Pink Blue Green - Why It Is Not for Us

This post is back to just us - our journey through Montessori. Well, in this case it is my journey and the journey of my poor tutoring children in those early days. ;)


Years and years ago, I started doing Montessori at home and located a wonderful person online who shared her word lists for the pink/blue/green series. I had not seen this work done in the Montessori schools I had worked at, couldn't find it in Montessori's books, but I also knew that I didn't "know" all there was to know about Montessori and perhaps I'd just "missed" understanding what I was seeing. At this point, I was doing full-time daycare in my home and didn't have time for subbing or for observing; the few teachers I was able to contact told me they didn't use pink/blue/green but couldn't explain quickly what they did use - I remember phrases like "total reading" and "exploration of language keys" but I just didn't get it. One online acquaintance said, "There is something far better than the pink blue green series for Montessori language - I'll send you information." I never did receive anything :(

So I tried to sort it out with currently available resources online; the one album I had didn't explain it well; and the Montessori books I had didn't even MENTION it. (see update below). I tried combining Montessori Read and Write with the pink/blue/green ---- I was just not feeling comfortable with our odd blend - it didn't feel right - not in the same way our other Montessori work just felt right. I finally gave up and used the p/b/g cards as reading cards and modified the materials to suit the elementary children who came to me for tutoring - and made up my own activities.


When I got to AMI primary training (hoping to learn how to use this p/b/g material) I was not only astounded to learn it just wasn't used, but also that the trainer was adamantly opposed to it!!! The methodology actually used in AMI was SO simple - SO basic - SO straight-forward, that it was almost TOO simple! No wonder the p/b/g was developed I thought to myself - because we adults struggle with simplicity ;)

That conversation with my trainer was so freeing!


But don't you need all these word cards to learn to read?

If you might be offended by my answer, please come back tomorrow :) Really, it's ok :) I want to be totally honest and say what needs to be said, but I understand that it won't make everyone happy!

I respect the intentions of those people who created this pink/blue/green series; I respect them as people without having to agree with their outcomes. I also respect the people who learned this system and know no other way, thus continue to pass it on. I can respect them as people without agreeing with the use of this learning to read plan.

4/1/2015 UPDATE: The chapter on reading in The Discovery of the Child mentions an English language materials using a set of drawers. The way that AMI sets up writing/reading experiences and the way that PBG works - what Montessori describes could seriously go either way. I am awaiting hard facts, information, proof on the recently learned connection that Montessori worked WITH someone to create the PBG (The Discovery of the Child seems to suggest Montessori did not collaborate but gave blessing). 

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ALL OPINIONS AND FACTS EXPRESSED HEREAFTER ARE SOLELY BASED ON my own experience as a past homeschooling, Montessori-wanna-be mother; past/present AMI trained primary and elementary teacher, and continuing homeschool mother using pure AMI Montessori at home and in a part-time co-op. I AM NOT AN EXPERT. I can only express what I see through my own observations and experiences.




Do you  need all those cards? Those booklets? Those dials?
FOUR HUNDRED PUZZLE WORDS!?!?!?!?!?
(Correction 1/4/12: FIVE HUNDRED SIGHT WORDS - 25 that must be learned before starting the blue level; the rest to be learned before starting the green series)

NO.

Just because learning to read and write is less of a tedium at this tender age, doesn't mean we make it a tedium. Kids learn to read and write with a variety of programs but why strive to take the fun out of it?


I have recently been the grateful recipient of a set of album sections that thoroughly cover the pink/blue/green series. As I read I kept grimacing and thinking, "OUCH!". My primary trainer was SO right when she said "too curriculum" like. MBT and others online who have expressed their utter relief in finding Dwyer's booklet are relieved for a *very *good *reason.

It is my firm belief that the reason for the confusion and for the relief when finding an alternative Montessori approach, is that the pink/blue/green series does not utilize all the proper Montessori principles that should be applied to the area of language exploration at these ages (before age 6).

I was more appalled as I read along. I started creating a long detailed analysis, but I will stick to some main points for this blog post. My full list is a book in itself.

• There is far too much material. Classroom or otherwise. This ignores the need for essentiality - keys - simplicity - the Montessori principles of isolation of quality and isolation of concept. 
• The whole plan insults the intelligence of the child. It implies that they cannot move forward in any of the reading/writing areas without the adult to be there with him. Montessori principles mis-applied: independence; exploration; follow the child (not follow the adult). 
• Part 2 to insulting their intelligence: with p/b/g, when the children are allowed to begin work with the movable alphabet, they've not even been given all the keys. So, they've received too much of the wrong kind of "food" and not near enough of the right kind to balance it out - and they are stuck now needing to use lots of objects and pictures to create words with the movable alphabet, when work with the movable alphabet should be about them writing what is in their OWN heads and hearts - the movable alphabet should NOT require objects and pictures  Montessori principles mis-applied: Follow the child; independence; exploration; creativity; imagination. 
• Continuing on the same vein: the children are far too tied to the materials. Montessori principle missed: the materials should be helps/aids, not crutches. 
• SUMMARY: This whole system does not trust the child, or the innate depth of the few necessary materials. And with so many "levels" and "stages", it cannot possibly be following the child.

