Montessori Curriculum

An Overview of the Montessori Curriculum

This content provides an overview of the Montessori method including the Montessori sequence of lessons and lessons for the Montessori areas of the classroom. Lessons include Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, Geography, History, Art, & Peace.

Check out the Montessori Curriculum Below!

How to Use the Montessori Small Bead Frame for Math

By Marnie Craycroft 1 Comment Filed Under: Curriculum, Montessori Tagged With: Math Lesson This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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The Montessori Math Small Bead Frame is often neglected in Early Childhood classrooms. The frame comes at the end of the Place Value and Decimal System lessons, and, as noted by Dr. Montessori, marks the entrance into abstraction. Many classrooms do not get to the lesson for one reason or another. The lesson is meant for older children (5 1/2 and up) so that explains the dust a bit.

Montessori Small Bead Frame

Additionally, like my son's teacher, some teachers find the bead frame confusing to children. I personally really like the Small Bead Frame. The colors remind us of the place values, and I appreciate how children need to move their fingers as they are thinking, counting, and performing math operations. I particularly find the exchanging portion of the lesson effective with truly ingraining the concepts of place value into children's minds.

The goal of the lesson is to reinforce lessons a child has had on the four operations, bring more clarity to the ideas of place value, and to show the relationship between those values in the decimal system.

Presentation I: Introduction to the Small Bead Frame

Invite the child to learn how to use the bead frame. Gather the small bead frame and the presentation tray of the golden beads.

“The top row represents units. Will you take the unit from the presentation tray?” Point out the 1 on the top left of the frame.

Count the beads as you slide them to the right. Use your right index finger. Encourage the child to count the beads with you.

Point to the second row: “What do you think these stand for?”

Ask the child to retrieve a ten bar from the presentation tray.

Count the tens one by one. Say “ten, twenty, thirty…” or “one bar, two bars, three bars…” Proceed with the hundred row.

Ask the child to retrieve the hundred square from the presentation tray.

Count “one hundred, two hundred, three hundred…”

Continue with the thousand cube.

Name a quantity of units and ask the child to form it on the bead frame. Continue with tens, hundreds and thousands. Include numerals with zeros.

You can also use strips of paper to write a numeral and have the child use the bead frame to represent the numeral.

Do you use the small bead frame in your Montessori math lessons?

Montessori Lesson: Learn about Golden Beads

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: Curriculum Tagged With: Math, Math Lesson, Shelf Work This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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The overview of Montessori golden beads continues the child down the path of learning place value and the decimal system. The goal for the child is to garner a sense of quantities represented in the decimal system, and to see the exchange of quantities as units become ten, tens become hundred, and so on. This lesson is generally for 5 years and older.

Montessori Golden Beads Presentation I

Transition from Bead to Wooden Material

Introducing the wooden material very simply transitions the child from bead to wooden material.

Montessori Golden Beads Presentation II

Explain to the child that this work requires two mats. Have the child help spread the mats. Get the container of the units and begin to count them.

Place the units in a well-spaced vertical line at the right side of the mat.

Put one unit at the top: “one unit”.

Then two units next in line: “one, two units”.

Place three units next in line: “one, two, three units”.

The child takes over at this point.

At nine units explain, “You have nine units. What comes next? Yes, ten. So we need a ten bar instead of ten units. We also move to a new place.”

Get out the ten bars and start a vertical row to the left of the units. Proceed in a similar manner to presenting the units.

After the 9^th set of ten bars, “Now, you’ve lined up nine ten bars, what do you need next? Right, hundreds. Where will you put the hundreds. That is right. We have to put them in a new place.”

Have the child bring the hundred squares. Lay out the hundred squares in a vertical row. Introduce in a similar manner as the units and the tens.

After nine hundreds, ask the child what comes next and where it goes. Ask her to bring thousand cubes over to the mat.

