A few weeks ago, Elizabeth and I were both feeling the need to get re-inspired in our learning rooms. We were thrilled with the history trails we had mapped out at Serendipity , and were both clicking along quite nicely through them. But we had both been in survival mode for too long--she since her weeks on bed rest and Sarah's birth and I since the early stages of this pregnancy--and were ready for a fresh approach. We were both ready to take the good we already had and enrich it with a bit of beauty, and make our learning environments full of productive activity for all the age ranges our families represent.
We made a deal that I would come up with a plan for our Native American unit at Serendipity that would give it the artsy, warm feel we were both missing and she would scour her Montessori resources and this awesome blog for ideas on making our learning rooms a little bit richer. Of course, in our collaboration, the lines blurred and we both brainstormed and worked through both plans. We e-mailed and talked and within a week, I was at Michael's, list in hand, gathering main lesson book and activity materials for a beautiful Native American unit and head full of ideas for engaging activities for my little ones. I wanted to get started that afternoon. However, I took one look at my house and saw that the disorder in which it lay would be a total drain to the creative feel I wanted to instill anew. So for the past two days, I've left my boys to the joys of backyard bug hunting and imaginative play while I picked up, moved around, dusted, and mopped all sorts of surfaces in my house. Then I spent last evening readying the learning room. I'm thrilled with the results and think the boys are too since they've been exploring baskets and gathering around the table since about 7:15 this morning.
My goal was to create a system where I could think through all the types of activities I wanted to offer my kids on a regular basis and streamline the planning and gathering of materials to a once-a-month planning block. Elizabeth, inspired by this concept , explored a bit further and found this idea , which seemed a perfect fit for what I was trying to accomplish. I could easily tweak it to suit my needs. My other stipulation was that this had to be a use-what-you-have project as there was just no room in the budget for a new piece of furniture or a fresh batch of baskets. Luckily, I had just the thing hanging out in the playroom that I could reclaim. So yesterday, we brought this lovely piece down and got our baskets ready for filling:
The three baskets sitting on top are each of the school-aged boys' book baskets. They contain their assignment planners and core subject books. The baskets in the shelf contain materials for a wide variety of hands-on learning. Of course, I was thrilled to find note cards and ribbon in the $1 bin at Michael's that just happened to match the darling file folders, binder and journal that recently replaced the plain Jane ones on my desk:
And here's the purpose of all those baskets--
Faith and Living the Liturgy: Since today's feast of the Annunciation is the last we'll celebrate this month, that basket sits empty, waiting for its April refill, with activities to celebrate Holy Week, Easter, Mercy Sunday, and the feasts of Sts. Catherine of Siena and Louis de Montfort. We'll also remind ourselves next month that we are still celebrating the Pauline year.
Seasons and Nature: Today we'll finish up our last March nature activity with a Spring Scavenger hunt in the backyard and a learning block and tea time focused on bird's nests and egg identification. The materials for all the days activities have been loaded into the basket.
Thinking Challenges: This basket will be loaded with materials to complete the challenge ideas from this great blog . In addition, there will be a few writing prompts and some math drill ideas. This basket is mainly for the older boys use.
Unit Study and Main Lesson Book Supplies: This basket is being filled for our Native American main lesson books and activities from More Than Moccasins . Right now it contains new sketch books and fresh colored pencils, as well as D is for Drum, which will serve as the spine of our unit. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our copy of More than Moccasins so we can add the supplies for those activities as well.
Little Ones Unit Study Activities: This basket contains activities for the little ones that tie in to whatever we are studying. Right now, there is a small basket full of Native American, Wild West and horse figures for play and a bag full of feathers, beads, leather scraps and other items for the little guys to make Modge Podge Native American collages while the older boys are working main lesson book pages.
Basic Skills Work: The initial tag I penned for this basket was titled "Kindergarten Work." Its primary purpose was to hold hands-on activities for Brendan, my current kindergartner. However, I wanted to make sure Gabriel also had some access to those manipulatives to reinforce his core subject work and I knew he would bristle at his work being in the kindergarten basket, thus the name change. Current activities in this basket include an alphabet matching activity:
A fine motor and sorting activity in which a collection of stamps is placed in the individual compartments of an embroidery floss tray using tweezers. Once this practice is mastered, the stamps can be placed according to style--flags in one row, flowers in another, etc...An older child can sort by price, using coins to match the amount, or create patterns. It tried to brainstorm three or four extensions for each activity so it would hold interest over the course of a month. I'm sure it'll take some testing and tweaking to get it just right.
Lastly, there is an activity to reinforce the mathematical concept of number bonds. This small box contains some number cards and beans. The bottom of the box is divided in half with a paint pen. A number card is placed in the top half of the box and the beans are divided into two groups that add up to that number. The goal is to make as many combinations as possible.
Little Ones Creative Exploration Basket: This basket will contain basic preschool fun. Right now, it is stocked with a tray for clay play, molds and cutters, and some leftover Valentine toothpick flags for sticking. As you can see, the little guys are enjoying it:
Little Ones Helping Hands Basket: This is my own take on Montessori practical life skills and other habit and life skills I would like the younger crowd to work on. Right now this basket is stuffed with a bunch of cloth diapers for our wee one. They can be stuffed with inserts, folded, and snapped for motor skill activity. It also provides a way for my little ones to bond with and share in the joy of expecting their new baby brother. When the diapers lose their appeal, their are Easter shirts to be buttoned, dress shoes to be tied, and pool bags to be zipped, and sandals to be buckled--all hinting at important events in the coming month.
Little Ones Work Trays: This basket includes some specific Montessori activities that can be adapted across a variety of my kids ages. I am adapting from Barbara Curtis' books , Montessori for Everyone and the blog linked earlier, as well as the wealth of ideas in this archive . The first activity in the basket now involves placing gem stones into each square made by the pegs of our geoboard. Little ones can later be encouraged to line the gems up by color, to count gems, and make simple patterns and form shapes. Older kids can make more complex patterns and even try pictures. You could also set up a multiplication problem and encourage them to map it out this way.
The other activity in this basket involves using a spoon to plant "seeds" (small wooden balls) in small terra cotta pots, then using a scoop to bury them (in grains of rice). Later, I'll add a handful of grains that are dyed green to represent weeds, which can be plucked from the pots with tweezers. Other extensions include placing stickers on the seeds and pots so it becomes a matching task, inviting the child to see how many seeds will fit in a pot without spilling, and flipping the pots over to play "find the seed". The skills learned this month will be used with real wild flower seeds and soil next month.
The last little change in the room was that I set up this small corner table with slate boards and chalk, wipe erase board and markers for a focus on letter formation this month. In the little drawer is our wooden US map puzzle, which is a great activity for the younger crowd while the olders are doing map work in their main lesson book for this unit. I hope to rotate the focus of this area a few months at a time.
Well, there it is, a renewed, refreshed, enriched learning environment that I hope will keep us inspired in the weeks until we welcome our wee one, and give us the motivation to jump back in after he arrives. I hope you too are finding a fresh outlook for learning this spring!
