Using a Number Line

This Number Line was made using poster board folded in half (so it would stand), writing the numbers 1 to 10 and covering with contact paper.

A Number Line can be found in the math area of the Montessori classroom. It is a handy tool for young children to use when learning their numbers. When counting items the items can be laid out in front of the Number Line and when identifying the number symbols it can be used as a guide for 1 to 10 counting. When a child is writing their own numerals, the Number Line can again be used as a reference.

In the photo the little girl uses the Number Line when discovering the mystery number of hearts.
We have a Number Line here at home also and over the years my boys have used it many, many times. Having a visual guide when learning new information is very helpful (especially for visual learners). This is also something an older child could make for a younger child.

Enjoy!
~~MM

5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Here is a well loved story stretcher for 3 to 6 year olds. Extending the 5 Little Monkey song, provide props for your children to act out the song game. The Mama monkey is a sweet finger puppet I picked up locally at Hobbledeehoy Toys in Belfast Maine, the doll bed came with another set of doll house furniture years ago, the monkeys were part of a counting set, and the book I believe was purchased at Borders Books (again years ago).

If finding the items is a challenge you could also extend this story into an activity, using cut-outs or drawings, felt monkeys...use your creative imagination.
In the Montessori classroom this activity could be found in either the language area OR the Math area. The children enjoy making the monkeys jump on the bed and subtracting one each time. This is a nice two person work, one friend being the little monkeys, another being the Mama monkey, and then they can switch and do it again.

Enjoy and have fun!
~~MM

The Real Teacher

When I took my Montessori teacher training one of the many hand-outs I was given was the following list:

Guidelines for Teachers in a Montessori Classroom:

1.) Good general health and emotional stability
2.) Appears attractive
3.) Possesses personal internalized sense of order
4.) Moves gracefully
5.) Speaks with a quiet, well modulated voice
6.) Uses neither rough nor excessive affectionate physical handling of the children
7.) Exemplifies grace and courtesy to the children
8.) Teaches on child's physical and mental level
9.) Links child with the apparatus
10.) Gives varied lessons to all age levels
11.) Respects the dignity of children and teachers and parents
12.) Responds to children's physical, mental and emotional needs
13.) Draws upon community resources to enrich program
14.) Helps prepare environment consistent with maturation of sensitive periods of the class
15.) Maintains classroom orderliness and cleanliness

At the bottom of the paper it says: Source: Adapted from the AMS Guidelines 1986

Phew! What a list huh?
I gotta tell you, they left a few things off it. I've added some below.
16.) Possesses a willingness to be thrown up on if the need arises
17.) Provides a shoulder to cry on for: all children, co-teachers and parents when needed
18.) Demonstrates an ability to think on her(his) feet, is very flexible
19.) Patience, patience and more patience
20.) Talented musically (well, LOVES to sing anyway)
21.) Peaceful conflict resolution EXPERT
22.) Capable of being yelled at, even hit by a child having a tantrum and remaining calm
23.) Will work for little pay and even less recognition from society
24.) Has genuine interest in learning about EVERYTHING
25.) Doesn't mind repeating one's self
26.) Did I say possesses amazing amounts of patience?
27.) Abilities include but are not limited to: unclogging toilets, pronouncing dead fish, shoveling snow, detangling jumpropes, organizing and maintaining peace and safety on a sledding hill, comforting hurt feelings, making playdough, finding lost mittens...oh there just isn't enough space here.
28.) Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound!
just kidding about that last one...

These people are amazing! I substituted yesterday in a 3-6 class and left feeling not only exhausted, but completely and totally in awe of my fellow teachers. How do they do it? Day in and day out arriving with a smile and gently reminding small people of often the same things they gently reminded them of the day before. As a mother of three I often go to bed feeling drained of all patience and energy. This is a hard job being a parent, no other job will ever be as challenging; this I know to be true. Being a care giver of children however, comes close. These amazing people I have the privilege of working with are all also mothers. They come to work and care for and love 16+ children each day only to return home and continue that role AND make dinner? Wow! It can be a thankless job also, if you loose sight of the small rewards through-out your day. Which is easy to do when you are tired on a Friday afternoon.