SPECIFIC CASES: 

• The aural development (sound games) are labeled as age 4 and are listed in the album after physical preparation of the hand for writing. To the contrary, the sound games can begin in older infancy or toddler-hood, definitely the moment a child walks into primary at 2 1/2 or 3. Sensitive periods are in use right now - let's use them! 
• I have to be careful how I say this, or the soap-box will start flying: if I am reading these pages correctly, there should be more green sandpaper letters (phonograms, digraphs, dipthongs), than pink/blue letters (individual letters). One word: NO! We have one green sandpaper board for one key sound; we have simple material later that ties those related letter combos together. Simple. 
• While there seems to be some leeway for not finishing up pink before going onto blue and then to green (child can be going back and forth), my experience over and over again is that children who learn to read with a "holistic approach" described by the teachers I mentioned above, fly from no reading to 2nd/3rd grade reading level within a week - somewhere around the 5th birthday (could be a bit sooner or a bit later) and within a year are up to middle school reading level - both in skill and comprehension (because they have continued on with reading analysis, word study, function of words, etc.). I am not seeing the possibility of that occurrence with the pink/blue/green. Oh - and these children have been writing for a long time already. 
• Indeed what I hear from many people is that the children are reading before they are truly writing, with the p/b/g series - and there is a minimal or very quiet burst into either writing or reading; whereas experience time and again with the AMI approach when done to its fullness results in a huge explosion very similar to what is described by Montessori. 
• The blue series (consonant blends - not even phonograms yet) is noted as ages 5-6. Yet, these are phonetic words - just "longer" than cvc (consonant-vowel-consonant). A child given the keys to the English language (40-44 key sounds depending on the dialect), he can work with these words with ease the moment he touches the movable alphabet at around 4 - 4 1/2. At 5-6, he should be beyond the need for a "learning to read scheme" - he should be actually reading! 
• The green series is also noted as ages 5-6; in the Dwyer booklet or the AMI primary language album, a child who has been in a Montessori prepared environment since age 2 1/2 will be well beyond this reading stage at age 5. Again - it happens SO FAST when the keys-based foundation is laid. When a normally-developing child enters at 4 or 5 or 6, they are still reading within a few months, not years. 
• Yet, interestingly enough, those people I know who do use the pink/blue/green series consistently from age 3 onward,  have children entering elementary at 6 1/2 and almost 7 who are not "done" with the green series. The parents feel totally worn out by the process, the child is not full of joy in reading. And the idea of using elementary albums that suggest "remediation" (which would actually return that joy to their work because it will ditch the pbg, pick up the real keys, and move forward) makes those parents cringe because of all the energy they've already spent. I don't blame them! I'd be upset too! But consider what is best for the child. 

Is it possible that those people stating they no longer seeing the explosion into reading aren't setting up the situation for it to happen? I see the explosion happen over and over and over. With the same results. An EXPLOSION - full of JOY! And EXCITEMENT! 

The pink/blue/green must work somewhere and create true joy in the children, but I've really not heard about those successes yet in homeschools. I hear about the tedium, the materials, the energy drains, all the angry-sounding statements from people "defending" pink/blue/green - yet they have children reading before writing, and doing so at later ages (even Montessori noted that children aged 5 and older who are just starting out, will READ first, and they have missed sensitive periods - so if a child is reading first, is it possible the child was older when beginning or was given the wrong keys?). 

And the whole situation fills me with sadness: the situation of this work not being appropriate. But when I am honest about it, I risk offending someone. It is so hard to be honest and not take flack, so I'm choosing honesty and am praying for peace!

Why am I so sad? Because now I understand why I just didn't "get it" despite my years in a Montessori school (almost none of which would have used something like this!), but there are SO MANY people out there who think that the pink/blue/green series is the only Montessori way to learn to write and read in English. It is just NOT the case! 

There IS a wonderful option available - it requires fewer materials, much JOY, much exploration, creativity and imagination, leads to successful writers THEN readers --- and, well, after being so sad today, I just can't say enough: there is ANOTHER way! 

It was developed by Maria Montessori and works for ALL languages, despite what the creators of the pink/blue/green scheme thought.


Click her for a link to the Montessori Trails page correlating Dwyer with AMI with Pink/Blue/Green - aligned next to each other according to stages. 

Speech Articulation and Sound Games

For several months, when my son was younger, I didn't do as much of the aural Montessori work as I had hoped to. I was kind of waiting for him to start talking again.

He was slightly delayed with speech, and then not all that articulate. But one day, for a particular person, he suddenly opened up into complete sentences and almost entirely clear. When that person had to depart, my son stopped talking for several months except for "Amen", "Alleluia", and "Mama".

He seemed intelligent enough and had no other issues. I did have him evaluated for hearing and for speech; the home visitor we had deemed him to be in the normal range and invited him to a play group that met weekly during a time we were already doing another social activity.

But he was getting to be 2 1/2 and I just wasn't comfortable. Second evaluation said he's fine. He could understand anything spoken to him and he responded in his own way (with actions). Still within normal range, despite having less than 300 words and short phrases !?

I decided I needed to crack his code. And start "teaching" him anyway (like we'd not been learning his whole life or something, right?). He'd been around for all my lessons with tutoring children, he'd spent time in Montessori toddler programs when I'd be subbing in the same room or nearby. But it was just "time".


One day, I sat down with him and a pile of colored circles. I gave him 3 of the colors and named them; then asked him to place a clothespin on "red" or on "blue" as I called out the colors. This was his first "official" three period lesson (although we parents are good at doing some variation on the 3-period lesson anyway, so I know it happened before - maybe I should say this was my first consciously intentional Montessori-style 3-period lesson ;) ). Clearly we did not get to the 3rd period because he would just look me and not say a word. Or he would find something else in the room of the same color.