Introduce the thousand cubes in a similar manner to the units, the tens and the hundreds. The cubes are stacked on top of one another. Once all the cubes are stacked, invite the child to stand at the bottom

Golden Bead Lesson Variations

Question the child about the place values as he admires the finish work
Ask the child to point out various quantities on the mat
Have the child “teach” another child from the classroom
Child can place quantities “randomly” or two at a time rather than all the units at once

Golden Bead Extensions

Draw or color a sketch of the layout
A child can recreate using other objects

I'd love to see how you present Montessori golden beads in the classroom or at home. Come by the Carrots Are Orange Facebook page to share your presentations.

Thanks for reading!

Marnie

Ridiculously Effective Montessori Grammar Activities

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: Curriculum, Montessori Tagged With: Grammar, Homeschool, Reading and Writing This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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Grammar is fun! Montessori Grammar is even better! Inside you'll find awesome Montessori Grammar activities the kids are sure to love.

My six year old continues to be interested in parts of speech. Most recently he is set on coming up with as many homophones as possible. The activity is not only fun but he works hard to test various word pairs, then uses the words in a sentence. English is a tough language to learn. Homophones are just one example!

To help my son out, I created homophone cards using real images. He enjoyed matching up the cards. That part was quite simple for him. I encouraged him to write out the words. He took it a step beyond writing the words by illustrating the words. Here are a few materials I've created to help my children with learning Parts of Speech.

The materials I have created so far are in this bundle in my SHOP and in Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Montessori Grammar Activity: Noun Sorting

I like this noun sorting exercise because you can prepare the work for a wide age range. My 4.5 year old really enjoyed this work and added his own flare to it by seeking out objects to also sort into Person, Place, and Thing. My 6-year-old appreciated and understood the fact that a noun is what grounds the sentence, it is the meat of the sentence. Seeking out nouns around our home (“Going on a Noun Hunt” as my boys called it) was equally as fun for them. Who knew learning Parts of Speech could be so entertaining to them! I used these Noun Sorting Cards available in my TPT store and my SHOP.

Montessori Grammar Activity: Preposition

Kids have so much fun with prepositions. I personally love this Part of Speech because you can get bodies moving and be creative! These preposition cards are simple and can be used with props to help children really understand the lesson. Check out the full lesson in this grammar post.

Montessori Grammar Activity: Article, Adjective, Noun Cards

My son enjoyed matching these grammar cards to the images. Next stop is adding a verb and having him create the grammar symbol pattern to match the phrases. I created these grammar phrase cards with a nature theme.

For all these Montessori grammar materials plus a whole lot more (including lots of freebies), check out my SHOP and my Teachers Pay Teacher store!

Best,
Marnie

How to Encourage Montessori Writing Development

By Marnie Craycroft 4 Comments Filed Under: Curriculum, Montessori Tagged With: Reading and Writing, Shelf Work This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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Montessori's approach to language development is fascinating, intriguing, and, well, effective. If you are looking for insight into Montessori writing development, you have landed in the right place. Welcome. I am going to introduce you to one of the tools to effectively learn how to teach kids to write.

“Genius is eternal patience.” ~ Michelangelo

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Montessori Outlet. All opinions are 100% mine.

Montessori metal insets are one of my all-time favorite Montessori materials. They are by far the most effective I have come across in teaching my son hand coordination to prepare him for writing.

The insets come in the shapes of a square, triangle, circle, rectangle, oval, trapezoid, pentagon, curvilinear triangle, and quatrefoil. They present the child with a wide variety of hand movements to enhance work on control and steadiness while writing left to right. The child will also eventually learn to make a continuous stroke.

Montessori's Metal Insets Teach Kids to Write

The best part is that the insets work on a wide variety of skills. This work primarily focuses on the development of Montessori writing skills, of course. In addition to that, art and math skills are also inherent to the metal inserts as children are making designs and patterns with the shapes. By the way, the insets are the same size as the shapes found in the geometric cabinet.

