Keystone Montessori School News

Initial Sounds

2009-10-15T14:49:00.001-04:00

Here we see two young children playing a game that allows them to practice initial sounds. They have a mat with all the letters of the alphabet, and a small basket with 26 objects (one that begins with each letter sound). They take turns selecting an object, and then placing it on a letter on the mat. Of course, this can lead to a lot of thought and discussion about placement. Is it a flower, or a plant? Would that be f or p? When selecting a pig, that could be p for pig, or m for mammal. In a small way, this experience shows us all that there are often more than one possible solution to a problem or situation.

Of course, when these children come home, and mom or dad asks "What did you do today?", they might answer something as simple as "I played with animals", or "I played bingo." These answers, while accurate, don't really reflect the subtleties or complexities of the materials they worked with and the mental processes they were using.

Back to School picnic video

2009-10-04T22:34:00.003-04:00

Here is a short video from the back to school picnic.

Elementary students create personal journals

2009-10-02T10:38:00.002-04:00

At Keystone Montessori School, our elementary students frequently write in their personal journals. This activity helps inspire them with the pleasure of writing. To launch their journaling activity, they created personal journals in their art class.

The video shows the process, and delight, of creating their own marbelized journal covers. The children's sense of ownership and creativity gives a nice launch pad for their future writing.

Keystone Montessori students go apple picking

2009-10-01T14:14:00.007-04:00

Our Children's House classes enjoyed apple picking this week. We visited Carlson Orchards, in Harvard, MA. Each child got to pick some apples. After enjoying an outdoor snack, students went to see a tour of the cider pressing operation.

It was exciting to watch the apples go up the conveyor belt to be washed and sorted, and then see the cider come out. Students learned how orchards can keep apples fresh to be sold throughout the year.

We appreciate all the chaperones who joined our children to make this a fun field trip for all.

Book Review: How Full Is Your Bucket?

2009-10-01T13:58:00.008-04:00

I wanted to share this review by Heidi Larson, Chair of the Teachers Section of the American Montessori Society Board of Directors.

"As Montessori teachers, we have a unique opportunity to foster the development of the whole child, including the mind, body, and spirit. To that end, I’ve recently worked a new book into my curriculum; it’s entitled How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids and was written by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer.

It tells a simple story about a child named Felix and how he learns a social lesson regarding his interactions with others throughout his day. At the end of the story, he becomes more aware of his feelings and how they reflect his behavior with others. I highly recommend this book for all age levels when teaching moral development. But this is also a book for adults; it can guide you, as a teacher, through your own personal bucket-filling experience. I personally found that children are able to use the visual concept of a full or empty bucket to express their own feelings and experiences. Recently, a younger child in my classroom sat down next to me in circle and whispered to me very quietly, “You are my favorite teacher, Heidi. I bet your bucket is really full to the top now!” I just smiled and thanked him. That day, my bucket was indeed full."

Click on the link above to go to the Amazon page for this book. When you order through this link, the school receives a small commission, and you enjoy the same Amazon price, service, and shipping.

Back to School Picnic was well attended

2009-09-29T10:03:00.001-04:00

Children, parents, teachers, and adminstration joined together at Roby Park for an enjoyable evening together. Children enjoyed running and climbing on the play structure. Families enjoyed simple picnics. Parents enjoyed meeting their child's new friends and their parents. The 12th annual Back To School picnic was well attended, and provided a wonderful chance for informal conversation and introductions. At the end of the year, Keystone will bring closure to the school year with a similar Year End Picnic.

Dry pouring is an early practical life activity

2009-09-28T12:46:00.000-04:00

Grasping and controlling in order to pour with accuracy is a very complex task. We take it for granted, because we have been doing it for so many years. But the child needs to concentrate on many things: hold the handle, support under the spout, aim into the receiving container.

In addition, this requires some strength (depending on what is being poured). Here a student is practicing pouring small foam objects. They are colorful and pleasant to work with. When some miss, it is easy for the child to pick them up and put them into the pitcher again. Children will work with a task repeatedly because it is nourishing them. When they feel finished with that activity, they will move on to something more complex. In this case, that would be dry pouring of smaller objects that spill easily and require a little more precision to clean up.

