Montessori Activity: Transferring Rye Grains

Age: From 3 years old

Activity Duration: 5-15 minutes

Preparation Time: 3 minutes

Objective(s):

1. To train the child’s fine motor skills - also pincer grip when picking up spilled rice.
2. To teach the concept of empty and full.

Materials:

1. 1 cup filled with rye grains
2 canister jar
3. 1 spoon
4. 1 Tray

Directions:

1. Demonstrate to your child by pouring rice from the cup on right hand side into the cup on the left hand side.

2. Encourage and let your child try it.

Additional Information:

J (2Y1M5D) tried this activity this morning 10 April 2012, while I was busy preparing his breakfast, but it lasted only 5 minutes, before he started declaring "Mommy, I have finished". And it was not as if he has perfected scooping - there were rye grains spilled on the tray (although he could pour his own milk every morning well without spilling). I would have like him to last longer now at the age of 4. While putting back the tray, he spilled all the grains! That means cleaning!!! Fortunately, the thought of it as another opportunity for practical life activity took away my dread of having to bring the vaccuum cleaner out. I took out the vaccuum cleaner and J and I enjoyed the cleaning up. In fact, he enjoyed using the vaccuum cleaner more than transferring the rye grains.

Boy, it was 2 years ago since I first put out the pouring tray. It brought back fond memories. It has been quite some time since I did practical life activities with J, as I was busy compiling Maths lesson plan and doing them with J. Yesterday, I tried this with more interesting items so that it is not an "old" activity.

I am kinda paranoid. When I am doing academic activities with J such as Maths, writing, etc. I worry that I am too academic-focused, and not giving him a good grounding in practical life skills (one which I did not have growing up in academic-focused Singapore).

When I focus on practical life skills, I worry about not being rigorous enough with the academic pursuit to give him a good head start. Arrrhhhhh.... I am a very insecure mom, be it with child's education or parenting.

A friend of mine told me that perhaps it is too young to start writing practice with J. Sometimes, he is not holding his pencil perfectly correct. At times, he is leaning his head a little too down when writing. It is important to have correct pencil holding when a child is young, my friend told me, which I agree. And posture is very important too. J is leaning towards the worksheet too much, my friend told me.

In times like this, it is comforting to run to Daddy for a second opinion, who is usually more objective and less of a worrier than Mommy. So I asked him every now and then, "Am I pressuring J too much? Am I killing his joy for learning? Am I doing the right thing with these activities to train his concentration and ability to complete a task? etc. etc." Daddy assured me that J seems to be loving his homework, and willing to do it, and that I am not pressuring J at all with the academic work that I am doing. Of course, I tend to see the places he needs to improve - for example, I think he should be more focused and last longer in an activity. Of course, he is still quite a typical boy, compared to girls his age, Daddy reminded me. And I trust Daddy's judgment more than anyone else.

Anyway, I am bringing back practical life activities, and going at a more relaxed pace with the academic (if I can help it)... I don't want to take away J's childhood at such a young age.

Encouraging Good Behaviour in Children with Marble For A Cause Jar

Idea adapted from the book On Becoming Pre-Schoolwise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

Age: From 5 years old

Objectives:
1. To encourage and celebrate good behaviour of children and promote harmony at home

2. To teach Fruit of the Spirt - Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, failthfulness, gentleness and self-control - in a fun way

Materials:

- 1 jar
- 1 bag of marbles enough to fill the jar

- some stickers and a ribbon to decorate the jar

- Label for the jar with words "Marble For A Good Cause"
- A Fruit of the Spirit chart to define what each of the Fruit of the Spirit is in action and to give an example of each of them (not done yet, to be done)

Directions:

1. Whenever anyone catches another family member doing something good, he gets to put a marble into the jar on behalf of the person. 

2. Explain to your child what it means to be "doing something good." According to the authors, Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, the following actions are eligible:

- following through on a task is faithfulness.
- Not crying when a treasured candy is dropped and crushed in a carnival stampede is self-control.
- Playing nicely together for a prolonged period of time brings much-treasured peace.
- Sharing a new birthday present with another onlooker demonstrates love.Explain to your child what it means by "doing something good," e.g.:

For me, here are more examples:

- helping someone cross the road
- if you see someone falls down, helping the person up
- showing honesty, i.e. returning the change to the cashier, who gives you more change
- being kind to someone who is new in the class, outing or group
- talking with someone new, making he/she feels at home
- saying thank you sincerely and warmly to someone who does something nice for you
- showing someone consideration, even though you know that it is actually your turn
- comforting a child who is crying without being prompted
- cheering someone's day up
- showing appreciation for someone without prompting
- your child washing dishes without prompting
- cleaning up mess without prompting

3. Explain to your child too what is considered as ordinary chores and not under the category of "doing something good," e.g.:

- mommy washing dishes without being asked (our Little FECS wanted to put a marble into the jar, because I wash the dishes. If this is considered, than the jar will be full in no time!)

- Our Little FECS washing the dishes only when asked

4. When the jar is full, the family chooses something fun or special to do together, e.g.:

- going to a theme park i.e. Tivoli, Legoland,
- going to a cafe for a tea time or a special treat,
- going out for a special meal together e.g. hotpot at fattycow.dk
- going to a movie together,
- sharing a big ice-cream together,
- boat ride,
- horse-riding, 
- going for a trip in a caravan, etc.

