Montessori Monday~ Work in the Elementary Room

This is some of the playful work that Bunny has been doing over the past couple of days. We have a book about a medieval monk who found that ink could be made in different colors when he boiled different plants. So this has inspired Bunny to think that rose petals could make some good paint. So she has been exploring what she can do to make it happen. We have ground then up, soaked them in water, and boiled them. Nothing has quite worked, but the materials are still sitting on my kitchen table for some more work tomorrow!


Well I have been doing alot of thinking (again). I have been struggling again about what to teach Bunny and how to pull it all together for her. And I think that I have realized that trying to do cosmic education with one child is really hard and almost impossible. Everything is connected and everything can be learned together. It is beautiful, exciting, and perfect. But where to start? There is so much in my albums that we can do,but I am getting overwhelmed and not sure how to get it all in without a plan. I want to let Bunny to choose, but when she doesnt choose, what do I do to help her find something that excites her? In a Montessori classroom, as far as I can figure, the children are inspired by each others work, and if there is a child who cant get inspired, the teacher is there to help pull out a material to help with that. However, I feel like I am out of time (and space) to get more materials when I am not sure Bunny will even use them. So I am going to make a radical move and maybe move away from strictly Montessori work. Bunny needs some direction and I need a plan. History and science to me seem better if they follow an organized path. I dont want to jump from spot to spot and offer a fragmented education like we are doing right now. I want to make sure that she can see things connect and in proper order. I know that everything is connected, but everything follows a natural path and that is missing right now. Plus Bunny really loves alot of everything. She would be interested in plants as well as China, and also Writing around the world. I want to make sure we are going get things done in a fun, playful way! So I have started reading Project- Based Homeschooling and it is really offering a great view into some things we can do that will really reach Bunny’s method of learning. Bunny loves to have books, lots of books. She is really visual and many time reading a book will spark so much excitement she will think about it, draw about it, write about it, and want to know more! This is exactly what project based homeschooling is all about: learning across all the creative areas, child led, and thought through. The goal is observe the child, prepare the environment to be open to creativity, and guild them in their quest for answers. Sounds familiar? It is SO very Montessori is its essence that it will work really well with what we have going. I am excited about this because when I really think about Bunny and how she learns, I realize that she is a creator and a having alot of open materials to add to her exploration of a subject is going to really appeal to her. She is going to love taking a subject and not just writing a drawing a picture of it, but to create with it, play with it, and live it for as long as she wants. This is something that I can facilitate and help her to achieve.  We can learn about a subject and really just play with it to absorb it. She will love it, Pup will love it, and I will have fun with it too. It means that I am going to have to sit and observe more, but I think that it will help us out. It also means that I am going to have to carve out some time each day for project work, but isnt that more fun then TV? However, instead of me spending time making materials for Bunny to learn with, she can make some of them herself as part of the learning! She loves to make things and I think that this idea will really appeal to her and will make my life a little easier. School should be fun, while still offering a deep learning that will stick with her. The goal is not to know tons of stuff, but to learn to think and absorb information with enthusiasm. What better way then to create with it and play with it? Does this mean I am leaving Montessori behind? No, I am just going add elements that will really reach Bunny in a place that I think will mean alot to her. Which is really about observing the child and finding what works for her! I guess we are still sticking to Montessori! 😉

What are your thoughts on this? Have you changed what you do to make things better for your school experience? Share your thoughts!

Want more Montessori fun? Stop by the Montessori Monday link up! I am linking up there!