After achieving some confidence and mastery with dry pouring, the child learns how to clean up a wet spill (a totally different methodology than cleaning a dry spill), and will then practice pouring liquids (and cleaning up any spills). This progression of complexity is part of every curriculum area. Teachers introduce a single skill with each lesson, and as a child masters that skill, a more complex task is offered.

Elementary students create self portraits

2009-09-25T13:32:00.001-04:00

In art, the elementary children worked on self portraits. Looking into a mirror, students then drew what they saw. With some guidelines about spacing the features on a face, the children enjoyed observing carefully, then recording what they observed. Of course, these are foundation skills for science as well as art: noticing small details, then recording your observations in words and images.

Individual Lesson on Sandpaper Letters

2009-09-25T13:24:00.001-04:00

We use the sandpaper letters to introduce letter sounds. In an individual lesson, the teacher traces the letter, then says the sound. Then, the child traces the letter and repeats the sound. With this activity, the child experiences the lesson using many senses: vision, touch, and hearing. The teacher proceeds to play various games with the child to practice and repeat the letter sound, allowing the child to identify the letter, and later to name the sound. The entire lesson is many very deliberate steps, each of which is a bit more challenging for the child. As the child has success, the teacher adds a more challenging step. This way, the child experiences many moments of success. If the child is finding it difficult, the teacher may return to the more complex parts of the lesson later, after the child has had time to practice and master the simpler portions.

After introducing the letter sounds, the teacher will offer a carefully selected assortment of small objects that let the child practice hearing the letter sounds. Typically, objects like a net, pot, dog would allow the child to hear that initial sound of n, p, and d. Note, we use the sound, not the letter name. Children will later combine the sounds to create words.

Art Miles mural celebrates International Day of Peace at Keystone Montessori School

2009-09-20T20:48:00.004-04:00

This afternoon, dozens of children and parents worked together to create a beautiful twelve foot mural in celebration of United Nations International Day of Peace.

The mural will be on display at Keystone, and then sent to the Art Miles Project. Together with other art murals from around the world, this will be displayed on the pyramids in Egypt in 2010.

Elementary students create foundation for Art Miles banner

2009-09-18T12:29:00.002-04:00

Today, as part of their art class, the elementary students sketched out a foundation for the Art Miles mural project. The Art Miles project has been underway for twelve years, and all of the murals from around the world will be displayed on the pyramids in Egypt in 2010.

The mural integrates many elements from our students' drawings of a peaceful planet: children, animals, the peace sign, and the Keystone hands. Children drew the outlines today, and we can all come together Sunday, the 20th, from 1pm to 3pm to use paint to bring their drawings to life!

In the picture here, a student creates the border, marking every six inches. "That's 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42..." said a classmate. "How did you know those so fast?", I asked. "I just know the six chain" was the answer.

Arriving at Keystone

2009-09-18T12:10:00.001-04:00

In the morning, children arrive in the foyer and are escorted down to their classroom by their teacher. This is a great opportunity for the older children to help our younger children. In this picture, two children were greeted by one teacher in the foyer, then they walk together towards another teacher who is cheerfully awaiting them. Holding hands, the older child helps the younger one and enjoys a moment of leadership in our community.

Using the moveable alphabet

2009-09-17T22:06:00.001-04:00

The moveable alphabet allows children to form words, even before they have the dexterity to write to their own satisfaction. Here we see returning children using the moveable alphabet to create words. Our language curriculum utilizes many interesting objects to inspire children with ideas of words to write: dog, cat, mop. In this picture, we see two children working together, offering each other some help with the proper orientation of the letter 't'.

Practical Life develops concentration

2009-09-17T22:03:00.001-04:00

In the first weeks of school, children explore new materials with delight. Teachers give many one-on-one lessons to introduce new materials. Each lesson is carefully presented, and builds the close relationship between teacher and child. It is wonderful to see the expression of a child who observes the lesson, then proceeds to do the activity independently. Because our classroom is filled with materials that are beautiful to look at and interesting to handle, the children are excited to try every new thing that the teachers introduce.

