ARTTEY'S BLOG

Monday: Practical Life

Activity: Pouring Water

Objective: Develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration.

Materials: Small pitchers, cups, trays, towels for spills.

Presentation: Demonstrate how to hold the pitcher, pour water without spilling, and clean up if necessary.

Independent Work: Children practice pouring throughout the day.

Observation: Monitor control and coordination.

Group Time: Grace and Courtesy

Topic: How to greet a friend (eye contact, saying “hello”).

Tuesday: Sensorial

Activity: Color Tablets (Matching Colors)

Objective: Refine visual discrimination and develop concentration.

Materials: Montessori color tablets (primary colors).

Presentation: Show how to match the color tablets by laying them out on a mat.

Independent Work: Children match colors independently.

Observation: Note if children correctly match the colors and adjust as needed.

Group Time: Sound Exploration

Activity: Explore different musical instruments, listening to sounds and matching to images of instruments.

Wednesday: Language

Activity: Sandpaper Letters (Introduction to Letters: “a,” “m,” “s”)

Objective: Build letter recognition, phonetic awareness, and prepare for reading.

Materials: Sandpaper letters “a,” “m,” “s,” small mat.

Presentation: Show how to trace each letter and pronounce its sound.

Independent Work: Children practice tracing letters on their own.

Observation: Observe children's ability to connect the sound with the letter.

Group Time: Storytime

Book: "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Bill Martin Jr.

Objective: Develop listening skills, phonics, and love for reading.

Thursday: Math

Activity: Number Rods (Counting 1-5)

Objective: Build number sense and counting skills.

Materials: Montessori number rods (red and blue), small mat.

Presentation: Show how to arrange the rods in order, counting out loud.

Independent Work: Children count and arrange rods independently.

Observation: Encourage correct counting and sequence arrangement.

Group Time: Counting Song

Song: "Five Little Monkeys" to reinforce counting.

Friday: Cultural (Science & Geography)

Activity: Land and Water Forms (Island and Lake)

Objective: Understand land and water concepts.

Materials: Montessori land and water form trays, blue and brown playdough.

Presentation: Show the difference between islands (land surrounded by water) and lakes (water surrounded by land).

Independent Work: Children create islands and lakes using the trays.

Observation: Note understanding of land and water forms.

Group Time: Nature Walk

Objective: Observe different plants, trees, and insects in the garden or yard.

Daily Routine (Sample Schedule)

8:30-9:00 AM: Arrival and Morning Circle

Greeting, calendar, weather discussion.

9:00-10:00 AM: Montessori Work Cycle

Children choose activities from Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, or Cultural areas.

10:00-10:30 AM: Snack and Grace & Courtesy Practice

10:30-11:30 AM: Outdoor Play or Nature Walk

11:30 AM-12:00 PM: Group Time (Storytime, Songs, Movement)

12:00 PM: Dismissal / Lunch for full-day students.

Creating a Montessori lesson plan is different from traditional lesson planning because it centers around the needs, interests, and developmental stages of the child. Instead of a rigid schedule, it focuses on providing a prepared environment and allowing the child to engage with materials at their own pace. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a Montessori lesson plan:

1. Observation

Purpose: Begin by observing the child to understand their interests, developmental stage, and needs.

Method: Spend time watching the child during activities. Take notes on what captures their attention, challenges they face, and how they interact with materials and peers.

2. Prepared Environment

Purpose: Ensure the environment is ready to support the child’s learning.

Method: Set up the environment with materials that are appropriate for the child’s developmental stage. Materials should be accessible, aesthetically pleasing, and organized to encourage independence. Examples include practical life activities (e.g., pouring water, tying shoes), sensorial materials (e.g., cylinder blocks, color tablets), and academic materials (e.g., sandpaper letters, number rods).

3. Material Selection

Purpose: Choose specific materials that align with the child’s interests and developmental needs.

Method: Select materials from the Montessori curriculum areas (Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, and Cultural subjects). For instance, if a child shows an interest in language, you might introduce sandpaper letters or a movable alphabet.

4. Presentation

Purpose: Introduce the material to the child through a demonstration.

Method: Present the material to the child in a simple, clear, and slow manner. For example, if introducing cylinder blocks, demonstrate how to remove each cylinder, mix them up, and place them back in the correct order, ensuring the child sees the process clearly.

5. Independent Work

Purpose: Allow the child to work with the material independently.

Method: After the presentation, give the child the opportunity to explore the material on their own. Encourage repetition and exploration, which helps deepen their understanding and mastery of the task.

