tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68901592055246698612024-03-15T07:37:38.507-04:00Grace and Green PasturesBess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-40945572523605309962017-04-12T18:26:00.004-04:002017-04-12T18:26:31.811-04:00Introducing Email for Elementary Practical LifeAs my oldest is approaching the upper elementary range, she has been asking to use email. I realize that electronic use in the realms of Montessori can be a hot topic. We have made the decision to utilize it carefully in our family but obviously, this is a decision that each family should make for themselves. If you'd like more information from a Montessori perspective, you can read the <a href="https://www.tjleone.com/ams_technology_position_statement.pdf">AMS position statement on technology</a>.<br />
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One of my main concerns was finding a platform that was age appropriate. Most of the common options such as Gmail and Yahoo have age usage requirements and offer far too much freedom for my taste. After looking through a few options, I settled on <a href="http://kidsemail.org/">KidsEmail.org</a>. There is a cost of $2.99 per month which allows up to 6 email addresses. If you want to give it a try, they give you a no obligation 30 day trial. And no, I am not affiliated with KidsEmail.org in any way.<br />
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You begin by setting up a parent account which allows you to control all the settings for your children's accounts. One of the key features I appreciate is the ability to restrict all incoming and outgoing emails to a set list of contacts. You also have the ability to get a copy of every outgoing and incoming email. I've come to enjoy seeing what my children send to family members.<br />
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I'm able to add photos to the custom contact list.<br />
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There are different versions of the interface depending on the age and skill level of your child. To my daughter's delight, it includes a simple paint program that allows you to attach drawings.<br />
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There's an app version as well including one for her Fire.<br />
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I used this as an opportunity to discuss proper email etiquette. Some topics you can include are:<br />
1. How to create a relevant subject line<br />
2. What is appropriate to discuss in an email<br />
3. Proofreading before sending<br />
4. Using correct grammar and punctuation<br />
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This might also be a good time to begin the broader discussion on online safety in general.<br />
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While this is a fantastic practical life exercise, it has been extremely helpful with language studies as well. I find that my children are enthusiastic about getting to contact friends and family members. This gives a practical approach to all key aspects of reading and writing including grammar and punctuation. I have been surprised by how quickly this has had an effect in that area.<br />
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Since this has been so successful, the next item on the agenda will by a typing program.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: open sans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;">Bess</span></span><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; line-height: normal !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Follow me on Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; line-height: normal !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Visit me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><b style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I am honored to take part in it. If you'd like to see moreon practical life, please visit the links below:</b><br />
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<br />Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-8673300020971518472017-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:002017-01-17T06:00:18.198-05:00Indoor Snowball Fight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One thing I've discovered over the years is that gross motor activity strategically placed before a work period has greatly enhanced my children's willingness and ability to focus on work. 20 minutes of running around outside can be enough to turn any day around. One of the challenges of winter is that this isn't always an option. While I'm comfortable letting my children go out in some winter weather, my youngest struggles in colder temperatures and has developed fairly impressive hives on several occasions. Not only that, but sometimes we only have 15-20 minutes at the given moment.<br />
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A number of years ago, our local Children's museum had an indoor snowball fight setup for a winter display. It consisted of soft, white, stitched balls. I loved the idea. We had a blast. As excited as I was to hear that they sold them in the gift shop, I was shocked at the price tag for a set of six.</div>
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I began searching craft stores for options. I stumbled upon a 3 inch pom pom by Darice that was the perfect size and weight. To my delight, they were far more economical as well. Here is a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bulk-Buy-Darice-Acrylic-10181-10">pack of 24 that you can purchase on Amazon.</a><br />
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For the five of us, I purchased a grand total 72 and placed them in a large bin. You can certainly get by on far fewer but that gives everyone a chance to grab a good sized handful.<br />
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I'm amazed at how fun this activity is for all of us. The pom poms have enough weight to travel but not enough to hurt anyone or break anything. It makes it perfect for indoor fun. We've played together even when we had an infant in the picture. Now that my children are older, they still adore it and are excited when I pull the basked out for the season. And yes, you can throw the snowballs in the washing machine if they get dirty and dingy.<br />
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This has been one of my favorite spontaneous activities in our household by far. The basket can sit on a table, ready for anyone to initiate at any moment. It doesn't make a mess. We always end up laughing. And most of all, we can all burn off some much needed energy while strengthening coordination. Even adult guests that visits have a hard time resisting.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Bess</span><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; line-height: normal !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Follow me on Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; line-height: normal !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Visit me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><br />
<br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />
<b style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I am honored to take part in it. If you'd like to see other Winter Themes, please visit the links below.</b></div>
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-33552034850201648402016-11-08T02:13:00.000-05:002016-11-08T02:13:13.345-05:00Favorite Montessori-ish ResourcesIf you've been around my blog for any length of time, you know the traditional Montessori materials captivate me. During our journey, I have come across a number of things that have added to our Montessori experience. However, some of our favorites are items that may not be found on a traditional Montessori scope and sequence. I'm excited to share them with you in no particular order, outside of saving my favorite for last.<br />
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Pro Tip: I've found that our family is far more likely to purchase these kinds of items for birthdays and holidays than traditional materials. In fact, nearly everything on the list was a gift at one point.<br />
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Mystery Box & Guessing Game <a href="http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productDet.jsp?productItemID=1%2C689%2C949%2C371%2C895%2C581">from Lakeshore Learning</a><br />
While this box seems unassuming, it has held all of my children's attention for several years. The box has openings on either side, allowing one person to insert an object while another reaches inside and tries to identify the object by touch alone. While you could put anything in the box, I do like the additional miniature set with matching cards. We have come up with numerous ways to use it.<br />
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4D Deluxe Human Anatomy Model <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SE3WUQ/">by Fame Master</a></div>
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I agonized over finding a good anatomy model. It seems like they were either far too small or too large. At 15 inches, this one is perfect for a homeschool classroom. The details blew me away. It goes beyond the basic organs with 54 parts. You can open various organs and see inside, such as the bile ducts in the liver or the lining of the stomach. I'm extremely happy with this purchase as I know this will be something my children use for years. My daughter was so inspired by it that she began to create a paper model of each individual part.</div>
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Liquid Measuring Set <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Liquid-Measuring-Set/dp/B0006PKZ4A/">by Learning Resources</a><br />
This set has been a blast for playing with liquid measuring. It covers about any size you can imagine. Not only is it fun, but the pieces are designed to nest well so it doesn't take up nearly as much room as it looks from the picture. All of my children enjoy it.<br />
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Can Do! Science Kits <a href="http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/p%7C845524441785859~~.jsp">by Lakeshore Learning</a><br />
These kits are so much fun! They are great for preschool and Kindergarten aged children. There are small experiment cards that are designed by pre-readers. The can contains everything needed to run through 5-6 experiments. They have always kept my littles engaged. They are easy to store, too.<br />
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Deluxe Doorbell House<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Wooden-Doorbell/dp/B00021HB9U"> by Melissa and Doug</a><br />
We've had this for five years so far, and my younger two are still interested in it. This house has four doors, each containing a person. The doors are locked but can be opened with the keys attached to the handle. I love the setup because it ensures we aren't constantly losing keys.<br />
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T-Rexcavator Game <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Milton-Dino-X-Team-T-Rexcavator/dp/B00JHP9EGA/">by Uncle Milton</a><br />
This game is similar to <i>Operation</i>, except with a dinosaur. I often had trouble getting interest with tweezing for my boys. This immediately grabbed their interest. It comes with a set of cards that tells you which bones to draw. Sometimes they use them, sometimes they prefer an open choice. Like <i>Operation</i>, you can put batteries in it, and it will make noise if you touch the side. I have intentionally left the batteries out and kept the focus on retrieving the bones.<br />
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Alphabet Zoo <a href="http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productDet.jsp?productItemID=1%2C689%2C949%2C371%2C928%2C500">by Lakeshore Learning</a><br />
This set is fantastic for introducing alphabet sounds. It includes 26 animals, one for each letter of the alphabet. While I thought it was relatively unremarkable, one of my children is obsessed with it. One of my favorite parts is the setup of the box. The playmat unfolds from the box and stays attached. When not in use, it folds back for easy storage. <br />
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Tumble Down Counting Pegs <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TAG-Tumble-Down-Counting-Pegs/dp/B000BSF5BA/">by TAG Toys</a><br />
I decided to try this instead of the toddle imbucare peg box. It was a hit. It comes with different sets of plates for the pegs. The fun part is that once all of the pegs have been added, you can pull the knob on the side, and the pegs slide out the bottom. We initially got this when my youngest was two, and he instantly took to it. He will be five soon, and he still uses it from time to time.<br />
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Vintage Wooden Fruit Bowl from Ebay<br />
While wood polishing is a traditional Montessori activity from the primary years, I added a fun twist by finding a vintage wooden fruit bowl on Ebay. It has added a great deal of interest, and my children often want to use the fruit for other purposes, too. I was surprised at how many affordable wooden options were available. <br />
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And now we're down to my favorite! <a href="https://playpiper.com/">Piper</a><br />
Piper is a computer that children build themselves. It plays a custom version of Minecraft that teaches children electronics. For example, the switches that are used to control your player must be physically built on the breadboard. The wooden case was a little too challenging for her to build solo, but it was a fun project to do together. And the result is gorgeous. The photo doesn't do the quality justice. She has spent hours on it already. The development team is constantly releasing updates and expanding the game play. What's even more amazing is that it all folds up into a little box for portability. I can't recommend this enough.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed ten of my favorite Montessori-ish finds.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Bess</span><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; line-height: normal !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Follow me on Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; line-height: normal !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Visit me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><b style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I am honored to take part in it. If you'd like to see other Favorite Things, please visit the links below.</b><br />
<br /><br /><a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/11/montessori-materials.html">Great Montessori Materials That Are Easy On Your Budget</a> | Natural Beach Living<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/free-montessori-curriculum-list-resources-printable.html">Free Montessori Curriculum List & Resources {Printable}</a> | The Natural Homeschool<br /><br /><a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/favorite-montessori-phonics-materials-preschoolers/">Favorite Montessori Phonics Materials for Preschoolers</a> | Living Montessori Now<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-zoology-puzzles/">Favorite Montessori Zoology Puzzles</a> | Mama’s Happy Hive<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2016/11/handmadematerials.html">Handmade Montessori Material Finds</a> | The Kavanaugh Report<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2016/11/highly-recommended-montessori-materials.html">Highly Recommended Montessori Materials</a> | The Pinay Homeschooler<br /><br /><a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/11/FavThings.html">Favorite Montessori-ish Resources</a> | Grace and Green Pastures<br /><br /><a href="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/our-favorite-montessori-materials-through-the-ages">Our Favorite Montessori Materials through the Ages</a> | Christian Montessori Network<div>
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-23261646921445160962016-10-11T03:28:00.002-04:002016-10-11T03:28:14.316-04:00Using Math Command CardsThe Montessori math approach was what initially caught my eye about the Montessori Method. I love the way complex concepts are presented to young children in a concrete manner. Progressing to elementary work has reaffirmed my appreciation of the math sequence. Having a strong visualization of the mathematical process has provided a solid foundation.<br />
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While I trust the Montessori math sequence, I went back and forth on how I wanted to encourage practice. I've seen various recommendations for giving my children problems to work with. Some involved sitting alongside my child and crafting problems on the spot. Others involved pulling questions from select workbooks. Each method has positives. At the end of the day, I decided to settle on command cards. I know there are various opinions on command cards, but in my case, I wanted to introduce something that offered a wide range of work yet provided a level of independence.<br />
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If you are unfamiliar with command cards, they are simply cards that give a child problems to work with. Each card typically contains one problem that is designed to be solved with a specific material. Sometimes these are also called task cards. Either way, these cards are used differently, based on the plane of development. It's important to understand what your child needs at each stage.<br />
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At the primary level, typically ages 3-6, the focus is on the journey or the process of approaching the problem. For example, a child who understands the basics of addition with the golden beads may choose a card that holds one addition problem. The child can then use the beads to set up the problem and find a solution. But at this level, getting the correct answer isn't the focus. The most critical aspect is that the child understands how to properly set up the beads and attempt the process of addition. This is why you may not see self-correcting answers available. While you could have the child write his or her answers down, it isn't necessary.<br />
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At the elementary level, typically ages 6-12, the focus of the brain has shifted, making the destination as important as the process. During this plane of development, a child can be expected to check his or her work and address mistakes. Task cards presented for this age grouping should have some element of self correction. Often, answers to these problems are written down in a journal and spot reviewed by an adult later. While simple word problems may be introduced during primary, word problems become an important aspect of mathematics for the reasoning mind.<br />
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At the primary level, I have found that the <a href="http://www.shop.montessoriprintshop.com/Addition-Command-Cards-MF-3a.htm?categoryId=-1">command cards from Montessori Print Shop</a> fulfill our needs well. They are simple and are generally divided into static and dynamic work, depending on the particular operation addressed. MPS also offers <a href="http://www.shop.montessoriprintshop.com/Addition-Word-Problems-Level-1-MF-47.htm?categoryId=-1">basic word problems</a>. Depending on your needs, you may find that the <a href="http://www.shop.montessoriprintshop.com/Math-Operations-Bundle-Math-Ops-Bundle.htm?categoryId=-1">math operations bundle</a> is the most economical option. You can place a few cards out at a time and allow your child to choose which they would like to work with. There is no need to address them all, as the goal in primary is not complete mastery.<br />
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For elementary, I finally splurged on the <a href="http://www.etcmontessorionline.com/montessori-curriculum/e1/mathematics-geometry/lower-elementary-math-task-cards-complete-set">complete operations set from ETC Montessori</a>. It was certainly an investment, but I was very pleased with the wide range of math topics and exceptions covered. The set comes with an answer book so the child can self-check answers. Task cards at this level are used in a more progressive manner, meaning I plan for my children to work through each of the cards in order. All answers will be recorded in a notebook, which will allow me to come alongside and double-check the work that is being completed. One note I want to make on the set is that it starts with a review and quickly moves through advanced topics. It does cover a wide range of traditional math materials so you'll need some version of them to get the most out of it.<br />
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If you are interested in ETC Montessori cards, there is an option to have the cards printed in various manners. If you contact the sales team, they will happily send you a sample of lamination vs. printed on plastic so you can see what works best for you. The option to print on plastic was nothing like I imagined, and I ultimately fell in love with it.<br />
<br />Command cards certainly aren't for every family, but they have been a huge help for us. I am approaching our elementary math work in particular with far more confidence.<br /><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Bess</span><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; line-height: normal !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Follow me on Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; line-height: normal !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Visit me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" /><b style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I am honored to take part in it. Please visit the links below. There are fantastic posts on Montessori Math.</b><br />
<br /><a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/10/montessori-math-on-a-budget.html">Easy Ways to Use Montessori Math on a Budget</a> | Natural Beach Living<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/montessori-math-subtraction-facts-presentation-and-printable.html">Montessori Math Subtraction Facts - Presentation and Printable</a> | The Natural Homeschool<br /><br /><a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/montessori-inspired-playdough-math-activities-fall-free-printables/">Montessori-Inspired Playdough Math Activities for Fall {Free Printables}</a> | Living Montessori Now<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-math-preschool/">Montessori Math for Preschool</a> | Mama’s Happy Hive<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2016/10/shapemathtoddlers.html">Shape Sorting: Early Math for Toddlers</a> | The Kavanaugh Report<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2016/10/basic-montessori-math-materials-for.html">Basic Montessori Math Materials for Introducing Numbers</a> | The Pinay Homeschooler<br /><br /><a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/10/math-command-cards.html">Using Command Cards for Math</a> | Grace and Green Pastures<br /><br /><a href="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/montessori-math-printables/">25 of The Best Montessori Math Printables</a> | Christian Montessori NetworkBess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-82182693190082617592016-09-13T02:26:00.002-04:002016-09-13T02:33:17.385-04:00Our Favorite Language Arts SupplementsOne of the many reasons I homeschool is so I can tailor the approach to each child. Our core Montessori work is Keys of the World and Keys of the Universe. It's a fantastic, comprehensive program. As we have walked that path of studying language arts, I've found a number of options that have enhanced our studies and met specific needs for each child.<br />
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<b>Reading Instruction</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.montessori-namta.org/Print-Publications/Staff-Picks/293-A-Path-for-the-Exploration-of-Any-Language-">A Pathway for the Exploration of Any Language Leading to Writing and Reading by Muriel I. Dwyer</a><br />
This small booklet gives you every step you need to walk a young child through the reading process. It is brilliant in its simplicity, which makes it such a beautiful resource for homeschooling families.<br />
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<a href="http://swrtraining.com/">Spell to Write and Read</a><br />
I've had an interesting path to reading with my oldest. There were a lot of things that contributed to an early reading reluctance, which is something I partly blame myself for. Once I stepped away, she came to embrace it on her own. Now she's pushing me for more each day. As much as I love the early Montessori program, having an older child who is digging into the process is a bit different.<br />
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I stumbled onto Spell to Write and Read a few months ago. I was intrigued since it follows the same path as Montessori which is learning to first spell which leads to writing and eventually reading. My daughter is needing a strong structure and this provides it without departing from the Montessori process that I enjoy. It's also easy to plug in favorites such as the moveable alphabet. I love the phonogram CD that comes with the set. Hearing the sounds correctly is critical and this has helped me confidently pronounce key sounds for my children. <br />
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<b>Readers</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.missrhondasreaders.com/">Miss Ronda's Readers</a><br />
This is by far my favorite early reader set. This series fits perfectly with the phonograph approach of Montessori. The stories are far more interesting and engaging than the standard early reader.<br />
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<a href="http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=042639&subject=Language+Arts/4&category=American+Language+Series/6704">American Language Series</a><br />
We're newer to this series but I like the way they progress from book to book. Each book is a collection of stories which lends to more of a chapter book feel. The stories are written in a classic style and are interesting to my children.<br />
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<a href="http://meandtheestudios.com/early-reader-collection.html">Me and Thee Studios</a><br />
This is a charming collection of leveled readers that recount Biblical stories. This is a great option if you'd like to add Christian themed readers.<br />
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<b>Cursive Penmanship</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/prescripts.html">Prescripts</a><br />
While I think practical life and the metal insets are keys to approaching penmanship, my children do enjoy workbooks from time to time. The challenge is that many cursive options are geared to much older children. The prescript collection from Classical Conversations is great for those who introduce cursive first. The coloring book is a great starting place and affordable.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cursivelogic.com/">Cursive Logic</a><br />
This is a newer cursive program that can be used for younger children. I was impressed with the way it broke down cursive letters in similar collections. It reminds me of the green boards approach that is used in my Montessori albums. At the same time, this has added a bit more structure and extra practice.<br />
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I hope you find something useful here.<br />
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Bess<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/">Follow me on Facebook.</a><br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I am honored to take part in it. Please visit the links below. There are fantastic posts on Language Arts.</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><br /></b>
<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/09/easy-ways-to-use-montessori-language-arts.html">Easy Ways to Use Montessori Language Arts</a> | Natural Beach Living<br />
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<a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/montessori-language-arts-latin-printable.html">Montessori Language Arts & Latin {Printable Cards}</a> | The Natural Homeschool<br />
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<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/share-alphabet-books-montessori-way/">How to Share Alphabet Books the Montessori Way</a> | Living Montessori Now<br />
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<a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-prewriting-activiites/">10 Montessori Prewriting Activities</a> | Mama’s Happy Hive<br />
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2016/09/exploringlanguage2to3.html">Exploring Montessori Language Work from Ages 2 to 3</a> | The Kavanaugh Report<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2016/09/pre-reading-using-montessori-language_13.html">Pre-reading Using Montessori Language Objects </a>| The Pinay Homeschooler<br />
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<a href="http://www.everystarisdifferent.com/2016/09/learning-montessori-way-grammar.html">Learning the Montessori Way: Grammar</a> | Every Star is Different<br />
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<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/09/language-arts.html">Our Favorite Language Arts Supplements</a> | Grace and Green Pastures<br />
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<a href="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/church-montessori-3-part-cards/">My Church Montessori 3-Part Cards</a> | Christian Montessori Network<br />
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-30489281945938188032016-08-23T00:44:00.001-04:002016-08-23T00:44:03.958-04:00Supporting a Family with High Medical NeedsThis post is part of a special series I'm participating in a series called Parenting Children with Special Needs. <br />
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Few people would deny that a medical needs family needs outside support. However, when the crisis hits and emotions are high, it can be hard to figure out exactly how to navigate that area. Now that I'm a ways down the road, I want to share my thoughts on how to support a family with high medical needs. Granted, this is from my perspective, so it may not be the perfect advice for everyone in every situation. It is taken from my personal experience and numerous discussion in my various support groups.<br />
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<b>Mind Your Words</b><br />
When a situation arises, we all want to find the right, comforting words. While words can be helpful, they can add an additional burden if they aren't planned carefully. Most families simply want to be acknowledged, so don't feel pressured to come up with something grand and profound. Let them know you are aware and thinking of them. There are a lot of common phrases out there, but I would urge you to steer away from them. I struggled with the phase, "God won't give you more than you can handle" for a host of reasons. There are other common ones around "special children" that I know have been challenging to receive by other parents in similar situations. They are phrases that sound good on the surface but can feel undermining when you're deep in the moment getting the biggest dose of reality life has handed out. But the good news is that it's far easier than you think. No fancy wisdom necessary! <br />
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<br /><b>No Really, Mind Your Words</b><br />
Perhaps you've read an article about a miracle cure for the condition in question. Maybe you've heard that a particular chosen treatment can have serious side effects. You may have heard about the possibility of a diet or alternative treatment. Now is not the time. Let me repeat. Now is not the time.<br />
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I understand you may simply want to help, but in most situations, you are sending a message that you don't trust the parent's decision, further isolating them. Most parents agonize over the decisions they must make. If they are at the beginning of a diagnosis, it may mean a series of fast decisions based on an ever-changing situation. I am continually floored at how much information families seek out on my various support groups. They ask a hundred questions of their team, they read articles in the PubMed database, they set up phone consultations with the nation's top experts, they contact alternative providers, and they wade through horror stories on Google. Then they make the best decision they can.<br />
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If you truly want to help, ask if they'd like to talk about things, and be prepared to stay neutral. Being able to have a safe sounding board was incredible. I wanted to talk about everything in great details. It helped me process the situation. And sometimes rehashing everything with my husband or closer family members wasn't appropriate. They were spent and needed to deal with it in their own ways. One of the sweetest gestures was when a friend wanted to know the details of our situation and she simply let me share. There was no advice and no judgement. When I finally paused, she simply said, "Wow, that's sounds really tough. I'm sorry." Those were quite possibly the best words anyone said to me through the early years of this journey.<br />
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So if you want to ask to truly listen, please do. But please don't advise unless specifically asked.<br />
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<br /><b>Get Creative with Meeting Daily Needs</b><br />
Providing meals is often the first thing many people offer. This is a great starting point. But you can look for other simple opportunities to serve that are equally necessary. Providing meals isn't everyone's strong point. And in some instances, the medical needs themselves may force complicated dietary changes.<br />
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You can also offer to run a load of laundry, wash dishes, or complete basic yard work tasks. One of the best gifts I had was when a group of neighbors watched my kids and cleaned my house. It had reached an embarrassing level, and I was too overwhelmed to deal with it in the way it needed. But in that instant, they had seen what my current need was and met it.<br />
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If a meal isn't your thing, paper plates, toilet paper, and other essentials left on the front porch can be a life saver. Stamps, paper towels, trash bags, cleaning wipes, and laundry detergent are all necessities that are easily forgotten. If the family has other children, a bag of healthy, prepackaged snacks can relieve pressure between meals. You can also ask if there are any errands that you can help with, such as making phone calls or picking up items from the store. The logistics of managing a medical condition can be never ending. The idea of having something I'm desperate for magically show up at the door can change the entire day. And sometimes being a point person for other friends and family can relieve the burden of keeping everyone in the loop.<br />
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Whatever you think you can offer, be specific. Find something you would like to offer from your strengths and offer it.<br />
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<b>Don't Forget Emotional Needs</b><br />
While the physical, daily needs are important, don't forget the emotional needs of those involved. Sometimes the biggest gift you can give is simply to listen. That's also a great way to get ideas for what needs are more pressing. If possible, offer to watch the children so the parents have time to themselves, either solo or as a couple. 20 minutes and a Starbucks gift card can go a long way to giving a weary, stressed parent clarity and a chance to feel centered. Encourage and assist with date nights. The divorce rate among children with high needs is phenomenal. But I know from experience how tough it can be to stay connected through the thick of it.<br />
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<b>Don't Take Their Behavior Personal</b><br />
It's hard to even think about the place I was once in. It was a place of profound frustration and sadness. It was a type of overwhelming situation that deafens you to life. It's as if everything was in gray scale. On top of the emotional situation, I was exhausted to a point I didn't know was possible. I was scared for my child. I wondered what I had done wrong. I didn't know how I was going to manage the tasks for the day. I didn't know how we would pay the medical bills. And all the while, I'm living with a spouse who is in the similar situation but dealing with things his own way. The bottom line, I may not have been entirely rational from moment to moment.<br />
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Please don't take things said during these moment personally. If the affected family members don't seem like themselves, they probably aren't. They need your grace and your patience. And it may take longer for them to heal than you realize.<br />
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<b>Don't Let Them Disappear</b><br />
In the heat of the moment, it's hard to articulate what you need. The focus becomes solely on the child and the immediate situation. It's common to hear the phrase, "Let me know if you need anything." The problem is that often the family at the center of the crisis may have such little awareness of their own needs that they can't articulate them. As well meaning as that phrase is, it puts the onus on the family to reach out when in reality, they are probably struggling to meet the basic requirements for surviving the day.<br />
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The problem can be further magnified by the personality and disposition of the family involved. In my case, I don't like to bother people with my problems. When you combine that with the fact I'm an introvert, it means that reaching out is difficult on my best day. The idea of picking up the phone to ask for help feels like one more overwhelming task on top of a situation that's already brought me to my knees.<br />
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Instead, keep tabs on the family. You don't need to check in every day, but the occasional suggestion of what you can offer from time to time can mean a lot. If nothing else, let them know you are still thinking of them. Keep inviting them to your life and showing up in theirs. The reality is that the relationship may be one-sided until things are under better control. Just make sure they aren't forgotten.<br />
<br />Bess<br />
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<br />This month's topic for the series Parenting Children with Special Needs is support. You can read all of the various posts here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/?p=13107">Supporting Yourself and Your Child with Special Needs</a> | Natural Beach Living<br /><br /><a href="http://www.everystarisdifferent.com/2016/08/am-i-going-crazy.html">Am I Going Crazy?</a> | Every Star is Different<br /><br /><a href="http://www.steampoweredfamily.com/brains/supporting-a-child-with-trauma-history/">Tips For Supporting A Child With Trauma History</a> | STEAM Powered Family<br /><br /><a href="http://wp.me/p1J7P0-2eu">Special needs parents: we all need support (even you)</a> | My Home Truths<br /><br /><a href="http://thechaosandtheclutter.com/archives/12-things-that-special-needs-mom-needs-from-you">12 Things That Special Needs Mom Needs from You</a> | The Chaos and The Clutter <br /><br /><a href="http://b-inspiredmama.com/support-special-needs-parents/">Simple Ways You Can Support Special Needs Parents</a> | B-Inspired Mama<br /><br /><a href="http://www.andnextcomesl.com/2016/08/classroom-support-accommodations-for-hyperlexia.html">Classroom Supports & Accommodations for Kids with Hyperlexia</a> | And Next Comes L<br /><br /><a href="http://www.3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/finding-support/">Finding Support: From The Wind in Your Life</a> | 3 Dinosaurs<br /><br /><a href="http://carrotsareorange.com/spectrum/">A Letter to Parents with a Child on the Spectrum</a> | Carrots Are Orange<br /><br /><a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/08/Support.html">Supporting a Family with High Medical Needs</a> | Grace and Green Pastures<br />
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<br />Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-89434476545269759382016-07-12T02:05:00.000-04:002016-07-12T10:15:56.401-04:00Pink Tower Power<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are few materials more synonymous with a Montessori education than the Pink Tower. This iconic stack of wooden blocks comes from an area called Sensorial, which is unique to the first plane of development (ages 6 and under). Traditional Montessori materials can be shrouded in mystery for those new to Montessori. Why would people pay so much for a simple stack of wooden blocks? Isn't this the same as the cardboard stacker from Target?<br />
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The Montessori Method was approached from the perspective of a doctor and scientist. It was developed via research and an astute attention to detail. It's no wonder that the materials hold an impressive level of nuance. What may appear on the surface as a fancy toy is actually a learning manipulative that has been refined over decades.<br />
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While the sensorial area holds a number of cleverly crafted pieces, I am going to focus specifically on the Pink Tower. I will use that example as a way to describe the various aspects that make Montessori Materials far more than a pile of wood. However, all sensorial materials possess these qualities.<br />
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<b>Serves a Specific Purpose</b><br />
Each Montessori material has a key concept that it demonstrates to the child. The Pink Tower focuses on a child's ability to discern size visually. <br />
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<b>Isolation of Difficulty</b><br />
Since a young child may not understand what to focus on, all other distracting features of the Pink Tower have been removed. The only discernible difference from one cube to the next is the size. Each piece is uniform in shape and color. <br />
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<b>Control of Error</b></div>
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Montessori sensorial materials are meant to be self-correcting. This means that there is a specific mechanism that allows the child to see if the work was completed. In the case of the Pink Tower, the child can see that the tower has been stacked correctly. They can also use the smallest cube of the Pink Tower to measure the difference between each block. If the difference is equal to the smallest cube, it is stacked correctly.<br />
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<b>Secondary Qualities</b></div>
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While there is one specific goal with each material, there are typically a number of secondary goals as well. The wood construction of the Pink Tower allows a child to make a correlation between size and weight. Manipulating the various cubes also develops motor control.<br />
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<b>Internalizing Key Concepts</b><br />
The Pink Tower has exactly ten blocks by design. This was intentional and is intended to give the child an unconscious awareness of the decimal system or base ten.<br />
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<b>Language</b><br />
The sensorial materials are also used to enhance language. During work with the Pink Tower, a child will be exposed to terms such as larger than, smaller than, small, smaller, and smallest. This gives the child a chance to not only experience through the senses but name the experience as well.</div>
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<b>Extends Into Other Materials</b><br />
Most of the sensorial materials are made with an exceptional level of precision. This is partly done so that all the materials work together in harmony. The Pink Tower and Brown Stair are identical in two dimensions and can be combined for extensions. The Pink Tower also lines up with the Decanomial Square which shows the mathematical relationship of the cubes. This demonstrates multiplication in a profound way. While a young child may not understand all the particulars, the visual image will be there to call upon as the child's work progresses.<br />
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<b>Since this material is so incredible, it sounds like I should go buy one right now, right?</b></div>
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No!!!<br />
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While the materials are fantastic, it's critical that you take a few steps first before unboxing the Pink Tower and setting it in front of your child.</div>
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<b>1 - Understand the Core Principles</b></div>
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Materials do not make something Montessori. You can have the materials and miss all the important qualities of Montessori - just as you can have none of the materials and still live the Montessori lifestyle to the fullest. The materials were never intended to be a stand-alone product. They were designed to build on top of the core principles of the Montessori Method. Focus on understanding and implementing those principles first if you wish to see materials well-received and utilized properly.</div>
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<b>2 - Know How to Present Each Material</b></div>
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Materials are presented in a very specific way. Without the proper presentation, the purpose of the material will be lost. It will become an expensive toy that quickly gathers dust, leaving you to feel as though you made a poor investment. I'm a firm believer in the concept that you aren't ready to purchase any material that you can give a basic presentation on. Essentially, if you can't describe what it's for and how it's used, don't buy it.</div>
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But don't worry. It isn't rocket science! Maria Montessori herself often chose young women with no background in education to train and attend to her schools. You don't need to be a doctor, scientist, or trained educator. All you need is a willingness to learn and an investment of time. If you want to learn more about the specifics of sensorial materials, I can't recommend <a href="http://www.montessoriworld.org/SPVideo/2Contents.html">this free video series enough</a>. <br />
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<b>3 - Don't Overextend Yourself</b></div>
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Montessori should be approached joyfully. Don't put pressure on yourself to figure it all out in a day or set up a large environment quickly. I always advocate spending your time and money wisely and with intention. It's a journey, so set a pace that gives you slow and steady progress. I understand the urge to dive in head first but not only can a fast pace burn you out, it will be challenging for your child to adapt to. They need time to adjust as well. And don't forget to include everyone in your home, such as your spouse, especially as budget considerations come into play. <br />
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The bottom line is that time and patience are your friends on the Montessori journey. The materials are brilliant and can open up a world of possibilities to explore. At the same time, if they are not built upon a solid Montessori foundation, they will miss your expectations. There's no way around it. You can't spend your way to a solid Montessori experience. However, if you're willing to invest the time to expand your understanding, both you and your child will benefit tremendously. </div>
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I hope this piques your interest on the profound world of detail that each material holds. I encourage you to dive in and learn more. You can also see my previous article on <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/05/Sensorial.html">Five Fun Facts about Sensorial</a>.</div>
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Bess<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/" style="border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Follow me on Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px;"> - </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" style="border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Visit me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><br />
<br style="border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;" />
<b style="border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.8px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I am honored to take part in it. Please visit the links below. There are fantastic posts on Montessori Sensorial topics.</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/07/montessori-sensory-activities-exploring-senses-in-nature.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Best Ways for Exploring Senses in Nature</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">| Natural Beach Living</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/montessori-sensorial-color-activities-for-kids-printables.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Montessori Sensorial Color Activities for Kids {Printables}</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> | The Natural Homeschool</span></div>
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<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/diy-montessori-sensorial-materials-hundreds-resources/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DIY Montessori Sensorial Materials {Hundreds of Resources}</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> | Living Montessori Now</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2016/06/thickandthinsensory.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thick and Thin Sensory Bottles for Toddlers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> | The Kavanaugh Report</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2016/07/montessori-sensorial-knobless-cylinders_12.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Montessori Sensorial Activities using Knobless Cylinders</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> | The Pinay Homeschooler</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.everystarisdifferent.com/2016/07/montessori-inspired-camping-themed.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Montessori-inspired Camping Themed Sensorial Activities</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> | Every Star is Different</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/07/PinkTowerPower.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pink Tower Power</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> | Grace and Green Pastures</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/diy-texture-pattern-sticks/" style="line-height: 1.8; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DIY Texture Pattern Sticks</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.8;"> | Christian Montessori Network</span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 26.4px;">
</span></span><a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/diy-montessori-smelling-bottles" style="line-height: 1.8; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DIY Montessori Smelling Bottles and Free Printable</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.8; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> | Mama’s Happy Hive</span></div>
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-24916053475992353562016-06-23T02:05:00.002-04:002016-06-23T19:52:31.428-04:00Hemophilia, Juvenile Arthritis, and Allergies... Oh My!This is the first post in a new series on Special Needs Parenting. I'm honored and thrilled to be asked to join this phenomenal series. At the same time, I feel nervous and exposed. Two out of my three children have life-altering, chronic medical issues. While it's something I'll talk about openly if I'm in a safe space, it's kind of like Fight Club everywhere else. The first rule of Fight Club is that you don't talk about Fight Club. I hope this is enlightening but if it turns out to be raw and ugly, I suppose that's what I need right now.<br />
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Moving on...<br />
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We're in the "maybe you're special needs, maybe you aren't" camp. I think my kids are special, and they have a lot of medical needs. Our mostly invisible needs put us at risk for all the unsightly things people with special needs face. There are a lot of emotional needs between my kids, our marriage faces the dreaded 90% divorce rate, and our monthly insurance EOB packets are novel sized. But by the grace of God, statistics are just numbers... much like the lovely "out of pocket max". At the end of the day, the most painful parts are the random messages that either oversimplify or demonize treatment options, or worse, peg you as an ungrateful brat for failing to recognize that so many people have it worse.<br />
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I warned you this would be a little raw. Bear with me. I've had so many amazing people in my life, but sometimes it's the ridiculous statements I fixate on.<br />
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Let's move on to the meat and potatoes...<br />
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<b>Juvenile Arthritis with Uveitis</b><br />
This story is a little complicated, so I'm going to skip some details and fast-forward the story a bit.<br />
When my firstborn was 27 months of age, she woke with a swollen knee. We had heard her bang it the night before, but we brushed it off since she didn't seem to be in pain. Besides, I had issues with knee swelling my whole life, and it was never considered to be a big deal. This wasn't her first instance, so I chalked it up to genetics. By that evening, she was spiking fevers near 104. It wasn't that the fever was high - it was that she would be 99 and 10 minutes later be 104. The extreme shift left her shaking violently. We rushed her to the ER. Dr. Google said it looked like a knee infection, and those are serious.<br />
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Within 45 minutes of walking in the door, we had x-rays which showed nothing. An OR was scheduled to address a knee infection, but in the meantime, the Orthopedic surgeon on call wanted an MRI to make sure. It was a fantastic call because as they prepped her for surgery, he called it off. Instead, they admitted her to the hospital, and he gave an initial prediction of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. The next step was to get her fever and heart-rate under control. It was a long, long night of alarms and such, but she eventually stabilized, and we were sent home. I couldn't wait to finally see a rheumatologist and prove him wrong.<br />
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Long story short... I was wrong and he was right. It was unusual because a diagnosis of JIA usually takes around 6 months. It went fast because as it turns out, my daughter also had a complication called uveitis, which is inflammation in the uvea of the eye. As with many JIA children, it is asymptomatic, meaning it can only be detected by a special test given by an ophthalmologist. Her eye situation was dire. She was a 4+ in both eyes, which is the worst grade you can get. 1/5 children with this condition go blind, even with the best treatment possible. <br />
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We've been on this path for 5+ years now. While she has permanent damage in her knee from the prolonged swelling, her joints have done well, for the most part. We went through cortisone injections in her knee and jaw. We never identified issues with her hands, but she stopped using her fine motor skills for a few years. Thankfully, she uses her body well these days. Unfortunately, we still battle the eye issues. We made it one year with quiet eyes, but a flare has returned recently.<br />
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One of the most difficult aspects of JIA is the treatment options. Our first line of defense was a chemotherapy drug called Methotrexate. I'm extremely natural minded, so I was hesitant at first, but her eyes were in a crisis state. We bounced between the pill form and the subcutaneous injection. Yes, we had to give weekly injections of a chemo drug to our child at home. I know it was awful, not because I remember it being so, but because I blocked it so strongly. She would cry because it made her feel so sick. I would cry at the thought of torturing her. Several hours each week were spent ramping up to a 2 minute process. <br />
