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JennGM
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| Posted: June 11 2005 at 12:39pm | IP Logged
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This question was posted in the CCM Yahoo Groups by Marilyn in VA, but I wanted to expand it, and perhaps field more answers by posting it here. I really would love a list of books with inexpensive suggestions.
Marilyn's Question:
"Hi - I would appreciate ideas on how to organize my learning room in a way that would help me with toddlers and younger kids, while I am working with the older kids. I have seen lots of references on "setting up Montessori style" - any ideas or resources would be greatly appreciated."
My Piggyback Question:
I was wondering if you seasoned mothers have learned to set up a learning room so that one can "grow" into it...the different stages of learning. If I follow a type of Montessori structure will it necessarily need to be revamped as we get into different stages? Or do you find yourself overhauling every year or so and reorganizing?
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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amiefriedl
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| Posted: June 11 2005 at 2:09pm | IP Logged
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I'm not a seasoned mom yet, but I have to mention my half-size Sandusky metal office cabinets that have locking front doors on them. I have all my Montessori style activities as well as some other craft items that are for my 3yo. They are almost always unlocked for her and she accesses them often. However, when the neighborhood kids come over; the ones who don't know how to treat things nicely or clean up after themselves, then I can lock those doors for safe keeping. 
Baskets and shelves inside the cabinets keep lots and lots of activities organized and ready to go for her. I don't see myself revamping them much because the next toddler should be along shortly after she is done with those levels of activities.
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In Christ the King through Mary our Mother,
Amie
Blessed with an awesome hubby and Mom of ds10, dd7, dd3 and dd 10months.
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ALmom
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| Posted: June 11 2005 at 8:16pm | IP Logged
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The book Natural Structures in CHC catelogue gave a lot of ideas with pictures. I find that I use a lot of the same manipulatives with different sheets for different ages and even when we no longer look Montissori at all, I still use the same supplies to demonstrate something.
I must admit we are not as organized as Dr. Montissori would expect and I cannot call ourselves doing Montissori, we have imitated a lot of her things and ways especially earlier when we were dealing with an unknown problem and didn't know it was vision.
We too have a locked doors for some of the extra materials and games that the 2 yo still gets into and creates chaos without supervision. The older children have access to the key and can open the door and get what they need as long as they re-lock it.
I got stacking trays - the kind used for paper in an office so that if I have different children using the same thing at different levels, I can have different worksheets set out and they're not all mixed up in a great big pile.
Janet
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Kim F
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| Posted: June 12 2005 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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I just gave a talk on this topic at the Denver conference. I will upload my handout if its any help. Kim
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Kim F
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| Posted: June 12 2005 at 9:32am | IP Logged
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Here is the handout. The Montessori Homeschool site and the yahoo egroup Playschool6 have some wonderful photos of people's prepared environments. Very inspiring. There is a section on the egroup photos page of Suzanne's setup that is peaceful just to look at! Kim
Resources for Hands-On Preschool Activities
Books:
Do Touch by LaBritta Gilbert -directions for homemade materials, lots of reproducibles
I Can Do It, I Can Do It also by LaBritta Gilbert – sadly out of print, highly recommended if you can find it
Workjobs for Parents Mary Baratta-Lorton – a wealth of hands on activities
Natural Structure Edward and Nancy Walsh – available through Catholic Heritage Curricula
Montessori in the Home: the Preschool Years by Elizabeth Hainstock
Basic Montessori by David Gettman – step by step instructions for purists
Websites:
http://get-me.to/monthome a favorite! Tons of pictures. A great place to start.
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/activities.htm second favorite : ) Contains many of the activities found in the now out of print I Can Do It by Labritta Gilbert
http://www.montessoriworld.org/default.htm detailed illustrated directions for traditional Montessori work. Free
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/catholiclearning/ Lots of hands-on catechesis ideas – check the photos section especially
http://www.jmjpublishing.com/montessoriEducation.htm &n bsp; Catholic Montessori at Home resources including links to yahoo support groups
http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/preschool_activities.htm lots of ideas here!
http://montessorimaterials.org/ ;downloads for making materials – some more suited to older children
http://ourfathershouse.biz/shopsite_sc/store/html/page29.htm l Catholic supplier
Both of the following are Montessori suppliers. Their catalogs have clear images of the materials. Many people use the photos for inspiration to create their own materials.
http://www.nienhuis.com/USA/html/home.html
http://montessori-n-such.com/
Below are two *excellent* options for video and software support:
http://www.preschool-toddler-activity-videos.com/ Highly recommended video series! If you were going to spend anything this would be a good investment.
http://www.mecssoftware.com/software.htm Th is is a software program designed by a classical Montessori directress and reviewed in Practical Homeschooling Magazine. Discounted for homeschoolers
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Kim F
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| Posted: June 12 2005 at 9:39am | IP Logged
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Only one thing to add. We started bagging our learning centers since I had SO little space in many of our homes over the years. The clear ziplock freezer bags have worked very well and go all the way to 2 gal in size. You can put some clear packing tape at the top corner and hole punch them. Then you can slide them onto a big ring holder and keep them in a closet. Also recommend hanging them from pants hangers - the type with the clips that hold half a dozen pairs vertically.
We also use lots of clear plastic boxes - the type sold for leftovers and larger shoe box sized.
For me, having things in open baskets on shelves wasnt practical. Too many books on them already doncha know ; ) and too many babies who climb and attempt to eat the contents. Kim
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Genevieve
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| Posted: June 12 2005 at 9:33pm | IP Logged
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Timely post Kim! I was wondering what I was going to do with all my LaBritta activities. Especially since I'm running out of space and Blaise is getting mobile and into things....
Also are you having problems logging onto http://get-me.to/monthom recently?
Oh I hope your conference went well.
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The Good Within
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JennGM
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| Posted: June 13 2005 at 7:03am | IP Logged
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Kim,
Thanks so much for sharing this. There's so much here I that I'll have fun digesting it all!
God bless!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Marilyn
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| Posted: June 15 2005 at 6:45am | IP Logged
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Thanks for all the ideas. I too was wondering how to follow Montessori principles of easy accessibility to materials when young toddlers would get into everything small and try to eat them!! Also I have had problems in setting up my school room (previously the family room) which is open plan - and then when neighborhood kids come over they take everything out and sometimes destroy things.
I love the Einstein quote which goes along the lines of "children do not learn from the subjects they are taught but from their environment" - paraphrase.
Thanks again for the ideas.
Marilyn in VA
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Marilyn
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MaryM
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| Posted: June 20 2005 at 1:44am | IP Logged
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Kim F wrote:
| I just gave a talk on this topic at the Denver conference. I will upload my handout if its any help. Kim |
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A little late to jump in here, but wanted to let you know that Kim did a great job on her presentation at our Colorado conference. There are tapes available of the talks (she also did a lapbooking session). Since they are hands-on, visual sessions it won't be the same in the tapes as being there, but in case any one is interested wanted to let you know.
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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LLMom
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| Posted: June 21 2005 at 7:26pm | IP Logged
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http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah_chpt6_p4.html#rain-gu tter
This is a way to display books with the covers facing out using plastic rain gutters. Seems cheap and easy. Scroll about half way down to see a picture.
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Organizing Montessori Style?
