On the Farm - well, almost ;)

Children should be outdoors as MUCH as possible. Getting their hands in the dirt - the soil of the earth from which their bodies were made. Creating from the produce of their sweat, toil and God's graces. 

The emotional and spiritual benefits can't be measured, but are astronomical (literally); and the benefits to academics and psychology is almost as wonderful. 

These things begin in the child's youngest days of life, and will come to greater meaning in adolescence. We are almost there! Yikes! The end of the elementary years... and the beginnings of adolescence. Age 11 and 12 are kind of cross-over years as hormones start kicking in and the child's plane of development changes. 

More information on the planes of development - sensitive periods. 

So here is a tiny snippet of what we have been able to do of late - not near as much as what we are planning in the near future! 

Anyone know what this is? We have TONS of it. 

Told you so. 

We haven't exactly weeded the garden this year. Ever.

In May, the landlord came over and tilled the soil from last year's garden; we planted our few surviving seedlings immediately; most did not survive; and we ordered more seeds to literally SCATTER (and cover with some worm compost). June 7, we planted 28 "mystery tomatoes" from a friend who was selling them at a farmer's market - they had lots the tags on them, couldn't identify them, nobody would buy them, so we bought for a bit less than half-off, in exchange for some canned tomatoes down the road. Awesome stuff.

We have watered and watered and watered (clay soil; little to no rain most of the time). Then we had a few days of rain - and VOILA! LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!!!!

Turns out that worm compost had some undigested tomato seeds - so we have a few extra tomato plants mixed with the pumpkins and watermelons. Hm. Extra treasures!

No asparagus, rhubarb and a few other things we'd planted. :( This just wasn't the year to FOCUS on the garden - the goal this year is to prove that we can, get our hands dirty, have some fun and see what happens. Better planning for next year!

Weeding done. We literally *cut* the weeds down.
Left some there for ground-cover.
The landlord will mulch the rest when he comes through. 

Hey guys!!!! Missed you!!!!! 

Beautiful horse neighbors.
Considering learning to ride.... 

Garden from the other side.
Looks a bit sparse now. 

3 hours, 4 blisters between the two of us, a homemade scythe (loving having an 11 year old male child), and a bit of a sunburn later.... WHEW.



The next day - strawberry picking with this adorable princess:

That smile makes it all worth it! 

Just stop trying to escape! 

Yummmmm. STRAWBERRIES! 

Making jam:

Made more -
gifted some
ate some ;) 

Taking a walk afterward.
Think Linus. Lack of bath and all ;) haha!

Not our neighborhood ;) 

What do I not have photos of?

Climbing trees, playing in puddles (yep, he still does it!), planting the lilac bushes, weeding the mulched areas, setting up our statues, just chilling in the backyard, and a bit more.


We are getting realizable plans together to move again - maybe not for another year, though - to larger property and start a Montessori farm school experience. Exciting!!!

Legoboy's Doings - June 2015

We don't have photos of it all - but this has been a BUSY month.

Legoboy started the month with a week with friends. He wanted a cell phone so he could text me throughout the week. With a $10 a month pre-paid plan that gave him 100 minutes or outgoing texts (incoming are free) and a phone that is only $10.... ok. This is not our first week-or-longer-separation and he has always done "well" but it is hard to maintain open communication through other people's devices. Now he is getting older, he feels like he "needs" me more, so cell phone it is.

In the end, we communicated much LESS than we normally would have "tried" for. No question as to "why" that is. He knew I was accessible to him at any time day or night - so he lived his life in confidence.

One morning we had this conversation:
L: Good morning.
M (surprised at how early he was texting me): You awake?
L: Yes, I am AWAKE and I woke up at 7:45.
M: Ouch! Did that hurt!?
L: No, it did not hurt. Why?
M: Because you don't wake up that early at home without a fight ;)

I asked for a happy nice smile to have on my phone while I was gone:

A few days before I left, he got a new bike. Because of his size and current growth rate (he will be big enough for the bigger wheels by the end of summer), the guy at the shop recommended the bigger wheels. Well, it just isn't comfortable for him to trust himself. So learning to ride isn't going so hot. He tried a 2-wheeler at age 4, but I put it together and it didn't work right - and he tried to ride it on carpet first... Not so hot then either.

