reading and eating

I've been thinking a lot about the prepared environment lately. In the Montessori classroom, we're always striving to create a space where the children can learn to become independent. Here's a glimpse of what goes through my head all day:
If I put this tray on that shelf, will they be able to lift it? Can they even see it?
The pink tower is chipped! How can I make it beautiful again?
Do child-sized snow shovels that aren't made of plastic and actually work exist?

I wanted to share a few snippets of our classroom environment with you. I have a few new ideas about incorporating language into the prepared environment - I'm imagining environmental print. I've gotten quite a few ideas from the write start. If you have any suggestions or opinions, do share!

Here's our snack set up:

Children can serve themselves a simple snack during the work period. They can eat at whatever time they choose, but only once. The snack is set on top of a low shelf. The bottom part of the shelf holds plates and cups (I need to find some glass cups - I like the ones Lisa uses!)

The children serve themselves the quantity that is on the card - they can either read the numeral or count the stars. As a control of error, there's just enough food for every child to eat once - if a child takes more than the quantity on the card, or eats twice, there won't be enough for everyone to have a snack.

When the children are finished,
they put their dirty dishes in this tub.

Okay, here's what I'm thinking:
**real glasses
**cloth napkins
**find a way for children to wash their own dishes (an independent pre-wash before they go in the dishwasher)

As for environmental print:
**a menu written on a white board
** table topics with pictures and print
**reading recipes off of cards

This is just a start! What do you do in your home/school?

a valentine adventure

Eeek! Another non-Montessori post! Please humor me... I'm procrastinating. I sat down at the computer with high hopes of working on some homework. Yikes! Real, official homework - who does that anymore?! Me, supposedly, but I would waaaaaaaay rather blog/facebook/etsy!

Anyway, here are some pics from my Valentine adventure with Hubs and Rosie:

we ate rainbow trout tacos here

spent the night in this
funky little love shack
(I'm not prissy, but I did keep my socks on.)

love

walked along the Yellowstone
(the longest undammed river
in the lower 48, btw)

Do you like my crazy lady outfit?
I think it's the zebra shades...

Oh! I'm still contemplating my 100th post giveaway... maybe a Montessori grab bag
or a complete lesson of some sort?
What would YOU be excited to win?

smooch!

Happy Valentine's Day!

love

according to preschoolers...

Love is making people laugh.
Love is taking care of people when they are sick.
Love is a dog.
Love is when you hug someone.
Love is something that makes
people feel happy and kind.
Love is if you live in the woods
you can give horses food.
Love is me.
Love is my mama.
Love rhymes with ruv and glove.
Love is always in your heart.


Couldn't have said
it better myself!
:)

rodent love

Any idea what this is???

I won't hold it against you for not knowing!
I forgot to take a "finished" pic,
so I'll just tell you...
2 mice smooching
awwww!

I saw this on make and takes
via the crafty crow
a week or two ago, and, as always,
I stewed about it for awhile,
imagining how to make it into a lesson
that a child could do independently.
So, here it is...

I prepped the lesson by folding paper
and drawing heart halves along the fold.
I also drew a line down the centers.
I actually only did this on 1
piece of paper - then I made copies!

The child cuts along the lines,
and ends up with 2 heart halves.
Also, the child in these
cutting pictures is only 3 years old.
Isn't his concentration lovely?! :)

Next, he applies glue with a paint brush.
I'm loving this method
not only because it requires fine motor control,
but because the child gets glue
where he wants it,
without squirting out the whole bottle.
YAY!

The ears are tiny hearts.
(I prepped these, too.)
The tails are pieces of pretty yarn.
The child draws the face on
with brand-spankin-new markers.

Oh, and if you were wondering, YES,
gak was a hit!!!

We made it this afternoon in groups of four. Each child had his or her own bowl, and I poured the Elmer's, coloring, and liquid starch. We made observations about the ingredients all being liquid. And, as we stirred, exclamations were made as the gak became solid.

It was a blast!