Montessori experience

In my quest to find a suitable nursery for M., I have visited a few Montessori nurseries (but only a couple could be called Montessori) and I have learnt and copy a few activities to do at home without the expensive Montessori materials.
It is so frustrating visiting this so called Montessoi nurseries because, really, they are not at all following the Montessori methodology, many do not even have the materials or they keep a few hidden away. It is so bad that any nursery can call itself "Montessori" and knowing nothing about the method! This is because dr. Montessori did not make a trade mark of her name.

Anyway, myself that knows exactly what to look for to distinguish what is real from what is not, observed anything that could be done at home, and here I am telling you, I have also found other activities and inspiration in various books I have read about Montessori activities.

PEGS

Used in a Montessori nursery as "practical life activities": a part from learning to use it as an everyday skill, it also helps develop fine motor skills and a good grip for when the child will learn to hold a pen and write with it.




LOCKER AND KEY

Another "practical life activity": the child learns how to open and close a locker, also good for fine motor skills development.

NUTS AND BOLDS

"practical life activity": the child learns to screw and unscrew: fine motor skills

PUZZLES

Shapes, halves, body parts, world map




WASHING UP







SPOONING AND USING A SPONGE

Very good as every day skills, but also to improve eye-hand coordination, and develop a knowledge about volumes.









COOKING



CLASSIFICATION CARDS

Like flash cards on different environments and animals (I will explain in the next post)


WATER AND FLOATING

Put in a bowl full of water different objects and observe if they float or sink (I will explain better in the next post)

trees and roots

After a long time here we are again. it will be hard to summarize all we have done in these months, but I will try to write at least the most interesting activities.

BOTANICS
Muhajiza showed an interest in trees. I explained to her the parts of the tree and made a model for her to understand the roots and the importance of rain and sun for the tree and its fruit to grow.

First I made her put her hands and wrists on a sheet of paper and draw with a black pen around them to make the trunk and the branches of the trees; then I draw only her hands again on another paper to make roots. In this way she understood that roots are like branches but underground! I cut the around the "roots" and glued them on the wrists of the first paper.




I then I made the leaves and fruits by sticking around the branches pieces of green, pink and purple rolled paper (green for the leaves, pink for the unriped black berries and purple for the riped black berries).




To hide the roots underground, I coloured green a rectangular paper of the same lengh of the paper where the trees are. Then I put it on top of the roots and sticked it with a long piece of tape. In this way the roots are hidden and when the green paper (grass) is lifted you can see the roots.

On the left corner of the poster I cut a rectangular with an utility knife. I prepared a circle and drew on it on each side a sun and a rainy cloud. I then inserted in the rectangular hole.
Each day M. will look at the weather and turn the wheel either to show the sun or the rain, both of which are useful to the tree and the berries.