how we montessori

Keeping it real - putting on an apron

I caught these candid shots of Otis tonight, attempting to put on an apron. It's his art apron which goes over the head then the straps come together with velcro at the front. He can put it on independently so I sat back and waited. He couldn't get it on so he took it off and threw it on the floor, then picked out another apron (the red one) and proceeded to put it on without so much trouble. You can see the blue apron lying on the floor in the background. Well, he got there eventually. 

Sunprints

I love the concept of Sunprints and have given them as gifts many times but until now have never used them myself. I ordered the Super Sunprint Kit and was surprised at the size, these sheets are around A4 size.

Caspar and I did this together although once he is famiilar with the process he could do it independently. After assembling the kit we place our items on the blue paper and place in the sunlight. 

Once the paper fades almost to white we remove the items, rinse and leave to dry. 

It's like our Polaroid - the fun part is watching the image develop. 

It really is a lot of fun and slightly addictive. They make an interesting display.

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Sources listed here. 

Hi there!

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I'm told way too often that there aren't any photographs of me on the blog. There are a few if you look hard enough. Here we are braving the elements for food, really good food.

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I have promised time and time again a post about our routine, about our schedule and how we fit Montessori (and housekeeping!) into our lives. I promise again that I will have a post on this soon.  

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Congratulations to Kelsey and her family on the birth of beautiful Dashiell, if you missed my share on Facebook here is her wonderful Montessori inspired nursery. 

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My very dear friend Charlotte has a new blog Montessori and the City. Charlotte is Montessori trained and has four children so this is worth a read!

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Thank you for your concern and your information on my newly found dairy intolerance. I'm taking it a day at a time and have found avoidance of cows milk the best solution. I'm still figuring it all out as a little cheese (in food) and goats milk is fine. My attempt at sourdough has totally failed, in our cooler weather I haven't been able to activate our culture. I will give it another go soon. My bread machine has also stopped working, if you have any recommendations on new models - please share.

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Many of you know that I have been parenting solo for many, many months now. I couldn't be happier that my husband who has been working overseas, returns this week. Parenting without him is by far the toughest thing I have ever done. It has been too difficult and too personal to share in this space but thank you to the many readers and friends who have supported us through this time. 

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After some brief discussion with Neptune I realise that it's time for me to know a little more about Montessori Elementary. We will continue with Montessori schooling but it's true that I know very little about Cosmic Education. Where do I start? Please let me know if you have any blog or book recommendations. Also let me know if this is a topic of interest to you.

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Finally to anyone visiting Canberra for the Montessori Centenary Celebrations, please let me know, I'd love to arrange a get together!

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What to do with all those Puzzle Maps?

From Caspar's earliest days at Montessori he loved Puzzle Maps. He would talk about Europe and working with friends on various puzzles. Then he started to bring home Puzzle Map artwork. First he brought home outlines of various states and countries. As time progressed he would bring home work with countries coloured in and with the oceans painted with water colour.

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Next labels began to appear and map by map his handwriting improved. We have the map of the world framed and hanging on the wall but what to do with the others? We had over twelve pieces rolled up and stored in a box, they were starting to look a bit tattered. I found this large art portfolio and it was the perfect solution. Each Puzzle Map piece fits into a plastic pocket. You can see Otis's hand below for an idea of the scale. Not only a lovely way to preserve this work but it's perfect to leave out and show the Grandparents. 

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This work is great for their hand control, tracing around the outside of the puzzle pieces and all that colouring in. It's also a great geography lesson! Does your child love Puzzle Maps? I'd love to hear what you do with all their artwork. I know many people scan children's artwork but I feel like they put so much effort into this work I couldn't throw it away. 

Food Prep at Two!

Shelling peas. 

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Peeling and segmenting a mandarin fruit. After being shown this by his teacher Otis has been asking to do it at home.  

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Cutting cheese with a cleaver. The cleaver isn't very sharp, sharp enough to cut the cheese with pressure.  

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Our slicer is being used for everything; eggs, strawberries, cheese and mushrooms! The mushrooms need to be fresh and placed this way up, otherwise they are too tough to cut through. 