Come celebrate International Day of Peace - Sept 20 1-3pm

2009-09-10T12:49:00.006-04:00

Keystone Montessori School welcomes our parents and children, and your friends and neighbors to come celebrate International Day of Peace.

On Sunday, September 20, the school will be open to the community. Together, we will create a mural with images that celebrate our world. The twelve foot mural will later be sent to the Art Miles Project and will be displayed with other murals on the pyramids in Egypt.

Children in our summer program made a mural depicting the World of Water that will be sent to Art Miles later this year.

During this afternoon celebration, parents and children can paint on the mural, or make peace flags as part of the International Day of Peace celebrations.

Everyone is invited to join the celebration on Sunday, September 20, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. We will be out at the playground (in good weather), or inside (in case of rain).

Keystone Montessori wins grant for art and music education

2009-08-28T15:13:00.004-04:00

We are delighted to announce that the Keystone Montessori Parents Organization has been awarded a grant of $20,000 from the Horne Family Foundation to support music and art education in the 2009-10 school year.

This grant comes at a critical time, allowing Keystone to expand and enhance its music and arts program while keeping tuition affordable.

“We have a reputation of being a top-notch Montessori school in Massachusetts. Being a private school, we rely on tuition to fund us. We are thrilled to be able to enhance our arts and music programs using the generous grant from the Horne Family Foundation,” says Cary Williams, Director of Keystone Montessori School.

“This grant provides a stipend for a Music and Arts Specialist, trained in the music method of Orff Schulwerk, that focuses on melody and rhythm through singing, playing instruments and improvisation."

Children in preschool through grade three will enjoy the new instruments that will be obtained through grant funding, and have weekly music sessions.

The grant also provides for additional art supplies and curriculum. Keystone's art curriculum is integrated into the classroom curriculum, and allows children to experiment with different media, and introduce lessons in art history.

Keystone's commitment to global awareness and cultural studies enriches the classroom with arts and music from around the world. With this grant award, Keystone is able to have a professional art specialist on staff who will work in each classroom to bring the very best lessons and curriculum to each child!

The children will be creating some significant work during the year that we plan to exhibit in the spring for the parents. We will also have community events to allow our neighbors and friends to join in the creation of collaborative art.

Marine Mammals

2009-08-21T13:05:00.001-04:00

The children in the summer program have been enjoying learning about marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, and manatees. Activities have included coloring and labeling a book of marine mammals, matching pictures of whales with cards that describe them, and even making origami whales. The children especially loved listening to a CD of whale sounds; a chart by the CD player showed a picture of each whale and the corresponding track number. We also explored how long whales are using a set of strings that were cut to the lengths of different types of whales. A picture of that whale was tied to the end of the string. We unwound the strings on the playground and got to experience the lengths of the whales. The blue whale, at 100 feet long, is almost as long as the entire playground!

Montessori Books for Parents

2009-08-20T21:46:00.004-04:00

Parents often ask us for good books about Montessori.

We have selected some practical, readable books that will help you understand our classroom activities and curriculum. These books also give lots if idea of things you can do at home to complement what your child is doing at school.

Of course, Keystone Montessori School has many parent education evenings where parents can talk with teachers, see lessons, and begin to experience the magic of Montessori education.

For a sneak preview, browse through some of these books in our Montessori bookstore at Amazon. You'll get a sense of the depth and breadth of the education that your children are enjoying. Purchase through our store and you will enjoy the quick shipping and service of Amazon, while making a small contribution to the school.

The Great Lakes

2009-08-07T17:28:00.001-04:00

This week we studied the Great Lakes in our summer program. We discussed the enormity of the lakes, endangered species, modes of transportation and location of the lakes. The discussions were very lively and it was clear that the children had spent time formulating their thoughts and were excited to their ideas. The hottest topics were ways to rid the lakes of pollution and improve the lives of the endangered species. Many children push-pinned tugboats, made books (pictured) and colored maps of the Great Lakes.

