Developing Fine Motor Skills

Developing fine motor skills is critical for everyday activities. There are many ways to help children along this process, and Montessori classrooms have specifically designed materials that are intended to strengthen the small muscles in the hands and wrists. The strengthening of these muscles allows us to make more precise movements and perform detailed tasks, as opposed to the large muscles required for gross motor activities like jumping and walking.

While fine motor development is supported at various levels in Montessori environments, we can observe the bulk of this work occurring during the primary years, when a child is between the ages of 3 and 6. Three areas of the classroom play particularly important roles: the sensorial, practical life, and language work. In this article we highlight some of the ways Montessori materials in these areas help children strengthen their hand and wrist muscles. Interestingly, these materials have other purposes as well, teaching a wide range of skills.

Sensorial Materials

The Pink Tower

A series of pink cubes are meant to be stacked vertically from largest to smallest, with the top block measuring 1cm cubed. Using this material requires a child to use their focus and carefully balance each block, using precise movements as the blocks get smaller.

Knobbed Cylinders

Wooden cylinders of varying sizes fit into a block designed for this purpose. Each cylinder has a tiny knob for children to hold onto, and there is only one way to fit the cylinders correctly. In addition to developing fine motor skills and their pincer grip, this is one of many materials that aid in developing visual discrimination.

Mystery Bags

A small cloth bag containing tiny objects and miniatures, a child is meant to feel inside, hold the objects, and determine what they are without seeing them.

Practical Life Materials

Clothespins

Montessori students learn to wash clothes or linens used in the classroom. One step in the process is, of course, hanging the cloth to dry using clothespins.

Spray Bottles

Spray bottles are used for a variety of practical life activities in the classroom, including window washing and plant care. The repeated action of squeezing the trigger on the bottle is great for strengthening hand muscles.

Crumbers and Dustpans/Brushes

Again, with a focus on precision and careful use, there are several practical life materials used for cleaning up the classroom that are also fantastic fine motor tools. Dustpans and brushes are used for cleaning up messes on the floor, while crumbers are similar sets meant for picking up on the surface of a table - after eating but before washing the table.

Cooking Utensils

A major part of Montessori practical life work is food preparation. There are countless kitchen tools that are used in this learning, and so many of them require the development of fine motor skills. Just a few of these include: vegetable peelers, knives for chopping, apple slicers, whisks, and spatulas.

Dressing Frames

One of the most direct fine motor materials, the dressing frames teach children to fasten clothing in a variety of ways. A wood frame with two cloth panels is attached in the center; children practice lacing, buttoning, buckling, snapping, zipping, pinning, and more.

Language

Sandpaper Letters

Perhaps one of the most famous Montessori materials, the sandpaper letters are small wooden tiles with textured letters in the surface. Indirect preparation for handwriting and reading, children use their index finger to trace the shape of the letter while saying the sound it makes aloud.

Moveable Alphabet

When learning how to write, children are ready to share their ideas before they are ready to grip a pencil. The moveable alphabet is a set of tiny wooden letters that children lay out on a work rug to spell words, phrases, and sentences. Organizing these small letters takes plenty of hand control.

Metal Insets

Another material that is meant to indirectly prepare the child for handwriting, The metal insets are like a stencil that children are meant to use colored pencils and trace, create lined patterns within, and follow a series of directions to recreate the shapes on paper. This is often a child’s first real experience with learning how to hold a pencil properly, and aids in developing the critical pincer grasp. Some Montessori environments even provide triangle-shaped pencils to aid in this process.

Bonus: Pin Punch

A small wooden or plastic stylus with a sharp metal tip is used to make perforations. Children will often trace a shape onto a piece of construction paper, place the paper onto a specific soft surface, and use the pin punch tool to make a series of holes along the drawn line. If they take their time and do this correctly, they are able to punch out their shape upon completion.

Want to learn more? Curious to discover ways you can support your child’s fine motor growth at home? We welcome questions and love to talk about children’s development. Contact us today.

Practical Life for the Holidays

The holiday season is nearly upon us, and no matter how you celebrate, this time of year is often steeped in family traditions. The foods, smells, decorations, songs, and gifts echo in our memories for a lifetime. As a parent, it can be magical to experience the holidays through your child’s eyes; everything is so exciting and full of wonder.

Many families involve their children in preparing for special days and celebrations. By doing so, you may already be engaging in what Montessori refers to as practical life, or the teaching and practicing of skills that a person will use to get by in their everyday lives as an adult. Practical life covers a wide range of skills, but this time of year is ripe with opportunities — and not just for the preschool crowd. Check out our ideas below!

