Nothing like a 7:05am start to do Montessori work.

I finally took out Constructive Triangle Box 1 & 2 late last night. I practiced presenting them, read and watched to make sure I was remembering correctly and then placed them on the shelf.

After I had my training before the break I was inspired to get more (and newer) materials out on the shelves. I have almost the full suite but we just don’t have the space right now. I had the knobbed cylinders out a for awhile couple of years ago and then briefly last year sometime. To my surprise Clover said she remembered how to do it and didn’t want to be represented the work. It was a bit more difficult to present to Iris only one block at a time, especially after seeing Clover work on all four so I went with it and she was fine. Later she too was working on all four and it was hard to not just let it be. Naturally she was done after a short time and Clover packed the work up as if waiting for the opportunity.

I like the knobbed cylinders I’d never seen anything like them before. Then when I came across a secondhand hand set of knobless cylinders it pretty much sealed the deal and I bought the 3-6 mini homeschooling kit which included both the work above. The knobbed cylinders we have are significantly smaller and as I observed Clover and Iris work on it I can really see how it strengthens and hones in on what eventually becomes the pencil grip (three finger grip as supposed to just the pincer grip).

In addition to the mini version of the materials it helps with saving footprint in our apartment (and storage). Iris carried each block (mostly) with care as retrieved or placed them back on the shelf.

I presented Clover with the first three polygons – square, rectangle and rhombus which she got quite quickly and so I showed her the rest. I left her too it and she paired them together, joined them all up and put them away. She alternated between this work and the knobbed cylinders a few times.

Meanwhile Iris got out the threading activity which I put on the shelf alongside their rubber band board that they’ve been enjoying lately. Once she was done placing the sticks in the shaker, she manipulated some wooden nuts and bolts before settling in on the rubber band board.

Which then became something that needed to be cooked in the oven (the chair next to her) so she got out a book to wait until it was ready.

Clover would check in on Iris’ cooking in between choosing her work. Then it was 7:50am and it was time for breakfast.

Around 9am, as I helped Iris brush her teeth, Clover took out the Constructive Triangles Box 2. I had a mini panic because I hadn’t presented it to her but as I walked over she formed all but the trapezium just like Box 1. Then she made the connection that she had seen a rhombus before and took out her shapes book. That was very cool to see. It’s like she was forming this discovery on her own little by little every time she manipulated the triangles. Phenomenal.