Montessori lessons in the water cycle, and properties of water

2009-07-31T13:25:00.002-04:00

This week we wrapped up our studies of the water cycle and the properties of water. The children enjoyed new demonstrations and experiments. They were able to test whether or not sugar, salt, or corn meal would dissolve in water, to witness how water drops rolling off the back of a spoon will form into "balls", and to build a landscape and explore how "rain" from spray bottles moved through it. The children have also been enjoying more traditional Montessori activities, and many have been working on maps, including maps of the USA, Australia, and India.

Keystone Montessori students study surface tension

2009-07-24T12:49:00.002-04:00

Photo 1: The lidded jar contained water (dyed red) and oil. The children could shake the jar, then flip the timer and wait to see what happened. (The oil separates out of the water again.) In the other jar was some beach sand and plain water. The children discovered that if they stirred the water briskly in a circle, the sand would mix in, then settle into a mound shape at the bottom of the jar when they stopped stirring.

Photo 2: An experiment in surface tension. A floating object will move to the side of the bowl if the water is poured just to the rim. If the water is poured higher, forming a "bubble" just above the rim of the bowl, the object moves to the center of the bowl.

Photo 3: Learning about how water travels from earth to sky and back again with the water cycle mat.

Water, Water Everywhere!

2009-07-24T12:42:00.000-04:00

Photo 1: An inflatable globe helped us see how much of the earth's surface is water. Children would roll the globe to one another, then count how many of their fingers were touching water when they caught the ball. Most times, it was at least seven fingers.

Photo 2: Learning about marine mammals with an animal mystery game. The teacher helped the children read the descriptions of the animals, and the children then tried to determine which animal was being described.

Photo 3: Observing evaporation and condensation. Warm water was placed in the jar, and ice cubes were placed on the lid on top. The warm water formed droplets on the underside of the cold lid as the water evaporated, rose, and cooled.

Fun with Boats

2009-07-17T13:22:00.000-04:00

Today the children got to try their hands at boat making. I gave each child a piece of aluminum foil and asked them to make a boat with sides and a bottom. After all of the children had fashioned their boats, we put the boats to the test by floating them in a large container of water and placing glass stones into them one at a time until they sank. Some of our boats held 50 stones! The children enjoyed this so much that they asked to do it again, so we made a second round of boats, this time using smaller pieces of foil. Our smaller boats sank more easily than our large boats. This was a simple, fun activity that you could even do with your child in the bathtub! Try fashioning boats out of clay, empty food containers, plastic cups...use your imaginations, and have fun!

Water Explorations

2009-07-14T15:36:00.002-04:00

Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring the properties of water. We will also discuss water's importance in our lives and how the water cycle works. Today we got to see how salt affects the density of water. I filled a large jar with plain tap water, and a second with salted water. I then dropped food coloring into each jar and we all watched the colors disperse. The color moves much more slowly through the salt water because it is denser, or "heavier."

The children are also enjoying a new work that allows them to experiment with surface tension. On the tray are two dropper bottles, one filled with plain water and another filled with soapy water. There are two small dishes, each with a nickel coin on them. The child can drip water one drop at a time onto the nickels, counting the drops to see how many will fit on the coin before the water spills off into the dish. We are keeping a graph of our results. I explained to the children that the soap in the water reduces surface tension (or, in simpler terms, makes it harder for the water to "stick together), meaning that fewer drops of the soapy water will fit onto the nickel before it spills.

Penguins

2009-07-10T19:33:00.001-04:00

Week four of our summer program has been fun! We spent the week learning about a few of the 17 different types of penguins using a curriculum developed by the New England Aquarium. These flightless birds are all so unique and interesting that we only had time to focus on a couple of breeds. The most popular of which was the Emperor Penguin who is the tallest and heaviest penguin. Emperor Penguins are one of two breeds who carry un-hatched eggs on their feet instead of using a nest. The children had a blast trying to carry a replica penguin egg on the top of their feet down a line through the classroom!

Keystone Montessori School Calendar 2009-10

2009-07-01T14:34:00.011-04:00

The School Calendar for 2009-10 is available at the bottom of this page. Please scroll down to view it. You can go through the months, and when you click on an event, you can read event details (if any). This is a view into our live calendar, using the google calendaring utility.

This summer, Keystone is revising our web site, and the calendar will be integrated into the community section of that web site. We wanted to make the calendar available to parents now through out news blog. Printed copies of the calendar will be available in August.

You may want to bookmark this site so that you can easily refer to our online calendar throughout the school year.

World of Water Mural at Keystone Montessori School

2009-06-26T15:57:00.006-04:00

Children in the summer program at Keystone Montessori School had a great time painting the water portion for our Art Miles mural. We mixed different shades of blue and talked about how large bodies of water appear to have different colors. The children loved using their hands, feet, paint brushes, and sponges to create different textures and impressions with the paint.

This mural will be a work in progress. The plan for next week is to include some of the many water animals we have learned about during Keystone's Summer Program.

Montessori: Children who speak with respect and confidence

2009-06-25T12:34:00.009-04:00

"Language in an early childhood Montessori classroom offers activities that promote speaking, listening, reading and writing. Children develop language skills through positive interactions with adults in their environment. A young child who is spoken to, listened to, read to and modeled everyday writing is prepared to develop his language skills."

Read the entire article, which suggests things you can do at home to encourage your young child's language skills.

Keystone Montessori Supports Children in India

2009-06-25T12:06:00.005-04:00

Keystone Montessori School is proud to have supported a high school service project for a member of our extended Keystone community. The high school student visited each of our classrooms, telling Keystone students about children's lives in India. She explained that a donation of 13 cents could give one child a meal through an organization called Akshaya Patra. This organization currently feeds nearly a million children in India every day.

We were invited to contribute our Coins of Compassion to support Akshaya Patra Foundation. Over the next two months, our classrooms collected over $400. That would pay for over 3000 meals!

This activity enriched our studies of children and life in other cultures and places. Our students studied the geography and culture of India, and were proud to offer help to children less fortunate than we are.

This is the most recent of many service learning activities in our Keystone classrooms. In addition to supporting Pennies For Peace earlier in the year, we have made contributions to Heifer Project, Katrina Relief, International Red Cross (tsunami relief), and local food pantries. With each of our service learning projects, Keystone Montessori relates the project to our curriculum in geography, cultural studies, math, fundamental needs, and peace education.

Whenever possible, we like to support the efforts of Keystone alumni and our extended Keystone community in their service learning projects.

Parts of The Fish

2009-06-23T14:37:00.004-04:00

To end our first week of Keystone summer program, we studied the internal parts of the fish. Using curriculum developed by the New England Aquarium, the children were able to see a replica of the swim bladder, the brain, and a full skeleton.

This work got a lot of use and allowed the children to put together abstract science terms with models of the fish parts. We appreciated the very concrete resources from the NEAQ teacher resource center! They fit in beautifully with our Montessori classroom.

Summer Program - Fish Fun

2009-06-18T15:31:00.005-04:00

Early this week, we studied the external and internal parts of a fish. Today we read The Rainbow Fish by Marc Pfister. Children enjoyed using collage and creating mosaic interpretations of their own rainbow fish. In addition to artistic expression, this project helps children develop their pincer grip and enhances their focus and concentration.

We also had a nice group discussion about sharing, and how the Rainbow Fish was happy after sharing his shiny scales with his friends. Children reflected on how they felt at times when they have shared things with others. As with many Montessori activities, this activity brings together diverse elements of our art, language, and peace curricula.

Parent Comments About Montessori Preschool Education

2009-06-17T14:10:00.003-04:00

We thought you would like to know what parents think about preschool education at Keystone Montessori school. We are sharing the following message, which we received from a parent who has had children here since 2001....

