Red "rods" & sandpaper numerals

I decided to make the red rods with cardboard and paint them. Turns out that cutting cardboard is not easy so the rods are sitting under some heavy books, hoping that they will become flat.


The sandpaper numbers were easily done. I made these on smaller card stock.

2 days, 2 different experiences

A few days ago I took 3 letters out: m, a & s. M is visual like me and so I took out 3 objects that begin with the letters. I had magnet, apple and sock. The magnet, she insisted was a button, and from there on it was not a good mood. I should have recognized it and stopped nicely. Sigh.

Today i took out f,a and d with a few of her little toys for the objects: fish, alligator and duck. Night and day difference in her reaction. She was enthusiastic, she listened when i made the sounds and placed the letters in front of the respective object. She wanted to trace and she said to me: " start at the dot", haha! At the moment Im not worried about how she traces, she doesnt always understand it, but she loves doing it. She recalled the sounds correctly and then we play a jumble game where mommy mixes everything up, oh dear! She loves correcting me "This not go here, Amma, it goes here." We were done in maybe 3 minutes. She is getting this!

Alphabet puzzle

I asked M to sing Happy Birthday to me, but she wouldn't. "No, amma, it is not your birthday."

But later she really surprised me. While I was busy in another room, she did the Alphabet train puzzle all by herself. Seems like a simple enough thing but singing the song is one thing and to put the alphabet in the correct order, another thing altogether! I would like to think that this was her gift to me today!

Sandpaper letters

I made these with poster paper and sandpaper following directions from various Montessori blogs. I was divided between doing cursive and non. Font choice also confused me. I picked Block Letters Tryout and have begun with lower case.

While M doesn't necessarily trace her fingers along the letters correctly, she recalls the letters well. She especially loved an extension activity which involved placing an object beginning with the letters in front of the correct letter.

On Monday we did d, e, and f with the objects: diaper (this was a hit), egg and a fork. First I went over the sound as in "duh, duh diaper" with the correct object placed in front of the letter. She got that and so then I mixed it up saying "I think Mommy mixed them up!". She corrected them and I did mental cartwheels, something clicked - for her and for me.

I will take and post pictures next time.

Montessori in moderation

I didn't know much about Montessori until I visited a preschool and was taken with all the material and the approach to learning. For several reasons (I won't get into them) the school was not a good fit for my daughter M, but I came away with a fire I hadn't felt for a long time.

So after some reading (books and blogs) I decided to marry my love for craft and my daughter's burgeoning need for learning new things.

I like the organization of activities in trays, and we began with simple things for my 2.5 year old. Pouring, picking up stuff with tongs, cutting (veggies, cilantro stalks, paper.) Most things were already available in my house - this is an important factor for me. I really do not want to buy a bunch of stuff, and where ever possible i recycle.

M immediately took to all of the activities. She would sit for 20-30 minutes doing and perfecting her pouring, picking up and cutting. I was so inspired!