Keep in mind, though, that the work with metal insets should not be rushed by the adult or the child.

How to Teach Kids to Write with Metal Insets

There are fairly specific presentations with Montessori metal insets. Here is the approach I took with my son, along with some variations.

Introduce the Metal Insets

Present each inset to the child, picking up the inset with a three finger grip, tracing the insets with the dominant index finger, then returning the inset to its template. If the child wants to continue that day, great. If not, put the work aside for another presentation.

Trace the Metal Insets with a Pencil

The next time I brought the insets out, I introduced the tracing paper and colored pencils. We worked slowly together tracing most of the shapes. The work is meant to be done slowly, so when you introduce the work to your child be sure to emphasize that slowness and steadiness. Tracing gives the child an opportunity to learn how to grip and guide a pencil, and feel the pressure on the pencil while writing.

How to Teach Kids to Write – Metal Inset Extensions

Children can make designs on their own.
Present simple designs and ask the child to identify the shapes used to make the design.
Prepare a few simple designs and ask the child to reproduce the design.

My favorite part of this work is the use of the metal insets and colored pencils to create beautiful designs. This part of the work comes after a child has worked with the insets for a bit.

Metal Insets Deliver Results

The wait and work are worth it. When my son was 3.5 years old, he was deep into the sensitive period for reading and writing. Observing him was beautiful. Watching him unfold into his magical self-has always been inspiring and motivating.

I remember thinking when he was about 2.5 years old: “I must be doing something wrong,” because he wasn't interested in my presentations or the materials. He needed to be ready. Patience is truly a virtue, my friends, please keep that in mind on your Montessori journey.

Where are your children or students in their Montessori writing development? What do you think of these metal insets?

Thank you for reading today. I hope that you found this post helpful to you in your Montessori journey.

Warmly,
Marnie

A note about our Sponsor, Montessori Outlet:

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Please take the time to visit Montessori Outlet to browse their affordable Montessori products for your school, classroom or home school. I have been extraordinarily pleased with the selection and quality of materials. The customer service is also top notch.

The Ultimate Guide to Teach History to a 3 Year Old

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: Curriculum, Montessori Tagged With: 3 Year Olds, History, Preschool This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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Teach history to a 3-year-old? Yes! Guess what? It is not about dates and historical figures. This post includes ten awesome ideas to begin teaching your 3-year-old history. Montessori History emphasizes duration and passage of time works. Telling time is part of Montessori's history area.

Time is such an abstract, non-tangible idea even to us adults. Imagine what it is like for children who developmentally cannot even comprehend a second versus a decade? Montessori history speaks to duration and passage of time in the early childhood classroom.

>> Read more about Montessori history activities

Teach History to a 3-Year-Old with these Montessori Activities

Use an old fashioned egg timer or hourglass to distinguish the duration of one minute. Once the child masters one minute, you can introduce him to 2-5 minute timers.
Use a large analog clock. Have the child observe the long second hand of the clock as it goes around and moves forward one spot. Try to use a clock that has a tick tick tick and a louder sound when it clicks over to the next minute.
Introduce First Time Lines where a child sorts images of people of varying ages into order. Another idea is to create a Timeline of the Day activity. Kids crave routine and this activity feeds into that desire.
Create a Family Tree with images or drawings.
Use a linear calendar along the wall to record day, weather, special occasions, and school holidays.
Introduce a standard wall calendar to the child. Involve the child is identifying the day of the week and managing the calendar generally. Make sure to name the days of the week, the month, the season, and the year each day.
Bring Montessori's birthday celebration into the classroom, introducing the fact that it takes the earth one year to go around the sun.
Introduce seasons and months with pictures representing the four seasons and twelve months of the year. Connect weather to the seasons to make the learning more concrete. This book list about seasons is a good one if you need a few ideas.
Create an All About Me book or a personal Time Line. A perfect time to do this activity is at birthday time where the child brings in photos from when he was in his mom's belly onward.
Using a non-digital clock, tell time by the hour and then by the half-hour. Eventually, the child will get to equating the number of seconds in a minute, the number of minutes in an hour, and so on. When you get to that point, this telling time activity really brings the point home.

