I was drawn (no pun intended) to the idea of learning more about world cultures and their arts and crafts and it seemed like a great way to give some structure to our mornings. I’d assemble our materials and then we’d come to the table and sing through the Continent Song and do our activity. If applicable, I’d print out images and other resources to enhance the activity (i.e. photos of Alaskan totem poles when we made our own totem poles).

Here’s what I liked about the book:

• The supply list is pretty basic. Lots of cereal box and toilet paper roll repurposing.
• Most of the activities are simple enough for my crew.

However, that’s about where my list of “likes” ends. And I hate to say that! I really really wanted to love this book. I think part of my problem was uninformed expectations. I expected that we would be doing crafts from around the world. This book has you do crafts about the world. Does that make sense? Let me show you some examples of projects we worked on to give you a better idea of what I’m talking about.

Making our cardboard "suitcases" to take on our trip around the world. The kids loved their little cases, but they were kind of a pain to put together.

Monkey modeling one of the projects for North America--the torch from the Statue of Liberty.

Pearl's dinosaur (again from North America). And, actually, I kind of made this activity up myself based on one found in the book. I just found a dinosaur skeleton coloring page online, cut it up into pieces, and had them assemble their own dinosaurs.

Sorry--I guess I mostly took pictures of our North America activities. Here's Pearl with her Everglades alligator hatching out of a paper plate egg.

The activities are meant to teach the kids something about places around the world–and they do. Whenever we see a Statue of Liberty image, Monkey recognizes it and gets excited. And Pearl really enjoyed creating something every day and having that structure. I guess I was just hoping to be doing more “traditional” crafts. As I review the book’s contents in my mind, it does have some of this kind of work. We made papel picado and you can make Aboriginal bark paintings out of construction paper and paper bags. In the end, I just got bored with it. After so many paper towel roll crafts, you just lose interest, I guess. I do want to make it clear that I am the one who lost interest. The kids, as far as I could tell, were still enjoying the activities. But since I’m the one organizing the activity and making it happen, I think it’s kind of important for me to be engaged and excited.

So, I’m still on the hunt for my ideal book of crafts to do with the kids. Maybe I need to get my First Art book out again and have some less structured art time with the kiddos. Maybe it’s not “crafts” that I’m hungry for at all.

If you’d like some crafty ideas to teach geographical concepts, you’ll probably like this book. And if you live in my neighborhood (you know who you are) and would like to give it a try, I’m more than happy to share my copy.

Book Review: Around the World Art and Activities is a post from: Discover The Child

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The Continents Song

We learned this song at the Montessori preschool where I taught for a while. There are lots of different continent songs out there, but I like this one because it’s simple and focuses on the names of the continents. Some of the other versions add in a lot of other words and concepts. The simplicity of this version makes it easy to remember and effectively teaches the concept.

If I was really cool, we’d have a puzzle map like this:

The classic Montessori world puzzle map.

Budget confined us to a simple printed world map that I had laminated and that is up on permanent display right under our big calendar. Whenever we sing this song, one of us gets to be the pointer who, you guessed it, points to the continents as we sing. Pearl knows them all perfectly. Monkey has fun pointing, even if he’s not always 100% correct. Here are the lyrics:

North America, South America,

Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Don’t forget Australia.

Don’t forget Antarctica.

North America, South America,

Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Here’s a little video showing a teacher singing the song with her class. When I searched for “continent song” on YouTube, I wasn’t sure what I would get. I was thrilled to open this link and see a beautifully appointed Montessori classroom. This was the closest melody I could find to the version we sing. Watch out–it’s one of those songs that gets stuck in your head. We get a kick out of watching Pearl mouth the words to the song when we ask her to point to a specific continent on the map. I still think “Never Eat Salty Waffles” to myself whenever I’m trying to figure out what direction I’m driving–but, hey, it worked! And it works for kids, too.

Days of the Week

Another favorite in our house is “Days of the Week.” I’m sure lots of you have heard this version, sung to what seems to be the theme from The Addams Family.

There’s Sunday and there’s Monday,

there’s Tuesday and there’s Wednesday,

there’s Thursday and there’s Friday,

and then there’s Saturday.

Days of the week (clap, clap),

days of the week (clap, clap),

days of the week, days of the week, days of the week (clap, clap).

I guess you could substitute snapping for clapping if you were feeling especially Addams-ish. Here’s a link to a (slightly lame, but useful) video.

Sing through the Year

Finally, there’s “Sing through the Year”, another classroom favorite. The melody for this one is a bit more complicated, but Pearl and Monkey love it. Lyrics:

Sing through the year, sing through the year,

I can sing all the months of the year.

Sing through the year, sing through the year,

I can sing all the months of the year.

January, February, March, and April,

May, June, and July.

August, September, October, November, December.

These are the months of the year.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a video of this one. Here’s a link to Amazon.com where you can purchase the MP3. You can listen to a little sample of that song (you can probably piece together the whole melody line from that sample).

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself humming these tunes to yourself throughout the day.

Using Songs as Teaching Devices in the Preschool Classroom is a post from: Discover The Child

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This has nothing to do with loyalty, but I love that my kids were camped out in the crib reading books together.

I’ve been thinking a lot about loyalty lately and being loyal to my family has been at the forefront of that thinking. In society, we talk a lot about loyalty–to country, to employer, to spouse. But I don’t think we talk enough about another very important kind of loyalty–loyalty to our children. Often, I find that in an attempt to make others feel more comfortable, I put my children down. Basically, I make the choice that a total stranger’s feelings are more important than those of my child. Horrible, right? But so very easy to do.

Let me give you an example. Yesterday, I was at the store with Monkey and Baby Boy. Both were doing pretty well. Baby Boy was content just looking around and being sweet to the couple of people that stopped and cooed at him. Don’t you love how babies break down barriers? Monkey was riding along and behaving nicely. When we got to the check-out line, a father pulled in behind us. His little boy (maybe 3 or 4 years old?) was having a major meltdown, screaming at the top of his lungs, smacking his father, and just making a ruckus. A ruckus that seemed to have no end in sight. He went on and on and on. I think it was about a toy that he wanted. The cashier made an apologetic face and you could tell that we were all trying to kind of pretend like we couldn’t hear what was going on. You know that awkward grocery store behavior? Anyway, it in attempt to make this poor dad feel better, I turned to him with what I hoped was an understanding smile on my face and said something like, “Believe me, I’ve been there,” and motioned to Monkey. The dad smiled back and said, “Yeah, I would be laughing too.”

So, goal met, I guess. Maybe I helped the dad feel a little better. But as I stood there I realized that I had done two things wrong. First of all, I had lied. Secondly, I had been disloyal to Monkey. What did I mean by saying, “Believe me, I’ve been there”? I had never been there! Monkey sometimes whines a little bit about wanting a toy or something at the store, but he has never ever screamed at the top of his lungs for over 15 minutes (he was still screaming when they passed me in the parking lot), hitting me and thrashing about. Now, this isn’t to say that will never happen to me. Nor does it mean that I haven’t had my own hard times at the grocery store. But never at that level. So, why on earth did I say that to that dad? It wasn’t true and it wasn’t loyal to my son. I put him down in front of others about something that wasn’t even true, just to help a stranger feel more comfortable.

Insanity.

I’m going to make a conscious effort to be more loyal to my children. They are growing and learning and this means they make mistakes. But they are also miraculous little creatures that bring so much joy and meaning to my life. We are a family and this means we should support each other and build each other up.

Stephen Covey talks about this concept in his fantastic book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families. He says:

talk about others as if they were present (…) focus on the positive rather than the negative–and if you do talk about those weaknesses, you do it in such a responsible and constructive way that you would not be ashamed to have those people you’re talking about overhear your conversation (55).

So here’s to being loyal–to ourselves, to our goals, to our families, and to our little ones.

Being Loyal to Our Children is a post from: Discover The Child

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If I Had My Child to Raise Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger-paint more, and point fingers less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd teach less about the love of power, And more about the power of love.

-Diane Looman

Enjoy your children today.

A Wonderful Poem: Parenting in the Moment is a post from: Discover The Child

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Hi, all! I’m going to post about my February goal results soon, but until then, head on over to Lee Taylor Photography for a fantastic (and I mean FANTASTIC) giveaway. My darling friend, and super talented photographer, is giving away 2 free sessions to 2 very lucky winners. Mandi has done birthday photo shoots for us in the past and, trust me, she’s awesome. I’m keeping my fingers crossed because I would love for her to do our baby’s newborn shots when he comes.

So, head on over if you live in the area and check out her work!

Here's a sneak peak of Mandi's great work.

Photo Shoot Giveaway! is a post from: Discover The Child

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It was that time of the day. You know the one. I’m trying to get dinner ready in the kitchen. Dinner prep is taking twice as long as it should (or maybe could?) because Monkey wants me to hold him and show him and feed him. It’s an hour before bedtime, so the crazy pre-bed restless behaviors are beginning. And if I can’t get the kids doing something other than clinging to my legs, things are only going to go downhill. So, what did I do? Pulled out some Montessori work, of course!