Well, it hit me with a big 90s DUH that he quite possibly knew all the colors! So I pulled out ALL of them (instead of adding 1-3 at a time as in the AMI style 3-period lesson), spread them all out on the floor and asked him to place a clothespin on each color as I called it out - completely out of order and entirely random.

We mixed them up and did it again.

And a 3rd time.

He got them all right, every time, perfectly.

4th time - well, the kid has always had a bit of dry humor. He intentionally placed the clothespin on the circle to the RIGHT of the correct circle, with the ones that should have gone on the right, placed on their corresponding circle on the far left. He even knew enough to figure out THAT pattern! On the one hand, I am proud of him; on the other hand, I have to roll my eyes and say, "really!?"


Well, the story of his speech articulation issue is a story for another day - or a series of other days. For now, I will say that from that moment on, we played sound games HEAVILY. He could hear them and he could respond. He knew when I mispronounced words (I would speak in the same manner of his own mispronunciation and he'd point out that I was incorrect, but then say exactly what I had just said! - it was just his mouth that couldn't say what needed to be said - his brain and intelligence and ears were all working just fine!

Over the coming weeks and months, we went through all those 3-part cards I'd made for him and others - and had him orally tell me the name of every time. In this way, I was able to discover his particular patterns of speech and articulation concerns, as well as begin to understand him so that we could have some "success" with speech and hopefully move forward. Again - the rest of this speech journey is another post; suffice it to say, if I'd known sooner the importance of the sound games from an early age (and if all those early evaluators knew the depth of the Montessori method and what it reveals about the inner workings of a child...), perhaps he would not be in speech therapy today!

To this day, he can write and read beautifully and he is still working on speech articulation. Definitely should not have stalled on those sound games!!!


And that, my readers, is the point to this point: DO NOT DELAY the sound games - just work with the child where he is at and find another way for your child to respond if he's not speaking well. Now, for a child who can't *hear*, modifications would have to be made, in consultation with someone more experienced than I am in working with deaf children.

The Montessori Elementary Material: Sort of a Review

Here is a list of all required Montessori reading for the various AMI training centers around North America.

Of these books, you will see that many are required reading for both primary and elementary; some are just for elementary. Of the elementary required books, the one I find the absolute most practical for us homeschooling moms is The Advanced Montessori Method Volume 2: The Montessori Elementary Material.

Yes, I tout those theory albums to no end - because even with all the reading out there, every single AMI Montessori trainee must still compile a theory album for each level. Why? Because the theory album is so crucial.

But it is not the only piece of the puzzle. Coupled with the theory album is reading the words of Maria Montessori herself.

While a full set of albums with complete album pages (presentations) is still a necessity, this book helps to put those presentations in a "practical light". The Advanced Montessori Method Volume 2 provides a *fantastic* transition from primary to elementary, outlining an almost seamless transition from the use of the AMI primary albums into the use of the AMI elementary albums.

It outlines the main materials used in the following areas:

• Language: The main thrust of the lower and upper elementary materials is described here. Word Study, Parts of Speech, Sentence Analysis, Word Classification.
  
• Reading: Mechanical process; Analysis. It even includes a section on "reading aloud" - how the child is given a set of booklets (the text for some of the booklets is included!) to read to himself, and only when he is ready, he reads aloud with gusto and confidence. If a child has been in the primary Montessori with AMI albums, these booklets are actually quite appropriate for kindergarten as well as the 1st grade. The subject of the first book is "Children's House", thus implying kindergarten.
  
• Mathematics and Geometry: the transitional materials from primary into lower elementary; as well as some upper elementary. It is important to note that the area of mathematics was fleshed out much more after the original publication of this book, when Mario joined his mother in this work. Thus mathematics is one area I say, "Focus on the transition from primary into elementary with this book; then you will be much more confident to apply the album pages from the full elementary mathematics and geometry albums."
• Drawing: Art is an important part of human life and of education. It is a direct fundamental need of humans - under the title of "veritas." It has a fantastic, to-the-point chapter on getting the basics of artwork covered.
  
• Music and Metrics: These two chapters help the "untrained Montessorian" and even the trained ones (!) to really understand the basic foundation of the music area.
  

This book is straight-forward, yet rather conversational in nature. I love the tone of this book over anything that came out of my AMI training ;)


Almost the best aspect of this book is the inclusions of materials - contents of booklets, contents of the grammar boxes (via a translator, so modified for English usage), and more.


If I could only choose ONE book to go along with a full set of elementary albums (including theory!), THIS book would be IT!


And the best part!? If you are willing to read it on a screen, you can get the original publication for FREE.
(The Clio version of this books appears to have been drastically modified - I could be wrong, so someone please let me know if they have the new Clio version and can compare to this free online version to see if they are the same - I would SO appreciate it!)

I personally own the 1973 Schocken version - a complete re-print of the Google archived version, minus the first photo and a list of included photos. All other photos are included.


Now, The Advanced Montessori Method is also very good; it reads more as the theory, background, philosophy... where Volume 2 is the more practical materials-application.

:)

Telling Time - Reading Clocks - Montessori Style

Telling time is one area of Montessori that throws me. And going to both AMI primary and AMI elementary training didn't really help rid of me of my annoyance in this area! ;)

In primary, we were told it was elementary work - talk about time in general; talk about the clock; have a calendar; etc. but no formal presentation and I don't think clock-work is mentioned anywhere in my AMI primary albums at all. It's elementary work right?

