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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

a broad stair variation


A little broad stair background:
  • The broad stair is a Montessori material from the Sensorial area of the classroom.
  • It consists of 10 rectangular prisms, varying in height and width (from 10 cm to 1 cm).
  • When the child builds with the broad stair, he experiences the concept of width in a concrete way.

Top 2 favorite things to do with the broad stair:
  1. roll a marble down the stair (It makes the most fabulous sound!)
  2. build creatively with both the broad stair and the pink tower (There's a relationship between the two materials!)
What in the world is that child in the picture doing?

He's using a straw to blow a puff down the broad stair, of course!
He's having a blast, and he's...
  • concentrating
  • stimulating his facial nerves and muscles
  • changing the focus of his eyes from near to far
  • improving his balance
  • strengthening the connections between the hemispheres of his brain
This is all according to HANDLE, of which my knowledge is very limited - I should just go ahead and take a class already!
What I do know is that the child in the photo is someone who rarely concentrates. He's usually the one rolling around in the middle of the classroom. (The one I feel like I'm constantly nagging...)

But, look at that photo, can't you just feel his concentration?
He LOVES using a straw to blow things like puffs and feathers down the broad stair.
I love seeing him engaged and successful. :)

4 comments:

  1. Isn't it amazing how something so simple can be doing so much?!

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  2. Last week, a little girl in my classroom was working with the Brown Stairs. She was so excited to find that her pencil would roll down the stairs.

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  3. hu..know i know what the function of a broad stair...hihi...its exciting for kids rite....=)

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  4. Thank you for this post. You have inspired me :-)

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