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We eventually added a biological drug called Remicade, which has been magic for us. We were able to abandon the dreaded Methotrexate for good. For years, my daughter was vacant, taking little interest in life. Once we adjusted to this medication, she became vibrant, and her eyes finally cleared! We're in a spell where it isn't working as well for the moment, but we're hopeful that a weight-adjusted dose will even things out again. She must take this as an infusion in the hospital. Since it's every 4 weeks, we make a fun day out of it.<br />
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Did you know that Juvenile Arthritis affects around 300,000 children in the US? In fact, it affects more children than juvenile diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined. You can <a href="http://www.kidsgetarthritistoo.org/about-ja/juvenile-arthritis-early-signs-and-symptoms.php">learn more about the symptoms here</a>. <br />
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<b>Hemophilia</b><br />
My third child is a boy. He is the type of child that was smiling hours after birth. When he was four months old, there was an incident where I went to put him in the Ergo carrier, and he screamed. It took me another day to realize he was in extreme pain in his left knee. As it began to swell, I immediately made an appointment with our doctor. After an ultrasound, we were sent to an orthopedic specialist. In fact, it was the same specialist who first saw my daughter in the ER. He once again suspected JIA and sent us to rheumatology. Rheumatology felt he was too young for JIA but noted how horrible his skin rashes had become (more on that path below). After being passed around for x-rays, ultrasounds, and tube after tube of blood work, no one had an answer on his knee. By this time, months had passed. He tried to crawl a few times, but for the most part, he skipped straight to standing.<br />
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My daughter was in physical therapy to help with her knee damage from JIA. Since he was still having issues limping, our PT offered to see him. However, she told me she had a strange suspicion but didn't want to worry me. She gave me a list blood work that she wanted run before she would work with him. Our primary doctor agreed, and they were run on a Friday. The following Sunday, my phone rang. It was the lab. The technician told me they never call patients directly, but they couldn't get in touch with my doctor. She told me I had to rush my son to the nearest ER at once. I didn't understand what was going on. She finally explained that my son's blood didn't clot at all, and that it was a life-threatening situation. Since he was near 10 months at this point, I thought she was overreacting. I promised to call my doctor first thing Monday morning. The following week was a whirlwind, but the bottom line was that he was diagnosed with Severe Hemophilia Type A (Factor VIII).<br />
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Hemophilia is often thought of as a hereditary condition, but 1/3 cases are spontaneous. For some unknown reason, that statistic keeps increasing. As a spontaneous carrier, I am a new line. It's extremely rare to miss severe hemophilia for that long. It is typically diagnosed at birth, either from excessive bleeding from circumcision or the cord stump. However, carriers are often missed, even though most are symptomatic. I have always bruised easily and had horrific nosebleeds as a child. I used to train in figure skating and had several incidents where an injury turned into prolonged joint swelling. I even bled excessively during surgery and struggled with anemia for years on end, but no one considered a bleeding disorder. You can<a href="http://www.hemophiliafed.org/bleeding-disorders/can-women-have-bleeding-disorders/"> learn about carrier symptoms here</a>. As it turned out, we discovered that our daughter is not only a carrier as well, her body overuses the bad gene. She has been diagnosed with mild hemophilia as well as JIA.<br />
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The one saving grace about hemophilia today is that you can live a normal life. Just a few decades ago, a severe hemophiliac didn't survive until adulthood. While many people think hemophilia means dying from a paper cut, it's internal bleeding that poses the biggest threat. Hemophiliacs can bleed spontaneously for no reason at all. These bleeds can happen in a joint or muscle, causing pain and damage. In a worst-case scenario, the bleeding occurs in the head. While treatment has been around for several decades, the earlier treatment was based on blood products. During the 80s, most of the medications available were tainted with HIV and/or Hep C. Over half of the hemophilia community passed away, although there are a number still living with these conditions. While I'm grateful that we have different options today, I'm still saddened by what happened to our blood brothers.<br />
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And speaking of treatment... Our son is on factor replacement three times per week. This means that every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, he gets an injection of the synthetic protein his blood is missing. This helps prevent bleeds. The challenge is that this must be injected directly into a vein. My husband and I have been trained to complete this task. It is arguably one of the hardest things I've learned how to do as a parent. In the majority of cases, children in this scenario get a port to make it easier. However, given his severe eczema (more on that below), that wasn't an option for us. At this point, we have it down to a science. But it also means we can't leave him for more than a day or two at a time. If he does get a bleed, we may find ourselves giving infusions every day until it resolves.<br />
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<b>Food Allergies</b><br />
Food allergies have become so common that it may seem a little ridiculous to talk about it. Overall, this has been one of the most painful aspects of the parenting journey. Our youngest, yes the one with severe hemophilia, started to show symptoms at three weeks of age. He was exclusively breast fed but began to develop a strange rash on his checks. The rash continued to worsen and spread until his skin was an inflamed mess from head to toe by several months of age. Every diagnosis we got was eczema. We changed everything that touched him. We tried every popular cream - including some I imported from Europe. No matter what I used, he kept getting worse.<br />
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As we were investigating his swollen knee, an immunologist we crossed paths with thought it might be food allergies. He ran some preliminary testing that showed positive results for seven foods. However, the allergist he tried to forward us to said it wasn't possible for a breast-fed infant to have allergies that young. My momma gut told me something different, so I began cutting those foods out of my diet. Lo and behold, he started to improve.<br />
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The center that began treating him for his hemophilia quickly referred us to an allergist who took the situation seriously. After blood work and scratch tests, we identified 22 foods. I immediately changed my diet and adjusted his. He was completely clear within a month. I was introduced to my new friends - right and left epi-pen jr. Thankfully, he's dropped a few allergies, but the list is still a bit painful. He's severely allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame, and sunflower seed. In most instances, simply touching the allergen is enough to elicit a strong reaction.<br />
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In many ways, food allergies have been the most restrictive guest at the party. We had to stop visiting the homes of friends because trace amounts on the floor or furniture causes massive hives. We can't walk him into any restaurant, nor can we purchase food from one. I know a lot of people say they don't eat out but we REALLY can't. EVER. People can't cook for us. Most kitchens have too much cross contamination. There's very little prepared food I can purchase. I cook every little thing from scratch and I don't get days off. There are no more family gatherings for holidays or birthday parties. I challenge you to walk through 24 hours of your life and consider where food and food residue doesn't rule the day. I didn't know isolation to this extent could exist. Sometimes it physically hurts. I had always challenged myself to win the "most laid-back parent" award. Being forced to hover has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life.<br />
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If you think you or your child has <a href="http://acaai.org/allergies/types/food-allergies">signs of food allergies</a>, please get a referral to an allergist. In many cases, it seems like pediatricians and/or family doctors want to handle it. Please understand that the field changes vastly ever few years, and those professionals are not adequately trained. Also understand that allergies can develop at any age. For reasons that are not well understood, more and more adults are developing new and severe allergies. The ONLY thing that can stop anaphylaxis is an epinephrine injector. An antihistamine, such a Benedryl, can stop symptoms but it will never prevent a case of full-blown anaphylaxis from turning fatal.<br />
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If you made it this far, you deserve an allergy-friendly cookie...<br />
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So this is what we live with. It's just a snippet. I hope I did it justice, but I also hope I didn't make it sound like we have no life. I won't lie. Some days are tough. But at the same time, it can be manageable with the proper action plan in place. We're slowly figuring out how to thrive versus simply surviving. The hardest part is the emotional shrapnel we all face. Sometimes I think our middle, "shadow sibling" has it the toughest (FYI - a shadow sibling is a sibling to a child with special/medical needs). <br />
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Would I change it? In a heartbeat. But since I can't, this has forced our family to pull together in ways we never would have before.<br />
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Bess<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/">Follow me on Facebook.</a><br />
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If you enjoyed this, please visit the other wonderful blog participating in this series. You are sure to find a wealth of information on Recognizing the Signs of various special needs.<br />
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<br />Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-38494378332580529572016-06-14T00:39:00.004-04:002016-06-14T00:41:17.512-04:00Practical Life for an Older ChildPractical Life is often considered one of the most critical areas of a Montessori primary education. However, it can seemingly get lost in the shuffle as a child moves into the second plane of development at age six. In reality, the focus simply shifts. While Practical Life is for the child during Primary, it is for the community during the elementary years and beyond.<br />
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The goal of Practical Life is always the same. It teaches the child independence and care of self. During the primary years, small, individual tasks are undertaken. As the child advances, <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/01/practical-life-201.html">longer sequences are introduced</a>. But overall, Practical Life is an area that the child attends to at will. Work is meaningful mainly in how it develops the child. Children are invited to work but may not follow through well. There are no expectations that the child will complete significant tasks with regularity. From a Montessori perspective, a primary child is a helper around the home while an elementary child is an independent contributor.<br />
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A child who has progressed through a standard Montessori scope and sequence in Practical Life for Primary will have mastered the basic skills and sequencing exercises required to tackle complex tasks. Most children transition to the second plane around age six. Once the child has shown solid evidence of moving from the absorbent mind to the reasoning mind, you can begin introducing new tasks. <br />
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I currently have two children who have made the transition. While I had a head knowledge of what that would hold, I was surprised at how eager my children were to add new responsibilities and how quickly they could master them. Unlike Primary, the scope and sequence for Practical Life at the elementary level is far less defined. However, it can be approached in any number of ways. I prefer to go back to the purpose of practical life and ask myself what skills my child needs to be independent and contribute to the community. Keep in mind that community can be defined as simple as the household where the child lives. These tasks can vary and should be individualized based on the nature of the family. While there are basic skills around hygiene, dressing, cleanliness, and meals, a family that lives on a farm, runs a home business, sews their clothing, or performs home auto maintenance is going to have different needs.<br />
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We started with dishes and meal prep. While my children have always assisted in this area, I asked them to take a larger role - completing these tasks solo. Loading and unloading the dishwasher (or dish washing), preparing a simple meal, and baking simple recipes are all good starting points.<br />
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Laundry was the next area I introduced. My children could fold towels early on, but the next step was for them to begin running their laundry solo. I still tell them when to run it at this point, but as they get older, I will expect them to set a specific day and manage that need accordingly.<br />
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The next task came up unexpectedly. Having two boys, the bathroom wasn't always in the best shape. And unfortunately, it seems as if the guest bathroom took the most abuse. To my surprise, my six year old was thrilled about the idea of learning to clean it top to bottom. Not only is that bathroom now much cleaner, but having to do the detail work quickly changed his poor bathroom habits.<br />
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There are many other areas I intend to tackle that are too numerous to list. In fact, my husband I keep a running list of tasks we want our children to know before they leave home. This can encompass any relevant area from first aid, personal finance management, workforce behavior, home/auto maintenance, and technology usage. <br />
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<b>If you'd like to get started with older child, here are a few tips and tricks:</b><br />
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Introduce a new activity with enthusiasm and at a point where you child is attentive and interested. You may be surprised at how excited your child is to try something new, even if it's something that has become mundane to you.<br />
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Go through the sequence of activities slowly. Keep in mind that your child may not grasp them all the first time. I find that sometimes steps get dropped as time goes by. When I notice that, I give a refresher and work alongside them. You can also create simple checklists for longer and more complex activities.<br />
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Don't expect perfect attention to detail. Sometimes there may be greater focus on one step of the sequence and seemingly none on another. There have been occasions when I could check the bathroom off the list. There were other times that I had to touch up spots. At our age and stage in lower elementary, I'm happy with a reasonable attempt - not that I won't ask for a redo if I'm certain the task was purposely ignored. <br />
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An older child should begin to approach things with adult tools, such as washing dishes in the sink versus a child-sized dish-washing table. Granted, there are still times you will need to make accommodations. I think there are more step stools in my house than ever before.<br />
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When it comes to care of self needs, it's best to allow the pride of accomplishing the task to be the reward. That isn't to say that additional tasks above and beyond can't be compensated in some way since managing money is another critical practical life skill.<br />
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Advanced crafts such as sewing projects and braided bracelets are also a useful aspect for continuing to develope motor skills and coordination. At this age and stage, they can become meaningful gifts for friends and family. <br />
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Don't forget Grace and Courtesy lessons. These are such a beautiful aspect of Practical Life and will be necessary until adulthood. For an older child, these shift to needs such as how to pay for an item in a store or how to be a good audience member.<br />
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While the elementary years can be a deeply academic phase, I hope this inspires you to bring more Practical Life options to the mix as well.<br />
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Bess<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/">Follow me on Facebook</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/">Visit me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><br />
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<b>This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I am honored to take part in it. Please visit
the links below. There are fantastic ideas on Practical Life!</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/06/raise-independent-kids.html">Raising Independent Kids - Practical Life Skills (Printables)</a> | Natural Beach Living<br />
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<a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/montessori-practical-life-ideas-dressing-frames-folding-printables.html">Montessori Practical Life Ideas - Dressing Frames & Folding {Printables}</a> | The Natural Homeschool<br />
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<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/favorite-montessori-practical-life-activities-toddlers-preschoolers/">Favorite Montessori Practical Life Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers</a> | Living Montessori Now<br />
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<a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/recycling-for-kids">Practical Life Skills - Recycling for Kids</a> | Mama’s Happy Hive<br />
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<a href="http://sugarspiceandglitter.com/?p=12395">Montessori Practical Life Checklist</a> | Sugar, Glitter & Spice<br />
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<a href="http://www.everystarisdifferent.com/2016/06/montessori-inspired-shark-themed.html">Montessori-inspired Shark Themed Practical Life Activities</a> | Every Star is Different<br />
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<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/06/practicallife2.html">Practical Life for an Older Child</a> | Grace and Green Pastures<br />
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<a href="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/family-chores-summer/">10 Ways to Encourage Family Chores this Summer</a> | Christian Montessori Network<br />
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2016/06/practicallife2.html">Practical Life at 2-Years-Old</a> | The Kavanaugh Report<br />
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-20053595379089391552016-05-10T03:09:00.000-04:002016-05-10T07:27:57.100-04:00Nature in the Field<br />
<blockquote>
There is no description, no image in any book, that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all the life to be found around them, in a real forest.<br />
-Maria Montessori</blockquote>
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If there's one thing we have fallen in love with in recent years, it's camping. While our primary goal is to bond as as a family, there is a strong connection to nature that occurs. My children explore the natural world around them with a heighten sense of curiosity. Learning is effortless. <br />
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I respect that camping may not sound like an enjoyable activity for
everyone. Thankfully, you do not have to live in a tent to reap the
many rewards of immersion in the natural world. Simply spending a day
in a state or national park can give a full experience. In case you're
wondering what you could do there, let me give a little glimpse into
some of the things we did during our last weekend visit. Then stay tuned for ideas on how to get the most out of your experience.<br />
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E found an insect friend who walked around on her for at least an hour.</div>
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After encouraging her friend back to his habitat, she decided to draw a
picture to document it. We attempted to discover the name in our insect
guide.</div>
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Another common sight after a muddy night is paw prints. We know how to
secure our food from the raccoons but it doesn't stop them from
explore. The kids love looking for tracks each morning.</div>
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E and W went fishing. They dug for worms.</div>
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Time to learn about trees and develop gross motors skills all at once!</div>
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The kids found this frog in the bathroom. E is an animal whisper as he was completely content to attach to her thumb.</div>
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W had a chance to hold him as well.</div>
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After a short visit, we told him goodbye and placed him back in his
habitat. The kids were amazed at his ability to climb the tree.</div>
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He settled into a notch. We talked about how his skin matched the tree and what purpose that might serve.</div>
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Art is a frequent outdoor activity before breakfast.</div>
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L viewing a copperhead at the nature center.</div>
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William observing the black rat snake.</div>
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Most state and national parks offer a nature center. The displays are
fantastic and always changing. This one talked about identifying poison ivy.</div>
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And look at all this great information available for free! It's a home
school mom's dream. There are usually interpreters around to answer
questions too.</div>
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We attended a program on woodpeckers. The kids were engaged and even I
learned new things. I never realized the hammering noise is their call
and not the noise made when making a hole.</div>
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We learned how to identify every species of wood pecker in our state, which is six.</div>
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What would nature exploration be without a hike?</div>
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We did leave the park at one point to visit a nearby cave. While we
waited for our tour time, the kids sifted through fossil bags. That's
the kind of thing that happen when there's a grandparent around. They
each ended up with a lovely collection and I promised they wouldn't have
to put them in the school room.</div>
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The entrance to Blue Spring Caverns.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">This cave is an underground river so it was a boat tour. </td></tr>
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This visit meant we officially finished the Indiana Cave Trail!!!!</div>
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If there's a creek open to visitors, my kids will be in it. Here's a
tip: carry a pair of water shoes with you. They are fantastic for creek
stomping and help prevent slips.</div>
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To help in exploration, each of our children have a hiking backpack. There are no expectations as to how and when they used the contents.<br />
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This is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deuter-36029-Junior-Backpack-Kids/dp/B001RMMZZI">Deuter Junior Backpack</a>. It is perfect for our adventures.</div>
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This attached tool is a safety whistle, compass, and thermometer.</div>
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Here are the current contents (L to R)<br />
<ol>
<li>Snacks </li>
<li>Water Bottle</li>
<li>Glo Stick<br />My kids love these so they each get one per trip to use when they choose.</li>
<li>Fisher Price Kid Tough Binoculars<br />While it's easy to think of these as a toy, they are actually fantastic for a young child. They work and are easy to focus.</li>
<li>Colored Pencils/Sketch Pad<br />These are kept in a large baggie since we've had backpacks fall into a creek.</li>
<li>Camera<br />The older two have the Canon Powershot ELPH 115. I haven't regretted the decision to get good cameras for the kids. Image stabilization is an important feature for a young child. These ended up being gifts from family, which has been highly appreciated over another toy. We go through the rules and usage together initially. Just like the paper, they are kept in a baggy, just in case.</li>
<li>Camp Trowel<br />Everyone needs a shovel.</li>
<li>Magnifying Glass (not pictured)<br />It must have been in use elsewhere.</li>
<li>Treasure Box (not pictured)<br />Each of the kids has a small plastic box for holding found items such as leaves, rocks, and such. However, most state and national parks have strict rules about disturbing the natural environment and removing even the smallest items. One flower may seem trivial but if everyone did it, it would add up quickly. We respect this and only pack treasure boxes when the park we are visiting allows it.</li>
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Each child also has a walking stick. They can be helpful on rugged trails.<br />
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In addition to backpacks, I have created exploration bins for the campsite. These always go with us on trips. I store them out in the open and the kids can use them whenever and however they like.<br />
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This is the Sterilite bin system I use.</div>
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Our camping bins.</div>
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The large one holds various sketch pads. The small one contains markers and crayons.</div>
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This is the Toobs Tree set. I printed the cards from <a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/for-the-love-of-trees-lessons-books-printables-hands-on-activities.html">The Natural Homeschool</a>.</div>
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This is the North American Wildlife set from Safari LTD. The kids love acting out stories with them.</div>
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Sometimes the scenes are interesting.</div>
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This is the insects toob.</div>
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This is the backyard birds toob. I printed the cards from <a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/for-the-love-of-trees-lessons-books-printables-hands-on-activities.html">Natural Beach Living</a>.</div>
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Foam dart guns - a camping must.</div>
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Usually there are more card options in this box. I need to work on it.</div>
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This is our book bin. I rotate this one on occasion.</div>
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These guides are from <a href="http://www.waterfordpress.com/products/pocket-naturalist-guides.html">Waterford Press</a>.
