Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

Friday, June 10, 2011

Weekend, vacation and Science !

For most of you, it is a beginning of the summer vacations. I am so glad that summer is here finally after 6 months of long long winter !

Summer is a good season to do outdoor science activities, for example, exploring plants, insects and doing living and non-living activity is so much fun! The activity which I will show you now is a multipurpose activity. So, it has living and non-living objects and enhances vocabulary. It is nicer to do this activity with a group but it could also be done with 1 or 2 children.

Like I had said that presentation is very important. For this activity, we need paper bags equal to the number of children including yourself, colors/crayons, art paper and a pencil. Give away some paper bags to children which they can color as they like, to make it more interesting add some craft materials like sequences, glitter, stickers etc. When the bags are ready and looking pretty, we will try to create a suspense. So, whisper, " Do you know what we will do with this bag? " Children will think and share their ideas. Say, " We will all walk outside, remember - 'walk', and pick up anything you see on your way. When I call everyone, we will have a circle time with your things in your bag kept safely. Do not open your bag !" Children will ask you questions, and fun begins.

Here, the pictures I took are from my training at NEMTEC. We girls got all sorts of things. I did this with children too and we had lots of fun !

So, we are in the circle, and teacher says, " In my bag I have a twig ! I can do anything with a twig. It does not eat, sleep or walk. It does not need air and water. So, it is a non-living thing. If you have a twig or a branch keep it here." pointing at a column and label it twigs. You can also label them as Living and Non-living things as a variation. Follow the same step by taking things, talk if it is a living thing or a non-living thing, and label them. For a living thing I would ask questions like, " Does it breath ? Does it walk ? Does it need air and water ? Do they reproduce ? " So, I have to make a child's mind think and wonder, and s/he should be able to give the answer. If they do not give any answer then I would compare a living and a non-living thing in front of them. Ask questions gently, and let them think.

there is everything in here.

Counting how many children got that object

Somebody found this big mushroom. Children will get different insects too, so a good place to do this activity is outside in a garden or a park.

Children sometimes get their favorite objects from the garden like my favorite object is a rock. And I share this with them. I tell them," My favorite non-living thing is a rock ! What is your favorite non-living thing ?" So, I am playing a game with them keeping the non-living and living things in my mind. We talk a lot about living and non-living objects while playing. I give some important information about a rock formation or how the leaf gets it's color or anything I would know at the back of my mind.

You can also read a book on living and non-living things. Some books are :

By Elizabeth Rose

What's Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld explains how to tell the difference between living and nonliving things

by Carol K. Lindeen

What is a Living Thing by Bobbie D. Kalman

OR, you can sing a Am I Living ? song ( Tune : Are you sleeping ) !!!!!!!!

Am I living, am I living?
Yes I am, yes I am.
I need food, air, water.
I do reproduce, I do have young.

Am i living, am I living?
No I'm not, no I'm not.
You don't have to feed me,
Air and water aren't needed.
I don't reproduce, I don't have young.

Have FUN !!!!!!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Story time !

Whenever I say this, there is spark in the environment and children try their best to finish their work and settle down in the circle to listen to the new story.

This is one of my favorite tasks - to pick the 'right' book for the day. The good thing about Montessori teaching is that it is based on your observations and following the child. Simple as it is ! So, I do that and see if the classroom is quiet or loud. Ah !! those days are hard to control. Talk about testing your patience or adding more anxiety. It's a whole new blog. Well, next time. Either ways, quiet or loud. Hm, did I say 'quiet'. Well, no, children are not mostly quiet, their mind is always working. Yes, they mellow down a little bit. Oh ! let me not divert from what I was saying. Ok, so picking the book is the most interesting thing depending on the mood of the children. If they are calm and have been concentrating well then I would pick a book like 'We all Sing with the Same Voice - by Philip Miller'. Circle time converts into singing time. Love it. The songs are great, have a good message and go well with the environment:) So beautiful !

Pick your book thinking of your child and not what you want him to do or follow. Most of the time we expect lots of things from our children and those thoughts become like a pair sunglasses on our mind. The real child would not reflect your thoughts so strongly. You will be thinking to choose the 'right' book rather than thinking about where the child is emotionally and what he needs at that time. May be he does not want to listen to a dinosaur book or some funny book. May be he wants to know something and he is curious. And for what I know - children are always always curious, (ok, there are exceptions to it) but most of the time they want to take charge. Yes, they want to talk to you like adults. They see you talking to your friend or family and in their mind - the absorption is happening and the curiosity is popping. It is very important that you follow your child. Observe him while he is around you, for example - how he is moving his head, did he look at that shelf or did he look at the t.v. What did he look at ? What is he wondering ? Wait for sometime. May be he will say something. Usually, children find their way soon. But not always, so now, this is your moment. You enter here nicely, gently. Your senses are connected with your child. Offer him activities, for example- how about reading a book ? How about we do some thing together ? And then follow his reaction looking at the books you offer. If your observations are correct, he will pick your choice right away. The getting your observations right comes with time. Some people are natural while others need to try hard. It works. And life becomes so beautiful suddenly. Nobody knows what is the trick to observe and follow the child. As for me, I simply try to connect with the child. Try doing it, it works well. Keep your tone as low as possible, come close to his ear and speak like a friend ! See you made a new friend :)

Books for children

Some people say that a good book is your best friend. I think a good book is a gateway to the world. Sitting in one corner of the library we can see the world, travel in our imaginations. Aha ! Imaginations ! Now, it is our very big responsibility to guide and direct our child's imagination. Montessori philosophy abstains every child from a fantasy world. For some people this could sound contradictory but I have explained this in my next blog. Reason behind is that the child's brain is growing at a fast speed, it's absorbing knowledge from the environment. For him to serve the community, family and be a strong independent person it's important to know facts. Facts that can be understood with a logical reasoning. Hm, wonder if fairy tales give some logical reasoning to their stories ! So, we have to enlighten a child's brain, sooth his heart with the facts of the world. Our world which is so beautiful. It has flowers, waterfalls, mountains, animals, family and friends. Aha ! Our beautiful world !

Below is the list of books which can reflect the facts and beauty of the life and are perfect for a child.