same as the children's (we're doing these subjects in a more parent-directed way, so I'll be hands-on pretty much all the time)
Baby's work: Napping, or sitting with us, or playing in the family room (adjacent to living room)
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I can see a few problems with this setup already. The botany cards are separated from the actual plants. And there's no provision for a snack on the "schoolroom" and "living room" days. It's going to need some tweaking. But it seems like the best option I've come up with so far.
What do you think?
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Maryan
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| Posted: Aug 13 2008 at 4:39pm | IP Logged
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I can see that working Eleanor! I'm trying to figure out the same kind of workable routine at my house. Not sure what my solution is yet... but your idea gives me food for thought!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Aug 13 2008 at 5:07pm | IP Logged
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I think it sounds fabulous!
You could always cut flowers on your outside day, do flower arranging, etc, and bring them inside to use with the botany cards on inside days.
Snacks for the week could be prepared ahead of time (on kitchen days) and then just brought out and served on trays on schoolroom and living room days.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Eleanor
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| Posted: Aug 14 2008 at 12:38am | IP Logged
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Thanks for the suggestions!
On schoolroom days, I might present a snack that involves counting or shapes, or an ethnic theme for cultural geography. The children are big fans of the Backyardigans (there goes my Montessori purist badge  ), so they love to get special snacks.
I also remembered that we were intending to do catechesis and (later on) Latin as separate subjects, outside of the work period. With those off the list, "living room days" aren't really work times... but they would be perfect for special days, such as feasts and birthdays. When those times are coming up, we'll make sure to have a kitchen work period the day before, so the children will have a chance to help with the decorations, food preparation, and general planning of activities. With the Feast of the Assumption on Friday, we can start tomorrow. 
Hmm, it seems that the schedule is starting to write itself. Just in time, too, as several big boxes, containing M. materials and other goodies, arrived earlier this evening. I'd better venture out into the darkness and unpack them. Looks like it could be a late night!
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Aug 14 2008 at 2:58am | IP Logged
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Ooooh, boxes! How exciting!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: When materials can't be kept in one place