Pearl doing transfer work with smooth stones and tongs.

Monkey doing the same work with a spoon.

And, as I told my husband that evening, I take the messiness of the room as a sign that they were busy kids. They got it all cleaned up before bedtime.

What I loved about this work time:

• Watching them take turns. First, Pearl watched Monkey do his spoon work and then he watched her with the tongs. They went through several cycles of this.
• It kept them busy! And happily, too. I think they enjoyed having a specific task to execute.
• Instead of just saying, “Go play with something” like I sometimes do, I felt like I was giving them actual work that would bring them satisfaction and also improve their coordination skills.
• Watching them clean up when they were done. Something about the activity being on a tray must trigger something in their brains because when they were finished with the work, they quickly put the stones back in their container and the tray and supplies up on the kitchen counter. Now to figure out how to cue this reflex with their other toys…

All in all, it was a success and something I plan to try more often. So, next time you just need a couple minutes to get something done, try pulling out a tray and some interesting work for your kids. You might just be surprised.

The Many Uses of Montessori Work is a post from: Discover The Child

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This month, my theme is Patience. Such an important virtue when you are dealing with little ones, whether at home or in the classroom. I’ve had too little of it recently with my children and that is not the kind of mother I want to be. And impatience certainly does not contribute to my happiness or the joy in our home–it detracts from both in a major way. Here are my goals for the month (all recorded on a handy chart where I can check my progress each day):

• Use a Calm Voice
• Use Gentle Hands
• Say “Yes”
• Limit Computer Time

Simple, right? But having these precise, attainable, measurable resolutions, and a way to keep track of my progress, makes all the difference. Last month, when my theme was A House of Order, the goal I ended up loving the most was “Clean the Kitchen Every Night Before Bed.” Did I do it every single night? No. But I did it way more than I used to and it made such a huge difference in my life. Going to bed knowing that my kitchen was clean and waking up to clean dishes and counters truly did bring happiness into my life.

This month’s resolutions are all about these guys:

Welcome to winter.

And I want to be the best mom possible for them.

Back to this month. A lot of my inspiration for these goals comes from the book Parenting a House United: Changing Children’s Hearts and Behaviors by Teaching Self-Government by Nicholeen Peck. One of the main principles of the book is the power of calm. If we can teach our children to react and behave calmly, our homes and their lives will have so much more peace. But the clincher is, we have to master that ability ourselves before we can expect it of anyone else. So, I am going to focus on always using a calm voice (even when I’m correcting or disciplining) and gentle hands (I never want to touch my child in a way that makes them afraid or could possibly hurt them). The calm voice is a big one for me–it’s so easy to let that impatience creep in to my tone.

Next are two things that I hope will make my interactions with my children more joyful and give me less reason to be impatient in the first place. I have found that I’m the most impatient when I’m trying to get something done and one of the children wants my attention. Honestly, whatever I’m trying to get done is usually not that big of a deal. So, I am going to practice saying “yes” as often as I can (as long as the request is reasonable). For instance, if Monkey asks to read a book with me when I’m reading my own book, I will say, “Yes.” I’m hoping this will make us all happier. They get the time with me and I get the time with them. A win win. I’m also going to work on limiting the time I spend on the computer while they are awake. Whatever I’m doing on the computer can always wait until later and I will get less frustrated if I work on those kinds of things when they are asleep and not begging for my attention.

So, that’s the plan, folks. I’ll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!

My Happiness Project: Patience is a post from: Discover The Child

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Behold, the Polite Pigs!

Good Manners Flash Cards from eeBoo (teeth marks across top not included)

These Good Manners Flash Cards are just delightful. I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Flash Cards? About etiquette?” But, they’re actually super fun!

Check it out:

A deck of cards. Each card has an etiquette question on one side and the appropriate response on the other.

Some are basic reminders.

Wouldn't you love to hear those words?

Some are a little more formal.

Something to remember when dining out.

And the style is fun and slightly quirky--a good combination for kids.

Too cute!

As someone who appreciates polite behavior and who wants her own children to be models of etiquette, I couldn’t pass these cards up. And my kids love to play with them! The way we usually work with them is I hold up a card and read the question on the front. If Pearl gives an appropriate response, she gets to keep the card. If she needs to go over it again, I keep it. I know you’re probably still skeptical. But, honestly, she loves them! And she’s already learned so many great new etiquette skills.

