Easy preK at home. 5 FREE #Preschool activities based on #alphabet letter A. Cutting, coloring, matching & reading too! http://bit.ly/5FreeAPreK
“No!” my five-year-old declared, “Cleaning up toys is boring.” He’s usually pretty helpful cleaning up his room and enjoys helping around the house, but sometimes he gets in a mood. When that happens, it can be tempting to turn his defiance into a power struggle. Should I force him into cleaning his room, using my … Continue reading "How to Respond to Defiant Behavior the Montessori Way"
The weather is much nicer, state fairs are popping all over the country and many of us are planning visits to farms and pumpkin patches. Here is a nifty quick printable courtesy of our friend hello…
Your child does not say many words yet? What can you do to boost his language learning?
Montessori has taught me a few things about how to keep my house organised and how to present children's materials! We know that children need their materials to be; accessible ordered beautiful, attractive, age appropriate, engaging simple, not overwhelming When it comes to art materials in the home simple is best. Art materials provide an opportunity for creative, independent work that uses lots of fine motor skills, develops coordination and concentration. It is so important. But we want to avoid mess and waste. Here are a few of my tips. Often it's best to present fewer materials or in lower...
Social and emotional development in children can be hard to track. See this list of social-emotional milestones and skills to expect at different ages.
20+ Ways to Teach Montessori Geography Kids Will Love, Montessori Activities, Montessori Geography Shelf, Montessori Preschool, Montessori Toddler, Montessori Curriculum
How can you support the development of self-regulation in kids? This huge resource is full of self-regulation games, information, books, and more!
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician who is known for her passionate and pioneering work in early childhood development. She believed in sense learning and creative exploration letting childre…
This free printable Do Re Mi staircase is a brilliant visual aid and teaching tool for introducing small children to Do Re Mi and interval recognition.
Anger is probably the #1 issue the kids I work with deal with. In this post you will find many great links, worksheets, and resources for addressing anger in children of all ages. One of my favorit…
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Teach your kids to focus with these 10 simple activities to increase attention span. Learn what the attention span of a preschooler is.
Two Points: This is MY method, and not necessarily right for you, your teaching or care philosophy, your set-up, or your students. Curriculum participation by my students is VOLUNTARY. I invite them to participate, but if they choose not to, then that is fine. I usually offer them a choice of a few of the activities and let them decide where we start and where we go. An engaged child learns, a dis-engaged child rebels. The 3-year rotating curriculum is theme based. Some times we stick to the plan, but usually I observe what they are interested in learning about, what they are asking questions about, and suggest up to three different themes they can choose from for us to study. I make my own 3-year rotating curriculum for many reasons: Packaged curriculum is often only one year. Since I teach for 3 years, this would be redundant. Most packaged curriculum focuses on skills my students master early. My 2s count to 20, know 11 colors, know most of their phonics, uppercase and lowercase letters, 10 shapes and some of their numbers and I still have 3 years of curriculum to teach them. They often are worksheet intensive. My students usually are cognitively advanced from their fine motor skills. I have 4 year olds that still can't write well. If I had relied on worksheets for the last 2 years, there is no way they would have the skill sets they have. Worksheets are also not considered Developmentally Appropriate Practice [DAP] for children under the age of 8. We use them here for writing practice starting at age 4. [Yes, worksheet-intensive public schools are not using DAP for kindy through 3rd grade!] They can be expensive. If you are purchasing worksheets, why would you spend even $1 a week/$52 a year when you can purchase a 400 page Scholastic preschool workbook from Sam's Club for $8 that covers probably more material, is most likely aligned with the public school expectations, and is colorful. Colored copies are NOT affordable to make from packaged curriculum. Most [ALL!] preschool learning should be interactive. Pinterest is a better source for ideas. My students change every time I do a theme. I have to be able to tweak it to the interests and capabilities of those currently in my care. Plus, I'll find more interesting activities on Pinterest, have an idea for a new game, etc. It's a constant evolution to keep my curriculum relevant to our current group, situation and resources. However, curriculum planning and creation is very time consuming. Even with older curriculum I spend several hours going over it prior to teaching - updating, creating new materials, purchasing and setting new classroom decorations. While I have had my 3 year curriculum, this year I found myself wanting a more specific schedule to focus on specific skill sets for this particular group of children. Most of these skills can be incorporated into our