All About Montessori

[buds]

sunsweet:

Hi,


Anyone to share the insight of what Montessori workgroup for 2.5 yr old and above covers?

like the kind of subjects/ topics the teachers covers?

currently my gal is in a 2x weekly playgp and its one a monthly thermatic approach.. not sure how \"Montessorize\" is such approach.

but they often play with Montessori related equipments like the sandpaper alphabets or the lifeskills toys.

which i find them good. expose for her during her 2 hr class..

Can share what the theme is now...
I can try elaborate from there. Tks.

[sunsweet]

ok at the moment her playgp is doing "5 senses".


so you mean in workgp they will have similar theme but different activity?

[buds]

sunsweet:

ok at the moment her playgp is doing \"5 senses\".


so you mean in workgp they will have similar theme but different activity?

Yup.. Yup.. They should.
Have different set of activities i mean...
Or else it won't matter being in playgroup
or workgroup.

Hokay... now clearer a bit. Here goes...

Even while doing themes, Montessori apparatus
are use for the lessons. Different centres will
approach this differently, but here's my trying
to help you understand the scope aniwaes, aye..
Hope it helps.

1.Sense of touch

>Touch board (Rough & Smooth)
>Fabric Box (Box with variety of fabric squares)
>Thermic tablets (Temperature)

Touch board

[Making a rough and smooth booklet]
Children use leaf and scaped piece of tree bark,
cut-out silk cloth and sandpaper, textured shells
and shiny shells, to paste in their booklet accordingly
to the words - rough and smooth..

Fabric Box

[Dress Up!]

Children use different types of fabric cut out into
clothing shapes and paste it on the body templates
of children.

2. Sense of smell

>Smelling Bottles - Bottles with coffee, spices, lemon peel, etc.

[Making potpourri]

Children use various flower types to make potpourri.
They can peel the soft petals of the flowers and collect
them into a basket (that they can make) and when the
basket is full, the directress assists in adding a few drops
of perfumed liquid onto the flowers. Children can mix the
petals up to even up the scent.

... hokay, sunsweet... the above are some examples how
a thematic topic can be used in a Montessori curriculum..
More extensive lessons will be given to the Workgroup with
more exposure for pre-writing/writing exercises, and worksheets
with colouring activities or story booklets, etc. Quite extensive to
write so many down but i do hope you have a better idea of how
it can be carried out. And in Montessori classes we use - work
instead of play, hehee.. purposeful work and not anyhow play-play.

So don't play-play..
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[sunsweet]

ah… dun play play…


the only problem now is that i dun get to see what she learns on the day of her class to re-empahsise her learning in the evening.

so only end of month when teach returns her work then i get to go thru with her… sigh…

but at least i know her theme this month by call her the school… I get her do different activites at home during weekends …

the activites you’ve mention gives me lots of idea what i can do.

any books to recommend for reading as to how i can hold activites at our own time to renforce her thematic learning?

[buds]

sunsweet:

ah.. dun play play...


the only problem now is that i dun get to see what she learns on the day of her class to re-empahsise her learning in the evening.

so only end of month when teach returns her work then i get to go thru with her.. sigh..

but at least i know her theme this month by call her the school.. I get her do different activites at home during weekends ...

the activites you've mention gives me lots of idea what i can do.

any books to recommend for reading as to how i can hold activites at our own time to renforce her thematic learning?

No communication book? Ermmm... how about school newsletter?
Or a Term Lesson Plan? If in the absence of all other forms of
notification, you should call to find out at every first week of the
month to aid / assist your child with home reinforcements. Share
with the school that you're the hands-on type of momma and not
the sort to leave everything to the teacher to educate nor leave it
to fate that she will eventually know or simply leave your child's
dvelopment at the hands of....... Well done! All parents, not
just mothers should be involved as much as possible in all the stages
and phases of the children's life. This keeps parents in pace... abreast
with the everchanging trends / habits of our growing children. :love:

[sunsweet]

sad to say no communication book.


dunno is it bec its adult accompanied session.

I think i should write to the school for request of teaching plan for the month to be given at the begining of each month.

[sunsweet]

eh so any books to recommend that i can read to give enhance her Montessori learning ?

