tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317249532024-02-27T22:11:16.287-08:00Montessori at HomeA pictoral and written log of a Homeschooling Mother using the Montessori Method.HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-36459608777845998982011-03-18T21:35:00.000-07:002011-03-18T21:35:38.019-07:00Zoology & TaxonomyAh, science. Of all subjects it was my weakest in high school: chemistry specifically. I did alright in biology, mostly because my best friend and I were in the same class and studies together. If you listened closely during tests and exams you might have heard us humming softly. We found that the best way to remember the facts was to make up silly songs. If only I had begun learning science the Montessori way! Here is a sample lesson, one that can be repeated indefinitely without growing tedious.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESViA6Q_Mb18qqLG9WM0QbYO-TIS1aSw3QqFmBfMusiUGXSxfY7n5y_d-E-1XkZhkajXcfGWq_avZkVe5vgjuXFOL0DqnYvehMZl5wgsE33NlPCVASeTEf_I3RKXnFSh9eTQVnQ/s1600/DSC00604.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESViA6Q_Mb18qqLG9WM0QbYO-TIS1aSw3QqFmBfMusiUGXSxfY7n5y_d-E-1XkZhkajXcfGWq_avZkVe5vgjuXFOL0DqnYvehMZl5wgsE33NlPCVASeTEf_I3RKXnFSh9eTQVnQ/s400/DSC00604.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Above you can see the (almost) completed lesson in zoology/taxonomy. I use it as a launching board to talk about all different kinds of plants and animals, but mostly animals. We begin with the most basic of categories: living and non-living. Ella sets out two pieces of paper, one labeled "Living" and one labeled "Non-Living."</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAnOKAFEGYr4O_e5mmj-GnKtm7AZ7GvIWVYmCvJvSUifZQnJWGtw-Ti3HTirrBX-UFweOeVwJ5O4UPQym6lfKKr1cKvQb1xdOjmWYmQzSYRICXc-qvszpaZbah5uko8ms9NNng/s1600/DSC00582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAnOKAFEGYr4O_e5mmj-GnKtm7AZ7GvIWVYmCvJvSUifZQnJWGtw-Ti3HTirrBX-UFweOeVwJ5O4UPQym6lfKKr1cKvQb1xdOjmWYmQzSYRICXc-qvszpaZbah5uko8ms9NNng/s400/DSC00582.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><br />
I've made up many cards (just using Microsoft Word, eight cards to an 8 1/2 x 11 page), the vast majority of them animals, for Ella to sort. I've mixed them all up and divided them into small groups so she can grab a pile and sort through those that day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ff_bMTNwJplvogCOaFJkgnD87jqA0lhy4uKjbP1Y7EQlq9RZ9PjCCdkj8mxbd55L8TmX06XOuClBjqwpgNxlNj3-BSPi858Pix8_wHigpZUGkITA7m2jEevvRIG1clHPNk8C8A/s1600/DSC00585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ff_bMTNwJplvogCOaFJkgnD87jqA0lhy4uKjbP1Y7EQlq9RZ9PjCCdkj8mxbd55L8TmX06XOuClBjqwpgNxlNj3-BSPi858Pix8_wHigpZUGkITA7m2jEevvRIG1clHPNk8C8A/s400/DSC00585.JPG" width="285" /></a></div><br />
Choosing items for non-living was very interesting. Most things I chose were no-brainers, i.e. they are <i>obviously</i> non-living, but there were a few that were more challenging. Fire is an excellent one as it has many characteristics of living things (can grow, can move, needs air, needs "food", leaves waste, etc.) and there are a few others that can catch one unawares. Above you can see that included in this pile are lightening, stalactites, rocks, and a compact disc. There was no doubt that the rocks and compact disc were non-living, but lightening has some similarities to living things as do stalactites. It took quite a while for her to decide where to put the stalactites because in an earlier stack she had coral, which appears to be like a rock, but is actually living. The sneaky ones are the most fun and they help reinforce the difference between the living and non-living. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlY32s2L9oe-MH4MUgP5_D_ACeYexbr72x2qPs9SIzdnfX9asVLZ0uyjDLXgb_YITSvm4_F7PTk8JSaf6xBb5u4fGDXL1dUXvHAsQSx_1Qs7VnDFDrNHsqjhLJfci9l99Fukn4Gg/s1600/DSC00586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlY32s2L9oe-MH4MUgP5_D_ACeYexbr72x2qPs9SIzdnfX9asVLZ0uyjDLXgb_YITSvm4_F7PTk8JSaf6xBb5u4fGDXL1dUXvHAsQSx_1Qs7VnDFDrNHsqjhLJfci9l99Fukn4Gg/s400/DSC00586.JPG" width="250" /></a></div><br />