Sigh. Poor kid. He just wants to RIDE. It won't be long, he'll try again later this summer. When he is a bit taller.

Because see - he's been doing a lot of this - these are all day-time shots:

He still likes to snuggle from time to time. 

AND THIS:

He does a lot of cooking these days. Not just to feed himself,
but because he really enjoys it. 

Staying up late every night to watch the stars MIGHT contribute to day-time sleeping, but really.... he's a growing boy! I canNOT keep him in pants that reach his ankles and he is not much interested in shorts. While I was away, he even texted one day to say that yes he was being fed, yes he was eating 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and dinner never stopped, but he was still SO hungry. ;)


When I got back home, we both helped at a carnival to raise money for the family of a friend (the friend's family he stayed with actually) - our friend's brother had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. At the carnival, Legoboy spent most of his tickets "buying" things for other people - including getting me some Legos ;)

Two weeks later, we attended the funeral of the gentleman in question and Legoboy served at the funeral Mass. I did not get photos - I wanted one of him in his serving alb and surplice (he doesn't normally get to wear the full layers at our local parish since this is reserved for the Altar Boyz group, but at funerals everyone does). I was thrown off by a not-so-random turn of events. Sorry Legoboy!


In the between time, Legoboy spent 3 long days entertaining himself with Minecraft, reading, naps and eating while I did a Level 1 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd with two very awesome ladies (you know who you are!). He complained the whole time he was hungry of course. ;) The first day of the course, he spent with some local homeschool families at our local Canal Days celebration. He took a LOT of photos. Here is just ONE:

He has been pursuing some of his own studies in various areas - most of which I am oblivious to, I have to admit. He wants to write something about Khan Academy, so he's been doing some stuff there; he has been designing worlds in Minecraft; practicing piano (just reviewing all that he knows - not currently learning anything new); climbing trees;


working on the backyard:

Picking up hose reel, bricks and tiles for the garden. 

Picked up our 3 new lilac bushes

Ummm. I think it's time to start weeding. 

We have both an in-ground fire-pit and a portable one (for using on the porch on rainy but not windy days). Weekly s'mores! His mission this summer - starting next week, he wants to intentionally build a different style of fire each week, try them all out, see which ones are better for what, and know them all off the top of his head. Very cool!

Practicing Tae-Kwon-Do - preparing for the next belt test (school test in August; association test in September)

Doing his part to prepare for Vacation Bible School ;)

He missed one of the Homeschool Mondays at our local museum center (the week I was gone, everyone forgot!), but we made it to the next one.

Exploring the museum after the class (which was on cultural celebrations - he really liked it)

We always stop by to the visit the baby - he is 3 years old, his name is Umi. And I cry. Every. Single. Time.

He's in here. 

And this is a reconstruction of what is inside,
based on scans. 

Neat exhibit this time around of our local area's contributions to weaponry since the 1700s. Legoboy pointed out all the cursive letters and notes....

The month isn't over. ;)

Elementary Montessori Training - Reality Check

In a draft dated February 2, 2014, I had this:

Begin draft:

I had this to say in a previous post, then I deleted a portion of it to finish the post on the same topic with which it started:

I have to admit - I felt cheated. But that could be tied into the reality of the training center I was at and the treatment dished out there to anyone who is 1) Catholic 2) homeschool-friendly 3) uses Montessori principles in any form of faith formation 4) actually wanting to "get it" and not just regurgitate it - the list goes on, but that is a subject of another post.

This many years later, I am finally getting ready to truly write about that experience. 

End draft.

Now here it is June 20, 2015 - and I still haven't written about it. Yet the training center in question has chosen NOW to come forward to pronounce to the world I didn't finish my training there, thus I must be mis-representing myself.

Hm. Interesting. I have checked all SPAM filters - I have not yet received a private communication from them, or anyone for that matter, on this topic. All announcements have been public without any room for actual professionalism.

This is SAD. Truly SAD. Contact me first. I am happy to discuss the matter on a professional level. This training center has proven time and again a lack of capability of being professional. That does not mean there is NO HOPE! I hold out hope. Hope for peace; hope for the true work of Maria Montessori to blossom forth.

