Why Montessori Matters

http://radicalmontessori.blogspot.com/?spref=fb

Happy kids learning with materials!

 Squaring: one successive square to the next.

 Detective Triangle Game!

 Noun Sorting.

 Addition Working Chart.

 Small Constructive Triangle and Hexagon Box.

Bead Bar layout: multiplication of 4.

Hard at work!

Stamp Game also works for division, and the blank multiplication working chart challenges you to put "answers first."

Stamp Game

Stamp Multiplication.  Can you figure out what the problem is from the layout?  Hint - multiplication is how many times we "take" a number...

The Timeline of Measurement



The Timeline of Measurement provides the cultural context for the study of measurement systems. How did measurement systems begin? Why did they change through time? What is the difference between the customary system and the decimal system? And, of course, we now know that "King Henry Doesn't (USUALLY) Drink Chocolate Milk!"

Number concepts

New students get a solid, concrete foundation of number concepts.

The Peg Board

Older students get a concrete introduction to multiples and factors before we introduce how to use them for LCM and GCF. Students love the "race" of the multiples...who will "win"?

1st grader and 3rd grader

The bead chains allow for a concrete representation of skip counting, squaring, and eventually, cubing. The bead frame allows for a complete understanding of "magic zeros." Are you really just "adding" or "moving" the zero when multiplying by a base ten? Montessori students know the answer and the reason!

Some fun with the beads!

Montessori students walk away with a solid mathematical foundation and, more importantly, a lifelong love of math and learning!

7 Triangles of Reality!

After several separate lessons on lines and angles, we used discovery-learning to find the 7 Triangles of Reality.  The kids used the Geometric Stick Box to see if they could create our grid of angles and lines.  Is a right, scalene triangle possible? Yes! How about an obtuse equilateral? No! Our "Presentation of the Stars" helped provide the cultural context of angle measurement as a degree = a day on the path of a star...

Angles,angles and more angles!

In today's session, students were introduced to the concepts of whole, straight and right angles. A concrete representation of the angles with the sticks from our geometric stick box allowed us to manipulate the size of the angles with our hands. We also explored the concepts of acute and obtuse angles with the sticks and used our measuring angle to see if the angle was bigger or smaller than our right-angled "measurer." Later, we learned how the Montessori protractor puts the measurement of angles into historical perspective with the story of the ancient Babylonians' study of the stars! More importantly, the kids love our "Presentation of the Stars" impressionistic story.

An Innovative Approach to Education

Sir Ken Robinson is an author, speaker and international advisor on education in the arts to government, non-profits, education and arts bodies. He was Director of The Arts in Schools Project, Professor of Arts Education at the University of Warwick,and was knighted in 2003 for services to education.

This quick 10 minute video illustrates the fundamental flaw in our current system of education.  My innovative approach to education is one possible remedy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

The Bank Game!

The Big Bank Game is an engaging, challenging material for practicing multiplication facts, place value and oral reading of large numbers.

Test Tube Division

Test Tube Division makes group and shared division both understandable and fun!

More decanomial...

Michael building the decanomial. A great way to learn our multiplication facts!