Classroom wall colour
Having recently spent some time observing children aged 3 to 5 years in a Montessori Environment I feel re-energised, enthused and delighted these children are spending time in such a happy Early Years...
View ArticleConfessions
Okay I’ll admit it, I have a problem but it’s one I think many Early Years Practitioners share; STORAGE. Over the years I’ve worked with various age groups, created materials, discovered books ‘I...
View ArticleHow the curry became a chilli
Yesterday whilst preparing dinner for my family I reached into the press to get the curry powder but found my hand didn’t connect with the shape I expected. So I opened the press fully, looked in...
View ArticleTime to Watch & Learn
So now as the academic year draws to a close it’s time to reassess what worked and what didn’t work for you and your setting. Take the time to step back and observe the children. Some of them will be...
View ArticleHow to…..Curriculum
Let’s talk about curriculum. If you’re lucky you would have gotten some idea of how to create and implement a curriculum while you were in college but even so creating it from scratch and using it...
View ArticleTypical Day
Our settings are child centred, we prepare our environments to engage children and help their natural development. We follow the child, we let their needs dictate WHAT, WHEN and HOW we do stuff but we...
View ArticleTrying and Failing – Importance of challenge
Courage may not at first be an obvious trait associated with children but if you look you’ll see it everyday in your setting. As teachers part of our duty is to prepare the environment for a new day...
View ArticleUnder New Management
What happens when you take over an existing service? What do you need to consider? These were some of the questions one of our readers asked us to answer recently. The following are some helpful tips...
View ArticleSummer Audit
Summer is here and it’s time to audit your materials, throw out the unsalvageable, repair & create new learning opportunities. Luckily there are many people in the same boat as you so...
View ArticleIdeas to help you restock your shelves
We’re always on the look out for good pictures we can use to create materials and the following links won’t disappoint. In the autumn many of you will start with the Solar System and here’s how to...
View ArticleAugust 2012 Newsletter
From a Dull, Wet Summer to the Excitement of the New School Year So we’re heading towards a new school year! I hope you feel refreshed and ready to welcome your pupils back to class. For some of you...
View ArticleCutting
When I want to cut something I go to a drawer and pull out the scissors, cut what I need to cut and place the scissors back where I got it. I’ve used the scissors so many times in my life that the...
View ArticleIt’s a Mystery….
One of the things we enjoy doing most is visiting Early Years settings and talking with the people who work there. We learn so much from these visits and only see them as a positive experience but we...
View ArticleHow to make a box
So you’ve made your beautiful materials and are hunting high and low for a suitable box to house them and display on your shelf. You search through old Christmas present boxes…those who know you well...
View ArticleSnowman display
Sonia created a snowman display in her classroom and has kindly allowed us to share it. The template for the individual snowman pieces can be found on First Grade Fantabulous’ Blog and will cost you...
View ArticleChristmas Elves – Sonia Cole
Sonia has been really busy making seasonal decorations to adorn her setting. The elf door display pictured below was drawn freehand! And if you’re lucky enough to possess an artistic trait Sonia has...
View ArticleA Week of Sensorial Exploration – David King
This week in class we embarked on some Sensorial Exploration. (Warning if you are against combining materials or ‘playing’ with the materials you may want to look away now) The Pink Tower and the Broad...
View ArticleThrough the Looking Glass; the other side of being a Montessori Teacher –...
When you are training to be a Montessori teacher you become lost in a sea of new terms, ‘the absorbent mind’, ‘normalisation’, ‘freedom and discipline’, to name just a few. Add to that the pressure of...
View ArticleCan you help?
We’d like to compile a short article for people who are looking for a Montessori school to send their child to but as they may not have gone to a Montessori school themselves won’t know what they...
View ArticleBeans and Chips Part 1 – David King
The theoretical importance of animals in children’s lives has been well documented so there is no real need for me to discuss it here. Many of us are aware of the positive and calming effects animals...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....