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threeturn
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A little background info: My kids are 4.5 and 2.5 and a newborn. So far we have read lots of books, cooked, played games, done arts and crafts, sang songs, and done some BFIAR-style thematic units based around story books.
I am learning more about Montessori, but I am interested in how it looks in the trenches. If you do Montessori with the 3-6 age group, how do your days unfold? Do you have a circle time and what does it include? How do you work in literature and story time? Do you set out a basket of books and let the children choose?
So much of the Montessori information out there for this age group deals with activities on the trays. I know there is more to it. I guess I am trying to get a picture of what else you do and how does it all fit together. When you have a limited amount of room and money so that you can't set up a display for every topic and you are doing this with only a couple of kids so there are no older kids for them to observe and learn from, then how do you introduce topics (i.e. geography, botany, etc) and encourage exploration?
Thanks,
Pam
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Chris V
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I'd be interested in hearing about other Montessori days as well  ~ thanks for posting Pam!
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Angel
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Great topic - thanks for posting! I'm hoping others chime in. I always like reading about the days of other people.
I have to wake up a little more in order to think, but I think what you'll find is that Montessori in the trenches at home is a lot different than it is portrayed in the books. We use *some* Montessori at home, and probably more now that my 4 yo twins are *cough* calming down (a little, teensy bit.  ). I think that environment has a lot to do with it. If you have to break up your shelves... or put your shelves up high to keep them out of reach of a baby or toddler... or lock everything up... or if you try to keep works out and available *all* the time, then what do you do when the only time they want to work with the materials is while you are in the middle of making meatloaf?
Anyway, I'll be back later to tell you some more specifics about our day. We don't use as much Montessori as some on this board, but we do use some.
Until then, the blog What DID We Do All Day? is a good place to start if you want to see how Montessori actually works in people's homes. She posts bits and pieces of their Montessori time, but she also has a GIANT list of Montessori/Montessori-ish blogs down her left sidebar.
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Angela
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violingirl
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I have a 4 year old and 2.5 year old. The Montessori influence in our house includes presenting materials in an orderly way, using mats to define the work space and some of the Montessori materials. We don't have the space (nor the money!) for all the materials, but I make some things myself or devise work that teaches the same skill. My 4yo loves the math materials, so we may continue him in Montessori math for quite awhile.
So a typical day for us as of right now starts with a "circle time". We pray together, read a few picture books, and sing a few songs (days of the week and months of the year right now) my 2yo sometimes sits intently and sometimes plays through most of it. After circle time I usually spend some time doing stickers or coloring with my 2yo- If he has attention first he is far more willing to let me and 4yo work together.
For 4yo's work, I have limited space so I rotate through the work he has. If he hasn't used work within 3 or 4 days I rotate something else in. Currently on his shelves are the hundreds board, dice and paper to roll and write numbers, the BrainQuest Kindergarten book (it has a lot of letter and number writing pages in there- when 4yo picks that we do the next few pages as he wants. Sometimes 1 page, sometimes as many as 4), math counters, the moveable alphabet and a white board.
On 2yo's shelves right now he has lacing beads, a few puzzles, spooning work, alphabet builders and styrofoam and toothpicks.
Our art materials are on a high shelf but in sight, so all they have to do is ask to get it down.
The only thing that I don't give as a choice is reading work- we do something with phonics every day, but I keep it short. Right now we're learning the sounds -sh, -th and -ch so we have cards with those sounds that we review, we also might build the sounds with the moveable alphabet, form the letters in rice or watch the starfall movie about -sh.
We read again at night before bed- a few picture books with both boys and a chapter from our current read aloud for 4yo (right now, Dragons of Blueland :) ). Next school year when I am working a bit less we've talked about making our bedtime reading our Bible reading so that Daddy will be home for that portion of our day.
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Erin
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nicole marie
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I don't have anything to contribute, but I am excited to see what others have to say on this topic. My oldest is 3 yrs old and we are exploring Montessori a little more everyday. Thanks for asking the question! 
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Wife to DH and Mommy to one DD  (07/28/06) and one DS  (11/26/08)!
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Marcia
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Our Montessori day...
I currently have four kids in the "classroom". Elementary classroom aged 10, primary classroom aged 7 and 5 and a preschool classroom for my 2.10 year old (that means she turns 3 in March)
I have a shelf for each of them.as they are at developmentally different stages.