I scoured the internet for the pictures I used for each card. While I tried to focus on variety, keeping in mind that the majority of cards would have to be vertebrates, I did make an effort to put in plenty of animals that are native to our area, such as the ruffed grouse (bottom left), which is a popular game bird in New Brunswick.<br />
<br />
After separating living from non-living we take our pile of living and divide them up between "Plants" and "Animals." Yes, I know that there are more categories of living things than just those two, but as they are the most common and encompass almost every living thing with which a child is familiar we focus on them. Fungus, protozoa, bacterium, etc. can come later.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka8SHwOzatJwH5AOQFHNuthlzBj8YWyDLFXhWh6099-MvnGCvCv01a_6Yh61XNrwOxvsqyzg0Z3hCsTm5Qw1sinD7H7NRlW95RoYlKBFsV7XU1NuxJ2wKPQnyhC4Asxg5w32egA/s1600/DSC00588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka8SHwOzatJwH5AOQFHNuthlzBj8YWyDLFXhWh6099-MvnGCvCv01a_6Yh61XNrwOxvsqyzg0Z3hCsTm5Qw1sinD7H7NRlW95RoYlKBFsV7XU1NuxJ2wKPQnyhC4Asxg5w32egA/s400/DSC00588.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><br />
Most of this sorting Ella found very easy, but I tried to keep her on her toes. The Venus flytrap, being carnivorous, gave her a moment's pause. And she was convinced for a long time that coral must be a plant, which I grant you, is not an illogical conclusion!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkXPQEwBOs5qgEsRXs5rz2W-Q31gE0aVpDDpDJ_E44boUweTNoVCX-Bu4Cpa83lk8aJk0mbX26wM-ybGGXi_vC9KhYDS4Ptz250d8mZFtFOF2HGHtItQ3aZXMzjxRGcjVAw_8uw/s1600/DSC00589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkXPQEwBOs5qgEsRXs5rz2W-Q31gE0aVpDDpDJ_E44boUweTNoVCX-Bu4Cpa83lk8aJk0mbX26wM-ybGGXi_vC9KhYDS4Ptz250d8mZFtFOF2HGHtItQ3aZXMzjxRGcjVAw_8uw/s400/DSC00589.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><br />
This particular pile of cards only had three samples of plants. Our discussion of the tree trunk was interesting as the tree itself was dead, and therefore neither living or non-living, but it was covered in moss (which was my target species) and the moss was clearly alive. Ella decided that rather than having just two initial categories there should be three: living, non-living, and formerly-living/dead. After all, wood was once a tree, and the radishes can't really be living if they've been pulled up out of the ground, chopped up, and pickled! Smart girl.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3CbSpHxEwOoyy1XP6g_5FmgKrt2DQA_kQIU8QQ5tjEDy-1Zja2wRCz6KPkAWhIRljx0_-9hr6EYztdNg1AuAKQISAjBVgyFat6dsko4QWGhFa7cbPBMD8lCdBHHDRvNSUkLbig/s1600/DSC00590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3CbSpHxEwOoyy1XP6g_5FmgKrt2DQA_kQIU8QQ5tjEDy-1Zja2wRCz6KPkAWhIRljx0_-9hr6EYztdNg1AuAKQISAjBVgyFat6dsko4QWGhFa7cbPBMD8lCdBHHDRvNSUkLbig/s400/DSC00590.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After the plant/animal division, we take the animal cards and divide them between vertebrates and invertebrates.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjgmQJPx44oedsCPNpq5ts0yHQHwFhD7rTOx9ktwGgtxs-K3MhSTg_k4yv8lNl2BLFY5-ZxZ4JBURiF-1qC2ax4NwyNLqqkAfRt9gAt60IJp6EU2oWCxlh5TuMGZ9Al7nVCwpVQ/s1600/DSC00591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjgmQJPx44oedsCPNpq5ts0yHQHwFhD7rTOx9ktwGgtxs-K3MhSTg_k4yv8lNl2BLFY5-ZxZ4JBURiF-1qC2ax4NwyNLqqkAfRt9gAt60IJp6EU2oWCxlh5TuMGZ9Al7nVCwpVQ/s400/DSC00591.JPG" width="272" /></a></div><br />
Categorizing animals this way is a bit more challenging. Because you can't actually see the backbone or spine in a vertebrate you have to think through how an animal moves, how it lives, and what its surface feels like. Ella is just beginning to remember consistently to look for segmentation of the animals' bodies, hard exteriors such as shells (an exoskeleton), and over-all "smooshiness" (that the body is completely smooshy or soft, indicating that there are no bones). <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh264Y9_5xdeQnwuqrlrPjAJcIdFKxUx2OcQWaOKidUvuJ1-KMUOek0ndBWX31OklhmsBen4kERibr-V50t8ZCj7XS71pt-jOUlcE7kmMm-uoW4fl9R_qiIgr5usR-YHWIcns9sug/s1600/DSC00592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh264Y9_5xdeQnwuqrlrPjAJcIdFKxUx2OcQWaOKidUvuJ1-KMUOek0ndBWX31OklhmsBen4kERibr-V50t8ZCj7XS71pt-jOUlcE7kmMm-uoW4fl9R_qiIgr5usR-YHWIcns9sug/s400/DSC00592.JPG" width="273" /></a></div><br />
