Flower Study

For the past two weeks, my girls have been studying flowers and I thought I would share a little bit about it.

I printed some flower 3 part cards for the girls. We discussed the names of the flowers and the girls sketched them and made their own flower books. I also put out some flower stencils with coloring pencils. Sloane made her own field guide, which involved drawing, writing and research. We also dissected irises from our backyard and learned about the parts.

The topic of flowers wasn’t planned. We go for hikes a lot as a family and have been observing flowers beginning to bloom on our hikes. We also have irises and peonies blooming in our backyard. Almost every time we pick up a bouquet of flowers for our home, Sloane sits down and draws them. Following a child’s interest is one of the keys to academic learning in a Montessori classroom. Endless opportunities open up for writing, reading, practical life, sensorial and math when we notice an interest a child has and follow along. “To concentrate is to be engaged in some exercise that absorbs your total attention. The exercise generally consists of work with some material that necessitates the movement of the hands. When a child is interested, all his potential is absorbed in his work. This is concentration. Once a child concentrates, all his naughtiness disappears, just as darkness disappears when a light is switched on. It is like magic.” (The 1946 London Lectures.)

Montessori at Home: Math

Whether we love math or profess our hatred for it, we do math calculations every day just to stay alive! The math curriculum is one of those most brilliant aspects of the 3-6 Montessori classroom.

Montessori math introduces abstract concepts to children with concrete materials. The sequence begins by introducing quantity for 1-10 using red and blue rods. This difference in the size of the rods indicates to the child the difference between the numbers. Look how short one is! Ten is so long! After this, children are introduced to the symbols for 1-10, then the concepts of quantity and symbol are combined. After this, children can go on to linear counting or on to work with the decimal system with golden bead material. Next up are materials that support the memorization of math facts in a concrete way. As the children show mastery, the materials become more abstract.

One important aspect of Montessori math is the isolation of difficulty. Each new concept is introduced in isolation and each new concept is added as mastery is observed.

There are many ways that you can support math at home without Montessori materials. Just like language, there are opportunities for math all around us!

• Give opportunities for your child to see one to one correspondence. One to one correspondence gives children the understanding that numbers are associated with quantity. This is vital to a strong foundation in math. Buttoning clothing (one button per hole), setting the table (one place per person), and counting out servings of food (one slice of pizza per plate) are great ways to support this at home.

• Play distance games. “Bring me two pillows.” “Bring me six spoons.” Movement is a vital part of the Montessori math curriculum. Adding in movement to math games at home is engaging and supports your child’s cognitive development.

• Use dice or playing cards to reinforce math. These are simple items that most people already have in their homes. You can use dice and playing cards for counting and addition and subtraction practice.

• Get in the kitchen! Cooking and baking offer loads of opportunities for math! Counting, measurement, and division of ingredients and portions are all wonderful ways to support a strong foundation in math.

Cursive Alphabet Printable

When my now six year old started in the Children’s House just before turning 3, I made this cursive alphabet print for her bedroom. I thought I would share it here as a free download. Enjoy!