They are fantastic and I highly encourage you to find sets for your
state/region. The guides are laminated and make it simple to identify
various wildlife. They fit in our backpacks too.</div>
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These are Fandex sets. They aren't as easy to flip through as the pocket guides above but my kids still adore them.</div>
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I hope you have found some ideas to inspire you to go out into nature. If you need help locating park options, check out <a href="http://www.discovertheforest.org/">Discover the Forest.</a> You can also sign up for a free federal park pass if you have a 4th grader. I encourage you to find the website for your state's DNR (Department of Natural Resources). They usually contain upcoming activities. You may be surprised to see how many free programs are available. Go for a weekend or go for an hour. Just go! <br />
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<br />
I've been debating writing a series on camping. Let me know if this is something you'd be interested in. I never thought it was something I could adapt to but now I long to go every weekend.<br />
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<br />
Bess<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/">Follow me on Facebook</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/">Visit me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><br />
<br />
<b>This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I am honored to take part in it. Please visit
the links below. There are fantastic ideas on Nature and The Outdoors!</b> <br />
<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/05/pond-theme-activities-stem-free-printables.html"><br />Pond Theme Activities - STEM - Free Printables</a> | Natural Beach Living<br />
<a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/exploring-our-senses-outdoors-montessori-silence-game-printables.html"><br />Exploring our Senses Outdoors (Montessori Silence Game) – Printables</a> | The Natural Homeschool<br />
<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2016/05/10/montessori-nature-tray-vocabulary-parts-plant/"><br />Montessori Nature Tray with Vocabulary - Parts of the Plant</a> | Living Montessori Now<br />
<a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-inspired-bird-unit/"><br />Montessori Inspired Bird Unit</a> - Mama’s Happy Hive<a href="http://sugarspiceandglitter.com/montessori-bird-unit-study"><br /><br />Montessori-inspired Preschool Bird Unit Study</a> | Sugar,Glitter & Spice<br />
<a href="http://www.everystarisdifferent.com/2016/05/montessori-inspired-backyard-bird.html"><br />Montessori-inspired Backyard Bird Activities</a> | Every Star is Different<br />
<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/05/nature.html"><br />Nature in the Field</a> | Grace and Green Pastures<br />
<a href="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/listening-scavenger-hunt/"><br />Listening Scavenger Hunt to Explore Creation</a> | Christian Montessori Network<br />
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Read more at: <a href="http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156">http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156</a></div>
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
There is no
description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight
of real trees, and all of the life to be found around them in a real
forest.<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156">http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156</a></div>
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
There is no
description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight
of real trees, and all of the life to be found around them in a real
forest.<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156">http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156</a></div>
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
There is no
description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight
of real trees, and all of the life to be found around them in a real
forest.<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156">http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156</a></div>
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
There is no
description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight
of real trees, and all of the life to be found around them in a real
forest.<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156">http://www.azquotes.com/quote/873156</a></div>
Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-48871967745360339172016-04-12T02:15:00.000-04:002016-04-14T00:27:15.175-04:00Gearing Up for Astronomy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RonReuterPhotography/photos/a.1448346002083096.1073741828.1447593938824969/1533803483537347/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Click to See a Larger Version of Star Trails</a></td></tr>
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The night sky is often an early obsession for children. Since Montessori was an advocate for giving children real life experiences, what better way to study astronomy than to go to the source. While simply going outside and looking up is a great place to start, there are simple ways you can go deeper and make the experience enjoyable for everyone.<br />
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For this post I interviewed my father, Ron Reuter. He has been a serious, amateur astronomer for as long as I can remember. I spent many nights as a young child in a remote field as he explored the sky; combining his interest with photography. He has spent years in a local astronomy club; hosting star parties and helping others who are interested in the pursuit. The tips given here are directly from him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JPVEqSGpg2c/VwyILk7Hk8I/AAAAAAAAD_8/Qnbiox6BnNwYsc7DTPFvl8QncvSIb6Pog/s1600/moon_6242001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JPVEqSGpg2c/VwyILk7Hk8I/AAAAAAAAD_8/Qnbiox6BnNwYsc7DTPFvl8QncvSIb6Pog/s320/moon_6242001.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken June 24, 2001 by Ron Reuter</td></tr>
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Let's start with the basics for making the most of any nighttime viewing experience.<br />
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<b>Expect to Stay Outside for Some Time</b><br />
There is a process that your eyes need to go through in order to adjust to the low light. This can take up to 30 minutes. If you can stay outside during that time, your eyes will be able to detect far more from the sky and allow you to see more.<br />
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<b>Ambient Light is Not Your Friend</b><br />
If you are near a city or any lit area, it can have a substantial impact on the level of visibility. The further you can remove yourself from lit areas, the more you will be able to see in the sky. This is a great time to call upon a friend or family member in the country. State and National Parks also tend to be an excellent option for finding a darker environment.<br />
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<b>The Dark Sky Takes Time</b><br />
The sky does not reach it's darkest point at sundown. The darkest skies may be hours following. For that reason, it's easier to plan your star gazing adventures in the spring and fall since the days are shorter. Late nights can be rough on children. <br />
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<b>Bring Layers</b><br />
New star gazers are often surprised by how drastically temperatures can drop during the night. Even in the summer, a 20 degree drop is not unusual. Bring layers such as sweatshirts and jackets, especially for your children. The temperature drop is often exaggerated since you are sitting with little movement.<br />
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<b>Prepare to Get Comfortable</b><br />
Staring at the sky for even a short time can lead to a sore neck. A comfortable blanket to lay is a great option for prolonged viewing. Chairs can work but make sure they can recline or it will become uncomfortable quickly.<br />
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<b>Bring a Red Light</b><br />
As mentioned above, it takes time for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Nothing will ruin it faster than turning on a flashlight. However, using a red light will preserve your night vision. I won't go into all the details but you can <a href="https://briankoberlein.com/2015/04/08/blinded-by-the-light/">read more about it here</a>. It could be a fascinating study for an older child. Here is an example of a red light: <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W5PCTPW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00W5PCTPW&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgreepa-20&linkId=2XCI4IYTK26KCQZF"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00W5PCTPW&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=gracandgreepa-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gracandgreepa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00W5PCTPW" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tKZUVbKc7Jg/VwyIL7zURmI/AAAAAAAAD_8/qtErX0cbzUMzVmeRaxh_YC_bmQ5fiM9uA/s1600/venus1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tKZUVbKc7Jg/VwyIL7zURmI/AAAAAAAAD_8/qtErX0cbzUMzVmeRaxh_YC_bmQ5fiM9uA/s320/venus1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venus passing between the Earth and the sun.</td></tr>
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Now that you have the basics down, let's look at ways you can approach your adventure.<br />
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<b>Find Something Special to Observe</b><br />
A meteor shower is one of the best, first viewing experiences. But that isn't the only interesting occurrence that arises in the night sky. Every Friday, Sky and Telescope publishes a <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/">weekly guide about interesting objects to view each day</a>. The guide will walk you through the easiest things to find, the best time to spot them, what direction to look, and an illustration to help you pinpoint the exact location. It may be helpful to bring a compass if you aren't familiar with the area.<br />
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Another great option is to locate a star party hosted by a local astronomy club. <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-clubs-organizations/">You can search for clubs here. </a></div>
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<b>Identify Constellations </b><br />
If you're ready to go a little deeper, it is helpful to invest in a planisphere so you can begin to identify basic star constellations. A planisphere is a star map in the form of a dial. You turn it to line up the time of year. It will show you what the night sky looks like on that night. Learning to read a star map is the first step to getting more serious with astronomy. Work on developing this skill until you are reasonably comfortable at locating major points in the sky. A younger child may not be ready for this yet but if you learn the ins and out, you can guide them.<br />
This is an example of a planisphere:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0961320753/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0961320753&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgreepa-20&linkId=X3P2LD5O2QICHHEQ"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0961320753&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=gracandgreepa-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gracandgreepa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0961320753" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Please note that you will need one that is for your specific latitude. Different locations on Earth will see a different sky. You can visit <a href="http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/latitudelongitude-finder/">this site from NASA</a> and find your latitude by putting in your address. Planisphere's generally come in 10 degree increments (50-60, 40-50, 30-40, etc). Simply find which span your latitude falls under. If are in the continental US, you are most likely either 30-40 (southern half) or 40-50 (northern half).<br />
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<b>Get Up Close and Personal</b><br />
If you're ready to get a closer look at celestial objects, you should consider investing in a set of binoculars for astronomy. While many people think of a telescope as the top tool, the proper binoculars can offer just as good of a viewing experience. Not only that but they are far easier to use. They are more affordable and are more versatile since they can be used to observe any number of things.<br />
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When choosing binoculars, the numbers are important. A good place to start is 7 X 50. It's important that the first number is between 7-10. Anything higher and it will be challenging to hold it steady and focus on small objects. The second number should start at 50 but can go as high as you like. The higher the number, the more you'll be able to see in the sky. However, the higher the number, the larger and heavier the binoculars usually are so it's a balance.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DV6SI3Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00DV6SI3Q&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgreepa-20&linkId=6GABYMH5JHAWKFBN"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00DV6SI3Q&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=gracandgreepa-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gracandgreepa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DV6SI3Q" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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You can find binoculars in all price ranges. Choose what you can afford. The more expensive the price, generally the better the quality. Fine optics are expensive. I highly recommend mounting your binoculars on a stable tripod. This will allow you to bring something specific into focus and then share it with your child. If not, it may be challenging for a young child to find the target and hold it steady. You ultimately won't know what they are seeing. Plus, small hands get tired quickly. Most binoculars are mountable but the mid-range and higher end options often come with the tripod mount included.<br />
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In case you're wondering what I have: Orion Mini Giant 9X63 <br />
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<b>But What About a Telescope</b><br />
In the words of my father, "Don't invest in a telescope without help." In his years of hosting star parties, he has assisted many frustrated families. The quality of a telescope is critical. Not only do you need amazing optics (lens and such) but you need a hefty, weighted base or the slightest bump and breeze will mean losing what you had centered. This quality starts at $300 and that's only if you chose something with no electronics. That can push a starter as high as $600. The learning curve is higher than most people realize. Finding a tiny object in the sky with a high powered device can be worse than finding a needle in a haystack if you don't understand the process. The design of the eyepiece can be challenging for a young child; and double frustrating if they are simply trying to get a glance and accidentally bump it.<br />
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If you have an older child and the interest level warrants the investment, I would encourage you to contact a local astronomy group for guidance. There are different types of telescopes; each with unique strengths. They can walk you through the options and allow you to try their equipment. This will ensure your investment is made wisely. Once you take that step, they will be there to walk you through using it correctly. Most astronomy clubs are filled with enthusiasts who want nothing more than to give you the best experience with the night sky. <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-clubs-organizations/">You can search for a local club here.</a><br />
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<b>***NOTE*** NEVER point binoculars or a telescope at the sun.</b> The magnifying power of the equipment can cause severe eye damage almost instantaneously. You may have seen photos of the sun, such as the one below taken by my father. However, these are taken by individuals who use highly specialized equipment and are well versed in safety. <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mPLHZ2v72B4/VwyIzyELn6I/AAAAAAAAD_4/Wx1ks42jxRY2OFAdsZFSnlKb2tXMRXUlwCLcB/s1600/sun_1132001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mPLHZ2v72B4/VwyIzyELn6I/AAAAAAAAD_4/Wx1ks42jxRY2OFAdsZFSnlKb2tXMRXUlwCLcB/s320/sun_1132001.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
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I hope these tips help you take your first steps on astronomy exploration. You don't need to invest a lot of money or time learning to give your child a stellar experience.<br />
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If you enjoyed the photography, you can <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RonReuterPhotography/">follow Ron Reuter here</a>. He needs encouragement to post more! You can <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/">follow me here</a> and find me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/">Montessori Homeschooling</a>.<br />
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***This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you). I want
to show you what some of the products I mention are and this is an easy way to do. You can click on them to learn more. Keep in mind that I have additional notes listed when it comes to customizing the best option for your needs.***<br />
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<b>Can't get enough astronomy??? This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. Please visit
the links below. There are some fabulous ideas on Astronomy!</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/04/moon-activities-montessori-inspired-astronomy.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Moon Activities - Montessori Inspired Astronomy (Free Printables)</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Natural Beach Living</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/free-astronomy-home-study-printable-set.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Free Astronomy Home Study {Printable Set}</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | The Natural Homeschool</span></div>
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<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2016/04/12/montessori-inspired-moon-activities-toddlers-preschoolers/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori-Inspired Moon Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Living Montessori Now</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2016/04/montessori-inspired-space-or-earth.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori Inspired Space or Earth Sorting with Printable</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | The Kavanaugh Report</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/solar-system-introduction/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori Inspired Solar System Introduction</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Mama’s Happy Hive</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://sugarspiceandglitter.com/space-yoga-kids/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Space Yoga for Kids</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Sugar, Spice & Glitter</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2016/04/how-to-introduce-space-planets-to.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How to Introduce Space and Planets to Toddlers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | The Pinay Homeschooler</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.everystarisdifferent.com/2016/04/montessori-inspired-astronomy-resources.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori-inspired Astronomy Resources for Kids</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Every Star is Different</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/04/astronomy.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Gearing up for Astronomy</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Grace and Green Pastures</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/christian-astronomy/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Astronomy for Christian Children</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Christian Montessori Network</span></div>
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-21760031824629484582016-03-08T02:25:00.000-05:002016-03-08T02:26:43.747-05:00Favorite Montessori Resources<i>*Affiliate links may be found on this post at no cost to you. </i><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EjA8Wya5LTE/Vt55DloWtNI/AAAAAAAAD5o/fpgGmMFCzMw/s1600/Favorite%2BMontessori%2BResources.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EjA8Wya5LTE/Vt55DloWtNI/AAAAAAAAD5o/fpgGmMFCzMw/s320/Favorite%2BMontessori%2BResources.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What is the most important aspect of Montessori in the classroom?<br />
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The teacher. And as a homeschooling family, that's me. <br />
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As beautiful as Montessori is, it was completely foreign to me. Educating myself on the topic has been a never ending journey. I never feel like I grasp it all, I simply go deeper little by little. There have been a number of books I've found helpful throughout the years and I'm excited to share those with you.<br />
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Let me first mention books written by Maria Montessori herself. I do think it's important to read Montessori's writings. However, I don't want to dwell on those books simply because most people are aware of them. Here is <a href="http://montessorinuggets.blogspot.com/p/montessori-reading-list.html">a fabulous reading list</a> from Montessori Nuggets that will help you sort them out.<br />
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I do want to give a few cautions in this area. Montessori's work began over a century ago. As a true scientist, she researched and reevaluated her work over the years. This means that some earlier texts are contradicted by later texts. It's important to understand what was written when. There is also a great deal of her work that isn't fully available yet. Some hasn't been translated from the original Italian. Other critical pieces were presented in lectures and can be difficult to track down; meaning the books currently available do not cover all her work.<br />
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You can find some of her books available for free through places like <a href="https://archive.org/search.php?query=maria%20montessori">The Internet Archive</a>. However, many of the translations are poor and often not complete. For example, the free version of The Absorbent Mind is missing several chapters. If you want a sound translation, The Clio Montessori Series seems to have the most reliable versions of her work in English. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_fNMne3jcnU/Vt56u9piG1I/AAAAAAAAD6c/94hpmCK5B0s/s1600/IMG_5044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_fNMne3jcnU/Vt56u9piG1I/AAAAAAAAD6c/94hpmCK5B0s/s200/IMG_5044.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.montessori-namta.org/Books-by-Montessori/The-1946-London-Lectures">1946 London Lectures by Maria Montessori</a><br />
I want to point out this gem by Maria Montessori since it only became available in recent years and many people are not familiar with it. It is a set of 33 lectures from Montessori's later years as she was giving a training course in London. There are many topics covered. What I find so fascinating is that she does address some misconceptions that arose from her work. The lecture where she sets the record straight about her views on fantasy for young children is worth the read alone.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CbmDEK_aAS0/Vt56mddnW8I/AAAAAAAAD58/FAgoxcKU-OI/s1600/IMG_5024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CbmDEK_aAS0/Vt56mddnW8I/AAAAAAAAD58/FAgoxcKU-OI/s200/IMG_5024.JPG" width="161" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/075662505X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=075662505X&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgree09-20&linkId=ADMLWKNWU7CLVRVV">How To Raise An Amazing Child the Montessori Way</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gracandgree09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=075662505X" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Tim Seldin<br />
This is my favorite starter book for someone new to Montessori. It's practical and informative without feeling overwhelming. This simple read gives you things you can implement immediately. It covers birth to age six. <br />
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<a href="http://thepinkwhat.com/content.php?nav=products">The Pink What</a>? by Deede Stephenson<br />
This is a short reference guide to the core materials seen in a Montessori primary classroom (ages 3-6). While it isn't designed to show you how to tackle all the lessons, it is a great overview of the various materials and their purpose. It can be particularly helpful for a spouse or someone who wants a general understanding of the tools used. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xb-YLlrzpTM/Vt56qTJH7EI/AAAAAAAAD6I/ZDWnYE6K23A/s1600/IMG_5033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xb-YLlrzpTM/Vt56qTJH7EI/AAAAAAAAD6I/ZDWnYE6K23A/s200/IMG_5033.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452279097/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0452279097&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgree09-20&linkId=Y2VXB6WFIFECJLS4">Teaching Montessori in the Home: Pre-School Years</a> by Elizabeth G. Hainstock<br />
This books offers a number of core activities for a preschool aged child. While the scope is far less than a set of albums, what is presented is simple and concise. There is a lot of do it yourself instructions for the materials. The first section also gives a wealth of practical advice for setting Montessori up in your home, which is something many of the resources lack since they are geared towards classroom environments. There is a version of this book for the elementary years as well but I do not have a copy yet. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NPzaalxcLN4/Vt56re1zNOI/AAAAAAAAD6M/dmw48gxtftw/s1600/IMG_5036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NPzaalxcLN4/Vt56re1zNOI/AAAAAAAAD6M/dmw48gxtftw/s200/IMG_5036.JPG" width="156" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805444769/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0805444769&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgree09-20&linkId=S7WWEWXI4QW4PNBE">Mommy, Teach Me: Preparing Your Preschool Child for a Lifetime of Learning</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gracandgree09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0805444769" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Barbara Curtis<br />
Barbara Curtis was a Montessori teacher who taught her twelve children at home on a shoestring budget. This book is wonderfully encouraging and as practical as they come. There are a number of classic activities listed as well as several chapters on how to make it work at home.<br />
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<a href="http://www.montessori-namta.org/Print-Publications/Staff-Picks/293-A-Path-for-the-Exploration-of-Any-Language-">A Path for the Exploration of Any Language Leading to Writing and Reading by Muriel I. Dwyer</a><br />
This is more of a pamphlet than a book but it is a treasure. It covers everything you need to help your child on the path to reading. If you are familiar with the AMI Montessori reading sequence, it is similar to how it is approached. It makes the process simple and finding this approach was a lifesaver for us.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hFYToJFV_24/Vt56tBJX2eI/AAAAAAAAD6U/zD-nniQ8ZBQ/s1600/IMG_5040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hFYToJFV_24/Vt56tBJX2eI/AAAAAAAAD6U/zD-nniQ8ZBQ/s200/IMG_5040.JPG" width="123" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0822469499/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0822469499&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgree09-20&linkId=XXTTMWUPXVYOEOLD">Think of Something Quiet</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gracandgree09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0822469499" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Clare Cherry<br />
While this book doesn't claim to be Montessori in any way, I find it works well with aspects such as the silence game and peace table. It is meant for classrooms but most of the activities can adapt easily at home. There are great tips about helping children cope with stress or learning to relax. I found this book helpful for improving observation skills too. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kXa2KHDQTYs/Vt56uKP08zI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/Vb4u2yiw3D4/s1600/IMG_5041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kXa2KHDQTYs/Vt56uKP08zI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/Vb4u2yiw3D4/s200/IMG_5041.JPG" width="128" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0929487028/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0929487028&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgree09-20&linkId=RKMS6XB2RUPWJROZ">Modern Montessori at Home: A Creative Teaching Guide for Parents of Children 6 - 9 Years of Age</a> by Heidi Ann Spietz<br />
I was interested in seeing this book since it covers ages 6-9 and resources for that age range are harder to come by. While I don't find this resource all inclusive, there are some nice activities and helpful tips. I like the chapters on lesson planning and setting up at home. It's out of print but if you can come across a cheap copy, it might give you a few new ideas. There is also a 10-12 version that I'm interested in tracking down.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Uv3j6-zClI/Vt56pnVW-4I/AAAAAAAAD6E/6KUpPteopJs/s1600/IMG_5031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Uv3j6-zClI/Vt56pnVW-4I/AAAAAAAAD6E/6KUpPteopJs/s200/IMG_5031.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1879264242/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1879264242&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgree09-20&linkId=ICYIXQOFBU4WHPKW">Child of the World: Montessori, Global Education for Age 3-12+</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=gracandgree09-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1879264242" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by Susan Mayclin Stephenson<br />
This is the newest book I own so I have not completed reading it yet but I do enjoy what I've read so far. It isn't an activity guide but it gives a wonderful overview of each area. It is helping me understand what the holistic goal is through elementary, which will ultimately help me grasp how the details of an elementary experience connect. While this book is listed as 3-12, it touches on birth all the way through adulthood. There is second book called The Joyful Child that focuses on ages 0-3. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1583940324/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1583940324&linkCode=as2&tag=gracandgree09-20&linkId=T2KZP65IZJOL5JQR">Children Who Are Not Yet Peaceful </a>by Donna Bryant Goertz<br />
I do not own this book yet. I have had my eye on it for some time as I've heard wonderful things. However, now that I have started working with children again in a classroom setting, I will be ordering a copy soon. This book discusses various struggles children may have in the classroom through the profiles of real children. It then offers tips and techniques for promoting inclusion and normalization.<br />
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So if you've made it this far then you deserve a look at what I consider to be the most value resource in my collection.<br />
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Drumroll please...<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dPEQQ-uxWkQ/Vt56j7t2qOI/AAAAAAAAD6g/xD8Qy-FdtNY/s1600/IMG_5021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci8NROfXFfI/Vt56l_uQQcI/AAAAAAAAD54/i_Zi57jQPsk/s1600/IMG_5023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci8NROfXFfI/Vt56l_uQQcI/AAAAAAAAD54/i_Zi57jQPsk/s200/IMG_5023.JPG" width="190" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://montessoritrails.blogspot.com/p/keys-albums.html">Keys of the World Theory Album</a> by Jessica Welsh<br />
This theory album is beautifully written. There's something about the style of writing that I connect with. This work combines the best of Montessori's writings with content from her lectures. It is cohesive, easy to comprehend, and most of all; practical. So much of the Montessori philosophy felt abstract before I read this. This album is directed toward primary or ages 3-6. It is unique compared to the other resources available and I can't recommend it enough.<br />
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<a href="http://keysoftheuniverse.com/albums/">Keys of the Universe Theory Album</a> by Jessica Welsh<br />