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Mashing. 

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Whisking.

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Mixing. You can see what Caspar and Otis are making here. 

School holidays = more kitchen fun!

Gift Ideas for FIVE

 

At five children are still so inquisitive and full of wonder. At five we started buying less toys and more materials or tools for learning and creating. Shadow puppets are on my wish list for Caspar and while researching this post I ordered a Sunprint Kit. This post contains some affiliate links and I have included US and Australian suppliers where possible. Thank you again to Neptune for the suggestion of the Cuboro - that's on my wish list too!

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Checker Set

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Shadow Puppets (Australia)

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Sunprint Kit (Australia)

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Cooperative Games

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Knitting Tower

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Magical Window Stars (Australia) and Paper (Australia) 

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Cuboro (Australia) - more than a marble run, read a recommendation here. 

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Magna-Tiles

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Beginners World Map

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Junior World Atlas (Australia)

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Earth Globe

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First Animal Encyclopedia (Australia)

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Junior Skeleton (similar Australia)

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First Microscope (Australia), you can see Caspar (at five) using his here. 

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I still have one gift idea list left to write and that is for one year olds. I hope you've enjoyed this series! 

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Exploring a new medium - Charcoal

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Over the weekend the boys explored charcoal as a new art medium. I wasn't sure about young children using charcoal until I read this article. Varying the depth of colour, smudging, shading, better for the children's fine motor skills - I was sold. The safety precautions are the same as chalk, not in the mouth and don't blow (or inhale) the dust. 

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We took this activity outside. It wasn't very messy at all. The children only needed to wash their hands and wipe the table down afterwards. Later we put the paper on clipboards so the boys could move around with their art. It's a nice contrast to our usual painting. 

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Have you used charcoal before? I really enjoyed it. The charcoal goes onto the paper really smooth - it's fun and easy to use. 

Slicing Strawberries

Our strawberry crop is still going strong. This activity reminds me of this day.

Wishing you a lovely weekend! 

Child of the World - Montessori, Global Education for Age 3-12+.

If you are wondering why you haven't seen this book before it's because it's a new release. Published in 2013 I suggest this is already a Montessori classic. Books of this calibre don't come along very often. I ordered it immediately knowing Susan's other publications The Joyful Child and Child of the World (Michael Olaf's Essential Montessori Series). This book is essential for all Montessori school and parent education libraries. Even for those well versed in Montessori this is a must read because it contains so much of Susan's personal experiences (from around the world) and her valuable insight. 

Child of the World is divided into four parts; Age 3-6, Age 6-12, Age 0-24 (Stages of Development) and Parents and Teachers. I found Part One, Age 3-6 the most valuable. It contains so much practical information for school and home. I love this section and I took pages of notes. I particularly appreciate the information on selecting toys, activity suggestions and the discussion on screen time. 

Part Two, Age 6-12 is less about what to do at home and more about the 6-12 Montessori school environment. I found this very useful as the mother of a five year old and knowing very little about the next cycle. If you have a child in or approaching 6-12, at a Montessori school, this section is extremely valuable. 

I felt a little lost in Part Three. This section contains Montessori theory about the stages of development. It was so refreshing to read about Montessori adolescence and even adulthood, so rarely mentioned in other texts. Perhaps I'll be more engaged when my own children near this age. 

Part Four, Parents and Teachers is too brief. This section provides some background to Montessori education, covers the basics and it a nice way to finish what is an excellent resource.

Child of the World is perfect for all parents including those new to Montessori, although it is quite different (in a good way) from existing books. It's not at all prescriptive but if you read the entire book you will have all the information needed to create a Montessori home environment. I would recommend this book to parents of children from the toddler years up. It is a strength of this book that it covers such a wide age range. After reading Child of the World I have fresh ideas and am inspired to make changes to our home!

Those pages of notes I mentioned, I thought I'd share some of them with you!

