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SeaStar
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| Posted: Dec 17 2007 at 6:40pm | IP Logged
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Is anyone using these guides?
They look like they could be extremely helpful to pull everything together even more. I am building my albums from Karen's class, and that has been great... I am wondering if these guides would be helpful- or would I be overloading myself with curriculum?
I like how the guides give a day by day, step by step approach... but we tend to go off on rabbit trails. Still, they could give me a lot of ideas for the rabbit trails. Hmm... opinions?
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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montessori_lori
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| Posted: Dec 17 2007 at 7:13pm | IP Logged
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I purchased these guides a few years ago and I have mixed feelings about them.
The good:
They are very well done, very professional, and have fantastic recommended book lists for many topics, including the seasons, different kinds of animals, etc.
The merely okay:
First of all (which I think is misleading), they have no actual information about Montessori materials. If you are looking for step-by-step instructions, these are not for you. Although now she has a manual that does have instructions for materials, I believe, but it's very pricey ($65).
I believe they are overpriced. I know that Ginny worked very hard on them, and like I said, they are professionally done, but it probably costs her under $10 to have each one printed and bound at an office supply store, and she's got them going for about $40 each if you buy them individually. I'm not sure why.
They give ideas for each day in terms of cultural studies - countries, continents, seasons, animals. However, in my training, we were taught that those kinds of studies should be done in a natural, not scheduled, way. You can loosely plan to study Europe one month and Australia the next, but you don't have to do any specific lessons on any specific day. You follow the children and their interests.
I have used them occasionally for suggestions for songs, books, and art projects. I have never used them as directed with a day-by-day approach. And recently, I find myself not using them at all.
If you are wanting a day-by-day schedule for studying cultural subjects (very little math and language is mentioned) these might be a welcome addition to your library. You will still need regular albums/manuals.
If you like a more traditional Montessori approach of following the child's interests, you won't find these very helpful.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Dec 18 2007 at 8:10am | IP Logged
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Wow! Thanks for the great review Lori!
Melinda, I hadn't seen these before you linked to them. I just use Lori's Comprehensive lists since we prefer to take a bit of a more relaxed approach and these just allow me to see where we *should be* and what we *should be* doing next. Then, I can just google the presentation. Also helps me in crossing age boundaries with the kids. My (just barely) 3yo isn't ready for much structure yet, so my presentations are really more tailored for the 7 and 11 yo, while the 3yo is allowed TOTAL choice time, and I generally suggest/push a little more with the older two. Like you, I like the flexibility of taking off on a rabbit trail springing from a presentation!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Meredith
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| Posted: Dec 18 2007 at 10:04am | IP Logged
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I woud have to agree with Lori and Jennifer as I too have Lori's guides (and LOVE them  ) and don't really see a need for "more" in a home school setting. I find that just by reading alot of great picture books together we (my 5yo mainly) and I find so many trails to follow it can be too much sometimes  Yours are still so little too Melinda I imagine you're probably doing so much already! Also, I'm finding that with Karen's albums I have enough material to cover at least five or six more children  Just kidding, maybe one more if we're lucky enough! Hope you ladies are enjoying this beautiful time of the year!
Love,
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Meredith
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Dec 18 2007 at 2:24pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, everyone for the reviews and comments. I also bought Lori's guides, and between that and Karen's albums feel like I have plenty... but seeing it all in a pretty package always makes me feel like maybe I need it.
But thinking about it overnight, I realized that there is no way I am going to stick to a day by day presentation schedule like that. There are too many delightful diversions .
My kids, especially the five year old, continually pester me to show them new things in our learning room... I can't keep up!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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jnasmamma
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I'm so glad I stumbled across this thread. I am really new here and have been trying to find a way to get myself more organized in the working with my four year old and the preschool age daycare children I care for. I just looked at Lori's guides and bought the guide for ages 3-6, it is exactly what I need right now. I am very familiar with having many delightful diversions!
Michelle
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Montessori classroom guides