Well, I get on to elementary and while they have a presentation for the parts of the clock and a tiny bit more, we were told to presume that primary children had already had this work!

HUH!?


Anyhow, I am happy to share all of my work with YOU all. I developed this work based on experiments and observation with my tutoring children and my own son. What I have here is suitable for children who can recognize numbers. I do not claim this is the perfect and the only way to teach time; I am only saying it worked for us. There are SO MANY great and wonderful activities available for various ages - what I find is that some are more "key" than others - so I present the keys, and let the children show me where they want to go with it. I know they have the foundation and the framework and the tools to do their own decorating ;)
(vanitas - a fundamental human need and a human tendency towards perfecting oneself and one's environment by personalizing it).


12/15/2014: UPDATE: I have been told by many that this is too simplistic - not enough "work" here for the children. I counter with "Is it not enough work for the child - or is it not enough work for YOU?" We want to focus on the keys - so the children have time/space to explore AND have something to discover. Most children don't need every single step outlined for them - if they do and they are typically developing children, then they have been accustomed to having everything handed to them, with little room for personal thoughts of their own. I don't say that to judge or be cruel, but to point out a reality: that children take advantage of their human tendency for exploration when they are given the opportunity - and if they no longer have this tendency EVER, something happened TO them. To not have an interest in a particular subject, that is fine and normal - if it is truly a key experience, they will come back to it.

Thus we focus on the KEYS to exploration and discovery; providing real life key experiences, then the follow-ups either happen or we introduce them in bits later. Do everything with time all at once, the child will later say, "Oh I've learned all about that topic, I am done now." rather than coming back to it again and again and again as we actually want them to do.

Concerned about doing math with clocks? The elementary mathematics album includes work with non-decimal bases so the math is easily done there; also the history album and geometry album get into circles, degrees, history of Babylon, clocks, etc.
(note: that non-decimal base presentation? has no materials - at least no new materials (it uses the decanomial bead bars and the bead cabinet squares and cubes --- and a VERY easily hand-drawn chart)

(end update)



We start with this clock:

Open/Close doors for the digital time
Digital time corresponds to the analog time
Analog hands actually coordinate with one another
ANGST 1: it only counts by 5s in the digital
ANGST 2: it is a 24 hour clock (13:00 for 1:00 PM)
Neither angst are deal-breakers
1) the children get the main concept here
and apply the details elsewhere
2) perfect way to teach that the day is 24 hours -
which is a PM and AM elementary presentation anyway!

Another bonus about that clock? The hour hand coordinates with the hour numbers in color; the minute hand with the minute, which brings me to my first MAIN KEY:

• I tell the children, "The hour is shorter and reaches for the big number that is closer; the minute hand is longer and stretching BEHIND those big numbers to the little numbers in the back - THAT is where we get the numbers for each hand."
• Without this piece, the rest doesn't make any sense or doesn't really matter; they really need to know to which numbers each hand is pointing. So don't move on until they get that concept. 

Now, it is ideal if a child can count by 5 when they start this work, so they have an easier grasp of things, however the fact is that time moves in minutes of 1, not in 5s. We do NOT get those groups of five FROM the big numbers! Those big numbers indicate the hours! They just happen to share the same arrow direction with the 5 minute marks! ;)
(1/14/12: Yes, it is neat to see those bead bars of 5 - and it helps count up by 5 faster; it's one of those keys that if it works for you, do it! If not, it's ok too! I have had children totally boggled by the use of the bead bar there because then they think it can never be 7:23 for example; most children understand it just fine without the beads!)

then I added this material - it was a bust.
The hands don't coordinate, so it is NOT a worthwhile investment
of time OR money, unless you have 6-9 year olds who are copying
the big yellow clock shown above.
I could see it being a useful tool for some children,
as an intermediary between this and writing their own clocks.
I personally wouldn't purchase it again. 

These cards are incremented in 15 minutes.
Buy two sets - cut out the clock faces from one set
and mount on white index cards (getting rid of the color). 

The backs of the card show the digital time
and the time in written words. VERY handy!
the children match the digital time to the clock face
then turn it over to see if they were right!
And the color coordination is only noticed when checking,
therefore it is not a crutch.
These could be cut into 2 pieces - digital and language.

In the back you see the paper clock I created
(the hands are not shown here for some reason)
the children used this to move the hands around.
It didn't work so hot.
I replaced it with a blank paper clock face onto which
the children added numbers, lines and arrows.

 I created 3-part cards for all the 5 minutes  and
a selection of the minutes (like 7:23) and
presented them in varying stages (not all at once).
Just printed clock faces on paper and marked
them all out by hand.
I WILL NEVER do that again!
It was far too tedious.
Either do it on the computer, or find a download! 

I later added in this stamp - better than printing!
This thing is SO MULTI-PURPOSE!
And the children can write their own times, copying
from the plastic clock above - or from a real clock!
Elementary children can use it in their work journals. 

All stored in a cute little basket! 

For the primary age, nothing more is really needed. There are plenty of great supplemental activities, such as a timeline of one's day, card matching and card grading games, and the like. But not every child likes or needs these.


For both ages (primary and elementary), be sure to include proper time-related terminology in your conversations and interactions. Don't be like me and tell your child that you'll be done in 5 minutes when you know it will be half an hour! ;) He'll start thinking that "Five minutes is a LONG time, Mama!"

And therein lies the second crucial key to telling time: USING it.

TIP: Start with analog and move to digital - it is easy to make the transition that direction; if you switch directions, you will have an uphill battle on your hands. Convinced we should only go digital? Then it will be that much harder to understand the historical telling of time and all those doors of discovery that are thereby opened, such as culture, number bases, astronomy, angle measurements ;) Sure, some of that is still present, but keeping the round clock-face is a huge sensorial foundation for this later work.



Elementary Work: 

This author has some great
books just perfect for the
elementary Montessori crowd!

• Word problems with time
• Exploring timelines, BC/AD, centuries, decades, millenia
• Explore how different cultures and for different purposes tracked the passage of time. 
• Many other resources listed here at Living Math. 
• our favorite book that spurred a LOT of cosmic education interests? The Story of Clocks and Calendars: Marking a Millenium by Betsy Maestro
• Encourage further exploration based on interests; but also provide rich quality materials within the environment. 

Primary Reading - Phonetic and Phonogram Command Cards

In elementary, we get into a certain amount of command cards for the children to work through various language presentations, biology and geography experiments and a bit more.

But it all starts in primary!

When the children are learning to read, there are two places in which we introduce command cards.

The phonetic command cards are short phrases with commands. The child reads the commands to himself (we don't ask the child to read out loud - but he can if he wants to), and then perform the action. The performance of the proper action is the sign that the child has decoded the reading!

By this time, the child has had the movable alphabet, can write out decently with it; has been reading phonetic words and matching them with objects (phonetic object box) and has MAYBE read a couple of books with a word and a picture matched together. From the first day of the phonetic object box, it might be a matter of hours or it might be a week until the child gets to do some of the command cards. It is NOT a slow tedious process!

Some people have downloads available for one word commands - these could be great as an introduction, but are unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. "Jump". Ok. That could be part of other language work. We want them to "run and jump"! "Run and stop"! "Hug mama"! This is REAL reading!

The bonus? They get to do SOME things for which they don't ordinarily have permission - run INSIDE!?
Yes! But only if you READ it first! (the phonetic command here is "run and stop" - the word "inside" would be in the phonogram version).


Shortly thereafter (hours? days? no more than a couple of weeks unless you have a child with special learning needs), the phonogram object box is introduced with the phonogram alphabet; then the shadowbox - and within a couple more hours or days: the PHONOGRAM COMMANDS!

Now, they can "Jump up and down" - they can "kiss mommy six times" and other assorted tasks :)

Have FUN with these!



Elementary children just learning to read? Having two baskets - one for phonetic and one for phonogram - making it a game that last just a few minutes each day and yes the children will start reading quickly!

Analysis of Dwyer Booklet - compared to AMI Primary Language Album

I am short on time, but I have several people interested in my analysis, so here are my notes. If I have a chance I will freshen these up in the near future with a bit more narrative.

Please DO ask if something doesn't make sense!



In Complete Agreement: 

0+
Developing language at home - absorbing it
speak, sing, poems, rhymes, read books
REAL language - diverse vocabulary
explore with the sound games (spoken language section of the language album - can begin when a child starts speaking, maybe even before - attune his ear to sounds)

2 1/2 +
Development of vocabulary
Primary Language album: spoken language - heavily emphasized (there are a lot of games in the spoken language section that are excellent for the children's exploration!)
Stories, poems and songs

Emphasis on key sounds - but not on early sandpaper letters! Be sure to have those sounds down pat! But also start them when the child is very young. I add that starting with an older child (4, 5, 6), it may be necessary to introduce some sandpaper letters very soon into it, so that the child "sees the point". Otherwise, the earliest introduction of the sandpaper letters is between 3 1/2 and 4, after just about the all sounds are known.

When sounds are known, quickly go into the sandpaper letters - 2-3 weeks should see them all mastered (AMI says "less than a month" so corresponds). Remember, the child KNOWS the sounds; he is just learning a graphic symbol and tracing it right now. Nothing more.


There are many references to "proper" presentations; full exercises; all the stages (of handwriting for example); children "lucky enough" to have had it all done right for him.... The booklet does not provide these details; the details are found in the language album. Some sample stages of the sound games, which seems sufficient to get the heart of the matter; other stuff too lightly touched on to be in-depth.


DIFFERENCE: 
Up until the booklets/folders, references of activities are to those found in the Primary language album. Activities are very similar, with Dwyer providing few details that are then found far in-depth in the Primary Language album.

DIFFERENCE: The primary language has a "photo album" filled with a set of phonogram card. There are no folders such as described in Dwyer's booklet. They may have been at the time this booklet was originally written. The booklets described are stage 1 of the booklets described in the primary language album. There are two more stages of booklets, which can be hand-made or suitable sets purchased.

SIMILARITY: For the dictionary of phonograms, the album page in the primary language album is "Research".
Dictation is done with the materials at hand - and is done in similar manner - the child can either handwrite or use the small movable alphabet to spell out the words.


SUMMARY OF INITIAL THOUGHTS: 
All in all, the Dwyer pamphlet seems to be summarizing and providing the framework for what was possibly AMI's specific approach at that time. In the meantime, only the minor differences noted above have made their way into AMI; these differences based on observation and needs of the children.