Caring for the Self

As with everything, it’s important to consider where your child is developmentally, what their interests are, and set your expectations accordingly.

Choosing what to wear

Special occasions call for special outfits. It can be fun for parents to pick out adorable clothing for their small children, but it’s also nice to involve kids in the process so that they are able to share in the fun and develop a sense that their opinion is important. Younger children (toddlers, preschool-aged) might benefit from being able to select from two or three choices that you have found ahead of time.

Older children enjoy (and deserve) to be more involved in selecting their own clothing. It can help to talk about what you’re looking for ahead of time and what your expectations are. If a family occasion calls for something more dressy than jeans, let your child know. Remember that choice is important, but so are limits. Be open-minded (this can be even more challenging when your teenagers are developing their sense of self through style), but it’s okay to let your child know that you have the right to veto an outfit. Ultimately, it all comes down to finding something you can both appreciate and that is appropriate for the occasion.

Practicing hygiene

There are two main opportunities in this category this time of year: practicing hygiene in social situations and taking advantage of extra time at home together to teach new skills.

When it comes to actions like using a napkin to wipe ones’ face at the dinner table, toddlers will find this new concept fun and exciting, but even your elementary-aged child may need some reminders and practice. Although your children are likely experts on the following by now, it doesn’t hurt to remind them what to do when they need to cough, sneeze, or blow their nose around others.

Enjoying some vacation time and days around the house together? What better time to teach your three-year-old how to brush her hair, your five-year-old to floss, or give your twelve-year-old a crash course on skin care?

Food preparation

This item on our list may just be the most fun.

Many families have traditional recipes they share for special holidays. What are yours? Could you teach your child how to make Grandma’s jelly-filled cookies? Your famous vegetable side dish? That roast everyone looks forward to enjoying once a year?

Regardless of what you’re making in the kitchen, there’s a way for pretty much everyone to get involved. Whether it’s simple slicing or complicated multi-step directions that need to be followed, it’s great to teach children how to make their own food. It’s extra special when you’re sharing memories and creating new ones.

Budgeting

This is a special section just for the teens in your life. They may be at an age when they would like to start participating more in gift-giving. Enter: budgeting lessons. Whether you give them a certain amount to spend or they have their own money (saved or earned from a part-time job), many of us wish we had gotten financial lessons when we were younger.

What does your teen already understand about money? What do they still need to learn?

Caring for the Environment

Caring for ourselves is important, but so is taking care of the space we live and exist in. The skills in this section focus on the home and beyond.

Cleaning

It seems like cleaning tasks tend to increase this time of year. There is cleaning to be done ahead of time, maintenance cleaning should you be expecting visitors, and cleaning once the season is over and everything needs to be put away.

It’s never-ending!

Hand your toddler a dustpan, teach your third grader to load the dishwasher, and remind your adolescent how to properly sort the laundry.

Outdoor work

Some people need to start shoveling snow this time of year, while others are still gardening. Depending on where you live, the jobs are different, but there are almost always tasks to be taken care of outside of your home.

If your children are still young, kid-sized tools can help. Smaller rakes, shovels, and the like aren’t too hard to find, and they can make all the difference. Our children want to participate in family tasks; finding ways to let them help increases their confidence, teaches them valuable skills, and lets them know that all family members are important and can/should contribute.

Grace and Courtesy

The way we interact with others on a social level is an important set of skills that we carry with us throughout our lives. Kids pick up a lot on their own and just by playing with one another, but some bits need to be taught. This is a great time of year to talk about, model, and practice grace and courtesy.

Interacting with relatives

Does your son need to hug his aunt? Not if he doesn’t want to. Does he need to say hello and learn how to have a polite conversation (even if it’s short and sweet)? Definitely.

When our students enter our building, their teachers greet them at the door in the morning with a smile and a hello. They look one another in the eye, and our staff teaches children what they expect in return. Manners matter; showing other people basic respect is the foundation for positive human interaction. Too often children are excused from pleasantries, but we believe the opposite should be true. Let’s teach them while they’re young!

Before celebrating holidays with family members, talk to your child about what you expect. Role-play together so they have a chance to practice ahead of time. If, in the moment, they don’t quite get it right, don’t fret. There’s always next time.

Giving gifts

Gift giving is not synonymous with spending money. It’s about showing the people we love that we care about them. It can be making something special by hand or spending quality time together.