It can happen. It MUST happen.




Please note, I do not claim to have a certificate or a diploma from them - I did a majority of my training there and filled in with private AMI training elsewhere, without the benefit of a diploma or certificate. I did all my student teaching and observations; I am still awaiting receipt of my last few chunks of assignments (hand-made illustrations...).

Please also note, that I choose NOT to publicly bash the training center, ruin their reputation, or otherwise cause harm or pain to anyone. Perhaps by being silent I have allowed too many others (even one is too many) to continue to receive harm by this training center; I needed to look at the harm to my son if I took this to court. My family comes first.

And to explain all of this takes many words; words that cause confusion and dissension and a bad taste for this training cetner - then perhaps for others? I want to preserve what Montessori intended and share it with homeschoolers and with small schools who are working towards getting their teachers formally trained in a full training center. I currently work with several schools around the world who are sending one teacher at a time to full Montessori training while supplementing with the mentoring and support I provide in the meantime.

Want to create a strong adversary you'll regret? Attack me.
Want to control me and subdue me? Bring me in.

Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer. Isn't that what the non-Montessori world proclaims? Perhaps it is indeed good practice.
!?

Oddly enough, professionalism and civility might increase.

My prayers for peace!

Geometry Circles

In no particular order, some of the work Legoboy and I did together on geometry a while back.

This elementary Montessori work is done with a box of geometry sticks, the circumferences (half-circles), a pencil, some pushpins, and a geometry plane (corkboard with paper mounted on it).

the "plane"

drawing an arc - be sure to use a SHARP pencil!

Montessori - When to Present

There are many questions about "mastery" of late - how to know when to move on to the next material or presentation. I would like to submit/repeat an idea to consider, to ponder.

At the primary age ("Casa dei Bambini" or Children's House) - If you are using an album set that has 4 subject areas (exercises of practical life, language, sensorial, math), and you present ONE thing from one album and wait a few days to observe your child's response, they will have ONE choice that whole time. Put yourself in their shoes/socks/bare-feet and consider what that is like. One activity to choose from? Seriously? As a child I'd be finding something else to do and the adult would be very disappointed.

So maybe you present one thing each day, 4 days a week. By the end of the week, the child has 4 options. Would you be bored? (those of you using albums that have more than 4 subjects will find that with this method you only touch on a subject once every 2-3 weeks - or longer).

Getting Started with Presentations and Work Choices: 

This work is not successful
until EPL and language are successful. 

So start out with a series of presentations - the EPL album has all the preliminary work, some of it is just practice carrying objects, practicing walking quietly (then in the kitchen and the bathroom be showing various skills as appropriate); the language album has all the spoken language games - go with it - "Let's practice carrying objects!" and do a series of objects - slowly, focusing on each one, but you might do this for an hour or two hours. Stop when your child needs a break. The first days of homeschooling will be full of EPL and language - and consciously involving your child in all aspects of household/family life. He should have some free time with his favorite toys as well.

Walking on the line; playing outside; singing songs; reading books; being involved in everything that happens in the home; keeping things neat and orderly.

Thus the first days will be ***busy***. They will be ***full***. It should be natural and fun. And there will be almost NO MATERIALS beyond what you have at home already.

This lays the foundation for when you do get into the "official" Montessori materials (or modified from at-home materials).

They can't do this until they have the focus,
the process,
the trust in the adult to show them something valuable.
All lessons learned from exciting Exercises of Practical Life
- many of them -
throughout the day
and over the course of weeks.

Continuing on with this theme of when to present and how much:

MASTERY - does a child need to master one material in a subject area before moving on to the next?

Short answer: NO! Let's apply the same logic as above. If you have 4 subject areas as AMI does, at 3.5, the child is likely to only have EPL, language and sensorial (math typically comes closer to the 4th birthday). That is THREE work options if you are waiting for mastery in one concept before moving to the next, within each subject. Within each album can be found a few threads that come together at various points (such as language as separate preparations for the physical side of writing and the mental side of writing), so in reality, within each subject are parallel "threads."

Do we want to be presenting all day long? NO! But think about the classroom experience of a child - he may not get a new individual presentation each and every day, but he does get lessons in grace and courtesy during group time, he spends time observing his companions (a presentation in itself), and he works with some of these companions at various tasks.

