Examples for the home:
The pictures down below in the black area are of our childcare when it first started in 06. A lot has changed since then. Here are some new pictures of our Montessori Environment.
As for my Home: I have included below some pictures of what I have set up so far in our home for children. I plan to have a full practical life and sensorial curriculum with early language and math. Cultural Studies will be included. I like to use materials that are natural and offer as much sensorial experience as possible. This is one of the reasons I like Montessori so much. Materials made from wood, metal, ceramic and glass offer a child much more sensorial experience than plastic. If you would like more information on the purpose of sensorial, please go to the sensorial paper.
IKEA was my friend here. The sensorial paper talks about the five senses being the port of entry for the child to develop intelligence. The wood and metal products were well made and priced. Wood has a different sound when dropped or tapped on hard surfaces. Just like glass and ceramic makes sounds different from metal pots etc... (auditory sense). Metal has a cold feeling oppose to the carpets rolled up in the basket. (tactile/thermic sense) There is also a tactile/baric sense being developed while holding these materials with different weights. The olfactory/smell sense is used when smelling wood and different materials. Children can smell twice as much as we can.
Children learn to clasify and to organize their environment. Classification and organization give clarity to the mind and the consciousness.
Strengthening the powers of discrimination brings refinement to the senses. It allows the child to discriminate, to see the differences and appreciate the distinction.
The way we present things leads to the development of more neurological pathways as the child matures. Learning in Context allows the child to understand more, and remember more.
montessori.com.hk
The reading center has chunky books for tots and readers for older ones. The pink level reading progran is Montessori designed. It is an entry level program with basic CVC words. Also there is some fruit sequencing and sorting exercises. Some materials will be switched out every month & season. Click on any picture to enlarge.