[buds]

Ok, sunsweet... i love your ON-ness,

so here's one more homework for you!
Kekekeh..


3.SENSE OF SIGHT

>Colour Box 1


http://www.postimage.org/

A wooden box with 3 pairs of primary colour tablets - yellow, red, and blue. Newly designed box with tablets positioned above the side for correct handling of the tablets.

To develop the child's visual perception of colour. It is also used to teach the names of colours and provide experiences in matching.


Colour Box 2


http://www.postimage.org/

A wooden box containing 11 pairs of acrylic colour tablets with the following colours : blue, red, yellow, orange, green, purple, pink, grey, brown, white and black.

Newly designed box with tablets positioned above the side for correct handling of the tablets. To develop the child's visual perception of colour. It is also used to teach the names of colours and provide experiences in matching.

Other than matching colour cards that you can make on your own...
Play using your child's toys.. say you have a jar of coloured
teddies or dinosaurs etc, hold a colour plate and ask child to fetch
the items of the same colour and put it on your plate. You can do
this with the child's toys as well... but hmmm... mebbe must use
colour baskets instead of plates!

To reinforce names of colour.
Use the Montessori 3-period lesson.

1.This is...
2.Show me...
3.Tell me...

Introduce or show one tablet/colour cards at a time..
>This is red. Say... red.
>This is blue. Say... blue.
>This is yellow. Say ... yellow.

Place all 3 colour tablets/cards spread on the work mat.
>Show mummy/me... blue...
>Show mummy/me... red...
>Show mummy/me... yellow...

Test child's retention of the recent information shared (colours).
>Hold up one colour at a time.. say... tell me, what colour this is...
>3X - until all colours are done.

If child is expert with the primary colours liao... proceed to the
secondary, hokay...? Best to take the opportunity to work the
fine motor muscles with colouring work, painting, pegging of
primary/secondary colours. Pegging can be to peg red pegs
to red clothing, etc...

PS : You can work the 3-period lesson with other concepts lilke
recognising numbers, letter names or sounds, introduction to
names of flowers or transportation, etc. The oppotunities are
endless!

Hope you got the idea nice and good and wish you all the fun
learning thru play together... or rather through work... Heheh..

:celebrate:

[buds]

sunsweet:

sad to say no communication book.


dunno is it bec its adult accompanied session.

I think i should write to the school for request of teaching plan for the month to be given at the begining of each month.

If they do agree with that suggestion, all other parents sure kowtow you!
:udawoman:

Btw, these are the main things i insist to have in my classroom.
>Communication bk - cos some of my parents are FTWP and
this is a personal way to communicate other than by the
occasional give-a-tinkle call.
>School newsletter - once a month publication with childrens' pictures
participating during the lessons. Includes welcoming of new students
and birthday wishes on top of the usual/new programme announcements.
>Lesson Plan - I give out 3 mths = 1 term highlights of what will be
covered, nothing very detailed.... mostly interesting sneak-peeks the
parents and children can look forward to.. holidays and closures included
as well.
>Progress report - Per term + parent-teacher-meet.

PS : But that's just me and my personal preference, dun go around
and compare hor. Later people say i spoil market. I like work so i do
more. Plus i'm also a parent so i can fully understand what parents
like to see and want to have.. Besides with this routine, the
parents hardly give the teachers nor other centre staff a hard time..
Before you ask, we GIVE you already.. we do the kiasu-ing for you.
Easier right?

Cheerios, sunsweet!
Eh, isn't that the name of prune juice?
Why this nick? Do u usually get bowel problem or what?
Wuakakkakkaah! I like to kid around.. hope you can take it..

[sunsweet]

During my child’s playgp session she will have abt 15min free play b4 or after the class… so grandma and her often have chance to play with the toy that is on the shelves.


I’ve seen my gal playing the box of 4 colour bears where they sort of the colours in the differnt plates.

she is very good at it… and we use that to do not only recognising of colours (red, blue, yellow, green), sorting and also we do counting with it.

I was trying to find those balancing scale to teach her weight too… but i dun see that in her class…

You idea of using toys to sort colours is also fun… but usually 1 toy has many colors so might be difficult to explain to her

The acrylic card u mention i see many secondary colours mention… i wonder we can DIY the cards… cos it must be expensive to buy them.