Again, putting in tricky cards gives the opportunity to discuss the "why is it this one and not that one?" question. Above I included a sea horse. Ella concluded initially that it was an invertebrate because it appears to have an exoskeleton, even though it is a fish, though like catfish sea horses do not have scales. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_nMLGyP0n1n3At10gEgMDK0qlra5qgHgfFkIwJBBAxUFul53Z4NFZ9FIk-6jblJUby_n1WyFYDK0Qi9otK5wwzQjFvGCpGIHIllpX86W5PhRzdxKge0TAQ1-dJcikodryH6xvA/s1600/DSC00593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_nMLGyP0n1n3At10gEgMDK0qlra5qgHgfFkIwJBBAxUFul53Z4NFZ9FIk-6jblJUby_n1WyFYDK0Qi9otK5wwzQjFvGCpGIHIllpX86W5PhRzdxKge0TAQ1-dJcikodryH6xvA/s400/DSC00593.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Following the organization of the vertebrates and invertebrates we take the pile of vertebrates and then comes the real sorting fun!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XEbYR6MelIRP03wRGxnNBPqEhGrLWTbM0F1mLhJ26tRvVgTS4pZ5YI_PfYxzzUU2VLytLH01AI6Amx3Pk1SUxS3lkpn6q0c1vimtDsb2mvaXWEgrkEOkB3_fNgYen4c5mylRiA/s1600/DSC00595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XEbYR6MelIRP03wRGxnNBPqEhGrLWTbM0F1mLhJ26tRvVgTS4pZ5YI_PfYxzzUU2VLytLH01AI6Amx3Pk1SUxS3lkpn6q0c1vimtDsb2mvaXWEgrkEOkB3_fNgYen4c5mylRiA/s400/DSC00595.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
With five categories to chose from there's a lot more room for error. Each animal has to be evaluated in several different ways: what kind of "skin" it has and/or if it has a skin covering (hair, fur, feathers), whether it gives birth to babies or lays eggs, if it lays eggs whether it lays them on land or in water, if the offspring look like miniatures of the parents or if they have another form entirely, if it has a mouth or a beak/bill, how it breathes, where it lives, if it is warm or cold blooded, and how it feeds its babies. There are hosts of conversations to be had as we work through these cards, and I frequently find that Ella and I end up laughing, especially at odd animal behaviour or appearance.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUH_IRoDGSiyZEM6332zHlSh-iTRQI2i72R8dj4WZh1wW_fvAC0wrhP_WAFscad43T_b6ek9nkEY60SKowsFSTfRzNHVSKgSeky5mTpulgqYsoEcVIIw8ZIlHm56s1nkTYDra1g/s1600/DSC00596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUH_IRoDGSiyZEM6332zHlSh-iTRQI2i72R8dj4WZh1wW_fvAC0wrhP_WAFscad43T_b6ek9nkEY60SKowsFSTfRzNHVSKgSeky5mTpulgqYsoEcVIIw8ZIlHm56s1nkTYDra1g/s400/DSC00596.JPG" width="278" /></a></div><br />
Amphibians. They have slimy skin, live in or near water, are cold-blooded, lay eggs in water, have babies that look nothing like themselves and whom they completely ignore, and usually can breathe right through their skin. Their appearances have little variation: frogs and toads look similar as do salamanders and newts. To give a bit more variety I've tried to include pictures of amphibians at various stages of development.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pZXUNbLa4qGtnJeIvoVF2dcHlM04lbhBLtIUKuXUCEw8EJo7LXQaSMOusR8vx7W_ybqubbXk4qt34EoP95y10oIDPrXFJYRPwmzOVyG4GcH-LbV9D86v5xu3q3IlGjkY2v90vQ/s1600/DSC00599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pZXUNbLa4qGtnJeIvoVF2dcHlM04lbhBLtIUKuXUCEw8EJo7LXQaSMOusR8vx7W_ybqubbXk4qt34EoP95y10oIDPrXFJYRPwmzOVyG4GcH-LbV9D86v5xu3q3IlGjkY2v90vQ/s400/DSC00599.JPG" width="258" /></a></div><br />
Mammals.* We are warm-blooded, have fur or hair, live all over, breathe air with lungs, give birth to babies that look similar to the parents (usually!), and feed our offspring with milk from our own bodies. Isn't it great to be a mammal? There are quite a few unusual mammals, like whales, manatees, platypuses, etc. It can be fun to emphasize the similarities between humans and other mammals, as well as the differences. Thank God for opposable thumbs! Plus, as a nursing Mum, it's interesting to discuss how other species nurse. In the case of whales, Ella would not believe me that they were mammals until I found a video of a beluga whale giving birth and nursing her baby! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2fQEDRC2nIerNS7qX8lnmKp4TY4ZYJjwM1LYhyebM5tnZv_jvqisXM7F_8hw_G92IubztWpcS9g_fjbxGrxvHRFmQmIb4JguR2rZ179mp36gNWV4Lq1AfC2_1ZC1zBqdD0JBtQ/s1600/DSC00600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2fQEDRC2nIerNS7qX8lnmKp4TY4ZYJjwM1LYhyebM5tnZv_jvqisXM7F_8hw_G92IubztWpcS9g_fjbxGrxvHRFmQmIb4JguR2rZ179mp36gNWV4Lq1AfC2_1ZC1zBqdD0JBtQ/s400/DSC00600.JPG" width="272" /></a></div><br />
