Simple Solution

There are always one or two children each year who are very intimidated by writing, possibly due to some fine motor delays, but are very interested in getting their thoughts down on paper.  Certainly, these children can use the movable alphabet to record information, but there are times when the children want to write a note or a letter, or record findings in his/her tablet.  I believe I've found the solution for some of these kids.  I recently ordered the lowercase tracing stamps,

as well as the wooden number stamps, both available from Montessori-N-Such. 

The children gather their materials, along with an ink pad, and stamp out their message.  They can then go back and trace the letters for extra practice.  This product certainly won't be useful for the children with severe fine motor delays, but it will provide encouragement for those children who need an extra boost of confidence in the writing department.  They should arrive in a few days, I'll let you know how the children react!

**Update**
Both of these activities were on the shelf for a matter of seconds today before they were swept away for another lesson.  The stamps seemed to give the children more confidence and more independence while completing their work.

Money Game

A few days ago, I pulled out a work that I haven't used in years. This is an activity you can easily set up at home, after a trip to the bank! It's called the Money Game- an extention activity used by many Montessori teachers to reinforce the concept of money value and equivalence. Many of my students this year have shown a lot of interest in our coin stamps. They're making coin vocaulary booklets, coin equivalence booklets, and even drawings with coins incorporated into the theme! I thought it was time to challenge some of the older children with this fun, engaging activity.

Start with a seven compartment tray- six compartments around the edge and one in the middle.

Fill one space with pennies, one with nickels, the next with dimes, then quarters, half-dollars, a dollar coin, and one die in the middle. The youngest child rolls the die first and picks up that many pennies. Children take turns rolling the die and picking up coins. I use an equivalence book, made from the coin stamps, to assist the children in exchanging coins. The little equivalence booklet is kept in the middle compartment with the die. After some time, when children roll a five or a six, they realize they can immediately pick up a nickel instead of five pennies. The children keep exchanging all the way up until they receive two half-dollars. At this point, that winning child can exchange for the dollar coin. After the game, I show the children how to shake hands and say "good game". Due to the caring nature of the Montessori classroom, children feel comfortable both winning and losing. They are then asked to wash their hands, after handling the coins.

With 2-3 children playing, this game can take up to 30 minutes. Younger children stop by from time to time to observe, but I think they realize it's a bit over the top for them. This game is ideal for children ages 5-9, although some four year olds have been known to master the game.

This activity is another excellent opportunity for community in the classroom. If I'm unavailable and the children have an equivalence question, they can go to an older child for help. The older child feels a sense of confidence and belonging when he/she is able to helpa younger friend in need. That's the beauty of the Montessori classroom.

Hundred Board

After reading my post about the typical Montessori day, one reader emailed me asking if the students truly find interest in these academic activities at such a young age. In a future post, I plan to write a bit about Sensitive Periods. To give you a synopsis, Montessori believed that children go through periods of extreme interest in certain topics. For instance, a three-year-old might experience a sensitive period for order, a four-year-old for language, and a five-year-old for social connectedness. Currently, G is in the heart of her sensitive period for language and g is in a senstivie period for opening and closing- typically to lids on washed containers. She'll spend 20 minutes working with one container and repeat the process again and again.

I explained to the reader that some children show extreme interest in Mathematics and will choose lessons like the Hundred Board daily. I perused my school pictures and found a child enjoying the Hundred Board. Placing the small tiles on the board is called the "Point of Interest" in the lesson. Each Montessori "work" has a Point of Interest that captures the child's attention, whether it's a clinging sound, a shiny bowl, or a tiny object. This particular three-year-old truly enjoys small objects and sequences of numbers, therefore the Hundred Board is just right for him. I'm looking forward to giving him the extension lessons on this work- placing the odd or even tiles and placing the tiles in a spiral.

Maybe he's also experiencing a Sensitive Period for hoods? :)