A few of the activities we've been working on...

Mixing colors with transparent blocks on the light table

Matching textures

Working on a sensorial activity- Knobbed Cylinders

Completing activities during our "work" time

Winter Classes

 All of our classes are held at our location, 2110 East Harbor Road, Port Clinton. (Eight houses East of Kroger.) To register please call 419-734-1764. Availability is limited.

         

Mommy/Daddy and Me- Six week series of sensory play for toddlers. We will use the activity table to explore a range of manipulative materials. Be prepared to get a little messy! Once the little ones are finished exploring our materials there will be bouncy animals, a mini trampoline, and ball pit for more active play! Open to children ages 12-24 months with Mom/Dad. $10 a class or $50 for the 6 week series if paid in advance.
        Mondays- 6:30-7:15pm January 15- February 19, 2013

Preschool Art Class- Six week series of art classes uses unconventional art materials. We will do individual projects as well as some collaborative work. Open to children ages 18 months-5 years with Mom/Dad. $10 a class or $50 for the 6 week series if paid in advance.
        Session A: (Ages 3-5 years) Tuesdays- 6:45pm-7:30pm- January 15- February 19, 2013
        Session B: (Ages 18-36 months) Thursdays- 6:30pm-7:15pm- January 17- February 21, 2013

Creative Classes for Kids

East Harbor Montessori is offering new opportunities for fun and learning this fall for children ages 1-7.  The classes will be held for six week sessions beginning in early October. A "Mommy/Daddy and Me" class will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 at their Port Clinton location beginning October 2. The class will engage 12-24 month olds in messy  sensory play with mom/dad and each other. Beginning October 11, "Art Class for Preschoolers" will be held on Thursdays from 6:30-7:30p. Children will use unique art materials to exercise their creativity with mom or dad close by. Each of these classes are $10/week unless paid in advance at a discounted rate of $50 for the six week session. Availability is limited; advanced registration is recommended.

In addition to the classes, EHM will be holding "Sunday Adventure Play" on the second Sunday of each month. Children ages 3-7 areinvited to drop by from 1-3 pm for creative, imaginative, and physical play using reused, recycled, and natural materials. To register for classes, call 419-734-1764. East Harbor Montessori offers Preschool with Extended Care and is located at 2110 East Harbor Road, eight houses East of Kroger. Their next monthly Open House will be held on Sunday, September 30 from 3-6pm.

Grand Opening Open House

 Sunday, August 26, 2012  3:00-6:00pm

A child's finger traces letters made of sandpaper while pronouncing its sound. Tiny wooden containers are carefully shook by a child who listens intently for matching sounds. A small glass pitcher is used to pour water into six small glasses as a banana is cut into circular pieces for snack. These are just a few of the daily activities children will be completing this fall at East Harbor Montessori.

The preschool with extended care opens its doors on September 4 to children ages 3 to 5. As with traditional preschools, children will learn the basics of reading, writing, and math but children will also be engaged in practical life tasks and activities designed to refine their five senses. The preschool also stands apart in that each day children are given the freedom to choose the activities they complete. Once an activity is introduced to the class through a clear demonstration then the activity is added to the classroom shelves from which children choose their work each day.

"During the work period I carefully observe the children as they complete their individual work. I have to be careful not to interrupt a child's concentration as they go about the activities but offer guidance when it is needed," says Melissa Bayer, teacher at the new preschool. "Our very small class size will allow me to observe each student and tailor our activities to meet their particular interests."

While the mornings will be dedicated to Montessori activities, afternoons will be spent outdoors. "Children can learn so much about nature and cooperating with others through free play outside," says Bayer. "Our backyard is full of plants, insects, and animals to observe. We also have a number of stations throughout the backyard such as pot and pan drums and a mud pie kitchen to give the children opportunities for creative play together."

 To celebrate their grand opening East Harbor Montessori will be holding an open house on Sunday, August 26 from 3 to 6 pm at their location, 2110 East Harbor Road, Port Clinton.

Family Fun Fair Activity

On April 28 from 11am to 1pm we will be at the Port Clinton Family Fun Fair held at Port Clinton High School. At our table we will have a few Montessori activities from our classroom to try out and will be giving everyone who stops by our table the activity below made mostly from reused household materials.

There are a variety of ways that your child can complete this activity. First, put the balls in a small basket or bowl and set it next to the egg carton like you see above. Next, demonstrate to your child by completing the activity and then returning the balls to their basket or bowl in one of the following ways. If your child is still very young, keep the activity simple by picking up each ball with your fingers and placing them in the same colored area of the egg carton, one by one. For children who are a bit older and have a stronger pincer grasp, you can use tweezers to move the balls. Another variation is to use a small spoon. Whatever method you choose, make sure that you try the activity yourself before demonstrating it to your child to make sure it is not too difficult.

This a pretty simple activity but it may surprise you how much your child enjoys it. Then again, they may not be into it right now, but if you put it on a tray and stick it on a shelf within their reach your child may decide to complete it in their own time. Chances are they will remember your demonstration and you may find them quietly transferring balls sometime soon. There are lots of Montessori activities like this that can be homemade from recycled activities. Just do some internet surfing and you should find loads of creative ideas!

Ensuring Success

 Most of our activities have a built in control for error so that the children are able to know if they completed the activity correctly. This is important in a Montessori classroom because it supports the independence of the students as they complete their individual work time.

 

Here is an example of an activity with a control for error. This is a math activity where the children put the appropriate number of pom-poms in each basket. The colors of the paper in the baskets and making available only the exact number of pom-poms for each color serve as two controls for error.

The Three Part Lesson

In our classroom, we use the three part lesson when a new activity is being introduced. The first part of the lesson consists of showing the child what something is. For example, using this activity tray  I  would say "This is the sphere," while holding the sphere. I would then pass the child the object and say "Can you say sphere?" The child would say "Sphere," and then pass the object back to me. Then we would do the same things with the cone and the cube. The second part of the lesson is to ask the child to point to each of the objects as you name them. For example,  "Can you point to the cone?" After the child has pointed to each of the objects I have named, I proceed to the third part of the lesson, which is asking the child to name each object as I point to it saying "Can you tell me the name of this object?"

When all three parts have been completed the activity can be returned to the shelf. The next day I may bring the tray out again but start the lesson with part two as the child will probably recognize the names of the objects from the previous day's lesson. A few days after that I may begin the lesson at step three. When it is clear that the child knows the lesson well then I will remove the activity and later incorporate the items into a new activity. In this example, the next activity could be learning the difference between a circle and a sphere or later learning about the area and dimensions of the objects.

For some activities the three part lesson may not be appropriate but instead a clear step by step  demonstration is needed.  When demonstrating, I am careful to do the activity slowly and to use care when carrying activity trays from the shelves to the table by using both hands. Often, the children may not complete the activity exactly as I demonstrated but instead make their own modifications. This is fine as they are probably changing the activity to more accurately suit their learning needs at that moment.