Fish. They live in water, are cold-blooded, and breathe through gills. Some species give birth to live young, but most lay eggs. The level of parental involvement is usually low to nonexistent. Although there are three different classes of fish, for the young child and early elementary student so many details can be confusing, so I lumped all the fish together. When (or if) I ever have time to set up an aquarium again we will certainly get into closer examination of fish classes. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOVhtNnmlisTfynYLQi8nTeLM6mfcm_sqJgBN_EpfQDRr5QpUu6tm8W3oVpVjvBcsac_8pMI4U0xgICV99zafucDhN4WyT9qN7Jl6YGBEyOJ_D1IwY0qa-v0Hhc431hKJuGJt3Q/s1600/DSC00601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOVhtNnmlisTfynYLQi8nTeLM6mfcm_sqJgBN_EpfQDRr5QpUu6tm8W3oVpVjvBcsac_8pMI4U0xgICV99zafucDhN4WyT9qN7Jl6YGBEyOJ_D1IwY0qa-v0Hhc431hKJuGJt3Q/s400/DSC00601.JPG" width="272" /></a></div><br />
Birds. Feathers, beaks, wings, and two legs are the most easily recognizable traits. They are warm-blooded, breathe air with their lungs, lay eggs, and are frequently attentive parents. One of their families (the penguins) are even able to survive in the harshest climate on earth and one of their species (emperor penguins) stay in that climate during its harshest season in order to go to extraordinary lengths for the purposes of mating, bearing, and raising offspring. In my opinion, birds are <i>way</i> cool! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVtYkiZy2B5euHtiTyXEr88cfrl2e5r1_d1vMUoiyfWM0CDWFM9XL2JyxP92V3uxrMDtXKgH8z2mS8aQV5rE-iAfSZZnedrNEd-V0pKvqGEIwM56pPI3MbZ_x8Fko2Rc31OdI4Q/s1600/DSC00602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVtYkiZy2B5euHtiTyXEr88cfrl2e5r1_d1vMUoiyfWM0CDWFM9XL2JyxP92V3uxrMDtXKgH8z2mS8aQV5rE-iAfSZZnedrNEd-V0pKvqGEIwM56pPI3MbZ_x8Fko2Rc31OdI4Q/s400/DSC00602.JPG" width="276" /></a></div><br />
Reptiles. Some like life where it's hot and dry and others would prefer to stay wet all day long. But they all have scales, breathe with their lungs, are cold-blooded, lay eggs on land, and their babies look like miniature adults. They are also very good for frightening grandmothers and mothers when brought in from outside with a cheerful, "Look what I found, Mum!" (Please note: this refers to something my brother did to my mother and grandmother, not something my children did to me. I would not be so chicken-hearted... I hope!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw2dk3rSBGmn5sBr3vB5j5JDB69jjrbb9toBGwpyz7elyNTbElbU5fv3mQ6vgAc0S4n8AL4tmk7F3jrTHDJB1GLYKrOraESoc3q8lmEqRzlrM2_jcS8jl4bh8Bb-EX6kfLEh7Bg/s1600/DSC00607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw2dk3rSBGmn5sBr3vB5j5JDB69jjrbb9toBGwpyz7elyNTbElbU5fv3mQ6vgAc0S4n8AL4tmk7F3jrTHDJB1GLYKrOraESoc3q8lmEqRzlrM2_jcS8jl4bh8Bb-EX6kfLEh7Bg/s400/DSC00607.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After all the sorting has been done, we clip each section together with other cards of the same category, to play with and discuss later. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2vB_9ZNmdkpQAIr9hjJQgA1j6wt_OCf70pxuXKqWaeYD_zY_6wMoX0PwnV6fyGAym9qUM8QCuApvod1cvh_gLEe1-7Vd61TM9hPVuvoPbW2_IfW1ND9I4PK5VfGF5gYO0cHHrw/s1600/DSC00609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2vB_9ZNmdkpQAIr9hjJQgA1j6wt_OCf70pxuXKqWaeYD_zY_6wMoX0PwnV6fyGAym9qUM8QCuApvod1cvh_gLEe1-7Vd61TM9hPVuvoPbW2_IfW1ND9I4PK5VfGF5gYO0cHHrw/s400/DSC00609.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Eli added his own artistic touch to the non-living card! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2wZiFg0TSjVkA2e9UAwO5KMZo-GD9sQQGZnvnhSZE1zG85d5CyFlFx66uTjV3u_eEpeRGgGJo8OTfHan-53hjlL95YZfQr_wqaSo-UJTCjYS242M0ry2U4JInpVwmRJxC0kRNw/s1600/DSC00610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2wZiFg0TSjVkA2e9UAwO5KMZo-GD9sQQGZnvnhSZE1zG85d5CyFlFx66uTjV3u_eEpeRGgGJo8OTfHan-53hjlL95YZfQr_wqaSo-UJTCjYS242M0ry2U4JInpVwmRJxC0kRNw/s400/DSC00610.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