This is as wonderful as the primary album only directed at the elementary plane (ages 6-12). I would not have attempted to pursue elementary Montessori at home without this. This plane of development can be cryptic with so few resources. The child transitions so much from primary and this has given me to tools to understand the change.<br />
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If you would like to read through Child of the World with me, join <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. We will be going through it as a group at the end of this month.<br />
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<br />
So there you have it. These are the resources that have helped me on my
journey. Do you have something you adore? Share it in the comments.<br />
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-Bess <br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/">Follow me on Facebook</a><br />
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This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. Please visit the links below. There are some fabulous ideas on Montessori books.<br />
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<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-4e2103fa-54e8-4389-6012-962d8148171b" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/03/the-best-montessori-books.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">The Best Montessori Friendly Books: Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers, Elementary</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Natural Beach Living</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/montessori-friendly-living-books-library.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori-Friendly Living Books Library</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | The Natural Homeschool</span></div>
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<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2016/03/08/favorite-montessori-friendly-books-2-year-old/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Favorite Montessori-Friendly Books for a 2 Year Old</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Living Montessori Now</span></div>
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<a href="http://plantingpeas.com/ways-to-make-your-kids-crazy-about-reading" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">10 Ways To Make Your Kids Crazy About Reading</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Planting Peas</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2016/03/montessori-books-from-birth-to-six.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori Friendly Books -- Birth to Six</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | The Kavanaugh Report</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/engaging-books-for-preschoolers/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Engaging Books for Preschoolers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Mama’s Happy Hive</span></div>
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<a href="http://sugarspiceandglitter.com/?p=11206" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori & Fiction: Balancing the Bookshelf</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Sugar, Spice & Glitter</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2016/03/montessori-books-for-older-children.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori Books for Older Children: The Universe Story Trilogy</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | The Pinay Homeschooler</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.everystarisdifferent.com/2016/03/childrens-books-about-birds.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Children’s Books About Birds</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Every Star is Different</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/03/books.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Favorite Montessori Resources</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Grace and Green Pastures</span></div>
<a href="http://christianmontessorinetwork.com/montessori-inspired-books-babies-preschoolers" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Our Favorite Montessori Inspired Books for Babies to Preschoolers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Christian Montessori Network</span><br />
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-9056376954945696322016-02-09T00:33:00.000-05:002016-02-09T12:34:00.417-05:00Our Daily RoutineI am the highly disorganized, free spirit type. What I like to see as creative genius poses some interesting challenges when the word schedule sends shivers down my spine. If you've been around here long, you may have seen some of <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/search?q=schedule">my past posts</a> on how we structure our day. Much is the same, but much is different too.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vUs7mKScwM4/VrlvoX32bGI/AAAAAAAAD4Q/wUpmdq2suAk/s1600/Our%2BDaily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vUs7mKScwM4/VrlvoX32bGI/AAAAAAAAD4Q/wUpmdq2suAk/s320/Our%2BDaily.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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For the most part, we aim for a routine. I have a traditional schedule with times listed, but that's more of a utopian dream. We get most of it in most days, so I'll take it. <br />
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I know everyone has a different approach to folding Montessori into their home and homeschool, each equally valid. My prerogative is an approach that is closer to what is found at a Montessori school for a host of reasons. You'll see that influence in our day.<br />
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Here it is:<br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
6:45<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Mom
up (Exercise, Pray, etc.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8:20<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Breakfast<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9:00-12:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>School Work Period</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Lunch </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1:30<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> Additional Work Time for Older Children if Needed</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2:40<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Cleaning/Chores</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
3:00-4:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Personal
Project Time</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Afternoon Activity (Art, Music, Science Experiment, etc.) </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Start
Dinner (Children Assist)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7:40<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>All Family Pick Up/Clean </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Start
Bedtime Routine</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8:30<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Bedtime
for L and W - E Later</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
A few things I want to point out:<br />
<br />
Our week isn't entirely consistent. The evenings can vary considerably depending on the day and the outside activity. We attend our Classical Conversations community once per week. We're often able to recoup some afternoon work hours on the essentials. There are days where our work period shifts to the afternoon. Between medical issues and other activities, there are times we have to be flexible to make it all work.<br />
<br />
There is definitely space here and there for everyone to play and choose activities, which is important to me. The personal project time listed is technically for me. I'm trying to spread out my projects into daily, bite-sized chunks versus the procrastinate and panic mode I'm currently in. My children are becoming quite independent these days with how they spend their time, so it gives me the space to focus. I'm amazed at how often they chose something I would consider an academic pursuit.<br />
<br />
Achieving a three-hour work period has always been important to me. It is something Maria Montessori advocated for. There are differing views on this when applied to a homeschool, and I certainly don't see it as a must for being successful. But for us, it has worked well logistically. With four of us involved, which includes me giving presentations, we have to line up our work time, or I will be flitting in and out of our work space all day. Honestly, I think the idea of focusing for a solid three hours is more challenging for me than them. But I am needed to that degree if I'm going to observe and guide each of them. They also work well together as they are close enough in age to present some lessons to each other. I love those moments. Overall, I find we have a far better flow when we're in a solid word period routine versus falling out of one.<br />
<br />
We tend to tackle our Classical Conversations work at the beginning of the work period. It takes around 20 minutes to cover it. I treat it as our circle time. There are other elements of our CC work sprinkled throughout the classroom in other activities, such as the science shelves and books options.<br />
<br />
We've taken a slow jaunt into elementary. My oldest struggled for some time when she went through some aggressive medical treatments. She's flourishing now, which is fantastic, but it makes pacing a bit odd compared to how a normal child moves through the scope and sequence. She is obsessed with language, and I'm honoring that. She jumped a grade level in a month. I've also found that the elementary work we're tackling can be challenging to approach when you aren't dealing with a proficient reader. The beauty of this age range is that children can work more independently. I am able to assign additional work in the afternoon that doesn't require my direct involvement. Eventually this will turn into research projects and the like. I think we're close to a more formal elementary work plan that will allow her to manage more of her own education. <br />
<br />
Make sure you understand your state laws in regards to homeschooling. Our laws only regulate days of attendance, not the total hours spent. However, there are states with far more stringent hourly requirements.<br />
<br />
If you noticed, there are points where I schedule myself and that's even more apparent in my version of the routine. I removed a few line items to focus on the homeschooling aspect. I used to think it was only the children that needed guidance. However, by giving myself flexible boundaries as well, I'm able to address more things for me. And whether I like it or not, I'm the one that sets the tone of our school day and home life. I've placed an emphasis on meeting my needs lately, and our days have become instantly calmer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
As always, this is a work in progress. The heart of Montessori is observing and addressing what the current needs call for. There are still some things I want to address differently. I need to arrange more field trips. It used to be a major part of our experience, and I've dropped the ball a bit there. I'm playing with the idea of adding another work period on Saturday - essentially following the same routine through lunch time. The kids have been in an eager learning phase lately, and I'd like to capitalize on it. We struggle to get back on track on Mondays, so I'm hopeful that keeping more consistency on the weekends will help.<br />
<br />
I hope you find some inspiration here, even if it's simply in the fact that I don't have it down to a science either. But as always, find the routine that works for you and your family. We're all unique.<br />
<br />
<br />
-Bess<br />
<br />
If you are homeschooling, please join me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling">Montessori Homeschooling</a>.<br />
<br />
Don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">This
post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori Series. I am truly honored
to be part of this endeavor. I want to encourage you to visit all the
participating blogs to learn more about Montessori in our daily lives.</span><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-c6f63b09-c457-ab6a-0ee8-ffbe5e32888c" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2016/02/daily-homeschool-schedule." style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Our Daily Homeschool Schedule</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Natural Beach Living</span><a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/2016/02/what-to-do-today-our-typical-homeschool-day-schedule.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />What to do today… Our Typical Homeschool Day Schedule</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #005ec9; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">| The Natural Homeschool</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-c6f63b09-c457-ab6a-0ee8-ffbe5e32888c" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2016/02/09/montessori-caregiver-rhythms-routines/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori Caregiver Rhythms and Routines (Finding What Works for You)</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Living Montessori Now</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://plantingpeas.com/montessori-homeschool-schedule/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Our Montessori Homeschool Schedule</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Planting Peas</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2016/02/the-daily-rhythm-in-our-montessori-home.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">The Daily Rhythm in Our Montessori Home</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | The Kavanaugh Report</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-inspired-routine-at-three/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori Inspired Routine at Three</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Mama’s Happy Hive</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.christianmontessorinetwork.com/montessori-busy-hands/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">A Day in the Life of Montessori Busy Hands</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Christian Montessori Network</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-day-in-life-of-montessori-family-with.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">A Day in the Life of A Montessori Family with Special Needs</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Every Star is Different</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2016/02/our-daily-routine.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Our Daily Routine</span></a> | Grace and Green Pastures</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2gYbZda4RE0/VpSM3n7omcI/AAAAAAAAD3E/Mbe7NgA6wR0/s1600/12%2BMonth%2BYear%2B2%2BImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2gYbZda4RE0/VpSM3n7omcI/AAAAAAAAD3E/Mbe7NgA6wR0/s320/12%2BMonth%2BYear%2B2%2BImage.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-86024177524169203862016-01-12T01:39:00.001-05:002016-01-12T01:43:50.679-05:00Culture Studies: Finding Balance... and Topics!In a Montessori primary classroom, culture is a bit of a catch-all. Areas such as language arts, mathematics, practical life, and sensorial are fairly well defined. However, topics such as science, history, geography, and fine arts are often lumped together under the culture heading for the 3-6 year old. It is addressed differently depending on the flavor of Montessori used and the nature of the individual directing the classroom. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-flfEMBuLeOQ/VpSajjPOlsI/AAAAAAAAD3g/Pjnr6zYWORU/s1600/Culture%2BStudies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-flfEMBuLeOQ/VpSajjPOlsI/AAAAAAAAD3g/Pjnr6zYWORU/s320/Culture%2BStudies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Culture is wide open for exploration. There is a wealth of topics available, and children naturally gravitate towards them. It can be one of the most exciting aspects to explore with your child. While having such a large, interesting bucket of options is refreshing, it can also present one major challenge. It's easy to drown in it.<br />
<br />
If you're homeschooling with Montessori, you can find yourself so buried in the fun topics that the critical areas get missed. Not only that, but as the planner, the options can be overwhelming and lead to an endless lifetime of making cards and searching Pinterest for themed activities. All the while, the critical aspects within areas like practical life and sensorial get tossed aside. I know those areas can seem mundane from the adult perspective, but Maria Montessori's research with young children highlights their immense value. The key is balance.<br />
<br />
As someone who wants to do ALL THE SCIENCE, I've had to take a step back and carefully pace our culture adventures. I certainly am not diminishing the importance of the culture area and all it encompasses. It's still my favorite, but I had to make sure I was being intentional. This is where Classical Conversations came in for us. In a nutshell, it is a classically based homeschool program. At the earliest level, it offers small snippets of information each week in areas such as history, geography, and fine arts. You can read more about <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/search/label/Classical%20Conversations">our experience with Classical Conversations here</a>.<br />
<br />
The structure of CC helped me organize my Montessori culture approach. I began using the weekly topics as focal points. Now you may be thinking, "I don't want to join a program just to get topics." You can certainly come up with your own or look for online options, such as <a href="http://thehelpfulgarden.blogspot.com/2011/11/montessori-primary-scope-and-sequence.html">this one from The Helpful Garden.</a> The critical aspect is devising that long-term plan to meet your specific needs. <br />
Here are the major lessons I've learned:<br />
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<b>Look at Culture Holistically</b><br />
When I first started my Montessori journey, I treated every possible area of study in primary as a separate entity. This means that at any given point I was trying to prepare presentations for ten or more areas. Seeing culture as singular simplified the process. I only had to worry about language, math, sensorial, practical life, and culture. If you still want to break it down a bit more, aim for geography/history, science, and fine arts. Then fit everything you'd like to do into one of those buckets, and only tackle one thing per bucket at a time.<br />
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Of course, if you want to simplify things even farther, there are approaches that absorb all of culture into other areas such as sensorial and language. This is commonly seen <a href="http://www.infomontessori.com/">with AMI.</a> But that's the beauty of homeschooling; you can make it as simple or complex as you need to be successful and address your priorities.<br />
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<b>Cycle Your Offerings</b><br />
Once you know how you want to define your buckets, decide on a rotation schedule. For example, we spent the first half of our school year exploring the kingdom of life for science. We are now moving to geology. I try to come up with a solid overview, going as wide as possible with the information. Primary runs a full three years, so there is ample time to cover a range of topics. Try to get a general idea of what you want to tackle when. As you develop your long-term plan, be mindful of special events and the time of year. For example, botany is best explored in the spring/summer and family trips offer great opportunities for geographical studies. <br />
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<b>Give Yourself Planning Time</b><br />
One of my favorite aspects of CC has been the six weeks on, one week off approach. Our week long break from new material is meant as a time for review. I now structure my planning around that schedule for culture work. I set my shelves immediately before starting a new session. Then I present something new each week for six weeks. I don't introduce anything new during the off week. I still leave the prior work out for that week if my children want to revisit. We also keep working in other areas such as math or language. But overall, I focus my efforts on gearing up for the next six weeks of new culture. It has gone a long way to keep me from getting overwhelmed. <br />
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<b>Cross Subjects as Much as Possible</b><br />
If you were traditionally educated, it's easy to hold on to a false need for subject delineations. Carefully planned lessons can cross many subjects. For example, exploring a piece of art from Africa can cover fine art, history, and geography. And in fact, the more subjects blend, the more relevant information often becomes to children. Life is not segmented.<br />
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<b>Keep it Simple in Primary</b><br />
Always keep in mind that <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/10/Biology.html">primary students learn differently than elementary students</a>. A primary student needs to go wide with their learning, not deep. Their absorbent mind desires to gather as much information as possible. Covering a wide range of topics will help give them the rich vocabulary experience they need. It's easy to get carried away and feel the need to explain the "why" behind everything. But that will come soon enough. A primary student with a wide breadth of experience will have a much richer foundation to go deep with in elementary.<br />
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<b>Set It Down and Walk Away</b><br />
When it comes to the topics you select, simply present the lesson, and let whatever happens happen. Maybe your child will be interested in it and return for more. Or perhaps your child will simply file it away and show no further interest. Not all lessons land, and there's nothing wrong with that. The important thing is that they are offered. Rest assured that if you continue with a comprehensive Montessori elementary approach, all critical topics will be visited again in the future in new and exciting ways.<br />
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There is one caveat I want to give in the way of culture topics. There are some classic lessons from the culture area that you should consider presenting as part of the primary experience. This includes basic geography, zoology, and botany. Some of the key lessons include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Landforms</li>
<li>Naming and Recognizing Continents</li>
<li>Living vs. Non-Living</li>
<li>Animals vs. Plants </li>
<li>Needs of Plants/Animals</li>
<li>Parts of Plants/Animals</li>
<li>Basic Classification of Plants/Animals </li>
</ul>
I keep geography materials (puzzle maps, globes, continent boxes) available at all times. I also offer constant access to basic zoology and biology materials (puzzles, three part cards, botany cabinet). However, I rotate the top half of my science shelves to reflect our current area of study. I also rotate the art on display.<br />
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I hope you find this information on how I plan for culture at the primary level helpful. <br />
-Bess<br />
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If you are homeschooling, please join me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling">Montessori Homeschooling</a>.<br />
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Don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures/">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">This
post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori Series. I am truly honored
to be part of this endeavor. I want to encourage you to visit all the
participating blogs to learn more about culture.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;"></span><br />
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-77506779392876159352015-12-17T02:07:00.000-05:002015-12-23T01:21:55.257-05:00Our Montessori Art Program<br />
From the start of our Montessori journey, I knew I wanted to give my children a strong foundation in art. The problem was that I had little experience in classic art principles and art appreciation which left me feeling inadequate to approach it holistically. There is no shortage of ideas online, but most are product-driven and often focus heavily on crafts. The Montessori art is process-driven, meaning it focuses on how the art is created. It is generally open-ended with no preconceived idea on what the end result should be.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YGabKHt1Vgg/VnJPzsdlOII/AAAAAAAAD1o/qyoAqlLOICE/s1600/Our%2BFavorite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YGabKHt1Vgg/VnJPzsdlOII/AAAAAAAAD1o/qyoAqlLOICE/s320/Our%2BFavorite.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Fortunately, I stumbled upon a fantastic Montessori-based art program written by Julie Karlonos, who is both a trained Montessori teacher and highly experienced art instructor. Her products meet a variety of needs, including instruction books, language of art cards, and an art appreciation program. There are offerings geared towards both the primary and the elementary planes of development. We have invested in a number of products and have been pleased with each one. However I want to focus on Book I: Sharing Art With Children in the Montessori Way: An Introduction to Materials. I will talk about the other aspects in future posts.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-joa-ub4BBWQ/VnJGmv2Pm9I/AAAAAAAAD1c/eAkwizgO2Ro/s1600/sawcthumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-joa-ub4BBWQ/VnJGmv2Pm9I/AAAAAAAAD1c/eAkwizgO2Ro/s400/sawcthumb.jpg" /></a></div>
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Book I is geared towards primary students (typically age 3-6), but it can be used by elementary children as well. My older children still enjoy the activities because they are open-ended, and they can work where they are. The book includes 62 lessons that are divided into five sections: Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Collage, and Three-Dimensional Work. The lessons allow children to explore various techniques through a variety of mediums. I love the range of materials introduced - many of which I never would have considered for my children on my own. The lessons in each area build upon each other well and offer a range of techniques. My children have yet to find a lesson that they weren't eager to try. If you'd like to see a sample lesson and the full table of contents, <a href="http://www.art4montessori.com/preview-books/">samples are available here. </a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vqsPIhl0zGU/VnJQDhYtN9I/AAAAAAAAD2M/cywkIEuXwyE/s1600/IMG_5004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vqsPIhl0zGU/VnJQDhYtN9I/AAAAAAAAD2M/cywkIEuXwyE/s320/IMG_5004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't look sideways at our art supplies without my oldest taking over.<br />
It turned into a MLP homage, but she explored different techniques with each one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As a novice, I have never felt intimated, and that says a lot. Lessons are laid out in a typical Montessori style. Each has a preparation, materials needed, tips and tricks, vocabulary, variations/extension, points of interest, direct/indirect aim, and corresponding artist recommendations. It's exceptionally well put together. As a visual person, I appreciate that each lesson includes a full color example and photo of the tray setup. The sections also include a detailed supply list. There is a master list of all materials used in the appendix that covers each one in great detail. It has been extremely helpful in understanding how to choose quality supplies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O-ON6P0-tp4/VnJQDBryNkI/AAAAAAAAD10/jxXnDR0S8ms/s1600/IMG_4987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O-ON6P0-tp4/VnJQDBryNkI/AAAAAAAAD10/jxXnDR0S8ms/s320/IMG_4987.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tray is set up for soft pastels and water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The introduction of the book covers how to prepare the environment and ourselves as teachers. There is an appendix in the back that offers photos of sample art areas
for both primary and elementary ages. That alone has been invaluable and has greatly influenced our art area. The author has taken great care to include as much art history as possible with full, historical explanations at the start of each section. There are so many tips and tricks for incorporating art in many areas of the classroom, such as science and geometry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G-uIzzWm3ZM/VnJQDV2ZfII/AAAAAAAAD2I/b5HfJhyLAeU/s1600/IMG_49911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G-uIzzWm3ZM/VnJQDV2ZfII/AAAAAAAAD2I/b5HfJhyLAeU/s320/IMG_49911.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My middle son isn't drawn to art the way my oldest is, but he still eagerly asks to try the lessons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I hope I have piqued your interest about our favorite art program. It has been one of the best investments I have made for our homeschool, which is why I knew I had to talk about it for our Fine Art topic. We will be moving to Book II shortly, and I will share once we do. If you are interested in purchasing the complete package for both primary and elementary, shipping is currently free. I also suggest signing up for the newsletter to get notified about upcoming specials.<br />
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<a href="http://www.art4montessori.com/">You can visit the website here.</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bx0fhY4tpc/VnJQCnLnnCI/AAAAAAAAD14/BGubsgd62RE/s1600/IMG_4997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bx0fhY4tpc/VnJQCnLnnCI/AAAAAAAAD14/BGubsgd62RE/s320/IMG_4997.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The author encourages the teacher to explore with the materials as well in preparation. Here is my work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
-Bess<br />
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Don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
<br />
You can fine me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a> - a Facebook group specifically for Montessori Homeschooling families with school aged children.<br />
<br />
This post is part of the 12 Months on Montessori Series. I am truly
humbled to be part of this endeavor. I encourage you to visit all of
the participating blogs to learn more about Fine Arts.<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-6983d05a-cd7f-a12d-7e9c-e77884a9eb9f" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2015/12/17/art-postcards-montessori-art-appreciation-for-a-variety-of-ages/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Art Postcards: Montessori Art Appreciation for a Variety of Ages</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Living Montessori Now</span></div>
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<a href="http://wp.me/p5mMno-AM" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Our Montessori Art Environment</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Planting Peas</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2015/12/montessoriartcards.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">DIY Art Cards for Montessori Learning</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The Kavanaugh Report</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-art-appreciation-for-toddlers/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori Art Appreciation for Toddlers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Mama’s Happy Hive</span></div>
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<a href="http://childledlife.com/explore-writing-materials-with-kids/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Explore Writing Materials with Kids</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Child Led Life</span></div>
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<a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2015/12/preparing-children-for-their-first-fine.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Preparing Children for Their First Fine Arts Experience </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Every Star is Different</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/12/art.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Our Montessori Art Program</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Grace and Green Pastures</span></div>
<a href="http://studyathomemama.ca/10-art-essentials-for-kids/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">10 High-Low Art Essentials</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> | Study at Home Mama</span> <br /><br />
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-75617986491344392992015-11-17T03:17:00.001-05:002015-11-17T12:35:25.289-05:00Exploring History Through the Great Lessons - Giveaway!<br />
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The Five Great Lessons in Montessori are a unique addition to the elementary years which span from ages 6 to 12. They are the foundation of all elementary work and provide a backbone for cosmic education. Each lesson is designed to unlock a particular area of study such a physics or language arts. The framework they provide offers inspiration for child-led exploration. The Great Lessons are typically presented near the beginning of elementary and are repeated annually allowing for deeper understanding. If you explore the various narratives that accompany each lesson, you will discover a beautiful presentation on history.<br />