Get yourself a deck and have fun teaching and learning from some very polite pigs!

Teaching Good Manners: Polite Pig Flash Cards is a post from: Discover The Child

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But you know what? I’m totally converted. Shocking, I know.

Here’s what Montessori herself has to say about the idea of mixed ages in the classroom:

“To segregate by age is one of the cruelest and most inhuman things one can do, and this is equally true for children. It breaks the bonds of social life, deprives it of nourishment” (The Absorbent Mind, 226).

Yes, if you haven’t picked up on this yet, Montessori was not one to mince words–she doesn’t hesitate to share her feelings.

She continues, “Our schools show that children of different ages help one another. The younger ones see what the older ones are doing and ask for explanations (…) There are many things which no teacher can convey to a child of three, but a child of five can do it with utmost ease (…) in our schools the five year old feels himself a protector of the younger one” (226-227).

Since I can’t share a post without some kind of visual aid, take this example:

Okay, so this isn't technically in a Montessori classroom, but the idea still applies. You can almost hear Monkey from his spot over by the slide: "Hey, Pearl! A little help here? This snow is deeper than I thought!" See his little outreached hand?

"Don't worry, Monkey. I got your back."

I chose not to go outside with them that day and am actually quite glad I did. By staying inside, I gave Pearl the chance to serve her brother, to think of him and his needs, and to help him.

And from what I’ve experienced, it works the same way in the classroom. Monkey and his younger peeps at the school follow the older kids around, watching how they work with the activities, learning the rules of different games. Then, later on, when that particular work opens up again, they scramble over to try it themselves, imitating the actions they witnessed earlier.

Conversely, I’ve watched the biggest boys in our class stop playing tag during outdoor time to help Monkey onto the tire swing and then push him on it, seemingly oblivious to the game they left behind. I’ve seen them help him down the stairs back into the classroom and guide him over to me if he’s sad and needs my attention. Without these little toddlers around, those big boys wouldn’t have had the chance to learn and display such charity and gentleness (at least in the classroom). Having a mixed age classroom has helped them look beyond themselves and their big boy games and watch for the smaller child who might need their help.

It melts a teacher’s (and a mother’s) heart.

So, even though it can get a little crazy with such a wide age range to deal with, I’ve come to believe that it’s actually ideal. Everyone wins.

Thoughts?

Montessori in Action: The Mixed Age Classroom is a post from: Discover The Child

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One key Montessori idea that I’ve witnessed in action in our classroom, and that I’ve tried to implement more into my home, is the notion that “we must be specially careful not to destroy any of life’s natural tendencies” (158) in these children. Montessori was specifically referring to toddlers with these words and, with my own toddler in tow, I’ve been trying to align my words and actions to this ideal.

Now I don’t think Montessori meant that we simply let the toddler do as she pleases with no disciplining or sense of right and wrong. What I do think she meant, was that this period of development is an especially sensitive one, one that we should be careful not to trample all over.

See this Monkey?

"Who, me?"

For this sweet boy, being 2 means a constant inner battle between two forces: independence and dependence. One of his catch phrases these days is, “I do it myself!” He wants to get in to the car by himself, walk up and down the stairs from our third floor condo by himself, take his clothes of by himself, brush his teeth by himself.

Of course, he also still clings to his mommy and wants to be snuggled and held at every turn.  And how can I resist?

Could you?

As a mother, I am often (daily) tempted to remove some of this independence from him. To place him in his car seat, to carry him up the stairs, to take off his clothes, to brush his teeth for him. And for a simple reason, really. It’s always much faster if I do it. But what’s the good of that–other than saving a couple minutes? Why rob him of the chance to test himself, to explore his world, to master himself? So that I can spare myself the wait while he does it himself? Here’s what Montessori had to say about it:

“All he wants is to walk. And because his legs are shorter than ours, we must not try to make him keep up with us. It is we who must go at his pace. The necessity we are under of taking our time from the child is clear enough in this case, but we ought to note that this rule applies whenever we are educating little children, no matter in what field. The child has his own laws of development, and if we want to help him to grow, it is a question of following these, not of imposing ourselves upon him” (162).

What does this mean to me as a mother and as an educator? That I must make the time to let him walk, to let him grow. That I must make sure we leave the house plenty early so that my hurry and rush does not become a source of frustration for all of us. That I give him the space to blossom into his own self.

I must remind myself of this frequently. It’s all too easy to get absorbed into my adult schedule and life and forget to climb down and see things from his perspective.

What do you think?

Montessori in Action: Let the Child Walk is a post from: Discover The Child

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