6. Observation and Adjustment

Purpose: Monitor the child’s progress and adjust the environment or materials as needed.

Method: Continue observing how the child engages with the materials. If a child masters a material, introduce the next level of challenge. If they struggle, either offer guidance or allow them to explore at their own pace without pressure.

7. Follow the Child

Purpose: Let the child's interests guide the learning process.

Method: Be flexible in your planning. If a child shows a new interest, be ready to shift your focus to support that interest with appropriate materials and activities.

8. Record Keeping

Purpose: Track the child’s progress and plan future activities.

Method: Maintain a record of the child’s work, noting which materials they have mastered, what still challenges them, and any emerging interests. This will help in planning future presentations and selecting new materials.

Example of a Simple Montessori Lesson Plan:

Observation: Child is interested in pouring water but struggles with control.

Prepared Environment: Set up a Practical Life station with a small pitcher and cups.

Material Selection: Practical Life pouring exercise.

Presentation: Demonstrate how to hold the pitcher, pour the water into a cup without spilling, and return the pitcher to its place.

Independent Work: Child practices pouring, refilling the pitcher, and trying again.

Observation and Adjustment: Monitor the child’s progress. If they succeed easily, introduce a more challenging task, like pouring from a pitcher with a spout.

Follow the Child: If the child shows interest in other pouring activities (e.g., with different materials like beans or rice), introduce those.

Record Keeping: Note the child’s progress and plan to introduce more complex Practical Life activities.

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1. Freedom within limits.

Children are free to choose their own activities, but must follow the rules of the classroom and be respectful of others.

2. A prepared environment.

The classroom is organized to allow children to easily find materials

and to reduce the amount of time they spend searching for them. The teacher provides materials in a variety of ways, including storing materials in an organized manner, using labeled containers, and providing clearly marked work areas.

3- Respect for the child

The child in the Montessori method is respected, valued and loved. He is recognized as an independent being, capable of deciding for himself.

Respect is the fundamental key of this methodology, since the other principles are built on this base. Educators show respect for children when they try to do things independently and learn for themselves. When the child has options, he learns to develop the necessary skills to be independent and thus increase his self-esteem.

4.-The absorbing mind according to Montessori

Children begin to learn from the moment they are born as they absorb information from their environment. But it depends on the adults, which is what the child learns, since they can modify the experiences and environments in which children develop. The absorbent mind is one of the characteristics that the child has from the age of two. The child begins to take an interest in his surroundings and becomes more active.

The child has a sense of belonging to his family and begins to recognize himself as a member of it.

5. Sensitive periods in the Montessori method.

The Montessori method is based on the acquisition of knowledge by the child, through their own interests and motivations. It uses the child's ability to learn by himself, since he believes that the child is capable of learning everything he needs to live in society.

The child is a being capable of learning and teaching, but needs help to do so.

Montessori believed that there are sensitive periods when children can acquire certain knowledge more easily, and educators should support these sensitive periods with activities that help them polish these skills.

6.Self-education

Children are able to educate themselves if they have the materials available and the support of educators. They learn by themselves and develop their own creativity.

Children are motivated to learn if they can choose what they want to learn. The choice can be based on their interests, but also based on age and level of development.

7.-The role of educators

The role of educators according to the Montessori method must be a person who does not have prejudices or preconceived concepts about education. The teacher must observe and learn the children.

The Montessori method differs from traditional teaching methods in several ways. First, the Montessori classroom is a self-contained environment that allows children to explore and learn independently. In a traditional classroom, students are expected to sit quietly at their desks, raise their hands when they have a question or want to speak, and wait for the teacher to call on them.

The Montessori Method of Teaching

The Montessori method of teaching is one of the most well known and highly studied educational techniques. It is based on the philosophy that children are naturally inclined to learn at an early age, but they need an environment that allows them to be independent and creative.

The method is inspired by Maria Montessori, who was an Italian physician and educator. She came across a school for mentally challenged children in Rome, where she first observed how children were able to develop without the pressure of adults demanding that they learn certain things or behave a certain way.

The Montessori method is an educational methodology, developed by the Italian pedagogue Maria Montessori in 1907. Its name comes from its creator and who carried it out successfully in her primary classes in Italy. It establishes a learning system based on the natural development of the child, and not on the need to put all children in the same mold.

In the Montessori classroom, children are encouraged to learn at their own pace and in their own way. Because of this, children are able to learn to read and write at a time when they feel most comfortable, instead of being thrust into instruction before they are ready.