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Each great lesson includes a story. While you can find various scripts online the presentation should be told like any great story. It should be personal and altered to reflect personal beliefs. The lessons are often accompanied with impressionistic charts. These charts help illustrate key points. However, unlike the realistic photos that are used during primary, these charts are typically hand drawn and more abstract which allows a second plane child to use their imagination and reasoning mind to make connections. Some lessons also utilize large timelines, which become a staple for many aspects of elementary work. Others include scientific demonstrations which are particularly exciting for the children.<br />
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The first great lesson addresses the creation of the universe. It is often called The God With No Hands. It discusses the introduction of light, the birth of stars and how volcanoes helped form land masses. Many key principles of science are revealed such as gravity, states of matter, air pressure and attraction. This is the most demonstration heavy lesson but it often one of the most dramatic for the children to experience. While this lesson focuses on the history of the universe, history can be expanded in many ways such as the movement of tectonic plates or various space exploration missions.<br />
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The second great lessons is called The Coming of Life and addresses all life on Earth both past and present. Depending on your personal beliefs, this lesson moves through the various eras such as the Mesozoic and Jurassic periods to large mammals. This lesson generally introduces the extensive timeline of life which gives a visual reference of the various eras.<br />
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The third great lesson is called The Coming of Humans and chronicles the evolution of man and creation of society. It focuses on the unique aspects of humans that separate us from plants and animals. This includes human brains that can imagine possibilities and perceive the world around them or hearts that can feel love and compassion. This understanding of human tendencies provides a platform for understanding why history often unfolds in certain ways. There are no demonstrations, charts or timelines for this lesson as the human being itself is the material.<br />
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The Story of Writing is the fourth great lesson and as the name implies, it is a beautiful story of how early communication eventually took on a written form. It begins with primitive pictographs and continues through modern times with the impact of computers on communication. Various impressionistic charts chronicle written language in various societies throughout history. This lesson touches on the contributions of numerous ancient civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Romans and the Chinese.<br />
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The final great lesson is called The Story of Numbers. It shows how numbering systems were created in ancient civilizations progressing through the decimal system that is used today. Impressionistic charts are used to show examples of numbers in various societies. Children can explore how occurrences in history affect how number systems developed.<br />
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As you can see, the foundation of elementary is based on history. By delving deeply into history, a child can begin to understand their place in society. Consequently, that understanding is one of the key needs identified by Maria Montessori for a child in the second plane. I hope this inspires you to dig deeper into the beautiful world of Montessori for the elementary child.<br />
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If you want to learn more about The Great Lessons, <a href="http://www.missbarbara.net/greatlessons.html" target="_blank">I recommend this site.</a> This <a href="http://whatdidwedoallday.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-great-lessons-and-religion.html" target="_blank">post is helpful</a> if you need to adjust the lessons for religious purposes.<br />
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-Bess<br />
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You can fine me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. Don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
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I am excited to take part in my first giveaway as part of the 12 Months of Montessori. This giveaway is open to US AND Canada. You must be 18 or older to enter.<br />
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This post is part of the 12 Months on Montessori Series. I am truly
humbled to be part of this endeavor. I encourage you to visit all of
the participating blogs to learn more about History.<br />
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<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-84e69cba-1453-bce4-6b00-d6bc1f9b9a40" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/2015/11/learning-about-the-presidents.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Learning about the Presidents with Montessori Activities (Free Printables)</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Natural Beach Living</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/2015/11/montessori-inspired-history-sense-of-time-free-printables.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori-Inspired History: Sense of Time {Free Printables}</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by The Natural Homeschool</span></div>
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<a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2015/11/17/how-to-prepare-montessori-3-part-family-cards-and-family-tree-activity/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How to Prepare Montessori 3-Part Family Cards and Family Tree Activity</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Living Montessori Now</span></div>
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<a href="http://plantingpeas.com/linear-calendar-for-kids/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Linear Calendar for Kids</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Planting Peas</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2015/11/montessorihistory.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Timeline of our Family -- Intro to Montessori History</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by The Kavanaugh Report</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-calendar-for-kids/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Montessori Calendar for Kids</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Mama’s Happy Hive</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://studyathomemama.ca/kids-introduction-to-history/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How to Introduce Time to Kids</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Study at Home Mama</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://childledlife.com/asian-history/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">5 Ways to Learn Asian History</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Child Led Life</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2015/11/timeline-of-european-history.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Learning the Timeline of European History</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by The Pinay Homeschooler</span></div>
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<a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2015/11/our-montessori-inspired-timeline-of-life.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Our Montessori-inspired Timeline of Life</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Every Star is Different</span></div>
<a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/11/history.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Exploring History Through the Great Lessons</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Grace and Green Pastures</span><br />
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-37638147382993738332015-10-17T03:05:00.000-04:002015-10-17T03:05:37.798-04:00The Biology of LearningBiology is an important topic for children. Maria Montessori found that children were highly interested in the living world around them. Biology encompasses areas such as zoology and botany, which are staples in any Montessori classroom. As I thought through the various biology-related activities during the first and second plane of development, I became fascinated with the contrast of how children relate to science at each stage. Ultimately, I was left looking deeper into the biological process of learning. <br />
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<b>What are the first two planes of development, and how do they differ?</b><br />
The first plane of development begins at birth and lasts until around age six. I'll give a small caveat here that this is a huge topic, but I will try to keep it concise. Maria Montessori was a doctor and a scientist, and her research in this area is extensive. I encourage you to dig deeper.<br />
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Montessori found that children in this plane have a unique way of learning. She termed this the absorbent mind. The child collects and classifies information with extreme ease. It is filed away to be called upon later. The child's focus is on the "what". He doesn't make particular judgements or connection with information received; the mind simply takes it in. <br />
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For the first half of this plane, the absorbent mind operates unconsciously, or unknown to the child. She simply takes what is given from the environment. Yet in a short time, the child collects the information needed to walk and talk. During the second half of the plane, the absorbent mind becomes more aware to the child. As he is able to control his body, he will seek out opportunities to find more material to absorb. This is the process that leads a young child to become deeply focused on his or her work. It is through this first plane that a child's culture is formed through the environment. A particular language has been absorbed along with specific patterns of behavior and preferences.<br />
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By contrast, the second plane of development, which encompasses age 6-12, is considered the age of reasoning and imagination. The logical mind of the child has emerged, and she will turn her attention towards weaving facts together into understanding. The "what" of the absorbent mind has been exchanged for why, how, and when. While the second plane of development is separate from the first, it relies upon the information gathered during that period as a basis for exploration.<br />
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In addition to the ability to reason, the activation of the imagination occurs. This allows a child to see the possibilities in life experiences. A child in the second plane will also judge the information they receive as they develop a strong sense of justice and need for fairness. <br />
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So while the first plane child is a sensory-based explorer seeking out facts, a second plane child is a cultural explorer who is discerning the why and how of their world.<br />
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<b>How is biology approached during the first plane?</b><br />
While all activities presented to a child during the first plane are geared towards the absorbent mind, I have chosen to focus specifically on biology-based activities to demonstrate how this translates in the classroom.<br />
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Traditional, primary-level biology activities focus on zoology and botany. However, they center around the areas of language and sensorial, not science as we think of it from a reasoning perspective.<br />
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Early works include classification through sorting works, such as living vs. non-living, plants vs. animals, and vertebrates vs. invertebrates. Both the botany and zoology puzzle sets are used to introduce the names and appearance of various plant and animal parts. Subtleties, such as the specific collection of puzzles introduced, are used to make an impression on the absorbent mind. For example, the five classic zoology puzzles introduce the five classifications of animals (reptiles (turtle), birds, amphibians (frog), mammals (horse), and fish). Written language is explored through related three part cards.<br />
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The botany cabinet gives a sensorial experience of organic shapes, both through the tactile sense and visual discrimination. It is also used to expand vocabulary. And of course there is as much observation of real plants and animals as possible.<br />
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While the child is building a solid collection of relevant biology facts, the depth ends there. However, that is not to diminish how crucial absorbing this knowledge is. It will become a critical foundation for the reasoning mind. <br />
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<b>How is biology approached during the second plane?</b><br />
In a traditional elementary program, The Great Lessons are presented each year. This collection of stories is designed to give a holistic understanding of the origins of the universe. They are accompanied by various demonstrations and impressionistic charts meant to spark a child's imagination and lead them to asking how and why with everything they see.<br />
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Many of the activities feel similar to prior work on the surface. The various parts of plants and animals are explored again. However, this time the function of those parts is revealed and understood to a new depth. Tidbits that were once observations now become questions. For example, the fact that leaves change colors now becomes, "Why do the leaves change colors?" with the desire for truly comprehending the complex biological process. <br />
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The three part cards from primary are exchanged for five part cards that include definitions. The functions of various plant and animals parts are explored in depth, analyzed carefully, and classified. The needs of plants and animals are not simply stated, but they become the basis for various experiments and observations. The plant and animal kingdoms are presented to exposure children to the wonders of the natural world.<br />
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Throughout this entire process, the guide acts as a storyteller whose main role is to entice the child. They are careful not to reveal too much information, as discovering answers is the role of the child. One of the main tenants of the elementary program is to teach children how to research for themselves, ultimately teaching a child how to become a lifelong learner. <br />
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<b>Why is this important?</b><br />
You may be left wondering why this distinction is important. Ultimately, I've found that understanding what is appropriate at each stage of development has kept me from unnecessarily putting effort into the wrong area. My husband and I are both strong in mathematics and science. Naturally, I want to pass this love onto my children. Early on, I found myself going into great depth with my primary aged children. I wanted to skip straight to the whys and hows because I find it fascinating. While I don't think doing so is detrimental, I know my time would have been better spent if I focused solely on feeding the absorbent mind, not that I have regrets with how our journey has gone so far. It's certainly interesting to see my children transition to the second plane; it has helped me to see the contrast I had only read about prior.<br />
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If you'd like to read about these topic from Maria Montessori herself, I suggest The Absorbent Mind for the first plane and To Educate the Human Potential for the second. If you are looking for something that also moves into the third plane then consider To Educate the Human Potential.<br />
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While I enjoy Montessori's work, the resources that have impacted our journey the most are the theory manuals from the <a href="http://keysoftheuniverse.com/" target="_blank">Keys series</a>. They bring together Maria's Montessori work from all avenues; books, lectures and short essays - into a practical guide. There is one specific to primary (second half of first plane) and one specific to elementary.<br />
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Another excellent, practical resource is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Child-World-Montessori-Global-Education/dp/1879264242" target="_blank">Child of the World</a> by Susan Stephenson.<br />
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-Bess<br />
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You can find me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. Don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
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This post is part of the 12 Months on Montessori Series. I am truly
humbled to be part of this endeavor. I encourage you to visit all of
the participating blogs to learn more about Biology.<br />
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-39642212131749268292015-09-17T06:00:00.000-04:002015-09-17T23:30:22.366-04:00The Elementary Fraction Cabinet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If there is one thing I get asked about the most in my school room, it's the large cabinet seen here, displayed on the shelf on the right.<br />
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This is the elementary fraction cabinet. It actually contains several different materials in 14 drawers. They are primarily used to explore geometry concepts with Montessori students aged 6-12.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8cJE8sKsjhY/VfnfVpHbqZI/AAAAAAAADvU/IwfKLTiS9tw/s1600/01%2BCab.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8cJE8sKsjhY/VfnfVpHbqZI/AAAAAAAADvU/IwfKLTiS9tw/s320/01%2BCab.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The early understanding of geometry actually begins in the primary period. It is introduced through the sensorial area, although during this plane of development, children are only introduced to the basic nomenclature through materials, such as the Geometric Cabinet. There are a number of <a href="http://montessorinuggets.blogspot.com/2015/09/longevity-of-montessori-mathematics.html" target="_blank">materials that extend through the various planes</a>.<br />
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I know you would love to see the actual lessons for each material, but I
would have to write a ten-part series to cover the various presentation
with the depth they deserve. But don't worry, I will have resources for
you at the end. My purpose here is to offer a brief overview and
simply pique your interest in the beauty of geometry at the elementary
level.<br />
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The first two drawers includes the Square Fractions, which consists of 9 square fractions. They are broken down into various shapes, including squares and triangles. While this material explores fractions, it also lays the foundation for several key concepts in geometry, including congruence, similarity, and equivalence. The Square Fractions are one of the first materials introduced when exploring geometry, and they are generally introduced to an elementary-age child early in the experience. As simple as this material may seem, it has a vast number of exercises associated with it, and children will often use it extensively.<br />
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Here is one way the first drawer would be used to demonstrate principles. </div>
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The first set is congruent.</div>
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The second set is similar.</div>
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The third set is equivalent.</div>
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The third drawer contains the Triangle Fractions. This includes four plates of triangles that are divided into various arrangements. They are introduced after the Square Fractions and are used in a similar fashion. They help further develop the concepts of congruence, similarity, and equivalence by showing they hold true for different shapes.<br />
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The fourth and fifth drawers contain the Theorem of Pythagoras. It includes two plates, which are used later in lower elementary. The Pythagorean Theorem reveals a special relationship with a right triangle. It states that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the two sides. The plates allow a child to explore this relationship in a concrete manner and even assign numerical values to prove the theorem.<br />
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So to put this in layman's terms, the white piece is the right triangle. The red square sits along the hypotenuse. The sum of the yellow and blue squares are equal to the red square. The children can place either the divided triangles or the small squares in the space for the red square to prove it is equivalent. <br />
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<span class="_Tgc"></span> The sixth drawer contains an extension of the Theorem of Pythagoras called the Euclid Plate. This generally isn't introduced until after a child has worked with the Equivalency Material (discussed next). This is considered an upper elementary work, meaning ages 9-12. I have tried to come up with a concise way to discuss what it represents, so I won't overwhelm you with the detail at this point. <br />
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Drawers 7-11 contain the Equivalent Figure Material. It consists of thirteen plates that are used to show equivalent relationships between various figures. <br />
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Here is one example of demonstrating equivalency. The pieces from the triangle on the left can be rearranged to form the rectangle on the right. The is generally the first introduction to the Equivalent Figure Material.<br />
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There are numerous excises that happen with the various plates. Here is another arrangement. This includes the two decagon plates and two of the rectangle plates. This demonstrates how the decagon is equivalent to half of the rectangle. In the example on the right, the decagon in plate A has been replaced by the pieces in plate D so to show equivalency. You could also demonstrate that plate A is equivalent to half of plate C by putting those pieces into plate A. <br />
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The twelfth and thirteenth drawers include the <span class="productnamecolorLARGE colors_productname"><span itemprop="name">Inscribed And Concentric Figures. These can be used to explore concepts such as: inscribed, circumscribed, concentric, aligned, and tangent. A child can trace the shapes onto paper to show the various relationships. </span></span><br />
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<span class="productnamecolorLARGE colors_productname"><span itemprop="name">The fourteenth drawer contains a mix of individual plates. The quatrefoil, small triangle, and trapezoid are often used to further explore geometry concepts in a similar manner to the materials above. They can be traced to show various relationships.<br /><br />The triangle inscribed circle is used to help develop nomenclature for various parts of a circle.</span></span><br />
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So there are the contents of the fourteen drawers. I want to point out that I managed to find this material on eBay from a supplier that was closing. It came fully loaded with material, so I certainly don't feel that everything that was included is necessary. I also do not feel that the cabinet is a must have. It just so happened that I was able to get the full set for cheaper than buying the needed materials separately. MBT from What Did We Do All Day has <a href="http://whatdidwedoallday.blogspot.com/2012/11/fraction-materials.html" target="_blank">stored their materials in empty geometric cabinets</a>. That is a brilliant solution as well.<br />
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I hope I haven't left you feeling overwhelmed. Montessori materials can seem quite mysterious and confusing if you haven't read through the applicable lessons. I can assure you that with the right guidance, you will not only be able to present them, but you will redefine your knowledge of geometry as well. I use <a href="http://keysoftheuniverse.com/" target="_blank">Keys of the Universe</a> for all our elementary work, which includes geometry. However, <a href="http://www.freemontessori.org/?page_id=9" target="_blank">Cultivating Dharma does provide a FREE geometry album</a>, and it's quite good. It's a great way to get a better understanding of how geometry is approached. <br />
<br />
Bess<br />
You can find me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. And don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">This
post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori Series. I am truly honored
to be part of this endeavor. I want to encourage you to visit all the
participating blogs to learn more about Math.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2015/09/montessorimath.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">The Kavanaugh Report</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ~ </span><a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-math-introduction-for-toddlers/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Mama’s Happy Hive</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ~<a href="http://studyathomemama.ca/magic-beans-counting/" target="_blank"> </a></span><a href="http://studyathomemama.ca/magic-beans-counting/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Study at Home Mama</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ~ </span><a href="http://childledlife.com/diy-shapes-craft/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Child Led Life</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2015/09/montessori-decimal-system-with-golden.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">The Pinay Homeschooler</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ~ </span><a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2015/09/montessori-inspired-math-activities.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Every Star Is Different</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ~ </span><a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/09/math.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Grace and Green Pastures</span></a></div>
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<br />Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-74198095408852516342015-08-17T07:00:00.000-04:002015-08-17T07:00:07.669-04:00Classroom Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the last few months, our household has been focused on updating the classroom. While I enjoyed the process, it was an incredible amount of work. I am overjoyed with the results so far. The space is calm and cohesive. It offers everything we need for the moment and plenty of room to grow.</div>
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If you're wondering how this decision came about, you can read about our <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/06/school-room-evolution.html" target="_blank">School Room Evolution</a>. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_OKz1md_T-o/VdFxpbQGqEI/AAAAAAAADuQ/FsuMfQpLeNc/s1600/The%2BClassroom%2BUpdate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_OKz1md_T-o/VdFxpbQGqEI/AAAAAAAADuQ/FsuMfQpLeNc/s320/The%2BClassroom%2BUpdate.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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With that said, I want to offer a caveat. This room has been in progress for more than six years now. This isn't where we began, not even close. If you're newer to Montessori, I know it can be overwhelming to think you have to have it all. You don't have to have traditional materials or a dedicated space to be successful. This is where our path has led us for our family. I also like to point out the we intend to homeschool for the long haul. Perhaps you will find inspiration here. But please do not see this as THE way to do it. Make your journey yours.</div>
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To meet our needs, I had to break some of the traditional Montessori rules. My children are currently seven, five, and three. I have one in elementary and two in very different places in primary. You'll notice that my shelves are tall. That was a compromise so I could display the materials I felt were necessary for everyone. Nearly anything each child could need is within reach, although I did place a step stool in the room. </div>
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Our welcome sign is still similar, although it's a bit more battered and bruised than in the past.</div>
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<img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6uDXLsotM5c/VdFPFCPLhmI/AAAAAAAADrg/H5PB4lX440w/s400/01.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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This is the full room from near the door.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f74as-_mMBI/VdFPJN-uenI/AAAAAAAADro/EPfvzY_VSPE/s1600/02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f74as-_mMBI/VdFPJN-uenI/AAAAAAAADro/EPfvzY_VSPE/s400/02.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is the full room from the set of windows.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1wDCXoHNFiY/VdFPKsMxCrI/AAAAAAAADrw/nM7VCt6xVgs/s1600/03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1wDCXoHNFiY/VdFPKsMxCrI/AAAAAAAADrw/nM7VCt6xVgs/s400/03.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The rugs, sensorial shelves, and advanced math shelves are here. These shelves are not new and were there before the update. The only difference is that this was our only set of math shelves. I now have two. This set holds most of the advanced math. The upper portion of the shelves holds my albums. There is a photo of Maria Montessori by the door. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnbkUAOKZjA/VdFPYh69GGI/AAAAAAAADsA/4mHZy5Eudko/s1600/04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wnbkUAOKZjA/VdFPYh69GGI/AAAAAAAADsA/4mHZy5Eudko/s400/04.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is a closer view of the sensorial and advanced math shelves. I decided to keep these two together since a number of the sensorial materials are used in elementary math and geometry. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LLvpeBv5-uQ/VdFPR5BEWPI/AAAAAAAADr4/HzOwJZHmZ7c/s1600/05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LLvpeBv5-uQ/VdFPR5BEWPI/AAAAAAAADr4/HzOwJZHmZ7c/s400/05.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This wall houses two closets. The short bead chains are hanging on one door with the long chains attached to a shelving unit. The various math boards are kept under the bead chains and sorted by operation. The shelves used to be for practical life. They now hold our bell set. Our fine art is hung here as well. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CqCiE-LqK_c/VdFPfeis18I/AAAAAAAADsI/UWsVFJAtXsA/s1600/06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CqCiE-LqK_c/VdFPfeis18I/AAAAAAAADsI/UWsVFJAtXsA/s400/06.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of the biggest gains from our update is the increased floor space. I'm amazed at how much my children need these days. I added an Ikea LACK table on casters. I love it because we can easily put it anywhere we need a work space. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZREdeuXTmM8/VdFQcAxXgDI/AAAAAAAADsc/bXC-1cEHBNw/s1600/07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZREdeuXTmM8/VdFQcAxXgDI/AAAAAAAADsc/bXC-1cEHBNw/s400/07.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This wall is almost solid shelves. Here you see the washing table and clothes line. Next is the geography cabinet where our puzzle maps and continent boxes are stored. The science shelves are next followed by practical life. The small table out front is mainly for my three year old. We currently have a large wall map, which is easy to bring down. The wooden frame currently holds The Ten Commandments; it's held on by magnets, and I periodically switch it with The Constitution and The Bill of Rights.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rJKnyBpyqu4/VdFQeUgl_aI/AAAAAAAADsk/EgW5EXmYBeU/s1600/08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rJKnyBpyqu4/VdFQeUgl_aI/AAAAAAAADsk/EgW5EXmYBeU/s400/08.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is a close up of science and practical life. I am in the process of preparing for the upcoming school year. As a
result, the upper shelves are relatively empty. I keep traditional works,
such as the botany cabinet and zoology puzzles, available year round.