So, I would just like to say, to all you teachers out there:

Thank you, thank you for loving and learning along side our world's children. Thank you for giving and giving and giving more. Thank you for comforting hurts, sharing in discoveries, working through conflicts, providing opportunities for growth and learning, and for being safe, gentle and kind. Our world is a more beautiful place because of you.

~~with admiration and in appreciation
MM

Beauty all around me

I spent the day at the Montessori school today. And it was obvious that Valentine's Day is coming. Children were busy snipping and sticking, making beautiful handmade notes of friendship for one another. At a rug one child counted hearts into a basket at a table near by, two friends cut red play-dough into heart shaped 'cookies'. This spooning activity caught my eye and I had to share it with you all. Beautiful things draw you to them. That's what it comes down to really. These hearts are begging to be transfered from one place to the other on this small red spoon.
~~MM

Be My Valentine?

Here is a somewhat tricky tweezing work for small hands to try. Red pom-poms, chop sticks, a recycled chocolate container and a heart shaped dish make this Practical Life work complete.
My favorite question with this work is:

"Where did all the chocolates go?"

Hmmm.....
Kids are so smart.

*Note: to make this activity easier for young threes, a spoon or another tool could be used in place of the chop sticks.
Enjoy!
~~MM

Art & Play : Potato Prints

Hello All,
Here is today's Art & Play project for those of you who couldn't make the class due to snow, you can easily do this one at home: Potato prints!

Materials needed:

• large baking potatoes
• tempera paints
• paper plate or recycled container to hold paint
• paper
• kitchen knife (for parent use only)
• metal cookie cutters

Cut your potatoes in half width-wise. The raw surface will be the stamp.
Press a small cookie cutter into the potato and gently cut away background.
Dip potato stamps into paint and print them on paper.



My 3rd grader and I are going to make Valentines this afternoon from these, I'll let you know how they turn out.
*Obviously if you prefer to draw and cut your own design or image, go for it. The cookie cutters worked and were easy from me to make the several stamps needed for the art group. Try stamping on colored paper, mixing paints, overlap images, or printing on clothing with fabric paints! Most of all have fun and enjoy your time together.
~~MM

Healing Hugs

My Little One has been sick with a tummy bug this week.

At morning circle, when one of my students was out sick, we would light a special candle and send a "Healing Hug" to our absent friend. As a group we would wrap our arms around our own bodies (in a hug) and close our eyes and send love and well wishes up and into the air by lifting our arms to the sky. When we extinguished the candle we would say the name of our missing friend(s) and "we hope you feel better".
When children who had been home from school sick would return, they would inevitably ask, "Did you send me a healing hug when I was out?"
and I would always say
"Of course we did, we miss you when you are not here."
Their little face would light up feeling loved and missed by their classroom family.
It started as a community building tool, but it became more than that.