5. To avoid over dependency on rewards, some ground rules could be established as follows:

No one gets to put a marble into the jar, because he has done something good (I broke this rule). Someone else has to notice another's goodness. It allows opportunity during dinner for family members to share the good things other family members have done. When mom and dad agree that the thing mentioned is worthy of a marble, then the child gets to put it in the jar.

6. There must not be complaining if a child's good deed goes unnoticed to teach that sometimes life would be unfair. But we should be willing to do good things, not for the praise of another man, but simply because it is the right thing to do.

7. It is good to have a journal book to jot down the good thing each marble was dropped into the jar. Otherwise, it is easy to forget by dinner time.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Information:

I am now on a mission to encourage my ADHD nephew JN, to give him a hope and a future that truly ADHD could be controlled and to get him on a good start and on the right course. But we had challenges between the brothers, R and JN, as they were very rude to each other this morning. JN meant well, but talked to R very harshly, such as: "GO AWAY", when R kept coming to disturb us, when we were re-organizing the study room to make it more conducive for ADHD children. Then R got angry and they started to fight!!! Oh dear, that was tough for me! I taught JN that he should stood down to R's level, looked R's in the eye and say "R, we are very busy right now, and thus we cannot have you here. Would you mind going out of the room please? When we are done, we would love to have you back with us" He tried.

By this evening, positive things happened that was a great encouragement to me. JN accidentally broke the lego model truck that R built. JN said sorry immediately. And R said that it was ok. As it was during dinner, I asked R to serve the Danish salmon sandwich (which I had prepared) on a plate to JN and he did. And JN said thank you. They had managed to be kind to each other.

I had in mind to introduce the Marbles for a Cause Jar, whereby if one member in the family did something praise worthy or kind, and someone spotted it, that person could put a marble in the jar. When the jar is full, the kids all get to get a special treat. Amazingly, I managed to find a cute jar this morning while cleaning up. A short walk in the neighbourhood that JN led us to the marbles easily, and I purchased them. And I could use the above incident as an example to explain our game to them. I put 4 marbles into the jar for the good actions by R and JN. Thank God for His help and faithfulness with all the challenges here. I have succeeded today and had a productive day, which I know it could not have happened without God's faithfully watching over us.

13.2.2012 Update

Today, the children all get to put in a marble each, for completing their homework, for getting the spelling test all correct (Cherilyn) and for JN, my ADHD nephew, I thought he deserved to put in 2 marbles instead, as he did the past year English exam paper without too much nagging and actually had completed more questions than I had expected him to do so, although I did not tell him that. That, in itself, was a major achievement and a giant step progress. It gave me great encouragement for deciding to make this trip here. My heart is filled with praise and thanksgiving for yet another answered prayer on my third day here. It brought great encouragement to me. Indeed, my labour has not been in vain.


References:
On Becoming Pre-Schoolwise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

Montessori Activity: Sorting Fruits & Vegetables by Colour

Age: From 1.5 year old

Activity Duration: 5 - 15 minutes

Materials:
1. Some toys fruits and vegetables of different colours - red, orange, yellow and green.
2. 1 tong or ladle
3. 4 glass jars
4. 1 tray

Directions:
1. Demonstrate by sorting a fruit or two according to colours, naming the colour of the fruit/vegetable as you go along.

2. Encourage your child to try.

Additional Information:
Perhaps the developmental window period of sorting is over now for J since he was 1.5 year old, when he loved sorting. J had long lost interest with sorting activities. But I was busy and did not have the time to prepare other Montessori activities. To my surprise, he was very happy with this activity and repeated it within a day or two, which never happened with sorting activities now. I think it was because he loves pretend play-kitchen and food!

Prayer Jar for Children

Age: From 2.5 years old

Objective(s): To teach the child how to pray in a fun way

Materials:
1. Empty cleaned jam, nut butter or baby food jars with lid
2. Clipart with a child prayer printed with the words “I Can Pray”
3. Fun stickers such as stars, etc.
4. Pictures of prayer items or 4 small pieces of paper for the child to draw
5. Crayons/pencils
6. A ribbon

Directions:
1. Give each child a jar and tie the ribbon around the neck of the jar.

2. Help him put one of the provided “I Can Pray” clipart labels on it. They can also use other stickers to decorate their jar.

3. Print out pictures as prayer items such as mommy, daddy, grannny, granddad, your church, your country, people who are sick, the poor, a good sleep, etc.

4. Let your child choose approx. 3 pictures of the prayer items he would like to pray for and ask him to put them into the jar.

5. Each morning or evening during bed time prayer, take out each of the picture from the jar and pray together with your child.

6. Suggest that your child to try and pray by telling him that praying is like talking to God.

* If your child is old enough to draw, give him pieces of paper for him to draw the things he would like to pray for and ask him to put his drawings into the prayer jar.

You can also let your child put out the labels and glue it onto the jar.

Tips:
If you print two sets of prayer item pictures, you can use it for a matching game. Turn all the picture face down, and ask the children to each take turn to turn two pictures randomly. If the two pictures match, he gets to keep the pictures. The child with the most set of pictures win.

Additional Information:
This is one of the ways you can make teaching the lesson about prayer fun for children.

I wonder whether Joshua really understands the concept of prayer jars, but some evenings during bedtime, Joshua would ask me to bring the jar to his bed, and say to me that he wanted to pray for some items from the prayer jar. However, he would take out all the items in the jar!!! Well, now I try to limit him to take out at most 4-5 items from the jar, as otherwise, the bed time routine would drag until the morning! We would pray and then he would request me to put all the items back into the jar.