Choose your first work

...If you recognize that phrase, you or someone you love has probably been in a Montessori school.  I, personally, am a fan, but find it hard to integrate with other aspects of learning, especially at the elementary level where I find it hard to do "a little bit."  However, I've been doing lots of thinking about Lucy next year and am leaning towards a more Montessori approach with her for several reasons.  (She does well when she controls her own choices, she is academically ready for Kindergarten but isn't yet 4 and I don't want to rush her through reading and math curriculums just because she can, and she needs a new type of challenge - pre-K stuff isn't cutting it!)

Here are her temporary shelves.  Everything on them is OK for her to choose, use, and then put away.  A few things are new, but most of it is familiar.  We also have some "do with Mom" work that we filled in.  She loved school today.  Time will tell if this method is going to work or it was just because it was something different and new.  I think I like the approach, though.

Dropping, pouring, funneling, and wiping spills was the big hit today

This was a "play with Mom" tray.  We love these Inchimals.  We used to just place them in order like stairs, but now we are using the book to find different sets of animals that are equal.  She is so good at this, and I love how it is teaching an algebraic approach to addition.

Meanwhile, the Kindergarten student is making great progress in independent reading (last box of Bob books!)

...and Geography.  Check out that world map!  She is tracing a Montessori map - simple, consistent colors of the continents and I added in the 3 "big circles:" Equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn.