Montessori Elementary Homeschool Blog - with documentation of our infant Montessori, toddler Montessori, and primary Montessori experiences; as well as preparation for the upcoming adolescent Montessori homeschool years.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Coconut Oil and Chocolate

Legoboy wanted me to add this to our list of uses for Coconut Oil - while he had baking noted, this isn't baking really... it is SO simple, it could be a perfect primary level cooking activity, following a simply-created recipe booklet! And OH my! The variations a child could come up with!

Glorious chocolate ;)


Add 3-4 tbsp of honey or maple syrup instead; and at least make sure you have a full tsp of vanilla.
Our final version: 

Simple Coconut Oil Chocolate Candies

  • 1/2 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (raw cocoa powder is preferred)
  • 3-4 Tbsp raw (preferred), local (if at all possible) honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Melt the coconut oil and add the honey. Whisk and add the cocoa powder. Whisk occasionally while pouring into a silicone ice cube tray or silicone mini muffin tray. Makes 12. Cool for 30 minutes in the fridge or freezer.

Note: Time varies depending on how hot the coconut oil was when you started. If the oil is only just reached its melting stage, these will set in as little as 15 minutes.

These were just the perfect first use of our silicone shaped-trays - perfect for candies, soaps and ice cubes! A young child could melt these over a hot cooking pad, or in a pan of warm water - the coconut oil liquefies at room temperature, so you just need to get it slightly warmer than that (so the other ingredients don't harden it up while stirring and pouring). The quantity is perfect for a child's first recipe!

Delicious! Perfect for Once Upon a Time withdrawal symptoms.... ;)

Legoboy spilled some; I spilled some more. No problem!
Still delicious!

Popped out of the tray - I love these silicone trays!



Thursday, June 6, 2013

Montessori Homeschool Classroom Differences

Help me build this list everyone!

I want to create a series of blog posts each highlighting a particular difference between Montessori homeschooling and a Montessori classroom (in a school). As an AMI trained Montessorian and dedicated homeschooling mom, I am bound to see and miss different things than those with different backgrounds, so please let me know! :)



  • 30-35 children in a 3 or 6 year span vs. 1-8 or so in a 1-16 year span. 
  1. observation - positive "peer pressure"
  2. availability of materials
  3. inspiration and direction of interests
  • Dedicated space - ramifications in both settings
  • Longevity of materials - amount of use and durability requirements
  • Resource availability
  • politics - administration
  • amount of time needed
  • (ADD MORE!)

Our first year co-op room -
designed for homeschoolers ages 3-10, attending once a week

Saturday, May 25, 2013

A bit of post-atrium fun

What we do after atrium on beautiful sunny days:
Please note - the photos may be redundant, but he is NOT intentionally making a silly face or hiding his face - he actually WANTED his photo taken - and I had to take the opportunity while I could!!!







Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Blue Belt!!

(tiny break while Legoboy finishes writing the next post)


So proud of Legoboy!

While he didn't ENTIRELY pass his belt test, they did still give him the blue belt with a white tape on the end; he re-did the last few requirements the following week and had the tape removed; he handled it rather maturely, while obviously visible disappointed in himself that he didn't get a "full" blue belt at the test day itself. He knew he'd not practiced well enough - and the requirements to perfection get stiffer as belt rank increases. It was a very good lesson!

The difference between full belt and tape? He can't learn the new stuff for the NEXT belt until he gets the tape off. He's there now (full belt!) and so relieved. The instructor even went out of his way to pick him up and take him to class (and return him) on a day that Legoboy was available to attend but I was not available to transport him. (please note: the instructor is one of our neighbors, so this isn't as strange as it sounds)

The belt test itself:

Beforehand - still a purple belt

got the new belt - but covered it up ;) 
turning to bow to the audience of parents

a close-up cuz he just so handsome!!


all that color!



the gentleman who tested him

the instructor - the "master"
(interesting placement of weapons in the back there....)

the master who likes to have fun ;)
(not knowing the weapons already did it, hahaha!)





Leading a portion of a class during the week afterward; and helping with a transfer student who is also a blue belt (not all schools have precisely the same requirements for each colored belt - black belts are all the same though; so Legoboy was asked to transition the boy into the requirements at this school).

helping the new blue belt (transferring in)

leading the kicking portion of basics

note that the other current-student blue belt is quite a bit older ;) 





So what's the deal with the uniforms you ask?

The white uniform is the usual uniform for all tae-kwon-do students at this school. The black uniform is used for those people on STORM Team (Special Team Of Role Models) - for those who are at least green belt (about a year in, if testing is done as quickly as possible) and under age 18. It is a team that has higher standards even than TKD; requirements about participating in demonstrations, attending tournaments each year, maintaining higher grades than the usual TKD kids, and other such requirements. At THIS school, if you are under age 18, you can only learn a weapon BEFORE black belt, IF you are on STORM team. Legoboy was the first one to join the team under age 12, and with more children around his age just coming on to the team, they set up a "Junior" STORM team, with similar but not as stringent requirements. They wear blue t-shirts under their uniform; regular STORM team wears red t-shirts.
(Legoboy's expectations are closer to that of the regular STORM team, since he was on the team for 6 months before the other children came up as the ONLY Junior STORM team member -- just how the enrollments worked for those couple of years).

Black belts (when not on STORM team) usually have the white uniform but it has black trim on it; black or white pants.

Any t-shirt is allowed underneath (including no t-shirt), but I don't like exposed chests, so the household rule is to keep it covered in public and white goes along nicely with the white uniform.


Short answer - haha! ;)


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Botany: Herb Growing



We have decided this year to forego vegetables and fruits (except for our refuse-to-die tomato plants) and see what we can do with an indoor herb garden. We are combining our herb studies with Herb Fairies (opens up once a year in the early spring - sign up for their newsletter to get an announcement next April), other courses from LearningHerbs.com, my previous health-related studies and the book that started it all: A Kids Herb Book for children of all ages.

Our other Herb posts:
Biology Studies for 2013
Initial post that started the herb studies
Healing Herbs - using grocery store items
A review of Kidzerbs: A Kid's Garden Kit for Growing Medicinal Plants (coming soon)

Other posts labeled as Botany on Montessori Trails


Legoboy takes over the post from here:
(he needed some prompts, so I typed in the questions for him)


What is growing: 

  • Calendula
  • Flax
  • Borage
  • Johnny jump-up
  • Yarrow 
  • Fennel
  • Marshmallow
  • Poppy
  • Basil
  • Love-in-the-mist
  • Dandelion and
  • Chamleomile

What is not yet growing:

  • Plaintain
  • Mullein
  • Licorice
  • Lemon Balm
  • Catnip

Why did you start this garden? 
Because I thought it would be fun to grow herbs ourselves (note from Mama: fresh herbs have different uses from dried herbs; and store-bought can be SO expensive). Because I can do with my Mama. 

Why is it indoors? Why not on the balcony? 
Because of snow and hail in the winter. Because we have neighbors who smoke and we don't want that yuckiness in our food and medicine plants. And because I spill water and the neighbors below don't like it. 

What is your favorite herb right now? 
Plaintain and Lemon Balm

What are you going to do with these herbs to keep them growing? 
Water them and add more soil when needed. We are buying some flower pots and some clear small storage tubs for transferring next week. 

What are you going to DO with ALL these herbs? 
Plaintain for if I got devil’s club thorns (note from Mom - it's in Herb Fairies but I don't know if we have that here??), or make syrup for coughs and sore throats and when I'm hungry. 
Marshmallow for coughs and sore throats.
Chamomile for bedtime tea.

Why did you choose these herbs? 
Because these are the herbs in the Kids Herb book and some came in the Kidzherb kit which we bought because it had many of the herbs we wanted. When we ordered seeds, we didn't know what would be included in the Herb Fairies series. Now we have more than we wanted, but not all that we would like. 



Our indoor garden:




seeds won't grow without soil.
we added soil.