However, I rotate the upper shelves to match our Classical Conversations
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n3HadJgY6Cs/VdFQbTvw3EI/AAAAAAAADsU/75RBoygyJ78/s1600/09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n3HadJgY6Cs/VdFQbTvw3EI/AAAAAAAADsU/75RBoygyJ78/s400/09.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The first of the large shelves is for early math. I have started to put some books for myself up top but I'm not finished with that process yet. There is blank space that will eventually be used for our Young Children and Worship material. The next shelf is our classroom library. It also hasn't been sorted to my satisfaction yet, but it's a start. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b73b6lVucM8/VdFQ8vGWhlI/AAAAAAAADs8/-ibTXeuwCjE/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b73b6lVucM8/VdFQ8vGWhlI/AAAAAAAADs8/-ibTXeuwCjE/s400/10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is a close up of early math and the library. The early math includes works such as the spindle box and tens and teens boards. For the library, early readers are in the bins on the bottom, although my main goal for this shelf is elementary purposes. The blue bins are designed to fit with our weekly Classical Conversations theme. The rest is a toss-up at the moment. We have several large bookshelves in our basement that house our full book collection. We rotate fairly often. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8D7lgvVVzo/VdFQxktz_0I/AAAAAAAADss/MnDuJVhDDBk/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8D7lgvVVzo/VdFQxktz_0I/AAAAAAAADss/MnDuJVhDDBk/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The set of drawers are our nature center. It holds various items to explore, such as rocks, shark teeth, and sea shells. We now have a real botany center near the window. We haven't grown much yet since we're barely in the space, but I look forward to that soon. There is small basket by the window that holds binoculars. The kids love watching wildlife from the windows. I also installed a thermometer on the window for recording temperatures. </div>
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This is the language area. Much of this is the same. The older two share this table. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FmWRQ3m0orY/VdFR7A8LJjI/AAAAAAAADtI/gybLPTofZHg/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FmWRQ3m0orY/VdFR7A8LJjI/AAAAAAAADtI/gybLPTofZHg/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are the two main language shelves. The tall cabinet to the left is my new teacher supply shelves. I was very excited to see Ikea now makes doors. It helps me control the clutter. </div>
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This is a closeup of the language shelves. I'm not completely satisfied with the arrangement, but it works for the time being. Moving between the various reading approaches in Montessori has been daunting. I have a lot of materials to make in this area. </div>
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This area houses the metal insets and related items. There are a few early language items here as well since I had the shelf space. I use the book sling to highlight a few options. It seems like my younger children are more likely to pick from there than from a shelf. The material to the left is called the geometric hierarchy of numbers. And yes, it's huge. We've already used it as a desk more than once.</div>
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The area against the wall is all that remains of our office. I've claimed a few areas for myself. The desk at the left is for the kids, not that it is used during school time at this point. It's mostly used by my oldest. The light pad and printer share the table with my file cabinet underneath. My desk is in the corner. </div>
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I wasn't sure how I'd feel with such a small area, but I like it so far. Between the drawers and the teacher cabinet, I have what I need. </div>
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And last but not least is our calendar. Since we have limited wall space, I have ours hanging on a pocket chart stand. Sometimes it's in the room, and sometimes we push it in the hallway. </div>
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We store the decimal system on the other side.</div>
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I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour. I'll provide updates as I complete my science shelves and become happier with my language setup.</div>
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Bess<br />
You can find me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. And don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16.8px;">This
post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori Series. I am truly honored
to be part of this endeavor. I want to encourage you to visit all the
participating blogs to learn more about Montessori Spaces.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/?p=5946" target="_blank">Natural Beach Living</a> ~ <a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/2015/08/our-2015-homeschool-room-tour.html" target="_blank">The Natural Homeschool</a> ~ <a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2015/08/17/montessori-monday-preparing-montessori-toddler-spaces-at-home/" target="_blank">Living Montessori Now</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2015/08/our-montessori-home.html" target="_blank">The Kavanaugh Report</a> ~ <a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-spaces-in-our-home/" target="_blank">Mama’s Happy Hive</a> ~ <a href="http://studyathomemama.ca/?p=7764" target="_blank">Study at Home Mama</a></div>
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<a href="http://childledlife.com/montessori-while-traveling/" target="_blank">Child Led Life</a> ~ <a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2015/08/our-montessori-classroom.html" target="_blank">Every Star Is Different</a> ~ <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/08/classroom.html" target="_blank">Grace and Green Pastures</a></div>
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-36251547170377857722015-08-02T19:55:00.003-04:002015-08-02T19:55:43.561-04:00Montessori and CC - 2 Year ReviewWe are about to embark on our 3rd year of <a href="https://www.classicalconversations.com/" target="_blank">Classical Conversations</a>. It's been a good experience. Obviously, nothing is perfect, but I'm grateful for the program and community involvement.<br />
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If you are new to the classical education model, <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/36325362/The-Lost-Tools-of-Learning" target="_blank">I suggest reading this.</a> You can learn more about our experience <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/search/label/Classical%20Conversations" target="_blank">with Classical Conversations here</a>.<br />
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<b>How We Use Classical Conversations at Home</b><br />
I'll start by saying that I am not a stickler for memory work at this age. Since we started young, my children will go through each cycle more than once. At this stage, I want them to enjoy the process. I'll expect more as they progress, but for now, we get what we get, and I'm fine with that. I am amazed at what they pick up with little effort.<br />
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Here are the things we do each week:<br />
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1 - Review the memory work at the start of class<br />
I use a tri-board to review the weekly memory work. This generally takes 30 minutes or less, depending on how many questions are asked.<br />
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2 - Listen to songs in the van<br />
I create CDs specific to each week. I simply play them in the van when we are out and about.<br />
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3 - Review Puzzle Maps<br />
Since geography is one of our weekly topics, I tend to pull the puzzle maps as we review. It's a very popular topic. This is an activity we engaged in routinely before our CC experience.<br />
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4 - Read Books on Related Topics<br />
I create <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/01/our-cc-book-bins.html" target="_blank">weekly book bins</a>. We tend to read one book per day. This is something we always did anyway. It simply directs which books I choose. The children can review books at will, which happens often.<br />
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5 - Engage in Fine Arts<br />
Depending on the current topic, we may view art, listen to music, practice the tin whistle, or create art. This is something we tend to do occasionally anyway, so CC simply gives us direction.<br />
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6 - Review Nomenclature Cards<br />
I often put various cards on the shelves that relate to science topics. It isn't uncommon for us to review a set of cards if the interest arises. But I think this is one of those areas where CC and Montessori blend so well that I don't know exactly which category this falls under.<br />
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As you can see, we engaged in more than half of the activities listed prior to joining a CC community. CC has simply given me guidance in which topics to pursue.<br />
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<b>Classical Conversations and the Primary Student</b><br />
I have found the blend at the primary level can depend heavily on the flavor of Montessori you prefer. There is a wide difference on where culture topics, such as science, geography, and history, fall at this stage. Some treat is as separate topics that are explored with some depth. Others see it as a way to explore language. Personally, I have come to see culture at the primary level in the latter manner. In other words, science concepts that are taught only from
the vocabulary and classification perspective. This pairs perfectly
with the weekly memory sentences, which is also known as the grammar stage in Classical.<br />
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Our primary program only covers four areas - language, mathematics, practical life, and sensorial. It doesn't mean that cultural aspects are not present. They are simply treated as an extension of language and sensorial. CC expects parents at the Foundations level to add a language and mathematics program of their choosing, so there is no conflict in those areas. And of course, practical life and sensorial are unique to Montessori, so they stand alone.<br />
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<b>Classical Conversations and the Elementary Student</b><br />
As the reasoning mind develops, new topics are explored. The Montessori core expands into geometry, biology, history, and geography. There is also more in-depth work for fine arts. The CC student will continue the Foundations program through elementary. As mentioned, this means the student will still need an external mathematics and language program, which is offered in the Montessori core. I have found that the Montessori study of geography complements the work in Foundations beautifully as both take a very strong focus in this area. The two areas that might seem to contradict each other are biology and history.<br />
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In the case of biology, I think it fits beautifully with Cycle 1 work - not that the work shouldn't be addressed at any point the child has interest. Much like geography, I feel the two complement each other and help drive further interest in the child.<br />
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As to Montessori history, it is left rather open-ended at the elementary level. The child explores the creation of the Earth and various timelines, such as the coming of life and the timeline of man. CC also takes a strong focus on the timeline. In fact, I have found that the CC timeline is an excellent substitute for the classic Montessori Coming of Man Timeline. While our personal beliefs have caused me to approach a number of the Montessori timelines differently, I have come to appreciate the purpose of each one. The CC timeline has been a powerful learning tool for my children, so I'm excited to build upon the experience with the various Montessori timelines. I do think they complement each other beautifully and give a far clearer picture as a whole. The rest of the Montessori history experience is designed to be child led. What better way to spark my children's interest in history than from our weekly history statements in CC. I have already seen my oldest take a detailed interest in certain events thanks to our weekly work. <br />
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A CC student at the upper elementary level will also join the CC Essentials program. This program is primarily designed to help with writing skills as well as refine basic math. We still have a few years before we enter this level, but I do not anticipate any conflicts. I have taken a brief look into the program, and it is phenomenal at teaching research skills, something which is important to Montessori as well. In many cases, the children are open to research and write about topics that interest them. In many ways, I'll be happy to have some additional support when we reach this stage.<br />
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<b>Classical Conversations and our Long Term Goals</b><br />
While these two methods have blended well for us, you may be left asking why we chose to add Classical Conversations to the mix in the first place. Our long term goals with Classical Conversations is the Challenge program which encompasses 7th-12th grade. It is the most in-depth program offered by CC and provides the vast majority of experiences I hope to give my children at that stage. While it is far more involved than Foundations and Essentials, there is enough freedom and flexibility to incorporate the other areas we feel are important. These areas are practical life for the adolescent, an Erdkinder-like entrepreneurial experience, and service opportunities in the community. It isn't that I don't trust Montessori at the adolescent level. In fact, I think the Challenge offering firm meets many of the needs Maria Montessori identified for the adolescent. The rhetoric stage is designed to help students learn critical thinking with topics relevant to society, all while developing self discipline in a challenging environment of peers. Granted, we have a long road ahead of us, so anything could happen, but I would be satisfied if we continue this path.<br />
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<b>Is This Blend Right for You?</b>I can't possibly answer that. Every homeschool family has a set of unique blend of talents and needs. If you would like to learn more, I encourage you to <a href="https://www.classicalconversations.com/calendar" target="_blank">attend a CC Info Meeting, Open House or Parent Practicum.</a><br />
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And if you are interested in a similar blend, I encourage you to join the new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriClassicalHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori and Classical Hybrid Homeschooling group on Facebook</a>.<br />
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BessBess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-14675708281630816342015-07-17T07:00:00.000-04:002015-07-17T07:00:08.333-04:00DIY Montessori Bells<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first began my journey with Montessori, I was aware that there was a set of bells that were sometimes used, but my knowledge ended there. There was no mention of them in the manuals I was using nor did the school my children attended in the summer utilize them. Overall, they were a bit of a mystery.<br />
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Fast forward a few years and I had my first experience with a set of manuals that included the full lessons on the bells for the primary level (ages 3-6). I was thrilled and immediately marveled at the brilliance and simplicity.<br />
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If you are not familiar with the Montessori bells, they are a set of tuned bells on stands that can be struck with a mallet. A full set consists of 26 bells or 2 sets of 13 that include a chromatic scale from C to C.<br />
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What is the purpose of the bells?<br />
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The Montessori bells are primarily part of the sensorial area. Children are taught to properly carry and strike a bell, a task which helps strengthen the muscles needed for writing. The next step is to work on matching the tones. This critical steps allows the child to develop a sense of matching pitch. Initially, bells are matched 2-3 at a time, but eventually, the child will be able to both match and grade (place in order) the full set. Once a child can match well, they can begin to match tones with their voices through a series of games.<br />
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The Montessori bells are also useful for language development. Once a child is familiar with the bells, they will begin naming the notes of each bell, eventually moving from a written form to the actual notes on the staff. There are various activities that involve learning the language of music theory including clef, scales, and notes. The end results is the child's ability to compose songs with the bells through creative expression.<br />
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While the Montessori bells are not considered an instrument in and of themselves, they lay a powerful foundation for future musical exploration. The ear training and basic theory will translate well to any instrument. The base understanding will also give the child a deeper appreciation for music overall.<br />
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As great as the Montessori bells are, there is still one hurdle. They are nearly impossible to find at a price that is home-school budget-friendly. Thankfully, there are a few far cheaper alternatives.<br />
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One popular option is to buy two sets of hand bells and paint them. This is where I began originally several years ago. I purchased two tuned sets from Schylling and painted one set brown and one set white. These sets are generally multi-colored, and it's important to isolate the difficulty. If not, children will match colors or memorize the scale order versus using tonal awareness. One other thing to note is that most sets contain 8 bells for the diatonic scale versus the 13 for the chromatic, but it's enough to get through the core exercises.<br />
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As time went by, I began to see the many benefits of the traditional model. And then someone posted a beautiful remake on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. Thank you LW! I knew it would be the perfect option for us.<br />
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Here are the steps I took.<br />
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We began by cutting the handles off the bells. Ours appeared to be molded together, most likely via ultrasonic welding. This means there is no simple way to take them apart. They were cut as close to the bell as possible. The handle and striker came off easily.<br />
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I stripped my bells down to the metal with <a href="http://www.menards.com/main/paint/solvents-cleaners-removers/strippers-removers/zinsser-stripfast-power-stripper-spray-18-oz/p-1963274-c-19344.htm" target="_blank">Zinsser StripFast</a>. You spray it on, wait 10 minutes and rinse it off. It took two coats to clean it all off, but I had several layers of additional paint on mine.<br />
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The next step was to cut the bases. I chose a 1X6 pine board as it required the least amount of cuts. I kept my bases 6 inches long, but they were cut at 3.5 inches. It's important to measure your bells to determine what size base you need. You want approximately 1/4 inch on each side. You don't want them to bang together, but you also don't want then too far apart. My final size was 3.5 X 6 X 1.<br />
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If you are using a chromatic set, you will need 16 sets. I put my father's workshop to good use.<br />
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Then the dowel rods were cut. I chose a 3/4 inch dowel as that fit my bells well. They were cut at approximately 5 inches each. This can vary based on the size of your bells. You want the dowel to be long enough that a child can wrap their hands around it to carry it. It's important to account for any height you lose attaching them to the base.<br />
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My father sanded the bases to give it a nice finish. This step isn't necessary but it adds to the overall quality.<br />
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I'm fortunate that my father has a drill press. He drilled holes
about halfway through each base. The dowel fit snugly, but we added
some glue just to be sure.<br />
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I had to return home, but I was able to mange the rest myself. I used a spray paint with primer to paint one set of bases white. I used a clear coat on the other half to keep the natural color. <br />
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I decided to paint my bells. It's hard to tell from the pre-painted picture, but a few of the bells had an uneven finish. Despite the fact that my sets were from the same manufacturer, there was a noticeable difference in the finish between each set. I picked a spray paint that was very close to the sliver color. I applied the thinnest coat possible and it greatly improved the finish. Not only will this finish be hard to chip, but it may not be noticeable if it did.<br />
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A word to the wise - use large enough cardboard so you don't permanently mark your driveway. <br />
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And if you apply 40 coats of white, bring it into your garage to dry. ;-) This is the point where I remembered why I do very few projects without the guidance of my father.<br />
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My father drilled holes in the dowels before sending me on my way. Thankfully they survived my excessive paint job. <br />
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I used these beveled washers to attach the bells. <br />
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The bell sits between the two washers. It allows it to float freely. <br />
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One washer is threaded on top. <br />
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The other is underneath. Then they are screwed onto the dowel. <br />
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I was amazed at how great they sounded. I'm convinced they ring even better than they did as hand bells. <br />
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Not only am I very pleased with the results, but my children adore them. There was something about the hand bell format that said to my boys, "This is a musical hammer." Now they are the most-used item in our room. And they are used correctly!<br />
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-Bess<br />
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You can fine me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. Don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
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And if you want to give my father a shout out, check out his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RonReuterPhotography" target="_blank">photography page on Facebook.</a> He is an exceptionally talented landscape and nature photographer.<br />
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This post is part of the 12 Months on Montessori Series. I am truly humbled to be part of this endeavor. I encourage you to visit all of the participating blogs to learn more abut Music.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/?p=5658" target="_blank">Natural Beach Living</a> ~ <a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/2015/07/montessori-music-sorting-labeling-musical-instruments-free-printables.html" target="_blank">The Natural Homeschool</a> ~ <a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2015/07/17/montessori-inspired-music-activities-for-toddlers-and-preschoolers/" target="_blank">Living Montessori Now</a> ~ <a href="http://wp.me/p5mMno-tM" target="_blank">Planting Peas</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2015/07/montessorimusic.html" target="_blank">The Kavanaugh Report</a> ~ <a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/montessori-music/" target="_blank">Mama’s Happy Hive</a> ~ <a href="http://studyathomemama.ca/?p=6852" target="_blank">Study at Home Mama</a> ~ <a href="http://childledlife.com/montessori-music-resources/" target="_blank">Child Led Life</a></div>
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<a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2015/07/montessori-inspired-music-activities.html" target="_blank">Every Star Is Different</a> ~ <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/07/music.html" target="_blank">Grace and Green Pastures</a> ~ <a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2015/07/learning-music-for-kids.html" target="_blank">The Pinay Homeschooler</a></div>
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Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-57259085636166652882015-06-16T11:41:00.000-04:002015-08-02T00:25:35.615-04:00Extending Zoology PuzzlesIf you're like many individuals who have purchased a few materials for home use, you may be in possession of a zoology puzzle or two. These puzzles are reasonably affordable and are generally interesting to children. While they are fun to put together, there are a number of extensions you can add to get the most out of your investment.<br />
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Let's begin by looking at the key zoology puzzles. While there are a number of options available, the five core puzzles include a fish, turtle, frog, horse, and bird. This is intended to cover the major classes of animals, including fish, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds. Some individuals choose to include a representation of an arthropod, such as a butterfly. But don't worry if you have something different or don't have the full traditional set. You can work with whatever you have.<br />
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The activities have been divided into four categories and can be applicable to a wide variety of ages.<br />
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<b>Visual Discrimination</b><br />
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Work the Puzzle<br />
This is the obvious one. A young child may need more trial and error, but an older child can practice placing the pieces correctly without the need to wiggle them.<br />
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Assemble the Puzzle on a Control<br />
Once a child is competent with building the puzzle in the frame, they can try building it on a control. This is something you can easily create by taking a piece of paper and outlining each piece to recreate the puzzle frame. The child then matches each piece inside the outlines with the correction of the frame.<br />
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Play What's Missing<br />
Once a child is familiar with the names of the various parts, you can play an elimination game. Place the puzzle in front of the child. Have the child turn around or cover his/her eyes. Remove a piece from the puzzle and place it out of sight. Ask the child to name what is missing. You can vary the difficulty and interest. Try removing two pieces at once or instead of answering verbally, ask the child to write or draw the missing piece.<br />
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<b>Tactile Sense</b><br />
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Work the Puzzle Blindfolded<br />
By simply placing a blindfold on the child you can completely change the aim of the activity. When working blindfolded, it is often easier if the puzzle pieces are all placed to one side first.<br />
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Play What is This<br />
