Early Tot School, Montessori, Tot School Units

Easy Ocean Themed Tot School Unit: Part 1

June 5, 2017

Summer is a great time to take a vacation to the beach, but if it’s too far away you can bring the beach inside with this fun ocean themed tot school unit! I have created so many printables and activities that I had to divide it into three posts! So check back throughout the week as I continue to share all the ocean themed fun we have been having!

Baby Nomenclature Cards

As a Montessori Mama I am a HUGE fan of nomenclature cards. What are nomenclature cards, you ask? Simple, they are cards that feature a vocabulary word and image (think flashcards for vocabulary building). In the Montessori tradition they are frequently used as ‘Three-Part Cards’. There is a complete card with both the image and title, as well as a second divided card with an image on one portion and the title on a separate portion. It really isn’t as confusing as it sounds 🙂

As children begin to read they can use 3-part cards to match the title to the image. For now, my boys just use nomenclature cards which allow them to build vocabulary. (If you’re interested in learning more, click here) For months Nugget has been trying desperately to get his hands on Goose’s laminated nomenclature cards for each unit I introduce. Unfortunately his little motor skills just aren’t quite ready to handle the laminated cards without bending (and often chewing!) them to pieces.

This is why I decided it was time to find a way to create his own set of nomenclature cards that would be virtually indestructible.

How To:

First, gather your supplies. You will need
- Mod Podge
- Acrylic Paint (I used white)
- A set of Images for your cards – download mine here
- Thin pieces of Balsa Wood
Begin by printing and cutting out your nomenclature card images.
Using your paper images as a guide, mark how large you wish for your wooden pieces to be. Mine are 2.5″ x 3.75″.
Cut your wood strips into the desired size and thoroughly sand the edges. You don’t want to leave any splinters that could find their way into tiny fingers!
Use your acrylic paint to apply a background color to both sides of your wood card.
Once the paint has dried fully use Mod Podge to adhere your paper nomenclature cards. I applied 6 coats to the front and 2 coats to the back of my cards to ensure a smooth, shiny finish.

Nugget was so excited when I introduced his very own nomenclature cards! He’s at the age where he wants to do everything that big brother does. First we sat together and went through each card as I read the titles to him. Then, I brought out a basket containing Munchkin Ocean Squirts bath toys. He quickly figured out how to lay out the cards and match the bath toy to the corresponding card. It was so much fun! When he proudly said “Sark!” it just warmed my heart!

Lacing Cards

Lacing cards are such a fun way to develop fine motor skills, so I knew I just had to include them in my Ocean themed tot school unit! All you have to do is print, cut them out (this can be great cutting practice for an older sibling – and can save you time, too!), and punch the holes.

Personally, I prefer to laminate my cards so they last through more than one use. If you are looking for a laminator this Purple Cows Hot and Cold Laminator is very affordable and has worked perfectly for more than a year.

Some easy extension activities can include asking your child to lace every other hole, or even do a blanket stitch. There’s no reason that a material you took the time to make has to be used only one way.

Water Bead Sensory Bin

If you visit my blog very often you already know how much I adore water beads. The slimy, squishy texture is shockingly addicting and my little ones are over the moon excited when I get them out. I ordered these from Amazon and the tiny package has lasted several months. The beads expand to nearly 200 times their original size, so it doesn’t take many to fill a sensory bin. I usually prepare them the night before – pour a tablespoon or two in a bin full of water and by morning they are ready for play!

Note: Always supervise the use of water beads in your home. Although they are non-toxic they can still be hazardous if swallowed due to their exponential growth. Always store your water beads away from children and pets, and contact your doctor or vet if you believe they may have been ingested.

Free Printables!

OK, you’ve been patient – and you will be so well rewarded. I got completely carried away designing printables for my Ocean themed tot school unit. There are the lacing cards I showed you above, size sorting games, animal activity cards, even a pretty ocean quote to decorate your tot school space! To get all this and more sign up below and you’ll receive your exclusive access code for my Digital Resource Library!

Check back Wednesday to see more of our Ocean Tot School Activities!

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Early Tot School, Montessori, Tot School Units

How to Make Colored Rice (and What to Do With It!)

May 12, 2017

Colored Rice: The Basics

Colored rice is incredibly easy to make and extremely fun to work with. The color combinations are endless as are the applications. Below is my favorite recipe for how to make your own colored rice, followed by a few easy activities you can use it with.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Uncooked Dry Rice
1/8th Cup White Vinegar
Food Coloring

Instructions:

Begin by pouring the vinegar over your dry rice. Ad 3-5 drops of food coloring in your desired color(s) and stir until well combined. The more food coloring you use, the darker and more vivid your rice will be.

Once the rice is fully combined spread it evenly over a baking sheet. Let sit for 1-2 hours until completely dry, stirring occasionally. Store in a dry, sealed container when not in use.

OK, I’ve Made My Rice – Now What??

Colored Rice is perfect for sensory bins. It works particularly well for smaller children because it doesn’t post a chocking hazard and is non-toxic. Below you can see that I used it in an Ocean sensory bin and a Farm themed sensory bin.