themed curriculum, or they take 5 minute sessions to pop into our day. I have two groups, the younger preschoolers are 2-3 years old and the older ones are 4-5 years old, all at the same developmental and skill set level within their group. This makes it easier, as I can tailor everything to just 2 groups. If I were to have additional levels of children, then it would be tailored to each level. Children here are taught at their developmental level, not age. Asychronastic development is normal, so I may be teaching a child at various levels depending upon the subject matter. For the younger preschoolers, I came up with this structure. For the older pre-k students, I came up with this one. For instance, both of them have Measurement & Comparison on Friday for Reasoning. However, for the younger students, this would be a more/less, longer/shorter, big/little, etc. activity, while the older students would be measuring with rulers, yardsticks, tape measures, measuring cups, unit blocks, foot steps or themed units, and graphing the measurements to compare. Same skill set, differentiated at vastly different levels. Even this needs conditional tweaking. All the pre-k's know how to spell their last names now, so that is no longer a relevant skill activity for music and will be changed out. In another post I'll get into the curriculum components and the importance of each. For instance, how counting on Friday teaches 1-to-1 correspondence and creating method processes for counting groups of objects. CLICK PICTURES TO VIEW LARGER I use this MS Word template, available for FREE on TPT, for curriculum planning. Often, the daily skill sets above are either already incorporated, or can easily be incorporated, into the theme planning. For an example of a completed curriculum unit, check out our Owls Theme. Each monthly theme is broken down into 4 sub-themes. For instance: SPACE Astronauts & Rockets The Universe Our Solar System Aliens & Robots We also have a musical component, often classical, and an art component, often a master, and Spanish vocabulary component that we incorporate. This planning form may not include all games, file folder games, manipulatives, room-set up, etc. that I utilize. For those of you trained in curriculum creation, I do NOT do a full curriculum development for each activity. With having these children usually from infant to school-age, I keep an internal evaluation of progression and plan out only weekly learning objectives. Since I am creating the activities for my personal use, I do not need to create written procedures and evaluations. My curriculum is stored currently in file folders in a large office bookcase unit. I would like to get it into boxes so that I could have EVERY theme-related item, including dress-up, room set-up, manipulatives, etc. together for an easy pull. File boxes will most likely be the easiest, but they do take up a lot of space. In each file some of the things I probably have: Completed planning sheets All the books I own for that theme Flannel board Sentence and word walls File folder games Samples of previous crafts DVDs CDs Coloring pages Mini-book(s) Build-a-[theme item] game Curriculum creation is one of my great joys. I love the research and compilation, the creativity and excitement of bringing something fun and educational to my students. Learning is rarely linear. Children take developmental leaps, sometimes in odd directions. As a teacher, it is important that I keep each one challenged without pushing or inhibiting their growth, and that takes constant evaluation and a good eye for when those leaps happen so that we can move on to a higher level of instruction. When we do an activity, I constantly question if they WANT to do another round, another activity, and I usually cut them off while they are still engaged. I want them wanting more, and they will usually ask if they can continue. One of the most important desires and abilities I can instill in them is that of self-directed learning. So as they choose to go off with their rulers after we've spent several minutes doing a measuring activity, conferring between themselves as to procedures and what to measure next, I step back and let them. They know I am here as a resource, rather than an intrusive director. It is my job to ensure that when I invite my students to learn, they glow with excitement and anticipation of a fun, interactive, playful time. The results, so far, have been astounding. A few of my complete curriculum units are available through my TPT store. Apples Dental Ice Cream Penguins Rainbows St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Follow Connie -'s board Classroom on Pinterest. Tags: preschool, child care, pre-k, curriculum, development, teaching, education, homeschooling, homeschool, home, school, preschool curriculum development, planning
Another way to integrate Art History into your lesson plans. This project looks specifically at the paintings of the Sistine Chapel. There is no need to get a close up picture for the students be…
I don’t know anything about the Terrible Two’s. When Hayden was two, that was a breeze compared to him being three. Since he has turned three, he’s been this walking, talking, opinionated little boy. Finally, someone has really put together a picture of what is going on in a toddler’s brain! Source: […]
Take learning to the next level with the ABLLS®-R: Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills. It provides a comprehensive review of 544 skills.