I feel that her approach is straight-forward, but knowing what I personally know, it leaves out a lot of details and leaves me hanging! Understandable given the format she was working with as compared to the size of the language album! I do NOT know how I would have felt about this booklet if I had found it before I had AMI training. I think I would have loved it for the framework it provides along with the bit of details to help me be looking for the right resources to fill in the pieces. I think I would have appreciated it and I do know that I would have mostly understood it better than the p/b/g scheme. But I do think it would have left me with a lot of hanging questions (like what are these activity word games!?).

I highly recommend this booklet for parents homeschooling their 0-6 year olds, but with a caveat: since it is only the structure AND the points of emphasis, it should utilized along with the AMI Primary Language album. The booklet will provide the necessary introduction and practical application, while the album will provide all the details on the materials and presentation styles.

The album can feel overwhelming and for a non-AMI-trained parent definitely could use more of a "guide". It seems that together, this booklet and the AMI primary language album fit well together to provide the homeschooling mom (or other adult) what they need to know to work with their child(ren).


(I have received some offline questions on this topic and am putting them all together in one post - it will go up on January 3rd, but please keep asking questions and I'll keep editing that post as needed so everything is in one place :) How to Use Dwyer with AMI Primary Language (linking to post ahead of time - it will be available on January 3rd). The post includes a chart with each step in Dwyer aligned with the corresponding section of the Primary Language Album.)




Click her for a link to the Montessori Trails page correlating Dwyer with AMI with Pink/Blue/Green - aligned next to each other according to stages.

Dot Game Fun!

I love the dot game - I don't know what it is - all the dots maybe? Nah - it's the organization of it - the beauty of it - the essential teaching of it!

And it is the one time that markers are typically used in a Montessori class - if the dot game is kept in a glass frame or laminated and mounted - the children can use a dry erase marker and eraser and use it again and again!


Legoboy did it at school, and wanted it to do it at home (that year I alternated subbing at Montessori schools and working at home - and homeschooling - it was a crazy, but wonderful year!) --- well, I just printed it out and he filled it in. We downloaded this version from Montessori Materials - a great place for some of the printable materials.

Then I had to print more - because he just ate it up!

Here is his first one... It's so pretty! I wrote the first set of numbers and everything else was on him.

The children check off as they do a row, so they can track where they are. They connect up the dots to create a "bead-bar of ten"; then carrying over is noted in red the first several times they do it, to really reinforce the extra work that goes into carrying. But these are all concepts that are actually KNOWN - the child has been doing this work throughout use of the golden bead material - for Legoboy, it had been almost two years with the golden beads, probably a year and a half with carrying, before he actually did the dot game. 

Montessori works in baby steps - so there are only two new things here: 

1. doing the work ALL on paper, in typical addition format (on the right side) --- but connecting it back to their previous work of no more than 9 in any category! 
2. introduction of the comma. Until this time they have not really been using the comma. There are many adults (ahem, me) who try to sneak that comma in there sooner - before the child is ready (too many new things at once if it is introduced sooner!) and most of the time the adult doesn't even realize he or she is doing it! It's so instinctive! But we want the children to focus on place value, so we don't worry about the comma until around this time - this is close to the time they will also learn about millions with the wooden hierarchical material - so the next step is to be introduced to the repetition of the categories (unit, ten, hundred; unit of thousand, ten of thousand, hundred of thousand, etc.). 

This material is only used for addition although multiplication could be done on it. There is more other work for the child to do and the point here is the two points listed above. So further operations are not necessary. 

By the 3rd sheet of this work, the Dot Game turned into a balloon popping game - pop 1, pop 2, pop 3, etc. until number 10 was the biggest POP of them all! 

oh the days when it wasn't about battles and weapons.... it just balloons popping! How I miss those days ;) 

Mathematics Materials: A Photo Journey

I started two separate posts, but there is so much overlap here! The materials can be pricey or tricky to make at first, but, as noted, most of it goes for several years!


A photo journey of our primary mathematics materials:

Numbers 1-10 (the candle is for decoration, polishing,
and it makes a neat representative of the number 1 ;)
Basket underneath for golden bead collections.
Most of this material is JUST for primary.
(except the small bead frame!)

There is also a small bead frame- but if you know you are going to do elementary as well, get the large bead frame and use for both (that is what we did). The dot game is downloadable. Teens and tens boards can be made of paper and cardstock (that was ours!). The memorization charts can be downloaded.



A photo journey of both primary and elementary Montessori materials:

At-home multi-purpose use ;)
This material is used FOREVER in Montessori!
It is WORTH it to have every piece of it - do NOT skimp here. 

Mathematics mats - especially for primary

Circle fractions are for both primary AND elementary

Division with Racks and Tubes
Test Tube Division
Can be used in primary for short division
Elementary for short and long division
and the materials can be used SEVERAL other places as well

Golden bead material - 45 of each, 9 thousands
(only one non-AMI primary presentations needs
more than 9 thousands - and you can make those)

Decanomial bead bar box - we get away with one box
by adding a few bars of pony beads on colored pipe cleaners.
Primary and Elementary
AND you can use this material for SO MUCH - just pull from it what you need!

The stamp game, large bead frame - belong here. Also, get a negative snake game and you'll have all you need for all the snake games.




A photo journey of JUST elementary Montessori materials:

flat bead from for elementary only

Elementary: power of 2 cube
(power of 3 cube is NOT necessary)

Montessori Protractor - this one is 0 - 360
Another one goes 0 - 100
Both are necessary in some form. 

