The Many Ways We Play....

 

Above: Several friends work independently while sitting side by side.  The room is busy but peaceful and the teacher's role is as an observer and recorder on this quiet snowy morning.(Well, for this moment anyway :)

 Left: Hard at work, Sam is concentrating on covering a small wooden star with paint.  This is tedious fine motor work for a just three year old.  He is so enthralled in what he is doing he is unaware that I am taking is photo.  As Montessori said, "Practical Life exercises nurture the development of control, coordination, independence and order."

                                        Below: Jack paints the outline of his candle which will later become a stain-glass ornament for his family's Christmas tree. 

 These farm animals are on their way home to their barn. 
The children use the barn in many different ways.  During imaginary play the barn has even become a school, fire station, house, and train garage!  The animals have been been counted and sorted, labeled, named and hidden.  In future lessons the farm will be used to define the parts of speech.   



Below: Drew shares with me his color choice for chalk drawings.   
Emmet offers to wash the tables after lunch.   

And Brynn (covered in chalk) shows me her hands!