Magical Montessori Manipulatives

We have been having a great time this week playing with the beginnings multiplication. We have been using the bead box to show how multiplication is simply adding groups together~I am always amazed at how Montessori can be so simplistic yet so higher level at the same time~just elegant!

Golden Beads~

I have put a lot of thought in the past month into acquiring the montessori bead material. Currently I am using Shiller math, and it is OK. I just would really like to get a bit "deeper" into mathematics. So I have decided to just go for it and order them, I was originally hesitant because of the cost, but I think it will be a superb investment. I am finding that the more active way of montessori works well for us. She has been working really well with different 3 part cards that we have. Today She put Roman numerals in order form 1 to 20. Fun~

Landform Fun

You know them, you love them, landforms~
today we spent the morning exploring the landforms of our planet with clay and blue water.
We worked with our Montessori cards for guidance and created archipelago, a strait, bay & lake (the picture above is a strait by the way). It was great fun, and perfect for our pre-study time before the Hawaiian Islands.

The Loved Person~

From The Secret of Childhood by Maria Montessori

When the child goes to bed in the evening he calls the loved person and begs him not to go away. When we go in to dinner the tiny child that still feeds at his mother's breast would like to come with us, to stay near to watch us, not to eat. The adult passes by this mystical love without perceiving it. But the little one who so loves us will grow up, will vanish. And who will ever love us as he does? Who else will ever summon us on going to bed, saying, "Stay with me"? When the child is grown, he will say an indifferent "Good night". Who then will be eager just to watch us while we eat, though he eats nothing? We defend ourselves against this love that will pass away, and we shall never find anything to equal it. We in our turmoil say, "I haven't time, I can't, I have a lot to do," and we think in our hearts, "The child must be taught better, or he will make us his slaves." What we want is to be free from him to do what we ourselves like doing, so as not to give up our convenience.

I Heart Maria~

I am finding I have renewed passion in anything related to the Montessori method.
I love to see the way my daughter responds to it. I spent some time figuring out how to do the stamp game this week, with her former teacher, and friend. Sophia picked up where she left off with it last year at the school and jumped right in. She really was able to show me the way. I want to utilize as much as possible ways of learning that already make sense for her. It was fun, and it is really fun for me to explore what is out there as far as Montessori resources for homeschooling.