Tot School: Rethinking

As I have been doing more and more research into Montessori, I have realized I need to rethink how I am doing Tot School time with E. We are still up in the air about going it at home or sending E to a school, but pretty much everything she is ready for are things we can easily do at home now. I switched up her Tot School shelves this week to include more Montessori activities.

I am using David Gettman's book Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-Fives. I am starting out with the activities for period one, although I know E is able to pass many of these activities. It's always good to start at the beginning, huh?

Here are our shelves for the week:

I went to Target yesterday and purchased a few things for us to use. I got a work rug - yay! It's a little on the large side (almost as tall as E!) but she is able to get it rolled out and it gives us plenty of room to work. I also got the little cream pitchers for pouring - they were only $2! I bought a plastic tub and a veggie brush so she can learn to clean veggies and rocks and other things on the floor in the kitchen.

Anyhow, here are our activities for the week.

pouring beans from one pitcher to another - we're using green split peas

my version of Color Box 1 - made with paint samples

folding cloths

geometric shape puzzle

alphabet blocks and nesting/stacking blocks

We are also going to be working on several other activities in the practical life section: carrying and rolling out a floor mat, dusting and sweeping with a crumber.

I am also considering moving E's school things out of the basement playroom. I like having everything down there, and I have a HUGE closet for storage, but she gets so distracted by all of her toys! I have some room up in the living room where her toys used to be that would be good for her Montessori activities, but there's no room for the table! I know distraction and a short attention span is part of being a toddler, but some days I feel like it's pulling teeth to get her to do ANY activity other than read a book. I need to "follow the child," and I do - we read A LOT! But I want her to experience other things as well. Maybe I should have made my word for 2010 BALANCE.

Throughout the week I will be posting how we are progressing on each activity. I am also planning on posting our February Sensory Bin and our Playdough of the month (once they get made!)