If your family exchanges gifts this time of year, talk to your child about how they might like to contribute. It’s also nice to consider giving charitable gifts - what are some ways your family might work together to support folks or organizations in your community this time of year?

Showing gratitude

Expressing our thanks is a win-win. We let others know that we notice and appreciate them, but it also feels good to be grateful. Consider some ways you would like your child to show gratitude and lead by examples. This may be as simple as saying the words aloud and with conviction, or you might teach them how to write a nice thank you letter to drop in the mail.  

Movement with Purpose

The way we move through the world is one last set of practical life skills that are taught in Montessori schools. Traditionally this work would be left to the primary classroom, but our suggestions extend to the years beyond.

Decorating the home

While this doesn’t apply to everyone, many families have old or fragile holiday decorations, with some having been passed down for generations.

Let your child know how precious special items are, and how they need to be handled and cared for. Then, as you are comfortable, let your child participate in decorating with these items. There is always a risk that something may break, so start small!

Dancing

This final point is just for the fun of it. Moving our bodies feels good and moving our bodies joyfully to music feels great.

So crank up some tunes and have a fun dance-fest around the living room with your kids! You’ll all be glad you did.

Elementary History: A Scope and Sequence

Think back to your grade school days: what do you remember learning about history? Whatever you did learn was probably focused on your country’s history, didn’t take up very much of your total learning time, and may have even contained some “facts” that you began to question as you got older. For the majority of us, in-depth history instruction didn’t take place until perhaps high school, and even then, it wasn’t all that comprehensive.

As with all subjects, Montessori schools begin with the big picture and gradually focus in on the details. That’s why when we teach history, we start at the very beginning. We give students an understanding of the start of the universe. Over the course of the year/years, we give progressively more detailed lessons that zoom in eventually to the various cultures that have existed on Earth throughout history. We find this approach helps give kids a frame of reference in which everything makes just a bit more sense - and is a whole lot more interesting.

It all starts in the first grade. History is one of the few areas of learning in the Montessori classroom in which students receive group lessons — sometimes even the whole class at a time. This is because all of the children within a three-year age span are developmentally prepared to engage with the information being presented, and when they participate in these big, impressionistic lessons each year they’re in a class, they gain something new each time. 

What do we teach and where do we start? We present an overview of what the Montessori history curriculum looks like in grades 1-6:

The Creation of the Universe

Early in the school year — sometimes even the very first week — lower elementary Montessori guides present a fantastic lesson about the beginnings of our universe. It’s all very dramatic and presented in a darkened room and delivered in a story-telling format, although there are a number of ‘science experiments’ sprinkled throughout. From the Big Bang/Great Flaring Forth, to the formation of the first particles, the first elements, states of matter, density, and the sheer vastness of space, there is a LOT of information included. The whole thing ends with the unveiling of a model volcano into which vinegar is poured to cause an ‘eruption’, much to the delight of 6-9 year old children. This lesson ends with an explanation of Earth’s early geological history, and children walk away excited and in awe.

The Concept of Time

At some point during the year, and likely toward the beginning, children learn a bit more about the mechanics of how humans observe the passing of time. They look at how the year is divided with the help of their fraction materials, they explore years by making their own timelines, and they learn to tell time on the clock. This section of study concludes by intersecting with grammar and learning the three fundamental tenses: past, present, and future.

The Long Black Strip

This lesson is literally so big it has to be done outdoors or in a *very* long hallway. While children stand to the sides, the guide carries out a large, rolled up strip of black felt. The outer end is weighted down, and as she unrolls it they tell the story of Earth’s history. From the formation of our planet itself, to the earliest one-celled organisms, through the evolution of all living things, and so on. The strip is 30 meters long, and each centimeter is meant to represent a million years. By the time the very end is revealed, the children can see a tiny slice of white. This represents the amount of time humans have inhabited the earth. You can imagine what children are feeling when they walk away from such a powerful visual.

The Clock of Eras

As you can tell by now, we like to give children impressionistic lessons, and visual aids that help them develop a frame of reference. The Clock of Eras imagines Earth’s history as if it were encompassed within a twelve hour clock. This circular, laminated cardboard material breaks down the major eras and allows children to see a visual percentage of the total history each section takes up. They are able to see the large chunk of time during which there was no, or nearly no life at all. This is followed by another imposingly long stretch of time during which Earth was host to just one-celled organisms. As life became more complex, the slices of the pie become smaller and smaller, until a minuscule strip of red again shows all of humanity.

