Montessori-like Summer

Well it's summertime, so no more school. I like to keep Little man working and thinking so I set up activities that he can do during the day and when he wants to do them he can do it. It's a bit like Montessori school.

I went to a Montessori School and I loved the independence of it. It was always great that they didn't make me learn things on a schedule. I just got a list of things that needed to be done on that day and did them when I wanted to. I know it sounds like nothing would get done but amazingly everyone always did everything they were supposed to. Children will always do their favorite things first, but once those are done and out of the way they can concentrate on the harder task that they are more reluctant to do.

Little man is only four so the tasks that I had for him were all fun things. I got a piece of paper and drew little pictures of activities and wrote the name of the activity at the top so he could start to associate words with different activities the more that we do them. When he completes an activity he gets either a sticker or a stamp on that space. I just started this so my paper is just a quickly drawn list. Once we get into it more and do it everyday I will make a template and have pictures that I can stick on with Velcro. But for now this is what it looks like.

I have a variety of activities for today. They are:

Window Art       Little Man was given Crayola Crystal Effects Window Markers for Christmas. These things are so much fun! When you write it looks like regular marker but then as you look at it you will actually be able to watch the picture turn to crystal. Writing on windows and walls are good for strengthening little fingers to prepare them for writing.

Feather Transferring      This is an activity that doesn't take much preparation and you don't have to spend a lot of time explaining how to do it to your child. Just give them the materials, show how to use tweezers or tongs and let them play. This activity is also good for strengthening fingers and helps to develop fine motor skills.

Make a Fathers Day Card    Fathers Day is next weekend so I had Little Man work on his card for his Daddy.

Shade Matching     I mentioned this in my previous post on Shade Matching. It is a favorite that Little Man goes back to at least once a week.

Read    When he chooses to read he can either look at books alone or he can choose some books that he would like me to read to him. He is only four but I think it's good to introduce chapter books at a young age, Little Man can tell you what happened in stories that don't even have pictures to cue him on what has happened. He loves chapter books, we are currently reading Charlottes Web. It has a few pictures in it and he loves hearing about Charlotte.

Pouring Water and Wiping Spills   This is a practical life activity. Children love doing things that adults do. And they love it even more when you let them do it alone. These activities will also help develop skills later in life, getting a drink if your busy or even making their own breakfast (at least cereal, not talking about eggs and bacon here). Practical life is always a favorite with children and you can do it in many ways that seem like chores but to them, its playing.

In the days to come we will have science, math, letter recognition, phonics, and other great learning activities! So be sure to check back often!!