In the home life, this equates to being involved in as many aspects of home life as possible, observing the doings of the various people in the home and the neighborhood, having real conversations using real language, and being shown new skills or materials that are appropriate for his age and development. This last part is where we look to the scope and sequence for what is typically appropriate, then modify according to the individual child in front of us.

How Often to Present Once Things Get Going: 

If you look at this post at Montessori Nuggets: Montessori Nuggets - Organizing Primary Presentations and you've actually then opened yourself to the true depth of the Montessori materials, you'll find that you're presenting something every weekday of a year-round school. Something. Sometimes more than one something. Some things are left for child-discovery (a good deal is), but there are enough direct presentations for a homeschool environment to do something with your child (who, after all, wants to be with you) every day. Explore with your child.

Every day.

That's not a new material every day - that's "let's look at something else we can do with the spindles!" (just one example - I have noticed many people forget the bundling stage, but this is actually crucial to gaining from the true depths of this rather simplistic-looking material). And it might even be a suggestion thrown out while you are washing the dishes ;) That happens a lot in our home - I say "I wonder if you could (fill in the blank) with (list a particular material)? And show me when I am done washing the dishes (or whatever I am doing at the moment)." And THAT might be my presentation for the day!

Given we typically have a daily social graces lesson or chat (grace and courtesy), lots of involvement in real life activities of the home, go off and play by yourself time, outside time, etc.

Three-Hour Work Cycle in the Home: 

I have recently heard from several individuals that they expected their child would work independently (which equates to being "alone" for some of these children) for a solid 3-hour work cycle.

• Humans are social creatures. Young children learn their social skills from the adults around them. 
• Our work cycles at home are 24 hours every day, not 3. If you want a set-aside school time where the materials are only available during that time, that is awesome, but your child will be learning throughout all of every day - and many of the Montessori "works" do not require specific "Montessori" materials (Exercises of Practical Life, art & sewing & painting, much of the language work, applying math concepts to real life, real life science exploration (cause and effect, asking questions and testing out answers, etc.) - so much more). *Most* of Montessori is about living real life, not about materials. 
• During a school-based work cycle, the child is chatting with friends, having a snack, in the ideal Montessori environment the child is free to go outside and play/garden/watch butterflies, observing classmates, using the bathroom, etc. The child is alive and learning, but not always engaged with the specific material. And he has role models around him to guide him in his choices and possibilities. This needn't be any different at home! The child should be engaged in the environment and that includes the adult. If you have a block of "school time" use that time to prepare your materials, to practice with the materials, to explore for yourself - and be present when authentically needed ;) 
• Will the adult get some "hey! my child doesn't need me at this moment!" times - yep! It will happen. But if you really want your child to work independently of you, you should be engaged in the materials (making them, practicing with them, organizing them, cleaning them) - or doing something else (household or family related) that the child can't "help" with right now, but that he can observe you doing during his own work time. 
• Read more about the 3 Hour Work Cycle at Home at this Montessori Trails Work Cycle page. 

Making Materials Takes So Long: 

Mom and son
together at Montessori school
He had been sitting and staring at the math materials for 30 minutes.
Doing some mental math he was trying to explain to me 

Most of you - I'll be honest, I love you all, so please know that going in to what I am about to say - MOST of you are making way too many materials. STOP!

• Your children should be involved in SOME of the material making. Extensions or ideas that they have? Let them help create materials! Primary aged children? Yep. Seriously, 3 year olds? Yep. And the 4s and 5s too. And if you have elementary children and teenagers - get them involved too. This is a lesson in creativity, using art skills in real life situations which is far superior than doing a craft just to do a craft. 
• If the children come up with an idea - they should be making it - or involved with the making of it. Wait, I repeated that. ;) I wanted to make sure you read that ;) 
• The children can SEE you making materials too. Let that be *your* work that they 1) observe and 2) makes you too busy to always be hovering like a helicopter. Your children might find they can problem-solve on their own sometimes, make their own decisions or get their own drink of water. YOU can do it! ;) 

Also see our Montessori Trails page on When Montessori Fails for futher insights into how the environment works.


Ask me other questions! I'll reply in comments and/or add to this post.