What are some of your favorite ways to teach history to children?

Thanks for joining me!

Marnie

Easy to Put Together Montessori Pre-Reading Lessons

By Marnie Craycroft Leave a Comment Filed Under: Curriculum, Montessori Tagged With: Language Lesson, Pre-Reading, Reading and Writing This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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Children begin learning to read and write long before they pick up a book or a pencil. If a child is ready to start her language development journey, these Montessori pre-reading activities are a good starting point. There is nothing more beautiful to observe a child enter her period of

As the guide, create the environment and step back to watch the process unfold before your eyes. Below are five Montessori Pre-Reading Lessons to start your journey. These Montessori language activities are a great way to warm the child's logic, problem-solving, focus, and concentration skills.

Montessori Pre-Reading Lessons

Montessori Pre-Reading Does Not Belong

Children enjoy the Montessori Does Not Belong activity. You can make this activity as straightforward or complicated as you would like to by making the differences more or less subtle.

Related: What Does Not Belong Activity

Making cards is easy to keep the child's interest. I made a set of “Does Not Belong” cards using real images if you would like to take a look at them.

Montessori Pre-Reading Category Classification

This activity involves sorting images into categories. Like the “Does Not Belong” activity, you can make the Classification by Category lesson as easy or difficult as possible, adjusting for the child. This activity is also a fun way to integrate the concrete material into the child's learning with figurines.

I choose to use real images in my classification categories. Children relate better to real images and are more likely to respond to the activity, in my experience. A set of Montessori Classification Cards is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store if you'd like a fresh set!

Montessori Pre-Reading Nomenclature Cards

This pre-reading Montessori language activity involves simple nomenclature cards. The work can be done with image-to-image with the label, or image with a label to image and the to label.

Children match the image and then the labels to the image.

They work from left to right, preparing the child for reading and writing.

These cards can be as creative as you need them to be. You can create cards specific to a child. For example, if a child likes sports, or insects, or the human body, you can create nomenclature cards specific for a unit or a child.

Montessori Pre-Reading Look-Alike Matching

This lesson works a child's logic skills as he closely compares and contrasts the images to make a match. The child develops language with these types of activities, as he works from left to right, preparing him for reading and writing.

Here is a set of Look-Alike Matching cards using real images that I created for my teaching.

Montessori Pre-Reading Story Sequence

I adore Story Sequence cards. You can create these cards to apply to a simple act in daily life, like giving a hug. You can also apply these cards to science with the life cycle, or even a story from a child's favorite book.

Children put the cards in order, working their reading comprehension early on in their journey to reading.

Do you have any favorite Montessori pre-reading lessons to share?

Marnie

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Montessori Curriculum

An Overview of the Montessori Curriculum

Check out the Montessori Curriculum Below!

Montessori Small Bead Frame

Presentation I: Introduction to the Small Bead Frame

More Montessori Math Articles

Montessori Golden Beads Presentation I

Transition from Bead to Wooden Material

Montessori Golden Beads Presentation II

Golden Bead Lesson Variations

Golden Bead Extensions

Montessori Grammar Activity: Noun Sorting

Montessori Grammar Activity: Preposition

Montessori Grammar Activity: Article, Adjective, Noun Cards

Montessori's Metal Insets Teach Kids to Write

How to Teach Kids to Write with Metal Insets

Introduce the Metal Insets

Trace the Metal Insets with a Pencil

How to Teach Kids to Write – Metal Inset Extensions

Metal Insets Deliver Results

Teach History to a 3-Year-Old with these Montessori Activities

Montessori Pre-Reading Lessons