Our Montessori Home, Another Look

Since returning home, we are refocusing on the Montessori approach and encouraging Annabelle to learn to help herself.  I have been surfing the web for lesson ideas, browsing the local consignment shops, and checking in with our craft store for Montessori supplies.  Here’s what’s new in our Montessori home:

1. A step stool to help Annabelle reach the powder room sink so that she may wash her hands.  Care of the person is a necessary part of life and an important aspect of the Montessori approach.  Click here for instructions about how to show your child personal care techniques.

2. A mirror hung at Annabelle’s level next to her coat and hat rack.   Although Annabelle does not yet have much hair, eventually, she will want to groom herself and fix her hat.  For now, she adores kissing herself, rather, her image, on our way out of the door.

3. A second hand Melissa and Doug transportation puzzle.  Since learning how to identify trains as “Choo, choos,” Annabelle likes to point and identify all modes of travel as “Choo, Choos.”  My husband and I are now pointing out buses, cars, trucks, boats, and planes, and not only are we saying the word to match the vehicle but we are also making the appropriate sounds (beep, vroom, etc.).

According to Michael Olaf, puzzles encourage children to develop visual discrimination and eye-hand control.  On the Michael Olaf web-site, it says,

“ Through early experiences with such puzzles, children can develop many useful skills: handling materials, refining movement, completing a cycle of activity, carrying out logical steps in order, solving problems. There is a built in control of error in puzzles so the child can judge for herself, without the help of another person, if the work has been done correctly. This is high level mental activity. ”

I have noticed that Annabelle has an easier time replacing the pieces of the Melissa and Doug transportation puzzle than she did with her shape puzzle.  I wonder whether interest is playing a part in her success with one puzzle and not the other?

4. Montessori Geometric Stacker.  This is another consignment find, which we are using to replace or substitute our 3 rod shape stacker that was too challenging for Annabelle.  It’s a great way for her to learn about color, shape, and size, and she’s shown more interest in working with this toy than the more challenging version since mastery is within reach.

5.  Blocks.  Michael Olaf explains our children’s (and our own) attraction to blocks:

“The attraction is that the imagination of the child is set free to create relationships between these physical objects.

Many mathematical and geometric relationships and architectural concepts are discovered, and physics principles are discovered as the structure gets too tall or too heavy. The child can also work out personal problems by playacting with blocks, animal models and little people. In our experience, next to doing real family work, playing with blocks has been the greatest aid to developing concentration.”

6.  Clothing rack in Annabelle’s bedroom.  To encourage Annabelle to take an interest in dressing herself (another part of Montessori’s care of the person), we installed a clothing rack in her bedroom with 4 outfits for her to choose from each day. So far we are learning that she has a preference (I can’t believe this did not occur to me earlier) for what she wears, and that she enjoys dresses over other kinds of clothing.

Tomorrow we are meeting with our Montessori playgroup again so I hope to share more details about how and what the children are working on.  In the coming week I am going to try the kitchen tool exercises, like this one and this one.   Stay tuned for more, and if you’re a Montessori educator at home or in a school, please share your experiences about these or similar exercises.