TOp 5 pieces of Montessori equipment

[LukesMum]

It looks like my daughter will stay home with me for the remainder of this school year and we will continue with our Montessori at home. If you could choose 5 works for a 3.5 year old what would they be??? I am thinking metal insets, pink tower, cylinder knobs...?? what do you think

[guestmama9911]

Dressing Frames

[Lillianna]

It is difficult to isolate any of the materials because of the indirect preparations involved as well as the fact that all the materials make a clear progression from simple to complex as the lessons build upon one another in a cumulative fashion. I guess I'm trying to say I'm not too sure how much sucess you will have with isolated pieces of equipment. The younger children observing older children at work and learning from them by direct lessons is also an important aspect of the success of this method in the Children's House. However, if I were not able to send my dd to Casa at 3.5, here is what I would make sure that I had:

1. cursive sandpaper letters
2. metal insets
3. puzzle maps
4. teen and ten boards
5. bells

These are materials that she can use for years to come and you can do a wide variety of activities with.

I guess it also depends on your dd's interests, for example, get color box #3 instead of bells if she is more interested in art than music or substitute fractions for metal insets if she is more interested in math than geometry.

I would also set up all of the practical life, some of the sensorial (tasting, smelling, sound boxes) and some of the math and language.

[guestmama9911]

The problem with the Montessori philosophy requiring mixed ages and specific environments, etc, is that only the wealthy can afford a Montessori school in the US right now. I have read many Montessorians criticise the Montessori homeschool for that reason, however, until public schools in all school districts start practicing Montessori, most of us have no choice but to do what we can to recreate that environment at home.

The Yahoo! group MontessoriMakers helps you create you own materials at home. So do the two books in the Teaching Montessori In The Home series by Elizabeth Hainstock.

For example, I am making rough-smooth touch boards from wood and sand paper from WalMart and it cost me less than $5.00 for the materials. I'm making color cards with wood and paint chips. Sand paper letters and numbers should be time intensive but cheap. A child size broom costs $4.95-$6.95.

If you can, find other Montessori homeschooling parents and set up playdates/school dates around specific activities (like a language day) so that you can try to get the interaction among age groups. Otherwise, don't stress it, I say.

[Lillianna]

I know it's kind of annoying but I do feel like I have to bring this up. It's only because I have experienced the success that the children have with the materials and the 3 year age span/3 hour work cycle.

Think about it: for 3 hours every morning, these children are effortlessly absorbing every other activity being performed in the room. They are observing others at work, hearing poems, songs, bell work, math facts...They see older children helping younger ones, wiping up spills, sweeping crumbs. Other are sewing or counting, painting or polishing...You just can't offer this experience without alot of other children present!

4 years olds counting to 1000, writing in cursive and beginning to read phonetically as well as being cooperative and interested in helping those who are younger or less able, these behaviors are quite different than what is accepted as common preschool behavior. Also, I mention it because I know my own dd, and many children, are resistent to lessons from their own Mother. Because I see children skipping to school and spending the day happily learning together, and because I want to increase understanding of why Montessori education can be so rewarding.

By the way, I am not criticizing people who choose to use M materials in the home, just trying to explain that there are real reasons why it might not be too successful. I had a few materials at home for my dd this past summer, and she never wanted to touch them whenever I invited her. Then when her friend came over one day, a little girl a couple years older than my dd, they played with them (SP letters and Bells) the whole day. There is no way I could teach all the things the children learn from each other at school each year, they learn an amazing amount from one another.

I think it would be a great idea to recreate this environment in your home! Get training and open up your very own Children's House!

Also, setting up an entire set of materials is alot of work! At that point, you might as well hire a Directress and open the Children's House.

Sorry if this highjacks the thread, I realize OP is only asking for advice on a limited number of materials.

[daekini]

Originally Posted by Lillianna

Sorry if this highjacks the thread, I realize OP is only asking for advice on a limited number of materials.

Seeing as she seems to have no option other than the wonderful option of teaching her own child at home, I'll try to come up with something constructive.

I've gotten some wonderful things from www.montessoriservices.com at the suggestion of my sister who is a Montessori teacher. At 3 my dd spends more time following me around copying my own work - perhaps you should look at your daily life and think of things you can get to allow your child to participate using real but diminutive objects like brooms, baking pans, etc? ...since she is only 3.5?

