DIY learning materials that won't break the bank!

Learning to read requires a multitude of skills and shouldn’t be boring with worksheets and dittos that are abstract for children, rather learning should be fun and hands on! What are syllables? Syllables are part of phonological awareness and is a strategy we teach to students after they have mastered decoding by sounding out individual letter sounds and rhyming skills. Or to put it another…

Chronicles of Zoom – A Montessori Teacher’s Tips and Tricks for Teaching Remotely

Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we’d be in a situation where we have to relearn how to teach in a direct teaching format. Montessorians accustomed to teaching in a prepared environment are being asked to rethink their approach to maintain and sustain their students attention in virtual/remote teaching situations while develop strategies that adhere to our fundamental principles. Is…

You’ll need:

1) Montessori Table Rod PDF:

2. Packaging tape

3. Wide craft sticks

4. Sharp scissors

Steps:

1. Print the PDF

2. Trim

3. Layout craft sticks and paper rods

4. Join the craft sticks with packaging tape

5. Place paper rod on the packaging tape

7. Place the craft stick on top of the paper rod. Fold the tape top down and bottom up

8. Use scissors to trim the wooden…

Yesterday my husband and I attended our son’s IEP and I slept a total of 3 hours. Why the lack of sleep? I learned in our meeting his struggles and inability to focus and it broke my heart. Why weren’t we asked to partner to help him? Why were we notified three days prior to school ending? Why?

As an educator, I know what happened… a 13th child was added to the class a month prior to school…

What are Busy Bag Activities? Busy Bag Activities are hands on activities that help keep our kiddos engaged while reinforce skills such as concentration, fine motor , logic, reasoning, problem solving, and academics such as math or reading. Busy Bags are perfect for families whom encourage active engagement, aka engagement without electronics.

As a mom of a child diagnosed with high functioning…

Can a rolling pin help a child with handwriting skills? It sounds rather silly, but the answer is yes with many other benefits!

In Montessori classrooms, freedom of movement is an element embraced for many reasons. Most importantly is the notion that children learn when they’re moving. Maria Montessori reminded us the importance of the child’s physical development and the close connection of the…

Give a girl a free box of paint stirs and she’ll turn them into hands-on and on a dime activities! First off, there’s something about a stick. Young children find them appealing and well, this is our ticket to lure them…not to mention how on our end, it costs us almost nothing! A double win!

Here are 12 simple and quick activities ranging from fine motor, language to math. Best of all, most…

As a child I loved collecting small objects. As an adult I was able to revisit this passion when I learned about the Montessori Method.

Maria Montessori was brilliant and ahead of her time. She based her methods from observing young children and noted their tendencies at every stage of development. She was essentially the first person to develop developmental milestones and create a sequential…

Day 1:

This lovely shelf has been a holding place for their water cups since the boys were 8 months old. This morning I decided to change things up. At school they’ve been exposed to pouring, working independently, clearing their table after lunch and snack, so I decided today was the day to see their efforts before my eyes. I grabbed easy snacks I knew they could manage, filled the pitcher with…

I’m a bit disappointed by the commercial toys/activities for toddlers and in fact I think most dumb down our children’s abilities. May I also add how toys seem to be ridiculously expensive! There’s nothing more troubling then spending $60 to only find that the toy either breaks, or if your kid misplaces a portion of it (which is highly likely), the toy becomes obsolete. Perhaps worse is when…

3 Creative Learning Activities Using Diaper Wipe Lids

If you haven’t checked out my post on how to create a sensory activity using diaper lids, please stop and scroll down to my prior post and then scroll your way back up! You’ll read about how and why’s on how I went into a  diaper wipe lid frenzy.

And well, if you haven’t guessed it, I had more diaper wipe lids calling my name and my creative flow wasn’t ready to end. Before I begin, when I…

Sensory Board Using Diaper Wipe Lids

When you’re a mom of toddler twins, the amount of diapers, wipes, squeeze pouches and milk are insane. This goes without saying, the amount of garbage our little household disposes are horrendous. At the end of each night when I’m tidying, I can’t help but look at the garbage collected and wonder…there must be away where I can reuse. repurpose and reduce this massive pile up. Thankfully, when we…

What’s On Our Shelf This Week: 3/20/17

I’m going to be honest and tell you that we came to a halt. We… more like them. I was beginning to feel like a worthless mom. My boys weren’t focused… they were literally climbing on my furniture despite my efforts. Here’s my proof:

I thought to myself, “What in the world is going on?” I went into deep reflection. For one, they were waking up every morning at 1am. This went on for an entire…

Just around 8-9 months infants begin to realize that objects exist even when they aren’t observed. Games such as ‘Peek A Boo’ begin to hold their attention and in most cases bring laughter and cheer!

While most commercial toys have elements of object permanence, my twins (like mode children) prefer simplistic and concepts taught in isolation. There aren’t blaring sounds, colors or flashing…

I’ve purchased several different types of stackers because the boys had little interest. Yes, call me the crazy and persistent mom. Commercial, wooden… you name it. This was a desperate attempt and I’m glad I didn’t give up.

I never would have expected my last attempt using a recycled paper towel holder, napkin rings and bracelet could yield unexpected and surprising outcomes. My oldest twin…

8 Creative Learning Activities Using Tennis Ball Containers

I’m a mom to twin toddler boys. They are full of life; active, energetic, and busy. They’re 14 months old and it’s been a fabulous ride observing their interests, patterns in behaviors and skill levels. They’re vastly different from one another and despite the learning differences and interests, I try to figure out their commonalities when I’m designing activities for them. I examine the…

Creating learning activities is my passion. Nothing is more exciting to me then finding inexpensive items at Dollar Tree and turning them into multi-skill activities for early learners in minutes. They’re a sure hit in the occupational world, great for children needing Fine Motor work and are inspired by Maria Montessori teaching elements.

My latest Dollar Tree adventure had these awesome power…