Turntable Art

Here's a fun art activity that you can try at home...if you're a packrat like me.  Fortunately, I held on to this old record player from my childhood.  This is based on the "spin art" idea.  Here's what you need:

• Record player
• Small paper plates
• Markers
• Tape
• Hole puncher (optional)
• String (optional)

This work set up on a table, not on a shelf.  It is too heavy for some of the younger children to carry.

The child places a plate upside down on the turntable.

He then attaches two pieces of tape to the plate.

Next, he creates designs and spirals with the marker, experimenting with the two different speeds.

Use a variety of markers for more interesting designs.

Some of the children wanted to display their art, so I added a hole puncher and some string.  They were able to punch the holes, but many of them needed help tying the string.  This activiy is so much fun, be sure to have enough paper plates!

Land and Water Forms

Another one of my favorite materials in the Montessori classroom is the Land and Water Form activity.  We purchased ours from Priority Montessori and they are- by far- the best quality that I've ever worked with. They're made with clay that does not dry out or get ruined when wet.  The children are shown how to be very careful with their nails, so that the clay is not picked or punctured. 

The children pour water into the clay bins, as the teacher describes each form.  This lesson directly teaches the land and water forms, indirectly refines hand/eye coordination and prepares the student for future study of physical geography.

You can see in the above photo, I've extended the lesson with a coloring sheet.  Each pair of forms (island/lake, peninsula/gulf...) is on the shelf next to a basket of these sheets.  The children can draw and color in the forms if they choose.  Another extension is to locate these forms on the puzzle maps.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is MLK, Jr's actual birthday, so we discussed his life and sang Happy Birthday to him.  When we played outside in the morning class, the children piled up the snow and said, "We're going to climb the snow and up into the clouds so we can say to Martin, 'Happy Birthday and thanks for helping us all go to the same school'!" 

Petco Treasure

Our family is often found milling about Petco because it's a great way to socialize your pets (and kids!) during these freezing winter months.  During our last visit, I was showing little "g" the turtle aquarium when I saw this:

It's meant as a cozy little getaway for reptiles and rodents.  I felt the rough surface and longed for springtime because I enjoy taking the kids out for an activity called bark rubbing.  The children love pressing their paper against the rough surface and making designs and patterns with crayons.  Then it hit me- this is a great activity for wintertime!  Of course I purchased the half-log and set it up on a tray with peeled crayons and some quarter sheets of white paper.  The children love feeling the bark and having a little piece of nature as part of their work. 

Snowman Sequencing

Over the winter break, I had a fantastic time playing outside with my kids.  Of course, a teacher's mind is always thinking of new works for the classroom.  One day, the girls and I were building a snowman and I realized that was the first time G ever built a snowman.  She really didn't understand the steps needed in order to build it.  It hit me that this is like a sequencing activity.  So......I pulled out the camera and snapped a shot of each step we took to complete the snowman (actually she became a snowgirl).  I laminated the pictures and incorporated them into the classroom as a sequencing activity. 

Sequencing is an essential pre-reading skill for preschoolers.  Sequencing is the ability to put the events of a story in the order in which they occurred. Teaching sequencing to young children is important because logical order of thinking is fundamental to reading and everyday life.  There are many ways you can incorporate sequencing into your daily activities at home.  After reading a story, discuss what happened in the beginning, middle and end.  You can draw pictures of some of the events that happened in a story.  Mix them up and see if your child can put them back in order.  Take pictures of your child getting ready for school.  Print them, laminate, and use them as sequencing cards.  I always put numbers on the back of my sequencing cards as a self-checking device.  Typically, anywhere from 4-8 steps are sufficient for a preschooler. 

I Love January!

In my humble opinion, January is the best month of the school year.  The children are excited to be back, they now have a host of lessons from which to choose, and they are capable of calm, purposeful work.  We had an AMAZING day today.  Most, if not all, non-Montessori supplemental activities are now off the shelf (like puzzles and various activities), so the children can only choose from the original Montessori materials.  I saw more children choosing the land and water forms, the number rods, geometric solids, and many chose to work with sandpaper letters today.  I enjoyed seeing second and third year students exploring the work in new ways and first year students observing them with wide, curious eyes.

Many teachers choose to leave non-Montessori activities out all year and then wonder why the children don't touch the pink tower or the golden beads.  I typically put out several non-Mont. materials during phase-in and gradually remove them throughout the fall.  I like to see all of them gone by January, when the children are ready for their best work. 

When Maria Montessori was teaching, she experimented by putting out common toys with her educational materials.  The children looked at them, manipulated them for a moment or two, and then went back to their work.  She noticed the children preferred to work with the materials that she created rather than the store-bought toys.  I wonder what would have happened if she put out modern toys from today with all the lights, bells and whistles?  I think the children would be confused with that type of distraction in the classroom.  I don't feel they would respect the materials quite as much, either.  In my personal experience, I notice my daughter G uses the materials in school almost reverently, then tends to toss her toys around at home.  The children do seem to sense the importance of the Montessori materials and treat them with respect. 

So I look forward to the rest of the mysterious month of January when children are peaceful, actively engaged, and enthusiastic about learning!

Back to School

Today is Back to School day for most of the kids here in the States.  Hopefully, teachers all over the country are feeling refreshed from the winter break and children are feeling excited to back in school.  My oldest daughter, G, woke up early this morning and said "Do I finally have school today??"  It was music to my ears hearing her excitement for school.
Here's to a challenging and inspiring New Year!