And, as is so often the case with homeschooling Montessori Mums, how to store materials effeciently is of great concern, so here's what I did. I found this tray and this box at the local Dollarama store.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ9IkB2DVoGxoSSnx3VPl-b21MwZBhiMZihFTu2AoMcxegvgrRSwM8B8ed94WeTDzV27VBbij3s-Wt8XkgEU2sSLvSnhlZqDMEIlBOHp8qhaNn1y7ALQsGdbA_IGgWy8E2HTyAg/s1600/DSC00614.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZ9IkB2DVoGxoSSnx3VPl-b21MwZBhiMZihFTu2AoMcxegvgrRSwM8B8ed94WeTDzV27VBbij3s-Wt8XkgEU2sSLvSnhlZqDMEIlBOHp8qhaNn1y7ALQsGdbA_IGgWy8E2HTyAg/s400/DSC00614.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
The tray perfectly fits half of an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper (or cardstock), which is what I used for the category titles, and the small crate is perfect as a card holder!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PQLOwJHgLSxyBaLWr_DNaRgfZnesf2uj3mOhSS08vRccQHaMX0Nc4Ej5E4kzLWs9XrZNgraZVGLyXE_63aQsNDLIcnlwjezHyZvAAXw8vaHmaw0xuhQeMr2dBRX_wXvcZ2clwQ/s1600/DSC00612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PQLOwJHgLSxyBaLWr_DNaRgfZnesf2uj3mOhSS08vRccQHaMX0Nc4Ej5E4kzLWs9XrZNgraZVGLyXE_63aQsNDLIcnlwjezHyZvAAXw8vaHmaw0xuhQeMr2dBRX_wXvcZ2clwQ/s400/DSC00612.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
*Please note: While all the photographs taken above were mine, the pictures in the photographs are not. They were all found online through Google search. The human family in the mammals is unknown to me, but it was the best photo I could find of nude humans that was neither graphic (in the negative sense) nor of poor quality. Since all the other animals were au naturel, I figured it was only fair that the humans were as well. For the record, I think it is a beautiful and tasteful photo... though I don't think I'd be comfortable with my family posing in such a manner, or at least displaying it!HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-32269604719202565552011-03-05T11:48:00.000-08:002011-03-05T11:48:58.102-08:00Addition Table with the Bead Bars<span id="goog_475892188"></span><span id="goog_475892189"></span>Here is a super-simple presentation of an addition table from one to five. It is mainly to work on memorization of basic addition, but it also shows the pattern of sums.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_475892188"></span><span id="goog_475892189"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgvPgSQr3XkY3USnr6cDs7NhkCQ5acEnMKuqrL18ZFfWrqyIM8toyqZxoYhgOaGmjd6AO2AC3yobXhzmSCVSADMJmmQ0MsJc19XkyWbJsuDilAHct1t1zw5zVhyphenhyphendYMfITMLd3VA/s1600/Montessori10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgvPgSQr3XkY3USnr6cDs7NhkCQ5acEnMKuqrL18ZFfWrqyIM8toyqZxoYhgOaGmjd6AO2AC3yobXhzmSCVSADMJmmQ0MsJc19XkyWbJsuDilAHct1t1zw5zVhyphenhyphendYMfITMLd3VA/s320/Montessori10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I printed a 6x6 grid (3x3 grids on four pieces of cardstock, cut and pasted together), though you could easily draw it out on bristol board.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW2cax6ogVvY3KXGQnMWyW57u94nPS6XOd4dU_eTJIinGZczg5arH513kq0_-W7XW-0W_HMbd0ovwWBVUvZNLXG-3HG_du_zws3tBkdD8_cjH-EX6XsUZAMa9qFyfkXqMK0NmMQ/s1600/Montessori11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW2cax6ogVvY3KXGQnMWyW57u94nPS6XOd4dU_eTJIinGZczg5arH513kq0_-W7XW-0W_HMbd0ovwWBVUvZNLXG-3HG_du_zws3tBkdD8_cjH-EX6XsUZAMa9qFyfkXqMK0NmMQ/s320/Montessori11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We left the upper left square blank, representing zero. Then we put in our addends: one through five across the top row and one through five down the first column. I got her started by going across the second row verbally: "One plus one is two." (Then placing the green two bar in the square where the red ones meet.) "One plus two is three." (Place the pink three bar.) "One plus three is four." (Place the yellow four bar.) And so on. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCKq8XGaXhwvGnqOItpPmpNmREUcDogWmY4mBDzHlVhhkU11RjCxAFamXoASb0y5wtvrxKx8UWk6uZFltICvQ8d4U3PJaOAqhSR3pkrBPNkWPqK2RdW4H3aQJast5vwUouhY2VA/s1600/Montessori09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCKq8XGaXhwvGnqOItpPmpNmREUcDogWmY4mBDzHlVhhkU11RjCxAFamXoASb0y5wtvrxKx8UWk6uZFltICvQ8d4U3PJaOAqhSR3pkrBPNkWPqK2RdW4H3aQJast5vwUouhY2VA/s320/Montessori09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span id="goog_475892188"></span><span id="goog_475892189"></span>Ella took over with the bead bars and when I came back I discovered that she had decided that because by six the bead bars were too long to go straight across the squares that she could bend them so they would fit in nicely! She doesn't do that anymore. I showed her (as you can see with the sixes and sevens) that they would fit if put diagonally.<br />
<br />
This lesson can easily be expanded to 10 + 10 by expanding the grid. And let me emphasis the importance of saying aloud each equation. Ella cannot understand why I insist on this, but it does help with memorization and (very important for busy mums) you can hear what your child is doing while doing housework/writing papers/changing diapers/folding laundry or whatever else needs doing!HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-44290254302378568332011-03-04T16:29:00.000-08:002011-03-04T16:30:19.922-08:00Working with Words and the 3-Period-Lesson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Besides doing Montessori I'm also using a few workbooks with Ella which are grade-specific. Usually she enjoys doing them and it means that I can compare what she is able to do with what the public curriculum expects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What she is learning in Montessori I supplement with the workbooks and what she is learning in the workbooks I supplement with Montessori. Here is an example of the latter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The workbooks have been going over nouns and verbs. I have not yet got the material for grammar through Montessori (though I plan to), but I did make up a couple hundred word cards that she could use to make sentences.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jF2dZsObOY1I7gGteFUVnXjEIclX4XCdQR_4vq_fgD6x4qrRh2Ri47vWE0oQe20i0FaZF2Bg0oafC7mBMmJJfqxyisqZ30AGpNh2as4OoV8NRlAjfyxV2zhSudhHggFjkfRdDA/s1600/Montessori08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jF2dZsObOY1I7gGteFUVnXjEIclX4XCdQR_4vq_fgD6x4qrRh2Ri47vWE0oQe20i0FaZF2Bg0oafC7mBMmJJfqxyisqZ30AGpNh2as4OoV8NRlAjfyxV2zhSudhHggFjkfRdDA/s400/Montessori08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>I used cardstock in three colours. The nouns are on red paper, the verbs are on yellow, and what we are currently calling "helping words" are on blue. I have told her that there are a lot of different kinds of "helping words" and they have names, just like verbs and nouns do, but for right now we're just focusing on the verbs and the nouns.<br />
<br />
To present the material I began laying out all the nouns that were the names of places. I asked her to explain what was the same about these words. Didn't take her long. Then I began to lay out nouns that referred to people or were people's names and asked her to say what she thought they had in common. Finally I laid out all of the words that identified objects and again got her to point out what was similar about them all.<br />
<br />
"All of these words are called nouns," I explained. "Nouns name either a person, a place, or an object."<br />
<br />
We repeated the lesson with verbs and talked about how verbs were an action or what someone or something is.<br />
<br />
Then we began to make sentences. Very soon she knew how to use the cards and made longer and longer sentences, sometimes making them rather complex.<br />
<br />
Although I had made all the verbs to be present, third person, singular she found that too confining and began to use the word that came after a verb to cover up the superfluous "s."<br />
<br />
