Grammar Boxes without the Boxes

There was a time before we had the grammar boxes but my son was totally ready for them. 

I have NO images for what we did, but I can describe it! 

I took the images of the grammar boxes from photos taken when I was in classrooms. 

I then diagrammed them all onto posterboard (cardboard would have been better; covered with posterboard perhaps). I then cut little strips of cardboard to glue on as "edges". 

NOTE: the compartments were intentionally made just a bit wider than the cards, but not as tall, so that cards lay at an angle against the back edge. 

The back of each compartment was covered with an appropriately colored piece of construction paper (hint: don't use construction paper - it tends to FADE - I ultimately colored over each one with colored permanent marker). 

I then proceeded as usual with the presentations, except the cards were placed mostly flat within each "compartment" (leaning against the back "edge"). 

Interesting tidbit: the original grammar boxes as imaged in the Advanced Montessori Method book also do not have tilting insides. The compartments were vertical and the card fit in them such that they lay flat against the bottom of the box. If I were to make ours from wood, with my simple scroll saw, I would make ours similar, but with the compartments narrower from front to back, so that the cards tilt against the back of the compartment. I could have made them out of cardboard that way too - but had made the poster boards already; then was gifted with the modern style wood ones. 

Grammar Boxes - Review

Just for kicks, my son and I are reviewing the earlier grammar boxes - mostly to check out the material I've recently developed, make sure there are no errors.

I figure we'll do videos of this work another time.

Even though I am *not* requiring him to bring each object for grammar box 2 (the first grammar box), he is bringing EVERYTHING! I actually told him to stop and he just really doesn't want to. He is giggling SO hard!

What a hoot!

he brought a box for the table, since we were working on the floor :)

Oh the humor of little boys!


(note: please ignore the colors of the cards - my printer is out of some colors and this is just review for my son - we're just assuring the proper words and sufficient amounts :) )

Keys of the Universe - Mother's Day Special

Ok, I have this idea worked out and I am happy to be able to offer it to everyone!

As a Mother's Day gift and preparation for the coming school year, I would like to offer anyone who has entered a Keys of the Universe giveaway on any site $15 off a new enrollment in the course, if they join before Tuesday May 15; and $10 off if they join before Saturday May 19.

8-month courses are $40/month - 16-month courses are $20/month - full-pay is $300.

All you'll need to do is go to http://keysoftheuniverse.com/elementary, create a new account; then send me a message with the e-mail used on that account, which course you want to join (8-month, 16-month, or full-pay) and the location of your giveaway entry (only one gift allowed per person ). I will send an invoice for the adjusted amount and add them to the proper course manually.
OR you can send the proper amount to jessica@keysoftheuniverse.com using Paypal, including a message with the location of your giveaway entry and which course you are joining; and I'll know to add you that way too 

Primary albums in our family

The primary albums I used for my son were my AMI primary albums in exercises of practical life, sensorial, language and mathematics. All the other subjects were interspersed into appropriate places therein (ie art was spread out, music, geography, botany, zoology - all was spread out in the appropriate subjects).

I am slowly adding these albums for sale at Keys of the World. While I found them complete in themselves, many people may like to use other albums available online for supplementing for interested children or just for another perspective.

While I am entirely sold on pure AMI for elementary, I feel there is more flexibility with the primary years. As long as the same topics are covered; a child is neither forced ahead and intentionally held back, most of the primary albums available are wonderful options. I'm just throwing my own into the mix for a good AMI balance. I will not be specifically providing online support for the primary albums, however most people reading this blog know that I am more than happy to be of service privately or at any of the online groups where we meet :)

TIP: No matter what albums you use, start with the theory album - at the appropriate level. It's the nitty-gritty and allows you to utilize ANY album in the proper manner. It's where the "real Montessori" is.


UPDATE: I have primary and elementary theory albums, as well as the elementary Biology album posted at Keys of the World. Online access and online support are available for the elementary albums at Keys of the Universe Course Access Site.

Sneak Peek - Montessori Nuggets on Grammar Boxes

There is a series of Montessori Nuggets coming up on the grammar boxes.

The one I include here is not scheduled until June 9 - but I am fielding so many questions about this material, so thought I would share it here.

UPDATE: There is one coming up on June 9 but I have changed that upcoming Montessori Nugget to provide a more detailed *suggested* outline for presenting the grammar work (the entire "Parts of Speech" section of the elementary Montessori language album).


