tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post6300682724944125976..comments2023-10-04T01:56:18.484-07:00Comments on The Little Things: Montessori Summer School at HomeAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16540136429022445258noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-89945695272139693242010-05-06T11:47:46.000-07:002010-05-06T11:47:46.000-07:00Will you really not let her work with her school m...Will you really not let her work with her school materials if she is really interested in them outside of school time?Kelly Elmorehttp://www.reepicheepscoracle.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-4769269905340544802010-05-06T13:07:40.000-07:002010-05-06T13:07:40.000-07:00What a great list. I love the reference you linked...What a great list. I love the reference you linked to on-line. It seems thorough. I hope it works out well for you guys! I just got my materials today. The sandpaper letters wouldn't do for a school, but it will do for us in a year or two. And there are items on your list I want to incorporate when my time comes.Kimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-31915139969804591832010-05-06T07:52:37.000-07:002010-05-06T07:52:37.000-07:00Hi Amy! We're slowly finishing up our homesch...Hi Amy! We're slowly finishing up our homeschool school year here. (If they finish a particular subject's material, they don't have to start the new material til August). I like to start in Aug w/new material 'cause then I feel like we're ahead and I can ease back into everything slower without feeling behind - it's a silly psychological game, but it makes it less stressful for us.<br><br>Some thoughts - M went to regular Kindergarten. She REALLY missed her friends... but that was part of the reason we went to homeschooling her - she was a social butterfly who NEVER finished an assignment, because she was too interested in what everyone else was doing. And she wasn't learning anything because she was so distracted. But my point is that you may want to have plans in place to address this issue when you take Sam out of school - playdates with her old schoolmates through the summer and into the first homeschooling year, and/or some regular classes where she is in a group and you aren't the teacher (the local kids' science museum, local park system, local school system continuing ed program, etc). We would drive each other nuts if we didn't do that.<br><br>L never went to regular school, but she says she hates homeschool about twice as much as she says she loves it, mostly because she would just rather watch Scooby Doo at that moment, or because she hates being told what to do. She is so completely opposite M, it has been challenging to teach them simultaneously, and my expectations of L are often based on M's previous performance, likes/dislikes, etc. I have to constantly remind myself that L is L, and I need to let her be L. And with both, I have to let go of expectations of them that are based on my own experiences, performances, likes/dislikes, etc. The hardest thing has been to give up activities that I would have loved at their age, that they...just...don't. And to include activities that I would have hated, that they actually LIKE.<br><br>Here's an idea for an activity to do with Sam that came to mind when I read your list... let her pick 5-10 small items and arrange them on a tray. Have her cover them with a sheet, then show them to you for a short time (you can use this to teach her to count to ten seconds) while you look at the items. Then she covers them, and you have to tell her what the items were, as many as you can remember. If she wants to play, too, you can reverse the parts, or she may want to see how many items she can add before you forget one (testing mommy is fun!). The idea is not to let it get competitive between people, but to exceed your personal best number. Another variation is Sam sets up the tray, you look then close your eyes, she moves one object, you open your eyes and tell her which object she moved. Or she can switch two objects, or whatever. There are a bunch of variations. Anyway, enjoy it!<br><br>Christachristanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-89280018912511654612010-05-07T06:05:09.000-07:002010-05-07T06:05:09.000-07:00Amy - here's a good web site I found for print...Amy - here's a good web site I found for printed Montessori materials for download. I am using the "beginning consonants" with Karina, and we are tracing the letters in cornmeal (waiting to receive the sandpaper letters I ordered.)<br><br>http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Heikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-78676767811917357762010-05-12T21:37:21.000-07:002010-05-12T21:37:21.000-07:00[...] Mossoff presents Montessori Summer School at...[...] Mossoff presents Montessori Summer School at Home posted at The Little Things, saying, “My 3-year-old daughter is enrolled in Montessori, and [...]Birthday Carnival – A More Intimate Love of Wisdomhttp://jasonstotts.com/2010/05/birthday-carnival/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-92011816976720648072010-05-06T13:38:52.001-07:002010-05-06T13:38:52.001-07:00Kelly, no, but we could extend school time if Sam ...Kelly, no, but we could extend school time if Sam wants to. But I need to be keeping an eye on her so that she is working with the materials properly, not just flinging them around. With her regular toys, she can play with them any way she wants (as long as she's not hurting someone or damaging something!) but the whole point of Montessori is that materials are used in a specific way for a specific purpose. That is the kind of order/structure that I think a lot of Montessori fans don't really understand. So much is said about the "freedom" in a Montessori school, but really, it's quite rigid in its own way. I do think that the difference between an early Montessori education and unschooling captures quite well the differences between our (yours and mine) parenting styles, so I'm not surprised at the surprised tone of your question. :) But no, if she wants to use the materials, she'll have to convince me to re-open school, and even that will have to happen in an orderly way - not just any time she asks.<br><br>When we do full time homeschooling, I intend to have structured days. Not rigid structure, but definitely not a free-flowing day. She'll certainly have a lot more flexibility than she would in a regular school. This summer school is intended to help with that later, too. (Since right now, at home, we have very little structure.)Amyhttp://www.amymossoff.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-90021990181223936022010-05-06T13:38:52.000-07:002010-05-06T13:38:52.000-07:00Kim - I was glad to find that I had Hainstock'...Kim - I was glad to find that I had Hainstock's book already. I had forgotten all about it. Thanks for all of your advice!Amyhttp://www.amymossoff.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-80699420765667895492010-07-19T03:36:53.000-07:002010-07-19T03:36:53.000-07:00[...] I had intended to start out in a formal, Mon...[...] I had intended to start out in a formal, Montessori way: a dedicated time for school, starting with circle time; a separate space for the Montessori materials, away from toys and other distractions; and me 100% prepared to give proper demonstrations for everything. [...]The Little Things · Mossoff Montessorihttp://www.amymossoff.com/homeschooling/3464/mossoff-montessori/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2868043333703483044.post-54953508633269263432010-06-30T01:42:46.000-07:002010-06-30T01:42:46.000-07:00[...] be starting our summer school as soon as we ...[...] be starting our summer school as soon as we return from vacation, so I’ll be writing about that quite a bit, hopefully. I [...]The Little Things · OCON and Other Updateshttp://www.amymossoff.com/travel/3418/ocon-and-other-updates/noreply@blogger.com