Elementary Continued...
As I mentioned here, the main classroom area of our house is mostly work for my daughter and teaching supplies. My son has his own set of cabinets - one for math/language, and one for cultural.
As a teacher, I have a mental picture of what a Montessori elementary class should look like. Initially I felt like that's what I should be re-creating in our house. After panicking when I tried to envision doing that, I realized it wasn't going to be possible. I decided instead to use two small cabinets and change much of the work each month. So to start out I concentrated on putting out work that would (mostly) be used in September, (using the elementary workplans as a guide).
Here is a picture of one of our elementary cabinets:
One thing I like about this cabinet (also from Target's "organize-it" line) is that it has doors with handles. This means it can be closed when we're not working (nice since this is in our front hallway). Also you can use a child-proof latch on the handles, which keeps toddlers out. Every morning my son opens up his cabinet and chooses a work. Our front hallway is large and has a big rug, so he can put his work rug right there and work. He uses a rug from the Azoka Company, specifically the Large Classroom Mat. I like the larger size because it gives him plenty of room to work.
The work in the cabinet is:
Top shelf: Word Study Cabinet and Movable Alphabet. Those two items will probably stay there all year, as there are so many things you can do with them. The Word Study Cabinet is just for Level 1. I found the cabinet at the Container Store. In it I put: Animal Homes, Young, and Sounds (Set 1 and 2 of each). Long Vowel/Short Vowel Sets 1 & 2, Adjective and Adverb Matching, Contractions Set 1 & 2, Antonyms, Synonyms, and Compounds Set 1 & 2. I plan on making a similar cabinet for Levels 2 & 3. I have other Word Study cards for Level 1 but I'll just put those in individual containers when the time comes.
Middle shelf: Language and Math. These items rotate often. Right now, for October, there's a Money Matching Set 2, Traffic & Safety Signs, Polygon Cards, Tens Roman Numerals, and sticks and addition signs to make addition problems with the bead bars (the stick is the line under the two or three bead bars that you're adding together; the answer goes under the stick).
Bottom Shelf: A box of bead bars (I purchased them from a mom on eBay who makes them by hand; sadly she doesn't sell them anymore), Addition Equation and Answer Tiles, with an Addition Finger Chart, and a Multiplication Bead Board that I handmade using foam core and pushpins for the beads. The finished MBB looks like this:
Many years ago, a school I worked at had this style of bead board - but the template was made by hand. I designed my own printable template for it which makes things much easier! You can find it (and lots of other free downloads) here.
As a teacher, I have a mental picture of what a Montessori elementary class should look like. Initially I felt like that's what I should be re-creating in our house. After panicking when I tried to envision doing that, I realized it wasn't going to be possible. I decided instead to use two small cabinets and change much of the work each month. So to start out I concentrated on putting out work that would (mostly) be used in September, (using the elementary workplans as a guide).
Here is a picture of one of our elementary cabinets:
One thing I like about this cabinet (also from Target's "organize-it" line) is that it has doors with handles. This means it can be closed when we're not working (nice since this is in our front hallway). Also you can use a child-proof latch on the handles, which keeps toddlers out. Every morning my son opens up his cabinet and chooses a work. Our front hallway is large and has a big rug, so he can put his work rug right there and work. He uses a rug from the Azoka Company, specifically the Large Classroom Mat. I like the larger size because it gives him plenty of room to work.
The work in the cabinet is:
Top shelf: Word Study Cabinet and Movable Alphabet. Those two items will probably stay there all year, as there are so many things you can do with them. The Word Study Cabinet is just for Level 1. I found the cabinet at the Container Store. In it I put: Animal Homes, Young, and Sounds (Set 1 and 2 of each). Long Vowel/Short Vowel Sets 1 & 2, Adjective and Adverb Matching, Contractions Set 1 & 2, Antonyms, Synonyms, and Compounds Set 1 & 2. I plan on making a similar cabinet for Levels 2 & 3. I have other Word Study cards for Level 1 but I'll just put those in individual containers when the time comes.
Middle shelf: Language and Math. These items rotate often. Right now, for October, there's a Money Matching Set 2, Traffic & Safety Signs, Polygon Cards, Tens Roman Numerals, and sticks and addition signs to make addition problems with the bead bars (the stick is the line under the two or three bead bars that you're adding together; the answer goes under the stick).
Bottom Shelf: A box of bead bars (I purchased them from a mom on eBay who makes them by hand; sadly she doesn't sell them anymore), Addition Equation and Answer Tiles, with an Addition Finger Chart, and a Multiplication Bead Board that I handmade using foam core and pushpins for the beads. The finished MBB looks like this:
Many years ago, a school I worked at had this style of bead board - but the template was made by hand. I designed my own printable template for it which makes things much easier! You can find it (and lots of other free downloads) here.
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