The Time Line of Life

The time line of life is exactly what it sounds like: a large and gorgeously illustrated wall hanging that shows how life has evolved from the beginning of the Paleozoic Era. Children are fascinated to learn about the seemingly strange earlier life forms, and how over time they changed and paved the way for others. It’s also neat to see how there are several organisms that have withstood the test of time and developed ways to adapt regardless of an ever-changing planet.

Fundamental Needs of Humans

What do people need to survive? Children learn about our basic needs, consider how they meet those needs today, and explore how various cultures met those needs throughout history.

The Study of Early Humans

We believe it is critical to teach children about where their ancestors came from. Having an understanding of human history allows us all to respect the enormous progress that has been made in countless ways since the existence of the first humans. We teach students how the earliest humans survived and met their needs, and how their eventual movement around the planet changed the course of history.

Stages in the Progress of Civilization

This area of study is of particular interest to upper elementary-aged children, and their newly-acquired research skills allow them to spend extensive amounts of time reading and discovering for themselves about how civilizations have functioned throughout history. Students dive deep into learning about ancient and more recent cultures and societies across the globe, discovering the many similarities and differences they have both to one another and to humans today. 

Once children complete the elementary program, they have a solid understanding of basic history. This allows them to more deeply understand and appreciate whatever history courses they take in the future.

4 Montessori Quotes That Give Us Perspective

Dr. Maria Montessori was a scientist and physician, first and foremost. She stumbled her way into education when she observed the mistreatment of children put into her care. She recognized that adults (especially at the time) did not give children the credit and respect they deserved, and this launched her work that eventually became Montessori education.

Dr. Montessori was all of those things, but she was also a prolific writer and speaker. Her words have been translated into countless languages around the world and have been reread by innumerable people since they were written. A century later, the language can sometimes show its age, but it’s often beautiful, poetic, and inspiring. And that’s not to mention the brilliant ideas behind the words.

People love to quote Montessori, and for good reason. Here we share four excerpts from Dr. Montessori’s writing that we find particularly interesting, and thought you might, too!

“This is education, understood as a help to life; an education from birth, which feeds a peaceful revolution and unites all in a common aim, attracting them as to a single centre. Mothers, fathers, politicians: all must combine in their respect and help for this delicate work of formation, which the little child carries on in the depth of a profound psychological mystery, under the tutelage of an inner guide. This is the bright new hope for mankind.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Education is a profoundly important venture, on behalf of the individual as well as society as a whole. The way we choose to educate our children is perhaps the single greatest action we can take to pave the way for a better future for humanity.

And we can’t do it alone.

Education is a partnership. It takes well-trained instructors, inspirational leaders, participatory family members, and engaged communities to work alongside one another in support of the children. To know that all these parties can join together and work toward the common good is a pretty amazing concept, and incredibly powerful to see in action.

“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori, Education and Peace

Individuality and flexibility are two critical components of any successful education. Human beings are not photocopies and we cannot treat them as such. To develop a curriculum that is delivered unwaveringly to a diverse group of children without any deviation from the predetermined path does not serve the child.

To employ an educational process that supports the individual development of the child not only honors their own unique path, but it stands to be timeless. Human development, with all its variations, remains fairly similar throughout the generations. Even as the world changes around us, and we look toward an unpredictable future, Montessori education prepares children for what lies ahead.

We teach children to ask their own questions and seek their own answers. We guide children to listen to their inner passions. We explicitly show them how to interact with other people around them so that they may honor their individuality while working cooperatively. To do these things is to prepare them for anything.

“The mind takes some time to develop interest, to be set in motion, to get warmed up into a subject, to attain a state of profitable work.  If at this time there is interruption, not only is a period of profitable work lost, but the interruption, produces an unpleasant sensation which is identical to fatigue.

Fatigue also is caused by work unsuitable to the individual.  Suitable work reduces fatigue on account of the pleasure derived from the work itself.  Thus the two causes of fatigue are unsuitable work and premature interruption of work.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori, What You Should Know About Your Child

Adults traditionally have a habit of inserting themselves too frequently into the work of the child. We feel duty-bound to teach and to guide, when in reality it’s our job to clear the path and stand back while they take the journey themselves. Getting in the way is rarely done with ill intent; it’s simply what we learned when we were children. We want to be helpful. And it can take a lot of unlearning to allow our children to truly learn for themselves.

There is a very delicate balance, and it takes a lot of observation to get things right. We learn to sit back, notice what the child is doing, take a pause, and notice some more. We fight the urge to jump in and correct things for them, for those are precisely the moments when learning happens. If a child is allowed to make mistakes and then to fix those mistakes, they gain not only skill knowledge, but the confidence to repeat the process in the future.