During our second lesson using the word cards Ella learned the difference between subject and object. For this I used the 3-period-lesson. If you're not familiar with the 3-period-lesson here it is in simple form:<br />
<br />
<u>First Period</u>: Tell the child what he or she is touching/experiencing. E.g. <i>This is the subject. In a sentence the subject is what does the action. This is the object. In a sentence the object is what receives the action done by the subject.</i> The key to the first period is keeping it simple and to-the-point. With a younger child, such as my sons, I would endeavour to use as few words as possible and keep the emphasis on the word I am trying to get them to learn. So, when I am presenting the colour red from the first set of colour tablets, I lay the tablet on the table in front of the boy I'm working with and say, "<i>This is <u>red</u>. <u>Red</u>.</i>"<br />
<br />
<u>Second Period</u>: Get the child to indicate the correct object when you ask. E.g. <i>Where is the subject? Show me the object.</i> With my boys I'd ask, "<i>Where is red?</i>" or "<i>Which is red</i>?" (if I had already presented more than one colour. If the child has difficulty then you go back and repeat the first period lesson again.<br />
<br />
<u>Third Period</u>: For this you want the child to do the explaining and to use the correct vocabulary without prompting. E.g. I would point to the subject and ask "<i>What is this?</i>" or "<i>What part of the sentence is this?</i>" Then Ella would answer "It's the subject. The subject is what's doing the action." With the very young you are simply trying to teach them to identify, they can learn to explain later. So I would ask, "<i>What is this?</i>" or "<i>What colour is this?</i>" Henry is my talker and he will usually answer verbally, "Wed!" Or, sometimes, "'Ellow!" and then I have to correct him. Eli may or may not answer and after giving him a chance I will give him the answer, "It's red!"HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-77192389373861521702011-03-02T19:10:00.000-08:002011-03-02T19:15:26.704-08:00Square of Pythagoras - Some ExtentionsYet again we used the square of Pythagoras, although this time we worked together at arranging it, Ella dividing up the pieces between us, although she always kept the squares. "After all, I'm the student!" she explained.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LecbNEhPVvuuFGqh4VPwqyp_FUWelJh6FVtAlOojJLBjxhM48kZqEQRxinIzGVnM3QXyEttyDXNVhrOQOFxd9vDixY3XHTDDpXLV_ZRDc-EnqdaDHSinpMU0INgEvZVPySVX-A/s1600/bDSC00467.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LecbNEhPVvuuFGqh4VPwqyp_FUWelJh6FVtAlOojJLBjxhM48kZqEQRxinIzGVnM3QXyEttyDXNVhrOQOFxd9vDixY3XHTDDpXLV_ZRDc-EnqdaDHSinpMU0INgEvZVPySVX-A/s400/bDSC00467.png" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">Ella and I have made the square of Pythagoras. Then I directed her to build the tower with the pink cubes.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gBaR6IBHuYgU8tbX1dIm2x7pb5CXGVeRO0fAbZOsVnwFxo_HS2-raTKSzzQz7j7G1DsVkPD-6xlZTJtvCDdrlTdmH_Q5SpBLH_LPnJOc-YGHqlwVkVFzbNVWjegp7PfZqLalIA/s1600/bDSC00469.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gBaR6IBHuYgU8tbX1dIm2x7pb5CXGVeRO0fAbZOsVnwFxo_HS2-raTKSzzQz7j7G1DsVkPD-6xlZTJtvCDdrlTdmH_Q5SpBLH_LPnJOc-YGHqlwVkVFzbNVWjegp7PfZqLalIA/s400/bDSC00469.png" width="267" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Without any prompting on my part she took the smallest square and put it on the smallest cube of her tower and said, "Look Mummy! They go together!"</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzoOLqFkovVB0NTcT4Lw1iK4pTi9Z8j7w03Hv0ud4B0sHoG12wRK3S4rkDnVDxuDCkPkUeW4Sh6YySlfPfX_50S1CM5ge3jpB2mrkD2qzUThAjRQFEoTLcHz_9sFGlxCg98FCLg/s1600/bDSC00470.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzoOLqFkovVB0NTcT4Lw1iK4pTi9Z8j7w03Hv0ud4B0sHoG12wRK3S4rkDnVDxuDCkPkUeW4Sh6YySlfPfX_50S1CM5ge3jpB2mrkD2qzUThAjRQFEoTLcHz_9sFGlxCg98FCLg/s320/bDSC00470.png" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">We then "related" the pink cubes with the square of Pythagoras. I asked how she knew where each would go and she explained that each side of a cube was a square and that therefore the pink cubes would go on the actual squares in the square of Pythagoras.