We have finally come to the end of our journey here at Keystone! We have been part of the Keystone family for a long time, since 2001, when our older son enrolled in the school and our younger son followed in 2006!
We have had an amazing experience under Mrs. Gilpatrick. We strongly believed that kids need a strong foundation till 6 yrs of age, to instill the right values and work ethics in them. Mrs. G is an amazing teacher to the kids.
As we watch, we can see our kids grow from 2 and 3 yr olds into mature kindergarteners! At the end of the 3rd year, if not before, the kids are able to read chapter books, churn out maps of the world, learn shapes that I did not even know (a curvilinear triangle? :), write journals like budding authors, imitate artwork of artists like Monet and Matisse, do number chains, +,-,x & division in math!
All this in addition to learning how to wash dishes, scrub the tables and floor, use a room and dustpan, and tie shoe laces - life's skills!
I'm sure the kids will carry all these skills with them as they continue their journey outside Keystone. They are our future authors, artists, scientists, pet owners, eachers, managers & who knows what else!!

Sandpaper Letters - Montessori lesson

2009-06-02T13:38:00.006-04:00

The sandpaper letters are a foundation material in the Montessori language curriculum.

The teacher sits with an individual child, and introduces several letters. With each letter, the child hears the letter sound, traces the letter with the index finger, and sees the letter. This gives several sensory impressions of the letter: visual, tactile, and auditory.

After the child has learned a few letter sounds, the teacher will provide lots of opportunities for practice. Children can associate small objects with the letter that has the initial sound of the object (e.g. monkey associates with m).

There are a variety of other activities that let the child explore, practice, and master these letter sounds before additional letters are introduced. Once a few letters are mastered, the child can use other Montessori materials to create words (encode), or read words (decode).

Children's House students visit China Museum

2009-06-02T13:13:00.003-04:00

Elementary students at Keystone Montessori School prepared a number of displays about Ancient China and created a China Museum.

Every Children's House classroom visited the museum. Our young students enjoyed looking at the exhibits, listening carefully to the elementary students, and asking questions.

The elementary students enjoyed having many guests at their display. Parents also visited the museum, and enjoyed sampling foods of China.

The museum exhibits focused on the various Fundamental Needs of Humans, a theme that pervades much of the elementary cultural curriculum. Studying life in ancient China, the elementary students made displays about food, clothing, housing, transportation, farming, education, and defense.

This is an exciting year-end project for the elementary Montessori students. They plan their displays, create interesting visual props, write comments on notecards to guide their presentations. Then, during museum visiting hours, they give their presentations to parents and children with poise and confidence.

Country Studies by Elementary Students

2009-05-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

The third year elementary students at Keystone Montessori School each studied a country in Europe. In this project, the child selected a country in Europe, then proceeded to do research on that country. The students considered the Fundamental Needs of Humans to guide their research into topics such as housing, food, transportation, and clothing.

Each child created a map of Europe, highlighting their country. Children did research, created maps, made flags, investigated foods, typed up their results, and mounted information for display.

We posed the question "How can you make your presentation visually interesting?" Students had many ideas on this! Some students built replicas of traditional housing, or created three-dimensional maps out of clay or plaster of paris. There were graphic representations of information, flag reproductions, and photos in the presentations, which were displayed for several days during Parent-Teacher Conferences.

The projects culminated with presentations to the elementary class, and guest teachers. Each child talked about their country and then welcomed questions and comments from the audience.

This project allowed the students to utilize a variety of skills: research, display, drawing, writing, mounting and displaying information, creating graphs, mapping, verbal presentation to a group, responding to questions, and listening attentively to other presentations. This project allowed each child to draw on their learning about fundamental needs, and explore a topic of their own interest.

Montessori Map Materials

2009-05-22T11:45:00.006-04:00

The process of creating a map provides many learning experiences for the student in the Children's House classroom (ages 3-6).

First, the child traces around the puzzle piece of the country. Then, he or she perforates around the shape using a pushpin (which is like a pencil, but with a sharp point for perforating construction paper). The child needs to keep track of all the pieces, because completing a map can take several weeks. The child carefully collects the pieces in a plastic bag, which is stored safely in his or her work drawer.