That’s not to say we should never step in. The careful observation we mentioned also helps adults ensure that a child is not faced with a challenge they are not yet prepared to face alone. The key is to understand basic child development while simultaneously paying close attention to the individual’s needs.

“To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control, is to betray the idea of freedom ... Real freedom, instead, is a consequence of development; it is the development of latent guides, aided by education.”

— Dr. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Taking the last point a step further, Montessori educators and parents need to understand what freedom with limits really means.

Should a child be permitted to eat candy for breakfast every day? Should they be expected to eat every meal that is placed before them without opinion? No, on both counts. What lies in the middle can vary from time to time, but perhaps the child is allowed to serve themselves an amount they know they can eat, or perhaps they get to have a say in what they would like to eat some of the time. The same principle can (and should) be applied to almost everything.

We must give children limited, developmentally appropriate choices.

As they gain new skills, we give new choices. It’s an ever-evolving dance between choice and structure, but it’s one of the most important things we can do for our children.

Hopefully we’ve sent a little inspiration your way. Want to read more? Let us know and we can recommend (and maybe even lend) some great books.

Inclusivity in the Montessori Classroom

Montessori is a method of education as well as a general philosophy on human development. If we could summarize it into one sentence it might be something like this: A deep understanding of typical human development, coupled with careful observations of the individual and a meticulously prepared environment, can allow each human being the freedom to explore their world to the best of their ability.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could do that for everyone?

Montessori schools do their very best to make this goal a reality for all who become a part of the community. Below are just a few of the variables we take into consideration.

Age

As you already know, our classrooms are multi-age. This may not be typical when compared to most conventional educational settings, but it’s very intentional and an integral part of what we do. We believe children of varied ages have much to offer one another, and having a span of a few years in one classroom allows for the blending and blurring of different abilities, so everyone always has a buddy to work with. Multi-age classrooms give children opportunities they wouldn’t have elsewhere, such as older models for the young children, and a chance for older kids to explore leadership roles.

Beyond the typical three-year age span, we like to take every opportunity for children to interact between the levels. In the same way we see within the walls of a single classroom, the younger children at our school are able to look to the older children as models, and the oldest children have chances to lead in new ways.

Did you know that Montessori can be for adults as well? Some adults read about Montessori and learn to incorporate the principles into their own lives. Others go on to obtain Montessori teaching credentials or explore Montessori higher education. There have even been studies regarding the benefits of applying the Montessori approach to dementia care.  

Gender

Montessori schools aim to honor children as they are. We acknowledge that society places certain expectations on children according to their gender, and that it can be a challenge for children whose identity does not conform according to these expectations. This can take form across a wide spectrum; whether a child prefers certain toys and colors that our society has attached gender to, to being transgendered, and everything in between.

Our goal is to acknowledge these differences, to work hard to eliminate expectations that do not serve the children, and to create a nurturing environment where all children feel supported and accepted.

More on this topic here.  

Race

To fully educate a child, a school must acknowledge that child and family’s experience. We believe that “colorblindness” is harmful; race is an important part of a person’s identity and must be recognized. We want our students to be proud of who they are, and we also want to recognize the struggles that some face due to the color of their skin.

While people of color have known and felt these struggles for centuries, society as a whole is beginning to recognize their reality in recent years. There is still so much work ahead of us, but we are hopeful that we may be on the verge of a shift in cultural awareness. 

In our classrooms, we do what we can to support this work. We include families of all backgrounds. We ensure there is literature in our classrooms that is representative not only of the children who are in the room, but of all types of people. As educators, we aim to keep learning, keep supporting, and keep moving forward.

We’re not the only ones. To learn more about the important work that is being done, check out Montessori for Social Justice.  

Cultural Heritage

In Montessori classrooms, different cultures are something to be celebrated. We may not celebrate holidays in the same way many other schools do, but we do enjoy exploring different cultural celebrations from around the world. We believe that learning about each other’s unique traditions helps bring us closer together.

We encourage parents to come into our classrooms to share cultural traditions. This might be making latkes with the children for Hanukkah, creating a Nowruz table in the lobby for Persian New Year, or making clay lamps with students for Diwali.

Children love to learn about (and taste, and make) things from other cultures. If your family has something special to share, we encourage you to get in touch with your child’s teacher and see if there’s a way to incorporate something into the school year! These experiences are enriching for everyone involved.