I haven't had any challenges creating a Children's house at home - it IS a children's house!

[Raven67]

Sorry to quibble, but I think the term "wealthy" is stretching it a bit....we are not wealthy, but I'm planning a Montessori education for my kids starting next fall for my 3yo. Around here, the Montessori school is nestled within a private/Catholic school, and it's more affordable than the other private schools. So, I think it's true to say low-income people probably can't afford most Montessori schools, it's not accurate to say Montessori is only available to the wealthy here. BTW, our school district has launched a Montessori charter school starting with 3s....very cool...... a great initiative for low income people to have access to Montessori here.

Originally Posted by alisaterry

The problem with the Montessori philosophy requiring mixed ages and specific environments, etc, is that only the wealthy can afford a Montessori school in the US right now. I have read many Montessorians criticise the Montessori homeschool for that reason, however, until public schools in all school districts start practicing Montessori, most of us have no choice but to do what we can to recreate that environment at home.

The Yahoo! group MontessoriMakers helps you create you own materials at home. So do the two books in the Teaching Montessori In The Home series by Elizabeth Hainstock.

For example, I am making rough-smooth touch boards from wood and sand paper from WalMart and it cost me less than $5.00 for the materials. I'm making color cards with wood and paint chips. Sand paper letters and numbers should be time intensive but cheap. A child size broom costs $4.95-$6.95.

If you can, find other Montessori homeschooling parents and set up playdates/school dates around specific activities (like a language day) so that you can try to get the interaction among age groups. Otherwise, don't stress it, I say.

[mehndi mama]

We, too, are doing what you're thinking of - trying to carry out a Montessori-ish education in the home as best we can, until the time when we *can* send the boys to a Montessori school. Even though our school's IC & Primary rates are reasonable, it's still not figured into our income and thus not an option at this point. But since Elementary is free through our public school system, I'm going to try my darndest to have them as prepared as I can manage before they make that step into Elementary school!

OK, materials. I'm definitely still learning, but what I've done for the little ones so far is:

Restructure their bedroom to make dressing & cleaning achievable
Bought small tables and chairs from IKEA
Weeded out the toys so that all they have is blocks, a few dolls, balls, walker wagon, and abacus
Set aside a cupboard for their dishes & activity materials (pitchers, trays, bowls, etc.)
I'm making sandpaper letters & a felt Moveable Alphabet (LMK if you'd like templates for Cursive Italic - I just got done making them!)
We put up a chalkboard

Next on the list is to get dishwashing & veggie washing supplies. I've also gone through the house & put together baskets of household stuff for language lessons - I can usually use the same set of items to do an Infants lesson & a Primary lesson. It's just presented different. And I need to work on math stuff and make a cardboard "inset" set.

[LukesMum]

Lilliana thank you and thank you all for the information. My situation is my ds went to a FABULOUS Montessori school that went up to age 14!! He finished the 3 yr cycle and we have moved to Bahain. We tried putting him in the DoD american school but ended up pulling him for many reasons and are homeschooling. Hes 6. We bought a curriculum and supplement with Montessori . I have no idea how to do elementary montessori, but I've pieced together what I can and give him an hour of free time after we finsih his set curriculum to choose his work ( lots of matching cards etc) My dd is 3.5. Theres a crappy Montessori school here thats dirty and choatic. Theres another thats wonderful but is full for this year. I have started Montessori teacher training thru MCI ( they have a center here!) and am going to use this in my homeschooling and possibly in the future. DD says she doesnt want to go to school-she wants to homeschool with her brother. I thought Id be able to intern at the great school but since theres no room for her-Id have to intern and leave her home. ( not going to happen) Perhaps in the fall, 2 mornings a week. Anyway, I have created a small area as our classroom and am involoving her ina s much practical life as I can. My other problem is I have a full time live in maid ( dont hate me-you just have to in this part of the world with the enviromental factors-Id spend every day all day trying to keep the house sanitary and cook and run to market) who doesnt like dd making messes and then I dont end up doing a lot of the practical life things myself. She does help wash veggies, sweep, vacuum, but not every day. I need to focus on this a little more. I am very homesick right now. I want dd to have the same advantages ds had with Montessori but I cant get her to focus or sue the materials properly. As soon as I move away she starts "playing" with the materials instead of "focusing: on her work. ANyway, appreciate all thats been said
Warmly

[daekini]