Once all the pieces are collected, the student places them on a large paper, in proper position, and glues them down to create a map. In this picture, the child has created a map with all the countries of Africa. In this step, the child places a control map under a large sheet of white paper. Looking carefully at the outlines (visible through the paper), the child places the shapes in their proper location and glues them down.

Now, the child continues with the process of labelling the map. The control map has the country names, and the child writes the name on each country. Children often complete their masterpiece by embellishing the seas with artistic and creative elements.

This entire process may proceed over a period of weeks. It has numerous learning elements

pushpinning the countries develops focus, and the fine motor skills needed for writing,
storing the pieces safely develops organizational skills,
completing a project over a long period develops patience, and the ability to do multi-step, long-term projects,
placing the countries, and gluing them in position requires focus, concentration, careful observation
writing the names of the countries teaches geography, and also gives practice writing
artistic embellishments give the child the opportunity to express their own creativity and make the work an expression of their energies and interests
the final map is laminated, and displayed in the classroom for a while before it goes home

Children feel a real sense of pride and accomplishment in completing one or more maps. They certainly learn the names of all the continents, but beyond that, they have practice in numerous essential skills.

Every classroom at Keystone Montessori School has a complete map cabinet, with a map of the world (showing the continents), and a map of each continent (with puzzle pieces for each country).

Montessori Division Bead Board

2009-05-22T11:30:00.003-04:00

A student uses the division bead board to work through a series of division problems. In this image, the child is dividing by two. The child takes a number of beads, and distributes them by evenly to two columns, so that each column has the same number of beads. Through practice with this concrete activity, the child internalizes the experience of division, and truly understands the concept. In the picture, there is a sheet on which the child can write the answer to each problem. This work has a lengthy concrete process (manipulation of the beads), and a concise written product (the sheed with recorded answers). Like most Montessori activities, the learning comes through the process of interacting with the materials.

Pennies For Peace and Math Curriculum

2009-05-21T14:56:00.019-04:00

Pennies for Peace and the

Montessori Math Curriculum

Our Pennies for Peace collection has come to an end, and we are pleased to report that the children gathered 21,844 pennies, or $218.44. According to the Pennies for Peace organization, that is enough to provide a year's worth of school supplies for ten students! Our funds, along with those raised by Montessori schools across the country, were presented to Pennies for Peace founder Greg Mortenson at the American Montessori Society's annual conference, which was held this past weekend in New Orleans. The total donated by children in Montessori schools was $11,815.92! Pennies for Peace provided our students with an opportunity to learn about another culture and about the spirit of generosity and helpfulness. They were intrigued by photographs and stories from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many were surprised to learn that there, and in other parts of the world, schooling is not available to all children. This new knowledge prompted new ways of thinking, and motivated many children to share the contents of their piggy banks.

The penny drive also provided opportunities for advancing math skills in connection with the Montessori math curriculum. For instance, the daily task of counting the pennies helped children to practice one-to-one correspondence (the concept that one object corresponds to one number). They also practiced the progression of numbers from 1 to 100 and beyond. Many classrooms used the Hundred Board, a staple of the Montessori curriculum, to help in the counting process. By placing one penny in each of the 100 squares on the board, children were able to organize the counting process and to see how ten rows of ten pennies made 100 pennies. This reinforced their understanding of the base of ten in our decimal system.

Many classrooms also used graphing as part of the penny-counting process. After the day's pennies were counted, a bar graph would be filled in to provide a visual representation of the number. As each day's totals were added to the graph, children were able to see how the totals compared to one another by noting the size of the bars on the graph. Days with low penny counts were quickly noticed and commented upon by the children!

The elementary students had the special honor of tallying up all of the pennies each week. They did this with a paper version of the stamp game, which consisted of paper "tiles" representing ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and ten thousands. Using these tiles to represent each "deposit" of pennies from each classroom, they found the total for the week and added it to a tally board chart, which was displayed in the office. This provided valuable practice with the process of dynamic addition, which involves "carrying over" (trading for the next place value when there were more than ten in a column).

Here is a short video about Pennies for Peace.