Montessori Mom

Question 

Hi, this is the first time I was on your sight.
WOW! thank you. I just started homeschooling my children. I have a couple of questions.

#1 in the sensorial category you mention Pink tower (does it have to be pink?), cylinders, stair, and so on. These items are quite expensive. Do you know of any places to get them reasonably? I don't have the time or talent to make these items. So my point is, how critical are these specific items?

Also, my oldest child who is 5 still does not know phonetic sounds. I am doing the sand paper letters and applying the 3 period lesson, however, he is still very resistant. I know Montessori believes in not pushing, any advice?

Answer 

Hi, You are great to homeschool your children! The tower doesn't have to be pink. Sometimes you can get very reasonable (price wise) Montessori equipment on eBay!

If you have nesting toys or bowls that fit into each other you can do the cylinders and tower with these items. I believe lesson 3 will help you with this. Every child doesn't need to do all the equipment and lessons. You just need to expose your child to concepts of depth, length, and width.

My son took his time learning the phonetic sounds of the alphabet as well. I used to play a game with him using plastic figures that you can get at a dollar store or a discount store. Insects were his favorite. I would take the ant and say the word slowly, emphasizing the first letter, and ask him to find the beginning letter from the sandpaper letters (use only 3 or 4 letters to begin with and put the other letters away). He would find the letter and we would sing, a a a the ant sound, "a" makes an a a sound. Also, if you use a computer, Reader Rabbit is a good game for teaching letters. Neither of my children would do the sandpaper letters! But they are great readers, finished college or are in college. Your son may want more excitement and movement in his learning style.

Best wishes,
Montessori Mom

 Question

My daughter refuses to do the pink tower. Instead, she will choose another activity that she has done before. Even though the directress approached my daughter again after she finished her other activity, she refused to do the pink tower. How can we keep her focused to do the pink tower?

Answer

I have seen several solutions done with different instructors.

One directress put away the introduced and accomplished material, such as practical life skills activities, when the sensorial lessons were being introduced. When the sensorial equipment had been introduced, she then put that away to introduce the math readiness equipment, and so on. This approach worked very well for the children.

The other directress left everything out and let the children do the activities at their own timing and choosing. She was a developmental child psychologist who had worked in the child developmental research department at the University of Washington. Her method worked very well. I would say that with her approach the children were more spontaneous and happier.

If you are concerned your daughter won't do the pink tower at school, is there any way you could introduce it to her at home?

If not, I am quite sure your daughter will do the pink tower soon. Just watching the other children enjoying themselves with the pink tower will motivate her.

Question

       How do I use Montessori discipline with my 14 month old? 

Answer