• Practical life is so important. Practical tasks help lay the foundation for all later mental and physical work... When a child has a lot of experience with the important developmental tasks called practical life he becomes more successful in all other areas of study in relation to others. Pg 12 & 13.
• Mothers and parents need not be perfect! We must be easy on ourselves in the home and plan a time when we will enjoy the work as well as the children. Begin with just one thing, perhaps putting the napkins on the table for a meal, and gradually add to the takes in which the child can participate, and eventually take over. Pg 14.
• It all starts in the kitchen! Cooking and eating are something everyone does every day. Perhaps taking a few moments to work together to cook something, to set the table, just one little thing each day, can keep the whole family on the path to wholeness. Pg 16. 
• Screen time! It takes work on the part of the adult to withstand the temptation to let the child spend hours in front of the television, the computer or other screens, but it is worth the effort to support the natural development of the child. Pg 18. 
• Blocks! In our experience, next to doing real family work, playing with blocks has been one of the most valuable toys for a young child at home. Pg 24.
• World Globe. A globe is probably one of the most important pieces of material to have in the home. Pg 31.
• Demonstrate in silence first, a child cannot both listen and watch. ...try to refrain from talking while you are demonstrating an action, and refrain from demonstrating an action while you are speaking. Pg 35.
• Books. ... simple picture books, beginning reading books but also advanced reference books. Pg47. ...a flag book. Pg 53. 
• Art materials. Children benefit from having a variety of art materials available to them at all times and a space to work, uninterrupted, when they are inspired...pencils, crayons, felt pens, clay, paper, and brushes. Pg 59. 
• What Montessori is about. When the environment, including the adults, give children from conception all they need, physically, emotionally, even the very young will be able to use their own internal wisdom to fulfill their needs and develop their fullest potential. Pg 122. We do not believe in pushing the child, but we believe strongly in providing an environment rich in all areas of learning so that the child can choose, from his own intuition, what he is ready to learn. Pg 27.
• What to look for in a classroom. Montessori classrooms should not look like they are bought in bulk from a factory. They should be inspired, individually created, and cherished by children and teacher alike. Pg 140. 
• The home environment - the basics. There are two important things to keep in mind in organizing a child's environment in the home. First, have a place in each room for the few, carefully chosen child's belongings...Secondly, don't put out too many toys and books at one time. Pg 142. 
• Be selective! Many parents and teachers find themselves tempted to purchase more materials than are needed... This is not only wasteful, but damaging to the child's development. Pg 145. 
• Inspiration. Through our children, we parents and teachers are the architects of the future of humanity. Pg 146. 

Child of the World is a complete resource for Montessori in the home for ages three and up. 

Have you read it yet? What are your thoughts?

 

Montessori Baby Gift Ideas

 

Expecting a baby? Having a baby shower? Attending a baby shower? Here are a few Montessori-ish baby gift ideas. This post contains some affiliate links. 

 

Essentials

Baby Carrier. I love the Ergo. You may want to consider the infant insert also, essential for carrying a new born.  

Understanding the Human Being. A great Montessori book for pregnancy through to the first year. The best price I have found is via NAMTA.

Topponcino and cover. This is one item I wish I knew about before I had my children. If I had anther baby this would be one of the first items I would buy.

Baby Massage Oil. 

Montessori mobiles. This is a Bell on a Ribbon.  

Baby Hair Brush. This one has a waxed beech handle with soft goat hair bristles.

Bodysuits that open at the front. 

Baby Blankets, wraps and wipes. 

Nursing Necklace. A beautiful gift!

Books. Because newborns like a story too.

 

Toys

Wooden Beads.

Skwish.

Ball Cylinder.

Rattle.

Montessori Toys.  

Knit Balls. 

Montessori Puzzle Ball.

 

High Contrast

Black and White Books.

Swallow Mobile.  

Black and white images. From Etsy and Wee Gallery Art (I also like these)

Munari Mobile. Find one online or make your own. Image from Montessori in Motion.

 

Furniture

Walker Wagon (not really furniture I know)

First Chair, we love the Me-Do-It Chair.

Learning Tower. If you have a small kitchen consider the Fun Pod.  

Toy Hanger.

High Chair. 

 

What a fun list to compile! I love shopping for babies!! I would love to hear your suggestions. What do you like to give at baby showers?

Edited to add that all links should be working now!