Pick a piece from the puzzle and place it in a small bag or mystery box. If you do not have anything applicable, you could also use a blindfold. Have the child try to identify the piece by feel alone. You could also place multiple pieces in the bag at once and have the child identify them one at a time.<br />
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<b>Writing Preparation</b><br />
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Recreate the Puzzle (cut or pin punch)<br />
Tracing pieces is a great pre-writing activity. You can make it more interesting by having your child cut out each piece and glue it to a piece of paper to recreate the puzzle image. A child who is not quite ready for scissor work can use <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/02/shape-of-geography.html" target="_blank">pin punching</a> to cut out the shapes. <br />
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Create a Puzzle Control<br />
For this activity, have the child create the control for the puzzle. It's more challenging than tracing the pieces individually because this requires the child to line up each piece correctly as they trace. <br />
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<b>Language Development</b><br />
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Play I-Spy<br />
Once the child knows the name of each part, you can use the pieces to play I spy. Remove the pieces from the puzzle and lay them out. Then say, "I spy something that starts with ___ " and give the beginning sound of a familiar piece. In the beginning, you will want to start with only 2-3 pieces until your child understands the game. From there, you can advance to more pieces at once. You can then play the game with ending sounds and finally, middle sounds.<br />
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Match to 3 Part Cards - Picture Card<br />
Three part cards are readily available for the common puzzles. In fact, <a href="http://thehelpfulgarden.blogspot.com/2012/12/montessori-zoology-nomenclature-set-for.html" target="_blank">The Helpful Garden</a> has a set for free. For a pre-reader, you can have the child match each piece to the corresponding picture card from the three part card set. You may need to be selective with the cards you provide because sometimes card sets offer more parts than the puzzles.<br />
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Match to 3 Part Cards - Label<br />
For a child who is beginning to read, you use the label cards from the three part card sets to label each piece with the correct name. If you do not intend to make the three part cards, you can simply write the names on slips of paper.<br />
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Create Own Labels<br />
A child who is beginning to write can create his/her own labels for the puzzles. As with all early writing exploration, it doesn't matter if the child can spell things correctly at this stage. A child who has not yet mastered the mechanics of writing but is competent with sounds could label parts with the moveable alphabet.<br />
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Add Definition Cards<br />
Definition cards can be provided for each piece for a child who has mastered the labels and is reading. Definition cards are often an extension of the three part cards. They provide a short description of the purpose of each piece. You can see an <a href="http://www.montessoriprintshop.com/Use_Montessori_Nomenclature.html" target="_blank">example of definition cards at Montessori Print Shop</a>.<br />
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Hopefully this gives you some idea of how you can get more out of your zoology puzzles. I'd love to hear any ideas you have as well.<br />
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Bess<br />
You can find me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. And don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">This
post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori Series. I am truly honored
to be part of this endeavor. I want to encourage you to visit all the
participating blogs to learn more about Zoology.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/?p=5348" target="_blank">Natural Beach Living</a> ~ <a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/2015/06/montessori-zoology-animals-north-america.html" target="_blank">The Natural Homeschool</a> ~ <a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/?p=35301" target="_blank">Living Montessori Now</a> ~ <a href="http://plantingpeas.com/snails/" target="_blank">Planting Peas</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2015/06/zoology-sensory-bottles-for-montessori.html" target="_blank">The Kavanaugh Report</a> ~ <a href="http://mamashappyhive.com/montessoriinspiredfrogactivities/" target="_blank">Mama’s Happy Hive</a> ~ <a href="http://studyathomemama.ca/zoology-exploring-x-rays-on-the-light-table/" target="_blank">Study at Home Mama</a> ~ <a href="http://childledlife.com/?p=10939" target="_blank">Child Led Life</a></div>
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<a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2015/06/animals-of-africa-activities-for-tots.html" target="_blank">Every Star Is Different</a> ~ <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/06/zoology.html" target="_blank">Grace and Green Pastures</a> ~ <a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2015/06/complete-insect-unit-study-guide.html" target="_blank">The Pinay Homeschooler</a></div>
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<br />Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-40776772296483589642015-06-13T15:45:00.000-04:002015-06-13T15:59:43.316-04:00School Room Evolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've been following my updates on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">Facebook</a> then you are already aware that we made a rather flash decision to overhaul the school room. So far, things are going well. In fact, they are almost finished; although I'm beginning to realize that reorganizing the shelves is going to be a bigger job than I first imagined!<br />
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So let's move on the why and how.<br />
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We first added shelving for Montessori purposes to our current school room nearly seven years ago. I always like to point this fact out because I know it's easy to see where we are now and think that's where you begin. Not at all! We began with two Sauder bookcases I picked up on sale at Wal-Mart. They were tucked in the corner of what was our gaming room at the time. We built our home long before we had children, so this space was used for LAN parties and decorated in Geek paraphernalia. For you young'ins, that was something we did for fun more than a decade ago. ;-)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is technically the second version after I had made a few material purchases in 2010.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Version 3.0 around 2012. We're still using the same shelves as the prior updated. We simply expanded the room.</span></div>
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As time went by, we got more serious about our use of Montessori as a homeschooling method. In fact, we eventually made the commitment to home school for the foreseeable future with the hope to proceed through graduation. With that commitment came a greater desire to invest in our space. Little by little shelves were added. Initially, they consisted of whatever I could find used or on sale. They weren't perfect and rarely matched, but they could sufficiently hold things. As time went by, we found ourselves with more children and more materials. I sensed it was time to make a change. The only solution I could come up with was to go up. In December of 2013 I ended up purchasing a handful of tall shelves. And since I had to purchase these new, I decided that I would finally have a set of shelves that matched. It was lovely.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OMCHPs-pN8/VXyEnHjVTnI/AAAAAAAADd0/S7NPVV_U9no/s1600/2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OMCHPs-pN8/VXyEnHjVTnI/AAAAAAAADd0/S7NPVV_U9no/s320/2014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ahhhh.... mostly matching selves for version 4.0.</span></div>
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We've been plugging along fairly well. However, as my children have grown and are pursuing more involved work, we suddenly experienced a lack of floor space. There are few things that would ruin a good run of school work than two rugs overlapping. If only I were kidding. I began to notice this issue around the same time I was planning our accommodations for elementary work for my oldest. I still have two in primary; one more than halfway and one near the beginning. My children are perfectly spaced to ensure nothing ever leaves the shelves. My desire to make a few changes started simple enough. I was going to remove the practical life table and pack away the infant/toddler materials I left out due to nostalgia. But the elephant, or should I say 4 massive desks, in the room kept staring me down. The room lacked identity, and the disparity made it feel cramped and cluttered.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">While this is technically from version 3.0 back in 2012, you can get decent view of the shelves and desks.</span></div>
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I had always resisted the idea of removing the remainder of our LAN room. The large desks, server rack, and wall units were custom built for the space by my father less than a month after we moved it. They represented a very enjoyable aspect of my life, one which has been non-existent since becoming a mom. I had never faced how much I was holding on to this symbol of my past. It's not like we had systems for the desks anymore. It had become a relic and one that was holding us all back at that. We spend a significant amount of time in that room and it needs to be functional. I finally decided it was time to pack up my action figures and move on. I did take a day to carefully measure the space and draw up a few options on paper. I needed to prove that these changes would address every issue. Sure enough, I came up with a concrete plan, and my husband opted to move quickly lest I change my mind.<br />
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But simply making the decision was step one. While we do make educational spending a very high priority, the kitty is a bit sad given some unexpected dental and medical bills. Thankfully, I recently had a birthday and agreed to pitch in my funds. In a sad trend, I still had birthday money from the prior year as well to contribute. My sweet husband agreed to meet me halfway by picking up more contract work. We made a mad dash to the next state to procure our Ikea supplies, which was practically the most time we've spent alone together in years. Then there was no turning back.<br />
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Given the size of the desks, we had no choice but to take them apart to remove them. They were built inside the room. It was an uncomfortable feeling at first but I felt relief that my father had no issue with the fact I was going to dismantle them. They will most likely become shelving for my storage closet in the future. It's a fitting end. As the process progressed, I became more and more resolved. When everything was removed, I stood back and marveled at just how spacious the room was. Since the shelves and desks were anchored to the wall, I knew painting would be necessary. I chose a completely different color, and I think it has gone a long way to redefining the space. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Major progress - but a lot left to do still.</span></div>
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Now that the walls are painted and the shelves are in place, I couldn't be happier with my decision. It's getting hard to picture what once was. On the surface it may seem like a simple step to make a space workable. In reality, the last few weeks have been a deeply personal journey of redefining myself and my priories. I hope for many peaceful years in that space.<br />
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And now that I think about it, we may have the space to host a co-op now...<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" target="_blank">Follow me on Facebook</a> if you want to get more detailed updates. I'll talk more in depth about specific choices soon. Also stay tuned for the big reveal in a few weeks. I also have a fun project planned called Spectacular Spaces of Summer, but I'll need your help!<br />
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-Bess<br />
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You can always find me at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" target="_blank">Montessori Homeschooling</a>. Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-25463872339658667712015-05-17T01:29:00.002-04:002015-08-02T00:25:59.788-04:00Sensorial: Five Fun FactsSensorial is a unique area of study in Montessori. While it is true that it involves the senses, there are a number of fun facts about sensorial that may not be known as widely.<br />
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<b>1. It's Different Than Sensory</b><br />
Sensory play and related activities are great ways to engage your young child's senses. However, there is a slight distinction between sensory and Montessori Sensorial. With sensory activities, a child is stimulating multiple senses at one time. It is usually open ended and without a direct aim.<br />
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Montessori sensorial is designed to train individual senses. The activities isolate one very specific concept to bring awareness to subtle changes. For example, a sensory bin is a favorite for sensory play. It allows a child to experience a number of items in a tactile way. In the realm of Montessori sensorial, the tactile sense may be explored using the touch tables. This is a set of matched wooden tables that each contain a different grade of sandpaper. Children will work, often blindfolded, to match the pairs using only the tactile sense. The changes between each tablet are subtle and can require great concentration. The end result is that the child refines and deepens the tactile sense.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The iconic pink tower with every cube identical in shape a color - drawing attention to size. </span></div>
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Now please don't take this to mean that sensory play doesn't have its place as well. We certainly enjoy both here. In fact, you can read about how I <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2013/09/how-i-got-sensory-table-for-5.html" target="_blank">created our sensory table for $5</a>. At the same time, I encourage you to explore some traditional Montessori sensorial activities as well.<br />
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<b>2. Sensorial Is the Precursor to Math</b><br />
While Sensorial is recognized for its immense value to the senses, it is often overlooked for its strong foundation in math and logic. In fact, in a traditional scope and sequence, the math area is not explored until the child has a foundation in sensorial. Maria Montessori designed nearly every traditional Montessori material with some mathematical aspect. Many of the items are in sets of ten to reinforce the decimal system. But it goes further than that. Let's visit the pink power again. Did you know that the perfectly portioned cubes also represent the cubes of 1 through 10 (1, 8, 27, 64... through 1000)? This can also be an experience in volume since the largest cube is equal to exactly 1000 of the smallest. And you thought they were just stacking blocks. ;-)<br />
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And the list goes on. The red rods introduce early counting while the binomial and trinomial cubes introduce algebraic equations. Materials like the constructive triangles and geometric solids introduce early geometry concepts. Sensorial is truly one of the best math foundations.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is the decanomial square, a primary level sensorial work. This brilliant material is a visual representation of the table of Pythagoras. It is a representation of the multiplication tables with the cubes running diagonally. As you can see in the second image, the pink tower cubes fit the cubes in the table perfectly. And yes, a preschooler can create it.</span><br />
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<b>3. Sensorial is Only Found in the First Plane</b><br />
While sensorial activities provide an incredible foundation for training the senses, early math concepts, and logic, these activities are unique to the first plane of development. This is the plane that encompasses the absorbent mind, which spans from birth to age six. You will find a <a href="http://montessorinuggets.blogspot.com/2012/01/planes-of-development.html" target="_blank">brief summary of the planes here</a>. Maria Montessori found that this age range was specifically geared towards this area of work. Of course, this doesn't mean you can't introduce some sensorial work to an older child. But in a more traditional Montessori approach, the activities are altered for the next plane of development.<br />
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And that brings us to the next point.<br />
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<b>4. Many Sensorial Materials Extend to Elementary</b><br />
While we may consider many of the traditional sensorial materials for preschool, many of the materials will actually be used far into Montessori elementary through age twelve. You may even see a few used at the adolescence level! I was pleasantly surprised to make this discovery early on, and it helped justify my decision to invest in several key pieces. But while the materials haven't changed, the way they are used has. During the first plane of development, the children are primarily using the materials as a way to refine the senses. However, in the second plane, the same materials they have become familiar with are reintroduced anew to explore advanced concepts in mathematics and geometry. <br />
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One of my favorite examples of this concept is a TEDx Talk that shows how the binomial cube transitions through the various planes. It is a great demonstration of the brilliance of a Montessori education.<br />
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<b>5. Easiest to Recreate</b><br />
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One of the best aspects of sensorial is that the core activities are amazingly easy to set up using items that you most likely already have at home. Simply choose the sense you wish to work with, and provide an activity that isolates it. For example, you can try tasting various flavored liquids, matching pairs of fabric by touch, smelling various spices. visually grading different sized pieces of paper with same color and shape, and listening to how different instruments sound. And don't forgot some of the lesser considered options such as discerning color, weight, and temperature or using the stereognostic sense. Truly, the options are limitless in this area. If you are interested in the traditional sensorial activities, you can find presentations from both the <a href="http://www.infomontessori.com/sensorial/introduction.htm" target="_blank">AMI Primary Guide</a> and <a href="http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Sensorial" target="_blank">Montessori Album</a>.<br />
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I hope this helps give you a deeper understanding of Montessori Sensorial and inspires you to incorporate a few activities in your home.<br />
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-Bess<br />
<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Don't forget to </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"> and </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">join me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">.</span><br />
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This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori series. I encourage you to visit each one to learn more about Sensorial.<br />
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Amazing blogs involved in the 12 Months of Montessori Learning</div>
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<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/?p=5022" target="_blank">Natural Beach Living</a> ~ <a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/2015/05/montessori-sensorial-binomial-cube.html" target="_blank">The Natural Homeschool</a> ~ <a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/2015/05/17/first-montessori-cylinder-block-presentation/" target="_blank">Living Montessori Now</a> ~ <a href="http://plantingpeas.com/color-mixing-activities/" target="_blank">Planting Peas</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2015/05/diy-montessori-weighted-cylinders.html" target="_blank">The Kavanaugh Report </a>~ <a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/?p=3895" target="_blank">Mama’s Happy Hive </a>~ <a href="http://www.studyathomemama.ca/" target="_blank">Study at Home Mama</a> ~ <a href="http://childledlife.com/?p=10813" target="_blank">Child Led Life</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2015/05/montessori-inspired-zoo-animal.html" target="_blank">Every Star Is Different</a> ~ <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/05/Sensorial.html" target="_blank">Grace and Green Pastures</a> ~ <a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2015/05/sensory-play-and-activities.html" target="_blank">The Pinay Homeschooler</a><br />
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<br />Bess Wuertzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15857762989347193766noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6890159205524669861.post-15418604446728504442015-04-17T02:12:00.000-04:002015-08-02T00:26:14.541-04:00Edible Botany<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While we often stress the importance of eating our fruits and vegetables, how often do we ask our children to eat their roots and stems? </div>
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Learning the various parts of a plant may be a common lesson in a Montessori classroom. However, what can help those lessons come to life more than exploring those parts with our taste buds?<br />
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For this activity, I began by collecting various edible plant parts. Here is what I chose:<br />
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<li>Flower: Cauliflower</li>
<li>Fruit: Tomato</li>
<li>Leaf: Romaine Lettuce</li>
<li>Roots: Carrots</li>
<li>Seeds: Pumpkin Seeds</li>
<li>Stem: Asparagus<br /> </li>
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I gave my children plant part cards so they could label each item.</div>
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They worked together and were able to label everything correctly.</div>
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Then came the fun part - trying each of the items.</div>
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While my children had eaten everything I presented before, the activity made them particularly eager to try them anew. In fact, I couldn't get them to stop eating. I intend to try this activity again in the near future and introduce some new foods they have not been interested in before. </div>
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We used a plant part checklist to label each item. We checked them off as we tried them. And yes, one of my children decided to eat a tomato as if it were an apple.</div>
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The lesson quickly took on a practical life element as my children asked to cut the fruits and vegetables.<br /></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">We practiced our knife skills and safety.</span></div>
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To highlight just how successful this activity was, my children spent over an hour cutting and tasting. It culminated with their desire to make salads. They acquired the proper dishware and proceeded to prep the veggies. </div>
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Overall, the activity was a phenomenal success. I haven't seen my children this engaged in something for a long time. I was also surprised at how deeply it helped them connect the lesson to other fruits and vegetables. It wasn't long before we were trying to identify as many sources of seeds as we could. My son's face lit up as he proclaimed that by eating a tomato we were actually eating both a fruit and seeds.</div>
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If you would like to try this activity at home, <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxDZoIDWuNwVOG8xYlJrY0haVHM&authuser=0" target="_blank">I have a free printable available here</a>. It includes the plant part cards, journal pages for the tasting experience, and a tasting checklist.</div>
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Here are a few suggestions to try:</div>
Flower: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Artichoke, Squash Blossom<br />
Fruit: Bell Pepper, Tomato, Apple, Banana, Any Berry, Squash<br />
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Leaf: Cabbage, Chard/Kale, Spinach, Cilantro, Parsley, Basil</div>
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Roots: Carrot, Sweet Potato, Parsnip, Beet, Turnip, Radish</div>
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Seeds: Peanuts, Sunflower, Pumpkin Seed, Lentils, Wheat Berries, Rice, Quinoa</div>
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Stem: Asparagus, Onion, Celery, Cinnamon, Leek, Rhubarb</div>
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Happy tasting!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">-Bess</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">Don't forget to </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GraceAndGreenPastures" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">follow me on Facebook</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;"> and </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontessoriHomeschooling/" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; border: 0px none; color: #0f628b; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-stretch: normal !important; font-weight: 600 !important; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; transition: background-color 0.2s ease 0s, border 0.2s ease 0s, color 0.2s ease 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">join me at Montessori Homeschooling</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">This post is part of the 12 Months of Montessori Series. I am truly honored to be part of this endeavor. Don't forget to visit all of the participating blogs to learn more about Botany.</span><br />
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Amazing blogs involved in the 12 Months of Montessori Learning</div>
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<a href="http://www.naturalbeachliving.com/?p=4475" target="_blank">Natural Beach Living</a> ~ <a href="http://www.thenaturalhomeschool.com/?p=13721" target="_blank">The Natural Homeschool</a> ~ <a href="http://livingmontessorinow.com/?p=34501" target="_blank">Living Montessori Now</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thekavanaughreport.com/2015/04/laminated-flower-exploration-for-babies.html" target="_blank">The Kavanaugh Report</a> ~ <a href="http://www.mamashappyhive.com/?p=3766" target="_blank">Mama’s Happy Hive</a> ~ <a href="http://studyathomemama.ca/?p=5082" target="_blank">Study at Home Mama</a> ~ <a href="http://childledlife.com/?p=10327" target="_blank">Child Led Life</a></div>
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<a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com/2015/04/montessori-inspired-fruit-unit-w-free.html" target="_blank">Every Star Is Different</a> ~ <a href="http://www.graceandgreenpastures.com/2015/04/botany.html" target="_blank">Grace and Green Pastures</a> ~ <a href="http://www.pinayhomeschooler.com/2015/04/nature-study-plant-kingdom.html" target="_blank">The Pinay Homeschooler</a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZspc3VVKQo/VLnjr-fWSNI/AAAAAAAADGc/2SCx8BHormA/s1600/12Months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZspc3VVKQo/VLnjr-fWSNI/AAAAAAAADGc/2SCx8BHormA/s1600/12Months.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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