Different Abilities

By design, Montessori education is supportive of children with different abilities. The two most obvious examples of this are our multi-age classrooms and individually-paced learning. No two children are alike, and we believe teaching a single, rigid curriculum to a whole room full of children actually serves very few. Differentiation is a popular buzzword in education; we believe true differentiation is about individualizing the curriculum so that it meets the specific needs of each and every child.

Because Montessori honors the child as they are, and aims to guide them on their own path, it makes sense that it’s the perfect environment for many children with special needs. Some needs are more visible than others, but we believe that every child has the right to be a valued member of our community. To learn more about how Montessori environments are supportive, check out this video:

Materials Spotlight: The Puzzle Maps

In this second installment of our new materials spotlight series, we celebrate and explain the Montessori puzzle maps. Beautifully and colorfully painted and carefully crafted out of wood, they can be found in both primary and lower elementary classrooms. While they are used differently in the two environments, educators take a developmentally appropriate approach to utilizing this beautiful geography material.

The Material

In a Montessori classroom, one will find a wooden rack that contains a series of puzzle maps. They are arranged intentionally, starting with the top shelf and working downward:

1. The planisphere: two blue circles with removable colored continents

2. A map of the child’s continent: puzzle pieces indicate countries

3. A map of the child’s country: puzzle pieces indicate states or provinces

4. Maps of the other continents of the world: pieces indicating countries

There is typically also a set of control maps, or corresponding laminated paper maps that have the pieces drawn to scale and labeled. Children may use these as reference depending upon the activity.

An Introduction

Of course, we begin with the top map of the world. Previously, the child will have worked with the Montessori globes, so they will have some idea about the world, the continents, and the oceans. Using the three-period lesson format, the guide introduces (or reviews) the names of the continents. The guide will demonstrate how to properly retrieve the puzzle, lay it out on a work mat, remove each piece carefully and replace them while naming them. Some classes may have laminated paper labels the child can lay on top of the pieces while they work.

A critical part of the introductory lesson is showing the child how to properly put the puzzle back together and return it to the correct shelf in the rack. Our guides take great care in making sure lessons are not just about the academic skills, but also about how to respect the materials, ensuring they will be in good working order for the next child.

The Work

Once the child has been given the introductory lesson, they may return to this work whenever they like. As with everything else in the Montessori environment, if the child continues to feel drawn to a material, they are still getting something out of the experience. This may appear overly repetitive to our adult eyes, but it’s important that we suspend those judgments and allow the child to trust their instincts.

Once the child has tired of the world map, they are welcome to proceed downward through the others. Their teacher does not necessarily need to give a lesson for each one (although they may, for various reasons); once a child understands how to use the puzzle maps they are free to explore them all.

During the elementary years, we encourage children to use an atlas alongside them while they work. While control maps are useful and serve their purpose, it’s important that they begin to develop their proficiency with a variety of reference tools. When using an atlas, they often need to refer to the table of contents, find the correct page, and look carefully for labels that don’t correspond exactly with the colors and fonts they are used to seeing on the Montessori control maps. This is just one of the many ways we gently guide children toward being able to find answers for themselves.

Extensions

The puzzle maps are such a popular material among children, that it’s only natural we should offer extension work to create more learning experiences for those who are ready and eager. Just a small sampling of the possibilities:

• Pin punching: In the primary classroom, children may trace continent pieces onto construction paper and use the pin punching tool to perforate each one. They may then adhere them to perforated blue spheres, thereby recreating the map so that they may have a copy to keep.

• Map making: Giving children large pieces of white paper, they may carefully trace, label, and color each individual piece.

• Embark on research projects: Children who have enjoyed and mastered the puzzle maps may then choose to read and write about various continents or countries.

• Continent studies: Some teachers choose one continent each semester to focus on in depth. While the puzzle maps serve as a focal starting point, the study will include exploration of biomes, animals, culture, and more.

What’s Next?

Kids love the puzzle maps, so they often spend years absorbing everything they can from them. Eventually, however, they are ready for more. At some point during the elementary years we introduce the pin maps. These are smaller wooden boards with maps drawn on them, and with three tiny holes drilled into each country: one for the country’s name, flag, and capital city. Corresponding metal pins with labels are available for the child to use as they learn to identify each. Control maps are available for the child’s reference.

As with many other materials, the pin maps are introduced in steps. First, the child will just focus on learning to label each country. Once they have mastered that skill, they will move on to flags, and eventually, the capital cities.

Want to learn more? Interested in observing as children engage with these fascinating geography materials? Let us know!