Lesson: Currency / Coins- After the month long lessons on telling time we broke into everyone’s favorite thing: MONEY. We learned about the different and variety of each coin (penny 1 cent, nickel 5 cents, dime 10 cents, quarter 25 cents, 50 cent piece and the dollar coins). After we identified the coin we did start to learn how to count the change.
Handwriting: We practiced our cursive letters ot,ut,ol,ul, bl.
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 16 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog, Hebrew, and Korean).
Line Time: Dinosaurs- We traveled back in time and discovered some fascinating things about certain dinosaurs. We learned that dinosaurs no longer exist and that they are extinct. We know dinosaurs exist because scientist found their bones or fossils. From these fossil we saw that some teeth were long and sharp to tear flesh from it’s prey which belonged to meat eaters or carnivores (T Rex). Some teeth were flat for grinding plants, leaves, and branches and belonged to plant eaters or herbivores (Brachiosauras).
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 13 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, and Tagolog).
Peek In Our Classroom:
We have been following this student for about a month and keeping tabs on the status of her sensitive period (writing). She is still strongly interested in handwriting. This picture depicts her tracing the line time name tags. I’m wondering if she kept all of them to herself or did she give the traced name to the appropriate student.
This student is working on an animal puzzle (bird). This puzzle is designed to help the child easily understand and recognize the different parts of a bird and it is painted in vivid colors to catch the child’s attention. Not only does this work help the child recognize the parts of the bird but the knobs help reinforce his fine motor skills.
This child is working on the ever popular Binomial Cube. The Binomial Cube is one of those amazing Montessori materials! It introduces abstract math concept to children as young as 4 without them even knowing it! The early sensorial experience with the cube inspires them to work with this material. The material provides the all important bridge between concrete and abstract thinking. And so amazingly (because it’s logical) the child develops a much deeper understanding of the math. Or it is just fun to work with.
This boy has found what we call and extension. He combined three different sensorial material to come up this creation. He did figure out how to create to go from biggest to smallest.
Next Week: Line Time- Pilgrims/Thanksgiving
Letter Of The Week- M m
Rhyming Word Of The Week- bop
Next Language will be Hebrew
Snack will be brought to you by August
Upcoming Events: 11/20/2018 Tuesday— Harvest Party (Estimated Start Time 11:00am)
***11/21 Wednesday through 11/25 Sunday— NO SCHOOL***
11/24/2018 Saturday— THE GAME noon
Let me explain what is happening in this picture. During line time for the days of the week I have the children put 7 with their fingers. 2 and 5, 4 and 3, Sign Language, and I’ll give the first person who can do 6 and 1 a dollar. This fine boy figured out how to do 1 and 6 in sign language and Mr. John is out a dollar.
Line Time: Insects, arachnids, and Invertebrates- Creepy Crawly, creepy crawly creepy creep creepy crawly (reminds me of The Who song, Boris The Spider). When we went over the five animals all of them were vertebrates (having a backbone and spine) but looking at Insects and arachnids they were invertebrates (no back bone or spine). Most had what we call an exoskeleton which is the skeleton is on the outside. This gives the creature support and protection. We learned insects have a head, thorax, and abdomen, six legs, and two antennae. We sang the characteristics of an insect to the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Some insects are ants, bees, and butterflies. Arachnids have a head and abdomen, and eight legs. Some examples of arachnids are spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites.
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, and Swedish).
This alumnus came back to read to her old classroom. The alumnus is the girl in the chair. The gentleman sitting on the floor is the grandfather. Hehe
Birthday: A Montessori Classroom is comprised of multi-aged students. Here is our newest November 3, 4, 5 year olds.
Peek In Our Classroom:
The Pink Tower is arguably the most popular work in the classroom. This boy found different way to stack the blocks. The different ways to do things is called an extension.
Rolling a mat is one of the first things taught to new students. When students work on the floor the mat is their personal work area.
These girls are working on the Africa Puzzle Map. The obvious purpose is to place and identify countries in the continent. Also, the puzzle maps showcase the difference between land and water, and help to develop an appreciation for spatial awareness. The pegged puzzle pieces, which are used in most Montessori classrooms, have a secondary purpose as well. When a child grips the pegs, it’s actually preparing his or her hand to use a pencil. The pegs help to refine a child’s fine motor control, and will make the transition to holding a pencil that much smoother.
Remember this girl who was part of my blog for the last two weeks? She is still in that Sensitive Period of handwriting. Remember a Sensitive Period is a time frame where the child has a thirst for learning a certain skill in a certain area.
This child is working on the red rods found in the Sensorial Area. The direct aim is visual discrimination of difference in dimensions (length) and muscular memory of length. The indirect aim is preparation for mathematics. This child discovered that each rod is the exact length longer of the shortest rod. She is measuring all of the rods in this pic. ***** Notice how she is creating interest with other children ? ******
Lesson: Telling time to the minute- Since we conquered telling time to the hour, half past, and quarter past, and quarter to/ :45, we looked at telling time to the minute. Tick Tock Tick, do do do do (Steve Miller Band Fly Like An Eagle)
Using their “hands” to make time.