Fraction skittles for division.
Some albums have them in primary for another purpose.
They are intended for dividing fractions by fractions
at the elementary level. 

sample of squaring and cubing in elementary
all material comes from the bead cabinet

too pretty of a picture not to share!
all material comes from the bead cabinet

Decimal Checkerboard for multiplying decimal fractions (decimals)

There is more I have not yet pictured: the squaring and cubing material; the pegboards.

Mathematics is huge! The nice thing is that primary materials DO carry over; and there is a good deal of the elementary material that can be consolidated, or made of paper, cardstock, or other items around the house, along with a few basic purchases. Or is multi-purpose for both primary and elementary with slight modification.

While this area is the most intense, materials-wise, it is also the most efficacious of all the Montessori materials. It is worth every second and every penny! 

:) 

Primary Language Materials: Photo Journey

In no particular order, language-related photos I have - some with materials we've made - some with materials we've purchased or borrowed or were gifted:

Zoology and Botany classification cards
with definitions
A few samples of these are nice to have in the classroom or homeschool
focus on keys, then add an interest or two
Thereafter, find outline pictures online and invite the child to
"do research" to find the names of the parts
(so books on the subject would be great!)

small movable alphabet -
punctuation marks are missing from these boxes
the backsides of each letter should have the capital as well
perhaps if I'd made them with the capitals,
Legoboy wouldn't have struggled with them as much ;)
****This material carries over into elementary -
have blue, red, and black on hand for sure*****

wooden grammar symbols - genius!
****Carries over to elementary!*****

Our original handmade metal insets
Not so metal - they are foamboard
do it again? I would either buy them or cut from wood
or from mat board (picture frame backing)
***ALTERNATIVE: just get the geometry cabinet and use
the shapes from those drawers!****

Now, we also had beautiful living books, focused on reality - with a variety of beautiful artwork (nothing cartoon-like).

We read from the Bible - not from Bible storybooks.

We did a lot of artwork, which helps with handwriting and strengthening those muscles, thus the fraction insets (circles, squares and triangles) were utilized in various setting (we did not have these at home at the time, but I wish we had!). The circle fractions begin in primary and continue into elementary mathematics, with the squares and triangles presented in elementary geography.

We spoke whole-language - real words, full sentences. Yes, we played silly word games at times, but our usual conversations were imbued with respect for the child's intelligence - something hard to fight against in our culture that uses the wrong verb tense and pronouns for the youngest children. Mother-ese is WONDERFUL - but it shouldn't be used on a 2 year old except briefly in silly-snuggle time for just a moment. ;) "Him so beautifuls" being not quite right for a child over a few months old who is absorbing the rules of language. hehe.


These things (pretend stories, awful artwork, poor language) won't destroy a child, but they sure won't build him up and they could certainly slow him down. Everyone who asks my advice because they have been doing these things and have older children - just adjust now. Slowly purge the old books by adding in or emphasizing the good ones; remove the least loved of the others first, and faze out the usual favorites. But save the good literature for elementary! (Beatrix Potter, Wind in the Willows, Fairy Tales --- these are all moral tales and have a profound place in elementary!) Speak in whole, rich language, with a large vocabulary - provide very simple and short explanations only when obviously needed (child asks). If the child says the wrong thing, such as "pretty kitty" instead of cat or kitten, you say, "Yes, this is a lovely cat (or kitten depending on the age of the cat!). So you are giving another name for pretty, teaching its meaning in context without needing a definition, AND providing the accurate word for the age of the creature. No correction necessary :)

World Puzzle Map at Home

Montessori teachers generally highly recommend not to have duplicate materials at home and at school.

For the most part, I agree.

But there are always moments that make you say, "hmm."

And this was one :)


Junior Legoboy (he had not yet discovered legos at this time of his life!) was in an AMI primary Montessori school for his 3 year old year. First thing of interest is that he started to write at home - writing out the letters to spell "thank you" on his after-Christmas cards - but he wouldn't write at home - OOPS! Meant to say *school* - he would NOT write at school - and it's not like we spent that much time at home that year for him to be distracted by duplicate materials at home. I had tucked away all of our Montessori materials so he would focus on them at school. But he just wouldn't write at school!


One day, at home, he pulled out a world puzzle map we had there (yes out of storage, without my permission), and proceeded to do work he'd seen the older children doing at school.

This photo became the cover of my sensorial album!
Please ignore his clothes hanging in the closet behind him ;) 

Assembling the puzzle outside of the frame,
with no outer border reference. 

So in this case, we certainly had moments where he went deeper with the work at home than he did at school. I'm not drawing any significant conclusions from these observations - just something to say, "hmmm."


Yes, this material was in my sensorial album - not a separate geography area. I had sensorial aspects of the world in sensorial, with the appropriate language activities in the language album. I personally found this layout to be SUCH a relief after having spent several years finagling with multiple subject albums - 4 was such a blessed relief! It certainly helped me to organize the patterns and connections in a way I just didn't "see" before despite the number of years in Montessori environments!

Infants and Toddlers at Home

How do we provide a Montessori environment for the littlest ones?

It is so easy and simple - that it is complicated.

Your best bet is start with nothing and add what you need; but most of us do not have that luxury. Instead we have to wade through the *stuff* to purge what we don't need. Ugh.


First, learn about your child's developmental stages - read Montessori's writings and attachment parenting books about this age, before really looking at other resources (even if you don't plan to attachment parent - the information is very sound). These writings will be based on observation and responses given to children of this age for the last 6000 years at minimum.

Train yourself in observation and response. Subtle cues. Environmental. People. Temperature. The sounds of silence.

Establish a peaceful home. A joyous home. Filled with love and light.

For materials - consider what you REALLY need. Babies need very few contraptions - on the contrary, they need room to explore.

Consider human needs and tendencies as they will be displayed in a very young child, even one in the womb. How can you meet these needs and tendencies? Fulfill them?

Through simplicity. Focus. Yes there are mobiles and images that are strongly recommended, but in the end, YOU can come up with most of what you need with only a small nudge for the rest. Trust YOURSELF, trust YOUR instincts. Develop your instincts. Follow your gut.

Observe and Respond.

(NOTE: Blogger is being funny with the photo arrangements - if you see a HUGE blank space below, please keep scrolling down for the rest of the post!)

Start with one piece puzzles and large knobs
(geometric shapes best to start with -
see the top puzzle of the stack on the left)

So happy to be at the table with the big people :)

booster for at the table
(doubles as high chair with detachable tray;
also tilts back for infants
and has 2-3 height settings)

booster that doubles as high chair when needed.
Less furniture and smaller. 

Attachment parenting
confidence that mom is always there

Real food; real utensils
the bowl was in my hands at the time of the photo

Time with family, participating with the family

Drinking from bowl of cereal for the first time!
This photo: about 12 months
visiting at a friend's house
their kids thought the toy would neat
he ignored it ;) 

Building and exploring
does not have to be Montessori materials
although plain colored blocks are best,
if you have colored, have 1 color for each shape

Concentration

Visiting at friend's house - no glass tumblers available
plastic is ok from time to time, but has no weight
plastic is easier to knock over than heavy glass
glass encourages control of movement
This photo: 12 months
start with glass tumbler: 7-10 months

Lots of real experiences in natural spaces

Experiences - get out with baby!
In this photo: pointing at the birds around St. Peter's Square
shouting "Duck! Mama look! Ducks!"
(birds, ducks... well... he *was* only 23 months!)

Freedom in nature

Controlled exploration

Floor-mirror next to bed. 

Floor mirror
I'm not excited about that duck thing.
But sometimes you have to compromise for family peace ;)  

Freedom of movement as much as possible
get in or out at will most of the time
then stay in seat during regular family meal time,
church services, prayer, etc. 

What the child sees on one of the infant mobiles

One of the infant mobiles
I made some pieces reversible to conserve materials

Lots of reading
as much reality as possible,
but don't mess with Great-Grandma's preferences ;) 

Lots of babies and other children!

A proud happy boy after Thanksgiving meal 

Own table to utilize between family meals

Quality time with godparents :) 

Quality time with godparents ;)
Yes, they are both genuinely asleep ;) 

about 20 months
eating with regular bowl and spoon

Collecting peas that had fallen off of dish during mealtime

Explore lots of textures (not all at once!)

Thinking he is ordering for himself ;)
Probably about 11 months here. 

~1.5 year old at Thanksgiving
Serving self from controlled portions
in small dishes

Real experiences - snow! 

Lots of space to crawl and move. 

Experimenting - this time with a drain in our kitchen floor.
What will fit? 

1 year old at Thanksgiving
Eating with own real utensils and drinking from glass
I love those little lips puckering out in concentration. 

Lots of other children
does not have to be all the time -
enough to learn proper social skills

Toileting when ready
(the attached child seat was
not appropriate for his anatomy,
thus we added the removable one with handles)
Step-stool for toilet
and step-stool for sink

Watching the infant mobile

Climbing on staggered couch cushions;
floor mirror is on back of couch to entice interest
for new infants in my daycare

All those photos and not a good one of our family floor bed. It is hinted at in some of the photos. For the most part, we used a regular mattress on the floor and called it good. And when I was pregnant it was FAR easier to get out of bed off a mattress on the floor than out of any of the taller beds I slept in when visiting family. Roll over onto hands and knees on the floor, then slowly rise from that position - stretches all the appropriate muscles to bring blood flow throughout the body, controlled any possible light-headedness or low blood pressure, and gave a bit of exercise in preparation for a smooth birthing experience. Very nice. And a fantastic transition into having baby on the floor bed, family style.

There are other photos missing as well - such as the coffee tin with the slit in the lid (for inserting poker chips) and the Discovery Toys ship with the balls that roll (we removed the colored rings and the hammer and just dropped the balls in; add the rings and press hard at an older age - no hammer). Too bad I didn't keep a daily diary at the time (ha! in what time!?) ;)


See other Montessori Trails for lists of the items I did utilize as well as practical life ideas.


By 2 1/2 the primary albums can be utilized to work on early language, early exercises of practical life and early sensorial. But don't rush things before that. Don't worry about providing knobbed cylinders - just have lots of exploration with real materials that provide experiences with shape, size, colors, weights, muscle control - and LOVE.

An AWESOME resource for this age: The Joyful Child by Susan Stephenson - available at MichaelOlaf.net. PLease note, this is a book, not a catalog; The Joyful Child, not A Joyful Child; Susan Stephenson, not another author ;) There is some confusion out there. This book is written for parents in a natural friendly tone, specifically for infants and toddlers!


Please see our other Infant and Toddler experiences on Montessori Trails.