Please send my Little One a 'Healing Hug' if time allows. It's been a long week and it's only Wednesday.
~~~MM

Playing with Blocks: The Pink Tower

In the Montessori classroom (3-6) we introduce the Pink Tower to the three-year-old as part of the sensorial work to help develop the sense of visual discrimination. The Pink Tower stands prominently in the classroom-ten pink colored cubes, the largest measuring 10 centimeters on each side, and the smallest a one-centimeter cube. When Dr. Montessori designed them she painted them pink to draw the children to them. And yes it does!

To work with the Pink Tower, the child carries, with both hands, one block at a time to a work rug. Ten trips over and ten trips back get all the blocks to the rug. This activity builds concentration and memory. As the child works with the Pink Tower, the child's body and mind are absorbing information that will help in future math activities. At the simplest level, the Pink Tower is a groovy set of pink building blocks. But really it is so much more.

When working with the Pink Tower your child develops:

• concentration
• independent decision making skills
• beginning math concepts of square and cubes
• visual discrimination of 1/2 centimeter
• hands-on experiences with geometric progression
• understanding of physical concepts that aid in later work in algebra and higher mathematics

In addition, many children enjoy drawing the Pink Tower. The Pink Tower lends itself to artwork and challenges the child to figure out how to draw a cube, how to maintain the proportion of the tower, how to shade and more!

The beauty of the Pink Tower is that there are multiple physical concepts embedded in the material, whether we are cognizant of them or not. And it's FUN to build a tower!

A young friend of mine once told me he was done building with the Pink Tower.
"Done?" I asked him. "You use the Pink Tower everyday and you seem to enjoy it. You don't want to build with it anymore?"

"That's right." he said, "I've built it every way you can build it, I've drawn it on paper, I've painted it, I've built it with the brown stairs, and I think I'm done." he said sadly.

"Well," I said, "you can certainly move on to other works whenever you want, it's your choice. I'm wondering however, have you ever looked at the Pink Tower from the floor?"

He looked at me and tilted his head curiously, "From the floor?"he asked.

"Yes, from the floor, the Pink Tower looks very different when you lie down and look up at it from the floor."

"I've never done that!" He exclaimed.

And off he went to build his beloved Pink Tower again and when he was done building, together we lay on the floor and looked up at the pink tower. And using our magic imaginations we saw a plane fly by and a rainbow arch above us. Soon other tall towers were being constructed. The knob-less cylinders made colorful additions to his city, the red rods ran like a fence around the kingdom.

I am happy to share that my young friend is five now and still builds with the Pink Tower. He returns to it after more challenging works are completed. Like a trusted friend he finds comfort in the familiarity of it. And this budding artist has created many drawings of his imaginary city of towers. Many stories have been told about dragons that perch high above the kingdom balancing on one silver toenail on the tiniest pink cube.
I don't think he will be 'done' with the Pink Tower any time soon.

Enjoy your adventures in block play!
~~MM
*credit Maren Schmidt M:magazine

TAG! I'm apparently "IT"

Village Mama tagged me, so that means I have been asked to answer the following questions.
Here goes.

1.) Name one thing you do everyday:

Read: Goodnight Moon

2.) Name 2 things you wish you could learn:

How to speak a foreign language
How to Time Travel.

3.) Name 3 things that remind you of your childhood:

The Muppets
Baseball
Having to sit in the backseat

4.) Name 4 things you love to eat but rarely do:

sushi
cheesecake
coffee milkshakes
Box Lunch John Alden sandwich

5.) Name 5 things/people that make you feel good:

Getting cards in the mail
When my house is clean
Drawing with my children
Chapstick
Baking things for other people

6.) List 6 facts about yourself:

I love tea parties but don't care much for tea.
I've never gotten a speeding ticket but I have been pulled over for going too slow.
I met my husband in kindergarten.
I pray every day.
I'm a Reiki Master.
I know every word of Goodnight Moon :)

You're IT!
Plaid Shoes
Julie
Alexis

Not Exactly What I Had Planned....

So, I thought my little one would enjoy a new sensorial experience, and I was right! He just jumped right in. My friend Paula loaned me this wonderful red bin, I planned to fill it with sand or water. Because I did not have sand and fearing my little boy might climb in thinking it was bath time, I opted to fill the bin with cotton balls instead. I provided cups for filling and dumping and demonstrated how to do this new activity. Then I left the room briefly and returned to find my little one IN the bin and most of the cotton balls out of the bin.
When he looked up and saw me, he said very clearly,
"IN MAMA!" well yes, he was in wasn't he?

Best laid plans. I am reminded by this whole body exploration, that a toddler's learning is through self discovery. I need to give him the freedom to explore with his senses.
Snow is cold, water is wet, the cats are soft...
to touch and feel it, to smell it, to taste it, to hear it, to see it
For him to learn what it is, understand and grow.
This is his work. And obviously it's fun!

I hope to share more "red bin" discoveries in future posts!
In PEACE
~~MM