What does Montessori at home look like?

For my youngest learners, we try to follow a Montessori approach.  There are so many reasons why Montessori is so good for little ones.  First, in Montessori, you follow a concrete to abstract process of learning.  The kids learn skills through hands-on exploration of their world--the way they natural approach new things.  They touch, feel, manipulate objects to learn concepts such as big and little, place value, and even grammar.  The concrete, multi-sensory learning helps  to cement  concepts into their brain.  Montessori is also individualized.  Each child will move through the materials at their own pace and as they are ready for them.  They can move as fast or as slow as they like, and they can go back to a lesson as much as they need to get the concepts.  And because they move at their own pace with self-correcting materials, they build a sense of pride and a love of learning.

For a homeschool mom, Montessori has so many benefits.  It keeps little ones busy and independently learning, allowing me to work with older kids.  They are both entertained and doing school, and I don’t have to be directly involved.  Montessori lessons are designed to be appealing and enticing to kids, and they love having their own schoolwork.   Also, Montessori lessons are introduced start to finish, which encourages your student to not only get out the materials and work on their own, but to also clean up their work as they complete the task.  All materials needed for the lesson are included on the tray or bowl holding the materials—they won’t need you to get anything out, help them through it, and they won’t make a mess.  You will interact with them when you can, and they are happily learning when you can’t.

Montessori at home for us involves low shelves with a variety of materials displayed.  Each lesson is self-contained.  Everything the child needs to complete the lesson is included on the tray.  For example, if the lesson is pouring, not only will the measuring cups and spoons be included, but a piece of sponge so that the child can clean up her own drips when the lesson is complete.  I have a limited space so I cycle which lessons I have out and available at any given time.  I also have a basket of small mats that my students can place on the ground before they select a tray with a lesson.

As I was getting started with my Montessori homeschooling, I found the books Teaching Montessori in the Home:  The preschool years and Teaching Montessori in the Home:  the school years, to both be extremely helpful.  These books describe how to introduce each lesson, their function, and the order they should be used.  Many of the materials needed for lessons can be made with instructions in these books, or printed from sites such as montessorimaterials.org.   I also put together many practical life lessons using normal household materials, or even Melissa and Doug toys we already had.  For the lessons that I couldn't make, I found most of those lessons readily available on ebay.

I created an excel spreadsheet with each of my lessons laid out by appropriate year.  I can then track each student—whether I've introduced a lesson, whether they are working on it, or whether they have mastered that lesson. 

Each morning, my students will select a mat and then move through lessons at their own pace.  When I am able, I might join them for a lesson, or I might take a few minutes and introduce a new lesson as they are ready.  Oftentimes, I do a group lesson relating to some science materials I have recently put out, or a geography lesson.  We get out the Montessori globe and world map and look at pictures from representative countries on the particular continent we are studying at the time. 

There are so many free Montessori materials available.  They make a nice addition to any homeschool, even if you don’t chose to set up an entire classroom.  We are currently adding to our own classroom, so I will take pictures and add them when we complete that work. 

And I have a toddler underfoot

I think one of the hardest parts of homeschooling many is keeping the littlest ones busy during the school day.  I have always had a toddler, an infant, or both during my time homeschooling.  During the next school year, I will be introducing my 3 year old to our Montessori materials and entertaining a 1 year old, while trying to school 5 other from kindergarten through high school.  It's always a challenge balancing their needs, and I honestly don't think I come even close to doing a great job most days.  Mommy guilt is tough.  I love break weeks because that gives me extra time to spend with my youngest kiddos. 

I think how you handle toddlers during school time depends very much on their personality and temperament.  I have had some toddlers who are quite content to play quietly in their own space, and some that require constant, hands-on entertainment and containment-ha!  Here are some ideas that I have used over the years and that others have shared with me. 

1.  Montessori--I will write more on Montessori at home later, but even toddlers can make use of simple Montessori materials to keep themselves busy while the others work.  In fact, this is one of the reasons I love Montessori so much.

2.  Along with the idea of Montessori materials, have certain activities and toys that only come out at school time.  Some moms will do a busy bag swap.  Some set up special boxes.  You can even look into kiwicrate.com.  The main idea here is to have extra exciting, interesting, special activities and toys for your little ones that only come out during school, and that they can play with in a contained environment. 

3.  School during naptime.  This isn't always practical, but sometimes it is necessary.  We do our science and history work during naptime because the house is quieter, and the bigger kids can actually hear me read-ha!

4.  Have your older kids be more independent.  The reality is, when you have little ones running around, they are going to need you.  This is a great reason to foster independence in your older children.  Work plans are a great way to do this.  Also, having a routine with a typical way they should start their day helps.  If they know they should start their day with copywork, then they will be able to go ahead and get started, without waiting on your to sit down with them.

5.  This year, we actually woke up extra early and schooled in the morning before my then 2 year old woke up.  This gave us a good start while he got plenty of sleep.

6.  Take turns with the toddler.  I have had a few who just need hands-on attention during this time.  We just take turns entertaining that child while I work with other kids.  This isn't always easy, but it does give your older kids a break and gives them some one-on-one time with their younger sibling.

It's just for a season.  Soon, your toddler will be older and can participate more fully in school. It's temporary. Hard. But temporary.

What other tips do you have for entertaining and occupying toddler during school time?

Phonics

I didn't include any discussion about phonics on my 1st grade page, because I am very child-specific when it comes to reading.  Some of my kids have been fluent readers in 1st.  I have had 1 reading long Harry Potter books in kindergarten.  One was reading American Girl by the middle of the year.  One was just getting through basic readers with fluency.  And one is going into first able to slowly read and sound out basic readers, with no fluency.  And my kindergartener behind her is working on a word level.

I use what works for each kid with phonics.  The first book I ever used was called Teaching your child to read.  It was wonderful for a kinesthetic learner.  You used very active play to teach sounds and games to teach blending.  It was wonderful.  It worked for him.  He was reading Bob readers at 3. 

My very visual learners love Phonics Museum by Veritas Press.  This curriculum is gorgeous.  It uses real artwork from museums as all the illustrations throughout the curriculum.  It is a solid, challenging program.  I don't love the scripting, but I just ignore it and teach it on my own and use the resources and workbook.

My struggling readers tend to go from Phonics Museum to Explode the Code.  This just basic, funny, but not visually distracting reinforcement.  It's easy to use and those of mine that have used it, enjoy it. 

I also use the phonics instruction with Learning Language Arts Through Literature.  The benefit to it is that it's great reinforcement and it is integrated with grammar and the rest of the language arts.  It has been good to boost the skills of my students who are doing better, but not enough for those struggling.

This year, I am thinking about giving All About Reading a try with my 2 English as a second first language speakers.  I think the step by step, very concrete instruction with the letter tiles will be useful for them.  One of mine has a language processing disorder, so the more I can make phonics visually and physically appealling with building words, and less dependent on oral understanding, the better for her.  If you have used All About Reading and loved it/hated it, please share your feedback.

Tons of people use Ordinary Guide to Teaching Reading or Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy lessons, but I have never used either, so I can't give a good review for you.  I have heard they are easy to use.  I am just can't do things normally--ha!

My best advice with phonics curriculum is to know your child's learning style and be flexible.  Teaching a child to read is just not fun.  They will get it.  And be sure to get their eyes checked if you are having never ending struggles!