At the beginning of a child's school life there shelf is bare. I present "work" to them remembering the Montessori concept that a child can only receive words or movement at a time (so don't speak and do actions at the same time)...for example many of the works in practical life don't really require any words. It's important for me to find a time in which their attention is attune to something new. I might ask "are you ready for something new today?". I will get a rug or a small table for presenting the work. For example maybe it's cutting. I have small scissors and strips of paper that are 1 inch by 5 inch on a tray along with a small bowl and an empty envelope. I put this on the table or rug and ask the child to join me. I might introduce that the scissors are called scissors by simply saying "scissors" and next " paper" while gesturing to it. Then pick up one piece of paper and say " one cut". While I cut the pieces will fall into the little bowl. when finished I put them all in the envelope and lick it closed. Then I say "let me show you where this goes" and put it on the shelf. They always want to do the work right away. So I add another empty envelope and sit back and watch.
For my older children that have been given work over and over, they just take off the shelf what they need and get it done. with my elementary child, we are working now through a list of ideas and she is brainstorming on how to get the info she needs. I use some lists from queenofangelsmontessori school. we've been really plugging along and she is amazed at what she already knows.
I find that the silence that can be found in that room when all four are working to be WONDERFUL for me. It cleanses my soul! I would say that we have all four working in that room for about 1-2 hours per day. The rest of the day there might be only one of them in there. Since we have other places in the house for music practice, kitchen work, etc.
I know some people are able to have their school room as their kitchen table, but I love having a seperate room. I can also get things ready in the afternoon without them observing me that way.
I tend to have school last about 3 hours at the max. Then they are off to do their own schooling choices in the afternoon-today it was making snowflakes from paper while mom slept off a cold. :)
I don't do circle time as we spend breakfast talking about the days expectations and reading the Bible together.
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Marcia
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hmbress
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Marcia, I'd LOVE to hear how you got to the point where four children can work quietly in the same room without disturbing each other's work. I have yet to achieve that with my ds6 and ds4!
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lovebeingamom
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violingirl wrote:
My 4yo loves the math materials, so we may continue him in Montessori math for quite awhile.
For 4yo's work, I have limited space so I rotate through the work he has. If he hasn't used work within 3 or 4 days I rotate something else in. Currently on his shelves are the hundreds board, dice and paper to roll and write numbers, the BrainQuest Kindergarten book (it has a lot of letter and number writing pages in there- when 4yo picks that we do the next few pages as he wants. Sometimes 1 page, sometimes as many as 4), math counters, the moveable alphabet and a white board.
On 2yo's shelves right now he has lacing beads, a few puzzles, spooning work, alphabet builders and styrofoam and toothpicks. |
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Do tell please ... ... as I am always looking for more montessori ideas for my 3 and 1.5 yo without spending a lot of money ... ... what exactly you do with the styrofoam and toothpicks? What is an alphabet builder?
As for your 4yo, how exactly are you using the dice and paper? Moveable alphabet and white board? What are math counters?
Currently my 3 yo is working on moving cotton balls with tongs into a ice cube tray and tweezing beads. I am not doing any montessori work with my 1 yo. I guess that is not a true statement completely ... we build blocks.
My 3 yo loved puzzles from the start ... not so much with my 1 yo. Any suggestions on how to help him with puzzles?
Thanks for starting this thread ... so excited to learn more!!!!
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violingirl
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Ezra has to stick the toothpicks into the styrofoam. He can stick them in anywhere he likes and it develops strength and control in his fingers. This post has pictures of Ezra using the styrofoam and toothpicks in an interesting way, LOL!
The alphabet builders are a set of toys I have that used to be sold by Discovery Toys I believe- it includes all the shapes that you use to build uppercase letters and gives a concrete way to build each letter. It's very similar to the alphabet pieces you can use with HWT except that these pieces actually snap together. I tried to find a link online for you to see these, but I'm not sure they are sold anymore.
For my 4yo...
Dice and paper- the paper is marked off in a wide grid so he puts one number in each grid box (the boxes are BIG since he's just learning to write). He rolls the die, figures out what number he rolled and then writes the number. This work is for him to practice writing numbers. He usually rolls 3-4 times, and occasionally will go longer.
Our current work with the white board and moveable alphabet is that he makes a word with the moveable alphabet and then writes it on the white board. Some days we work on his sight words or he asks to work on names of the people in our family, or we might do word families like can, man, ran, fan, etc.
For math counters we use novelty erasers I've found different places, most frequently in the Target dollar bin! We have apples, baseballs, ladybugs, etc. 10 of each. You can use anything small like that. We work together on this. For example I might ask him for two ladybugs and 2 baseballs and then ask how many it makes all together. Sometimes I tell him to give me "mixed up 10" which means 10 of all different kinds of erasers. We then talk about the combos- how many frogs? How many ladybugs? How many baseballs? If I add just the ladybugs and frogs together how many would it make? If I take out all the frogs how many are left?
For bigger puzzles I started out by having the puzzle all put together except for maybe two pieces and then would show my younger one how to turn the piece until it matched. After awhile he could do more and more pieces until finally he could do the whole thing. We have 4 or 5 24 piece floor puzzles that are a really great size for toddlers to handle. I think they are mostly Melissa and Doug puzzles.
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Erin
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lovebeingamom
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You all inspire me .... I read about your days and think "how come I didn't think of something like that?". I am so excited to take some of your ideas and use them.
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threeturn
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Thank you so much Marcia and Erin. This information is invaluable and makes me fall in love with the Montessori concept even more. I love the idea of choices within structure.
Angel - That blog is fantastic!
We have never spent much money (ahem, other than books I get here and there, and here, and there  ) at one time on our homeschooling -- no major curriculum purchases or anything. Since dd is about to enter K (so to speak) next year, it is time that we are willing to outlay a little bit of money for our curriculum. I will make many of the Montessori items, but if you had a small bit of funds, which materials would you purchase given the ages of my kids bearing in mind that we can purchase more a little along the way?
Thanks,
Pam
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Chris V
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I agree Angel, thank you for sharing that blog ~ fantastic!
And a great question posed from you Pam! This is exactly the question that I was pondering moments ago...
I did an easy Google search on Montessori toys and items and could not believe just how many of these I already have and use everyday, yet it never crossed my mind that I might be following a Montessori style of learning. Granted, I am certain there is much, much more to the philosophy of Montessori learning than toys (for an easy example, how Marcia discussed the 'presentation' style of introducing these activities to her children); but at present, I seem to be better equipped than I thought.
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violingirl
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threeturn wrote:
Since dd is about to enter K (so to speak) next year, it is time that we are willing to outlay a little bit of money for our curriculum. I will make many of the Montessori items, but if you had a small bit of funds, which materials would you purchase given the ages of my kids bearing in mind that we can purchase more a little along the way?
Thanks,
Pam |
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The most used Montessori material at our house is the moveable alphabet. I especially love it because my son wants to write words but isn't especially strong. He can write a few letters at a time before his hand gets tired, but he can continue what he wants to do by using the moveable alphabet. He has "written" notes to his grandparents with the MA and then we photograph them to send or I'll write it for him. We use it along with the pink and blue series too.
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Erin
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Mackfam
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Pam,
Welcome to the boards! Glad you're here!
Our Montessori days unfold in an...um...ever-evolving way!  Access to materials is determined by the current littlest mobile person. The longer the reach/more arms a young child seems to have...the more creative I am in offering work/more restricted offerings are. As Angela pointed out, Montessori in the trenches is utterly different from the Montessori portrayed on a page. I don't think that means the philosophy is unworkable in a home, just that it is a challenge in some circumstances to translate it....well.
Briefly, I offer a few materials at a time on a shelf. These materials usually relate/anchor/add to something we're currently studying. An example would be the moveable alphabet. This is currently one of the items out on my Kinder shelf. My little fella (5 yo) uses the moveable alphabet to spell out new words.
I have a number of Montessori materials, but rotate them on and off shelves depending on interest (or lack thereof) with the material.
The Montessori parts of our days unfold in a natural way. As I said, Montessori choices tend to relate to other studies/themes. Montessori work is generally a choice, though sometimes I offer materials (but never force them). I'll use the maps as an example - we enjoy reading a picture book and then going to the maps and finding a geographical location (state or country). My little fella might make a special mini book tracing the country(s) or state(s) onto a small piece of paper, illustrating, writing special letters, adding special stickers of animals or plants or birds from that area or picture book. It's something he is very proud of when he is done.
Another material we enjoy using are the bead materials for math. Math right now is very simple, but the beads are nice and allow him to visualize concepts clearly right in front of him.
Before I would recommend particular materials as preferred, I would recommend a couple of books for you. These will give you a basic view and some great, realistic ideas for Montessori in the home.
** Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years by Elizabeth Hainstock
** Mommy, Teach Me by Barbara Curtis
HTH! Have fun planning some Montessori days!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Marcia
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I agree the Hainstock books are great to get you started on making materials.
I would recommend visiting/observing in a true Montessori classroom near you. Yes get a sitter for the day and go out.
I've been trained in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd...so I have that experience of silence with loads of kids for two hours each week...so my kids are used to this idea. But you can start with 15 minutes a day. Just be ready to hold your OWN body still. They learn a lot from us if we are flitting about all morning while they try to do their "work".
Must go to bed. typing on a Mac in bed with a hubby that needs me to be more quiet....
night.
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Marcia
Mom to six and wife to one
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lovebeingamom
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I second the book Mommy, Teach Me by Barbara Curtis. I absolutely it and it has some really great ideas in there.
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threeturn
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Thanks ladies. I have the Barbara Curtis book -- that is what started this whole rabbit trail for me. I have been using it to set up some of her small beginnings exercises. I just got the Hainstock book via Paperback Swap yesterday. Looking forward to some more bubble bath reading later tonight.
Marcia - I would love to go visit a class, but the closest one is 70 miles away. Not much here in Southern Alabama. Don't know if I could swing that or not... Your description is very inspiring, though.
Erin - Love the idea of taking a photo of letters written with the movable alphabet.
Jen - I have been perusing the photos of your school room on your blog. They give me a very good idea of how you work things in. My husband wishes you had taught him 4th grade science.
In my research I came across these video lectures by Margaret Homfray who was a student of Maria Montessori. I have not had the chance to view them yet (they are quite in-depth) but they are very highly recommended. I look forward to spending some time with them.
Video Page Link
Pam
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Angel
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Ok, *shew*, finally back to this topic! (It took me many days to wake up apparently.) Anyway...
You asked at the beginning of the thread, "what if there are no older kids to learn from?" To be honest, at home, I think that may be more of an advantage than you think, if you're starting Montessori while your oldest is still fairly young. If you were trying to go a mainly Montessori route for preschool/K, and you had a bunch of goofy older brothers (just say) who would teach you how to throw the rice you were pouring all over the kitchen (you know... theoretically ), you might actually be constantly battling the influence of older kids. But starting out at home with your oldest child sort of sets a pattern for the rest of the kids to follow. Because at home kids do not see a bunch of other kids their age using different materials, I think that at home you do have to work harder to introduce materials and rotate them (also, you do not have an assistant), but... I really don't think you're at much of a "disadvantage" at all. I wish I had had the ingenuity to follow through on my initial inclinations to do Montessori with my oldest ( now 13), but when he was 3 or 4, there was so little out there about how to translate Montessori into the home evironment and all the materials were so expensive, that I didn't understand it or make the attempts that would have been necessary at the time *to* understand.
I think that one of the things I wish I had realized starting out was that everything would not go the way it was talked about in the books. For instance, I think that the way your day goes and the way the activities go often depend on the personality of your child. If your child is fairly malleable, obedient, or eager to please (or somewhere on that continuum anyway), things are going to go more easily than if your child is very active, hyper, easily distracted, etc. etc. But just because one child may easily begin to concentrate on all sorts of activities and another child may have to work hard to concentrate on even the simplest thing for five minutes before he is attempted to misuse it, it does not mean that Montessori is not working for him. It may actually be just what he needs. But on those days when *nothing* seems to work, it may seem as if it's all your fault because you are not an expert.
It looks like I am running out of time here, so I'll have to come back to add more. I'll just say: we've had the most success with Montessori when:
1.It can be integrated naturally into our days. (My 2 yo spends a lot of time scooping and pouring while I cook, for example)
2. I can relax when things go wrong.
3. Materials can be rotated in our limited space in a reasonable amount of time.
4. I am patient and realize that each child has his own trajectory of growth. Activities that were completely unsuccessful a few months earlier may find success after the child has matured a bit.
5. I do a certain amount of planning. (Tough for me.)
6. I remember that in Montessori classrooms, movement is not neglected. (Walking on the line, for instance.)
7. I remember that at home with fewer children than in a classroom, a shorter amount of "working time" will still be fruitful.
And our most popular materials: movable alphabet, beads, Mass kit... for the younger kids, pink tower, brown stair, knobbed cylinders.
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Angela
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lovebeingamom
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Angela ....do tell, what is a mass kit? How young are the younger kids? What are brown stairs used for?
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Tell me about your Montessori day