Activities that develop early math skills are our favourites! We love working on our number recognition, counting skills, subitising and 1:1 correspondence. This “Build a City” activity…
FREE printable puzzles to teach preschoolers about antonyms and opposites. Includes 12 self-correcting puzzles with visual cues to find the matching pair of antonyms.
Are you new to Montessori?! Do you feel sometimes overwhelmed with the amount of new information you need to process? Would you like to hear advice from Montessori parents, bloggers, and teachers on common mistakes Montessori newbies make and how to avoid them!?
Around here we love simple and playful learning! For that reason we’ve gathered up 15 simple, playful, and fun activities for learning shapes. {This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.} 15 Activities for Learning Shapes 1. Learning Shapes Hopping Game source: Toddler Approved 2. DIY 3D Shape Sorter source: The Realistic Mama 3. Popsicle Stick Shapes Activity source:...Read More »
The Montessori method of education teaches reading and writing by isolating each sound/symbol and allowing the child to manipulate them herself through the movable alphabet. So why would we teach …
32 Sensory Play Activities For Kids With Autism. Sensory Play helps all children learn, but for kids on the autism spectrum, it can
The Montessori Peace Corner: inspiration for home and the classroom as well as resources.
Considering teaching baby sign language? Learn the basics of sign language for babies, when to start teaching it, how to teach it and why you should.
I really love this. #perspective #JoyfulLeaders
Basic vocabulary, like knowing prepositions, is necessary for beginning readers. Teach prepositions with this simple game.
Tips for staying calm, calming your child, and tools that they can use anywhere.
Not too many are aware though that even kids in their preschool age can already begin their practice of yoga. This would ultimately raise concern among parents who fear that their child's body is not yet fully developed to expose it to such rigorous exercises.
First published July 2011. Updated 2018. I’m going to sound a bit like a textbook right now. I’m sorry. Bear with me. You’ll be glad you did…I hope. :) I was taught in my early childhood courses that there are 6 domains of early childhood development. I say there are 7, but we’ll get...
Adopt the art of parenting without saying no. Find a positive approach to handling your children and using positive rather than negative language choices.
Kleinkinder zu beschäftigen ist nicht immer einfach. Erst recht im Lockdown! Ich hab euch deshalb tolle Spielideen und Spiele zusammengestellt.
Learning about the human anotomy is fun and easy for kids with My First Anatomy game. Identify, match, and learn! We are fearfully and wonderfully made!
How to teach baby sign language, and when to teach it! This guide has everything you need to know about baby and toddler sign language.
Here's a list of age appropriate chores to help you know what to expect your kids to be able to do. A great way to give your kids opportunities to work.
Commonly overlooked sensory red flags and signs of sensory issues that could be a clue to your child’s needs, which will decrease...
Did you know that recent research has shown that you should not tell your child “how smart you are!” Kids sometimes have different feelings and ideas. Such a phrase makes the child realize that he has done everything perfectly, so there is no room for improvement. Instead, parents are advised to praise their children for […]
Ideas and resources for preparing Montessori continent boxes after children work with the Montessori continent map
You might be wondering, yeah, but when should I worry about W Sitting? When is it really a problem? The expert pediatric therapists reveal the truth ...
Printable Activity dice that will encourage imaginative play. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Kids pretend to be animals as they play the dice games
Follow these simple tips to help you improve your child's receptive and expressive language skills with everyday activities.
Considering teaching baby sign language? Learn the basics of sign language for babies, when to start teaching it, how to teach it and why you should.
One of the most frustrating things about raising a young child is having a 2 or 3-year-old not listening to anything you say. When my son was a toddler, I found it so hard to