The original post:

The child in question is not my son - he is another little boy I once knew. My own son loves to do things sequentially, so wants to do all the grammar work grouped together as much as possible - so all noun/article; then all adjective. Now, he does plateau at times and we move on, returning at the appropriate time to review previous learning and build more on the nouns and verbs. (in the between times, he chooses the work for his own follow-up, so he is reviewing in between presentations; as well as participating in my large group presentations with the co-op children).

Homeschools will have to consider the best method of ongoing review for their particular situation. Classrooms have other children working on the material, so it is reviewed by mere observation and by jogging the child's memory - "ah yes, I remember working on that! that is the "past simple tense" work" - and this keeps review going by keeping it in the forefront of their minds.



Without further ado - the (original) June 9 Montessori Nugget:


There is no ONE proper sequence for presenting the Grammar work at elementary, except perhaps to do anything that kills interest ;)

The grammar boxes with all language work should be presented before the child's 9th birthday - this does NOT mean the children need to have mastered it all. It just means the child has other things that require grammar as a strong foundation.

But what about all those exercises? 

Well, "all those exercises" really refer to the noun and the verb. The remaining parts of speech (grammar boxes) do not have so many associated activities. And those exercises are mostly the *contents of the remaining filler boxes* - therefore can only come AFTER the grammar box has been presented.

While I have personally seen many Montessori schools presenting the grammar boxes in the 1st and 2nd years of elementary and I have not personally witnessed a new introduction of the grammar boxes in the 3rd year (unless the child is altogether new to Montessori elementary) and I have never seen the grammar boxes presented as the "capstone" of all grammar work, I do see these references online in various places - in charts and diagrams on how to present what/when.

That method might work too.


This Montessori Nugget is focused on two things: Follow the Child - and Have Fun.
Grammar is a fun game - keep it that way! :)



Let's take a look at one particular child:

He received all the grammar work at primary; he moves into elementary and has quick review with those parts of speech and even begins hearing the name of the part of speech. The noun activities by themselves do not have a grammar box (it would be grammar box 1 as the boxes are labeled by compartment number) - so this child moves right on to the article, where he may have an oral introduction to the noun, some noun activities, and then immediately do Grammar Box 2 on the article (which includes the oral introduction given in primary).

Now he MAY do some of the noun activities; but he needs time for them to percolate, so he goes on to the adjective (grammar box 3) before finishing all the noun activities.

He has an oral introduction (a review of what he learned in primary); does Grammar Box 3 with the first filler box; then proceeds through some of the associated activities; alternating between more noun work and more adjective work.

In the meantime, he is exploring the other parts of speech as well - like an introduction to the verb followed by that grammar box; then more review work; then another grammar box. And suddenly he does 3 grammar boxes in the same week and he's done with "new" presentations - now he just keeps working with the previous filler boxes (not all children need all filler boxes; but they tend to be fun enough for the children to WANT to do most of them - just don't require them to copy out the phrases).

This all happens rather quickly - within a few months at the most. And well-run Montessori classrooms have at least an introduction to every grammar box with some activities long before the end of the first school year the child is in elementary Montessori. With plenty of work left for review in the 2nd year. By the 3rd year, many children might have received everything; and those who haven't (because they have been focused elsewhere in their studies or are new) will receive the remainder. There is time for percolation, and those who are ready can move into logical analysis in usually their 3rd year, sometimes starting in 2nd year and some children not until 4th year of elementary.


And again - those later grammar boxes don't have as many associated activities; and some of those few activities are best done AFTER the grammar box presentation. So things DO move rather quickly as you reach the final grammar boxes (and again, there may be more activities in nouns and verbs even after a child has done ALL the grammar boxes).


A good deal of the verb work is intended for approximately 8-10 year olds - after they've worked with ALL the grammar boxes and are simultaneously working with the sentence/logical analysis material - it means more to them now as they are evaluating those different parts of speech, trying to classify them.


The grammar boxes and associated activities lay the foundation for further work in language analysis.

Language analysis extends the work of grammar into practical use.



I hope this is not overwhelming. The point is this:

FOLLOW THE CHILD.

Follow the child's interests and abilities. The child is using interjections and conjunctions every day, why wait until age 7 or 8 to introduce them? Why turn a fun interesting game (the grammar boxes) into a tedium of a series of exercises that may or may not be beneficial at this time (and can be harmful if it kills the child love of language study)?



Have fun with it!