Handwriting: We practiced our cursive letters upper and lower case at, al, as, ic, ir blends.
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog, and Hebrew).
Lesson: Telling time 1/4 ’til- Since we conquered telling time to the hour, half past, and quarter past, we looked at quarter to/ :45
Handwriting: We practiced our cursive letters upper and lower case y, z, ee, ea, et blends
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, and Tagolog).
Line Time: Birds- We ended our journey of studying animals with the bird. We learned birds are vertebrates and are warm-blooded, which means that they can make their own body heat even when it is cold outside. Whether it is sunny and hot outside or there is a snowstorm and it is very cold, warm-blooded animals have body temperatures that usually stay the same. They are born from hard shelled eggs and have feathers. A lot of birds fly but some do not. The flightless birds are the ostrich and penguin. We are not sure if chickens fly.
I thought I saw a Pooty Cat!
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, and Romanian)
Peek In Our Classroom:
Let me explain these 4 photos. It is a sorting work with 5 “objects” that include blue rocks, large white glass discs, small white glass discs, small blue glass discs, and small green glass discs. He sorted all 5 objects with 5 cups. I removed a cup and he sorted in 4 categories (blue rocks and blue glass discs, green glass discs, small white glass discs and large white glass discs). I removed another cup leaving 3 cups. He figured out/sorted (blue rocks and blue glass discs, large white glass discs and small white glass discs, then green glass discs). Removing one more cup leaving two cups he sorted rocks and glass discs. This is problem solving at its finest. Phhheeeew, that was a lot. I wonder if there are different ways we can sort?
This student was featured in last week’s blog practicing handwriting. Here she is a week later working on handwriting. This student is in what Maria Montessori called a Sensitive Period. Montessori sensitive periods refer to a period of time when a child’s interests are focused on developing a particular skill or knowledge area. These periods come and go. When one window of opportunity closes another opens.
Practical Life activities provide skills that children and adults encounter in everyday life. This child is mastering hanging is coat on a hanger.
This child is working on the Sandpaper Letters found in the Language Area. The aim for the Sandpaper Letters is to learn the sound and shape of the letters of the alphabet. To gain a muscular memory of the shape of the letters as a prelude to writing. She is remembering the letters by touch, sight, and sound.
Next Week: Line Time- Insects/Arachnids/Invertebrates
Line Time: Fish- We learned fish are vertebrates or they have a backbone or a spine. They are cold blooded (their body temperature changes to the temperature around them) and have slimy and scaly skin. The unique thing about fish is that some fish are born alive and some fish are born with jelly eggs. Some examples of fish are Trout, Bass, Sharks, and Swordfish. And one more important point is that fish live in water, and many people decide to have fishes for pets since they’re easy to maintain, and you can even get an aquarium and fish decor for it.
I wish I was a fish……
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, and Russian)
Peek In Our Classroom:
This boy is working with the Knobbless Cylinders found in the Sensorial Area. The purpose of these cylinders is to develop child’s fine-motor movements, concentration, hand-eye coordination, and visual perception of dimension. The material also provides experiences of basic language important in math. *** Notice he found a relationship of height between three color/boxes ***
Same child, same work, different relationship that he discovered which is diameter of the cylinders. Do you notice how he draws a crowd? Student observing other students working is a big part of the Montessori Classroom.
She is practicing different strokes that lead to writing in cursive. Research suggests that printing letters and writing in cursive activate different parts of the brain. Learning cursive is good for children’s fine motor skills, and writing in longhand generally helps students retain more information and generate more ideas.
The Montessori 9 Tray Layout is an early place value work. Your child explores and builds a physical place value chart on the floor with Golden Beads and large number cards, units through thousands. This layout will help your child to visualize and develop an understanding of place value, order of numbers and concentration.
Lesson: Telling time 1/4 past- Since we conquered telling time to the hour, half past, we learned how to tell time to quarter past/ :15
Handwriting: We practiced our cursive letters upper and lower case, t,u,v,w,x
Cultural Subjects:
Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, and Swedish).
Lesson: We looked at ten different land forms. We looked at the pairings of islands and lakes, bays and capes, peninsulas and gulfs, and chain of lakes and archipelago.
Kindergarten Students showing they’re favorite land form.
Handwriting: We practiced cursive the upper case and lower case i, j, k, l, m.
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, and Russian).
Lessons: The Kindergarten Students are learning how to tell time old school! We identified what the minute hand and the hour hand are. We first learned how to tell time to the hour/O’ clock/ :00. We then learned how to tell time to the half hour/ half past/ :30.
Handwriting: We practiced the cursive letters (upper and lower case) o,p,q,r,s
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 10 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Greek, Arabic with the Lebanese Dialect, Italian, Russian, and Romanian).
