Entries by StAndrewsBoss1

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Practical Life: Cloth folding

Folding is one of many practical life skills that children learn in Montessori classrooms. Symmetrical folding can be tricky for little ones, so we start with simple cloth folding. This helps with concentration, patience and muscle control. Watch the below tutorial by Wonderful World of Montessori to see how the lesson is applied: You’ll notice […]

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What are the benefits of children drawing family portraits?

Young children’s personal and social identities are directly connected to their families. They understand themselves based on the people they love most, know best and have learned everything from – making the subject of ‘family’ deeply personal and meaningful. Naturally curious, children enjoy learning about their friends’ families, which may look very different to their […]

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Cultural: Lifecycle of a seed

Children always enjoy the ‘lifecycle of a seed’ lesson (especially poignant in the spring) because of the many exciting and tactile ways in which the learning can be applied and extended. There are the five stages of plant life cycle: the seed, germination, growth, reproduction, pollination and seed spreading stages. In a typical Montessori lesson, […]

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Using feelings dolls to help children understand emotion

In Montessori education, fostering social and emotional skills is important because it lays the foundation for a child’s holistic development, promoting empathy, effective communication and self-regulation essential for both academic success and lifelong wellbeing. There are a variety of Montessori-based activities and resources that can be used to teach children about different emotions but something […]

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Sensorial: Knobbed Cylinders

The presentation with knobbed cylinders is one of the first sensorial activities in a Montessori classroom. The apparatus was designed by Maria Montessori herself, and consist of wooden cylinders of varying diameter and height, all of which must be inserted into the correct socket in an accompanying wooden pallet. Through their work with these cylinders, […]

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10 Montessori activities children can do on Valentines Day

Montessori activities focus on hands-on, experiential learning that encourages independence and creativity. Here are 10 Montessori-inspired activities that children can enjoy on Valentine’s Day: Heart collage: Provide children with coloured paper hearts and encourage them to create a collage. This activity helps develop fine motor skills and allows for creative expression. Valentine’s Day sensorial bin: […]

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Mathematics: Small Hexagon Box

The Hexagon Box shows children how different shapes can be used to create other shapes; more specifically, that by joining together different triangles, four-sided figures are formed. The Small Hexagon Box is a lesson that follows on from the Triangle Box and the Large Hexagon Box, transitioning children into a more abstract way of thinking. […]

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Favourite Montessori instruments to inspire a love for music

In Montessori education, the emphasis on hands-on, child-centred learning aligns seamlessly with the benefits of music. Through self-directed exploration and exposure to various musical experiences, children in Montessori classrooms not only gain a deep appreciation for music but also develop skills and qualities that serve them well across various aspects of life. Music enriches the […]

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Mathematics: Geometric Solids

Geometric Solids not only form some of the groundwork for geometry but encourage exploration and creative thinking. The apparatus comes in a set of 10 wooden 3-D shapes, including: cube sphere cylinder rectangular prism square-based pyramid triangular-based prism ovoid ellipsoid cone triangular prism One of the most effective ways to introduce geometric shapes to children […]

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Ten ways that young children can give back to their communities

Teaching small children to give back to their communities is a wonderful way to instil values of empathy, compassion, and social responsibility from an early age. Here are ten age-appropriate ways for young children to make a positive impact in their communities: Food Drives: Children can help collect non-perishable food items for local food banks […]

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Sensorial: The Brown Stair

The Brown Stair (also called the Broad Stair) is a series of ten graduated, wooden prisms all the same length but different heights. As a grading activity that helps visual acuity, the Brown Stair is important in early mathematics and sensory training, encouraging an understanding of size and spatial awareness. As with most Montessori apparatuses, […]

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Teaching empathy in Montessori classrooms

There are many wonderful, important and essential skills that children learn in Montessori classrooms but one of the most fundamental is empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of another. It’s something we learn, and plays a big role in a children’s social and emotional development.  An empathetic child is also more likely to […]