[operamommy]

Hi all! I've started doing Montessori activities with my 3-year-old, and he loves it. I realize that you can't really do Montessori at home the way that it's done at a school, but right now this is our only option.

In your opinion, what are the most important materials to have? I've ordered a few, but sooo many of them look useful that I don't know how to decide. Thanks so much.

 

[nov05mama]

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[MattBronsil]

What kind of budget are you looking at? I'd hate to rattle off a long list and realize it's way beyond what you're planning to spend.

 

[tema]

hi!

i am planning to homeschool my third child as well using the montessori method...i live overseas though so i plan to order all the materials at once when i'm visiting north america..

can anyone recommend a good 'package' of most essential items?...i've seen few on websites like adenamontessori etc...our budget is about 1000$...

 

[operamommy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBronsil What kind of budget are you looking at? I'd hate to rattle off a long list and realize it's way beyond what you're planning to spend.

Hmm. I'd like to keep it under $300-400. We already have knobless cylinders, sandpaper letters, sandpaper numbers, a spindle box, and various pouring/spooning tonging items. Many of them I haven't introduced yet, as when I ordered them I didn't understand that there were many lessons that came before the spindle box, for example. Many items I've also already made or am planning to make, such as color tablets, dressing frames, and touch boards.

I was looking over things last night and came up with these items that I thought would be good to have:

pink tower
metal insets/tracing tray
geometric solids
movable alphabet
cylinder blocks
world puzzle

I'd love to get your input. Thanks so much!

 

[eepster]

A lot of M materials can be made for much less than it costs to buy them.

The first question is, what skills and tools do you have available.

Does any one in the family do wood working? If yes, then the pink tower is just blocks of wood between 10x10x10 centimeters and 1x1x1 centimeter cubed. Basically: measure; cut; sand; paint; done. The brow stairs, the red bars, the red and blue bars all are just as easy.

Does anyone know how to use pliers? The ones/counting/decimal beads are very easy to make. Just stick beads on wire, twist the ends into loops to keep them on. For the long chains in the cabinette join them with jump rings.

The movable alphabet could be made from heavy card stock with the letters glued to it. The letters could be printed with you computer.

Etc, etc, etc...

ETA: Just took a peek at your blog and discovered you already figured this out yourself.

 

[MattBronsil]

I agree with the previous poster about trying to have materials made if you have a good contact of someone that is a woodworker.

The 2 most important areas, in my opinion, are the sensorial and practical life areas. Without these 2 areas, the rest of the curriculum just doesn't work as well.

For math, making the beads will be time consuming, but definitely worth having. You can also make many of the other materials, though they won't be as nice. The teen and ten boards can be made of paper, a laminator, and magnets. (Put a magnet on the back of the 0 in 10 and a magnet in the back of the unit number to cover up the 0.) The stamp game can be printed up from www.montessorimaterials.org (as can many other Montessori materials).

I'd look around and see what materials you can make for the cost of paper and printer, see what you still need, and go from there. But ultimately, I'd say practical life and sensorial are the most important parts of the classroom.

 

[operamommy]

Thanks for the help, everyone!

 

[babymommy2]

I have question related to this. If you choose to buy some materials, does the cost matter? Is the higher cost stuff really better. I am thinkin of buying a few things for home use, and the prices between sites is unreal, some sell an item for 40 -50 dollars, that is well over 100$ elsewhere.

 

[MattBronsil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymommy2 I have question related to this. If you choose to buy some materials, does the cost matter? Is the higher cost stuff really better. I am thinkin of buying a few things for home use, and the prices between sites is unreal, some sell an item for 40 -50 dollars, that is well over 100$ elsewhere.

Quality is hit and miss at some places. Nienhuis, which is supposed to be the "best," has honestly lacked in quality on many of their products the past few years from what I have seen.

There are some things you often get from many of the really inexpensive places:
1) Poor quality products
2) Horrible customer service
3) Long shipping delays

If I were to suggest a place that has reasonable prices, it would be Alison's Montessori. Their customer service has been raved about as being top notch. If you're unhappy with a product you receive, e-mail them and they will resolve the issue as best they can and quickly. I've ordered from some places and it has taken months to get my stuff, so I'm hesitant about many of the discount places.

 

[Mama Shifra]

Elizabeth Hainstock's classic Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years really not only describes what is essential and how to use it, but also how to make most of those materials. Your library will probably have a copy as it has been in print continuously since the early 1970s.

For practical life, the broom from Berea College is great!

 

[ourdayourjourney]

There is also another book, Teach Me to do it Myself by Maja Pitamic.