This material also works well in several Montessori activities. I have used it as an introductory pouring medium, as well as for scooping.

Comment below with your favorite colored rice activity!

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Montessori

5 Surprising Things I Learned From Observing a Montessori Classroom

May 6, 2017

After nearly a year of creating my own Montessori inspired activities and lessons for Goose, we made the difficult decision to enroll him in a formal Montessori School. In the end we decided that my lack of training would never equal the lessons that a true AMI certified teacher could provide. Now as his first full year comes to a close I realize just how right – and how wrong – I was.

I have learned so much more about the Montessori method throughout this year, and the most helpful learning tool has been the opportunity to observe my son’s classroom multiple times throughout the year.

1. The Sense of Order is Impeccable

My biggest concern about Montessori was whether 2 teachers could really keep 20+ children ages 3-6 under control for an extended period of time. There are days when I struggle to keep up with my 2 boys, I can’t even imagine trying to keep ten times that many focused on their work.

The reality is that the Montessori method not only encourages order but almost guarantees it. As I observed I saw children seamlessly selecting a work, carrying it to their chosen table or mat, performing the task and then carefully putting it away. Snacks were available throughout the morning and as children became hungry they had the freedom to fix themselves a plate, dine with a classmate and then carefully load their dishes in a dishwasher. It was amazing!

Of course even the most impressive child is only human, and I occasionally witnessed a child who was disruptive. This behavior is not handled with discipline. Rather, the teacher encourages the child to sit beside her while performing a calming work such as coloring or tracing. The children don’t even know they are being reprimanded. They are simply given the much needed opportunity to collect themselves.

2. Every Material Has a Multitude of Uses

When I first began to research the Montessori method I was introduced to several materials that feature prominently in every primary classroom. Materials such as the Pink Tower (shown below) baffled me. Clearly it was important to Montessori theory but why? How is this tower any different from the stacking toys found in most homes? It has many uses and teaches many concepts.

To continue our Pink Tower example; this material is used to develop motor skills by stacking with centers or edges aligned. The smallest unit is exactly 1/10th the dimension of the largest unit. This introduces math concepts like scale and weight and language concepts like size and comparison.

3. Observation Isn’t Just for Parents

Observation is a powerful tool for students in a Montessori classroom. It allows the younger students the freedom to see what their older classmates are learning. This can motivate younger students to work harder so they too can perform advanced works. Observation also helps students to see how their work fits into the bigger picture. For example: simple tracing leads to tracing letters which leads to writing.

This is incredibly motivating for students.

4. The Teachers Might Be Superhuman

I know I said earlier that the teachers maintain order with ease, but their management skills deserve another mention. The teachers track each student’s progress individually by using an iPad app. I frequently witness a teacher giving a lesson to one student, answering another student’s question, and playing a game with a third student simultaneously. Their powers of observation are uncanny as they design individual lesson plans for 20 students.

5. Children are FAR More Capable Than We Give Them Credit For

The most important lesson I learned is that we don’t give our children nearly enough credit. I never thought to let my 3 year old help load the dishwasher. It seemed like a recipe for broken dishes. However, in the classroom I saw him doing it with ease. I would never suggest that we force our children to grow up too quickly, but I think we do them a disservice by limiting them. There are so many learning opportunities around them every day if only we take time to teach. There is no telling what our children can do when they aren’t limited by our own assumptions!

Is there anything you’ve always wondered about the workings of a Montessori classroom? Feel free to ask away in the comments! Or maybe you have observations of your own, tell me all about it!

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Montessori

Easy Ocean Themed Tot School Unit: Part 1

Baby Nomenclature Cards

How To:

Lacing Cards

Water Bead Sensory Bin

Free Printables!

Check back Wednesday to see more of our Ocean Tot School Activities!

Like this:

How to Make Colored Rice (and What to Do With It!)

Colored Rice: The Basics

Ingredients:

Instructions:

OK, I’ve Made My Rice – Now What??

Comment below with your favorite colored rice activity!

Like this:

5 Surprising Things I Learned From Observing a Montessori Classroom

1. The Sense of Order is Impeccable

2. Every Material Has a Multitude of Uses

3. Observation Isn’t Just for Parents

4. The Teachers Might Be Superhuman

5. Children are FAR More Capable Than We Give Them Credit For

Like this:

Montessori

Easy Ocean Themed Tot School Unit: Part 1

Baby Nomenclature Cards

How To:

Lacing Cards

Water Bead Sensory Bin

Free Printables!

Check back Wednesday to see more of our Ocean Tot School Activities!

Share this:

Like this:

How to Make Colored Rice (and What to Do With It!)

Colored Rice: The Basics

Ingredients:

Instructions:

OK, I’ve Made My Rice – Now What??

Comment below with your favorite colored rice activity!

Share this:

Like this:

5 Surprising Things I Learned From Observing a Montessori Classroom

1. The Sense of Order is Impeccable

2. Every Material Has a Multitude of Uses

3. Observation Isn’t Just for Parents

4. The Teachers Might Be Superhuman

5. Children are FAR More Capable Than We Give Them Credit For

Share this:

Like this: