The Joy Of Learning

In the Montessori classroom, indirect preparations for reading started with all the practical life and sensorial activities, once the children have shown readiness and interest, we move on to direct prepation of reading, which started with phonograms A to Z (consonants and short vowel sounds) by using the following manipulatives:

Vertical and centred

Control Charts

Materials:
Pink Cubes
Floor rug

General Presentation:
1.Invite the child or group of children.
2.Go over to where the floor rugs are kept.
3.Choose a rug and take it over to the floor and unroll it as you have been shown before.
4.Go over to where the Pink Cubes are kept.
5.The teacher should name the material for the child, “Pink Cubes”.
6.The teacher should demonstrate how to carry the cubes one at a time by placing one hand on top and one on the bottom.
7.Invite the child to carry the cubes (largest one first) over to the rug.
8.Place the cube on the rug.
9.Continue placing the cubes (not in order) until the smallest cube has been placed on the rug.
10. Pick up the largest cube with both hands and move it to the bottom left-hand side of the rug. 11.Continue to select the next largest cube and place it next to the cube placed before, left to right, in a horizontal line.
12.After the cubes have been graded largest to smallest, slide your hand, palm side down, over the tops of the cubes, from left to right. Say, “Largest to smallest cube”.
13.Invite the child to do the same.
14.Next take the smallest cube and move it up the top of each cube in turn, pausing to note that every other cube becomes level with the smallest cube.
15.Now, take the smallest cube and move it down the “stairs” pausing to note that every other cube becomes level with the smallest cube.
16.Return the cubes to the shelf carrying them properly and starting with the smallest cube.
17.Roll your rug as you have been show and return it to its place.

Second Presentation – Vertical and Centered:
Follow the General Presentation through Step #9. Then, grade the cubes vertically, one at a time, and center each cube as you go. When you are finished, take each cube in turn and place it on the rug in a horizontal line and then continue to put it away (see General Presentation).

Third Presentation – Vertical and Edged:
Follow the General Presentation through Step #9. Then grade the cubes vertically, one at a time, making sure that one corner and two sides are even with the cube before. When you are finished, take your fingers and stroke the cubes from bottom to top on each side that is edged (even). Take the smallest cube and go down and up the stairs showing that there is only one unit of increase in every cube.

Variation #1 - Memory:
Follow the General Presentation through Step #9. Then, roll out a second rug some distance away from the first one. Carry the largest cube over to the second rug and build the horizontal tower exactly the same way as you did on the first rug. This is the first memory exercise called order to order. The second memory exercise should be mixed order to order. The last one should be mixed order until you get to the middle cube and then grade toward the largest cube.

Variation #2 - Blindfolded:
After the cubes have been carried to the rug and are in mixed order, have the child use a blindfold. The first blindfolded exercise has the child grade horizontally as in the General Presentation. The second blindfolded exercise has the child grade vertically and centered. The last one should have the child grade vertically and edged.

Variation #3 – Horizontal & Matching Cards:

Montessori doesn’t believe in text books, the children are taught to read and write with manipulatives, cards, pictures, miniature objects, once they can read, they move on to read “live” books on various topics of interest (of the child’s interest, not mommy’s or the teacher’s) So a well stoccked reading corner/library/resource centre is needed to follow the child’s interest.
I have acquired about 1000+ books in English, Chinese and Malay for the last two years, half of the English books are used books from America, some I bought from Ebay, some were sent by MIL, some were brought back by DH when he was there last year. DH went to library book sales, garage sale to get most of the books, when he told people that he was to bring the books to Malaysia to teach the children to read, some even gave him for free!

I am in the midst of a big project : wrapping up a shipment of 100++ books that I just bought from Ebay and rearranging the books! I took some pictures of some of the books that I just wrapped up.

Wet Pouring #2 Wide Neck

Materials:
A tray on a shelf/table containing:
1 pitcher containing water that may be colored (food coloring)
1 wide neck glass container

1 small sponge (approx. 2” square and used to wipe up drips)

Set-Up:
The pitcher of water should be placed on the tray so that its spout is pointing inwards.
The wide neck container should be placed on the tray so that it’s next to the pitcher.
The small sponge should be in front of the containers.

Presentation:
1.Invite the child or a group of children.
2.Go over to where the tray is kept and take it to a table.
3.Lift the pitcher of water up and over the empty wide necked container. Be sure to be high enough not to touch the empty container.
4.Be sure to support the pitcher of water with the other hand.
5.Pour the water slowly into the wide neck container.
6.Admire your work.
7.Reverse and use the other hand and repeat exercise. If any water spills, pick up the drips with the sponge.
8.Return the tray in its proper place.
9.Invite a child.

Variations and Extensions:
1.Different colors of water
2.Different sized pitcher and wide neck containers

Points of Interest:
1.Seeing empty pitcher or wide neck container
2.Seeing the water go from one container to another
3.Last drop

Control of Error:
1. Water on tray
2. Water still in pitcher
3. Water still in wide neck container
4. Clinking of glass

Aims:
Eye hand coordination, concentration, control, ability to transfer objects, preparation for cutting and writing

Age:
2 and up

Language:
Names of the ingredients, empty, transfer, pour, wide, neck, wet, sponge, etc.

Wet Pouring # 1 Pitcher to Pitcher

Materials:
A tray on a shelf/table containing:
1 pitcher containing water that may be colored
1 empty pitcher
1 small sponge (approx. 2” square and used to wipe up drips)

Set-Up:
Pitchers should be placed on the tray so that their spouts are pointing inwards.
The wet pitcher should be on the left.
The small sponge should be in front of the pitchers.

Presentation:
1.Invite the child or group of children.
2.Go over to where the tray is kept and take it to a table.
3.Lift up the pitcher with water and over the empty pitcher. Be sure to be high enough not to touch the empty pitcher.
4. Support the pitcher of water with the other hand.
5.Pour the water slowly into the empty pitcher.
6.Admire your work.
7.Reverse and use the other hand and repeat exercise. If any water spills, pick up the drips with the sponge.
8.Return the tray in its proper place.
9.Invite a child.

Variations and Extensions:
1.Different colors of water
2.Different sized pitchers

Points of Interest:
1.Seeing empty pitcher
2.Seeing the water go from one pitcher to another
3.Last drop

Control of Error:
1.Water on tray
2.Water still in pitcher
3.Clinking of glass

Aims:
Eye hand coordination, concentration, control, ability to transfer liquids, preparation for cutting and writing

Age:
2 and up

Language:
Names of the ingredients, empty, transfer, pour, wet, sponge, etc.