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2W_mwvfMzOAvH09S_vb5It5JfNezWuQGV2ooM56fir733o7BdEmK2aQ-lE7g91mOe_W9S1LiXX1FuDjpr3NuKior-clGJ1RGyz6rz5FePe2DgdlhniJmYx69vHW1Skn9Gga-DA/s1600/bDSC00473.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2W_mwvfMzOAvH09S_vb5It5JfNezWuQGV2ooM56fir733o7BdEmK2aQ-lE7g91mOe_W9S1LiXX1FuDjpr3NuKior-clGJ1RGyz6rz5FePe2DgdlhniJmYx69vHW1Skn9Gga-DA/s400/bDSC00473.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1gCqHFtkbieLj9vENdjHc6eZG8ultbGBV2TTm3ouKKTh6qSHWiiK34QVhtP4f66H-vPR11H9FyRXRQ7TBkqPzqSIy6dR60-3_45PHi-cHFKJzqEsOeJPx9n4va6wCYxKdll55w/s1600/bDSC00485.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1gCqHFtkbieLj9vENdjHc6eZG8ultbGBV2TTm3ouKKTh6qSHWiiK34QVhtP4f66H-vPR11H9FyRXRQ7TBkqPzqSIy6dR60-3_45PHi-cHFKJzqEsOeJPx9n4va6wCYxKdll55w/s400/bDSC00485.png" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">Ella then proceeded to relate the two materials in the same way as she had done with the red square and the smallest pink cube.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ05GQLaLKCNpnKv98imKJJhUuTgo2l4ijeMjWDx6N7UefJHErVl3ocwVodXHe50VAcry7afMFnoT1vMXFd7Vja2Qm-kzUdvpapTnI5SMyrdpZBq1mOd5gxKZyI5IvcfFcyulMg/s1600/bDSC00487.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ05GQLaLKCNpnKv98imKJJhUuTgo2l4ijeMjWDx6N7UefJHErVl3ocwVodXHe50VAcry7afMFnoT1vMXFd7Vja2Qm-kzUdvpapTnI5SMyrdpZBq1mOd5gxKZyI5IvcfFcyulMg/s400/bDSC00487.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">Then she did it horizontally.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZojDBX3Ox2kvU14lFvhfT8b0_2i_VtPZskDNpu8m7W91wcNahcXdfBT6ZBxzjg42VfHGtK8USNamcI-lhmUOEvraCRL7OwQepVqY13MAW8gh1n9JdtlbGPeHaZhbkZjx0NMdZw/s1600/bDSC00489.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZojDBX3Ox2kvU14lFvhfT8b0_2i_VtPZskDNpu8m7W91wcNahcXdfBT6ZBxzjg42VfHGtK8USNamcI-lhmUOEvraCRL7OwQepVqY13MAW8gh1n9JdtlbGPeHaZhbkZjx0NMdZw/s400/bDSC00489.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eLiRW_iMKWe2EGDH7hag7WAHx0QABm9MBkpnBDEQjj_kmkPuZhXxMIp0fVId2Kvt8YBXQlVvbLeXyMGhhsBBDlsxUDE1ixEnjq7XtXjBOORuAC6nh-6quNXsVtDDERg7zGuyXQ/s1600/bDSC00491.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eLiRW_iMKWe2EGDH7hag7WAHx0QABm9MBkpnBDEQjj_kmkPuZhXxMIp0fVId2Kvt8YBXQlVvbLeXyMGhhsBBDlsxUDE1ixEnjq7XtXjBOORuAC6nh-6quNXsVtDDERg7zGuyXQ/s400/bDSC00491.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">After we had put away the pink tower and reorganized our square of Pythagoras I got out the bead square for her to relate them together. She told me that it was pretty easy since they all matched in colour.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7dooLKAXLfYLU6n4AMdZ-Bkvkj3j43KPbgsFis9c7sk6aLwEYRm8UQASeZ7Dn0QWJ9PVaZz8smGEg-LAS7rsWc8joV5M4ss2Th8VZGBniNDJ02c5T16iHZkcq-z5XbcvjNxx5w/s1600/bDSC00493.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7dooLKAXLfYLU6n4AMdZ-Bkvkj3j43KPbgsFis9c7sk6aLwEYRm8UQASeZ7Dn0QWJ9PVaZz8smGEg-LAS7rsWc8joV5M4ss2Th8VZGBniNDJ02c5T16iHZkcq-z5XbcvjNxx5w/s320/bDSC00493.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;">Here she is almost done. I then extended the lesson a little by giving her an early glimpse into multiplication; though we are not yet "naming" it as such as I would like her to absorb the ideas sensorially first. I would touch each bead square, while it was superimposed on the square of Pythagoras and say, "One one is one. Two twos are four. Three threes are nine," and so on. After each statement I would pause for her to touch the square and repeat what I just said. I expect this activity will continue in a variety of ways until we are actually doing "real" multiplication.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNFDE9JtCH2HQJoDG80EHyphboBM4Ttpfki9TMVnIdQ0KzAx1FaBqINSScwgvM18KJRIk4V7wSj0RpIkiN58eEaYnC-H2aSRhuca7R82RQjU7eSNKFTIupBD1LDJZQCQ59nsMZg/s1600/bDSC00500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNFDE9JtCH2HQJoDG80EHyphboBM4Ttpfki9TMVnIdQ0KzAx1FaBqINSScwgvM18KJRIk4V7wSj0RpIkiN58eEaYnC-H2aSRhuca7R82RQjU7eSNKFTIupBD1LDJZQCQ59nsMZg/s320/bDSC00500.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption">Our "fancy" storage container for the square of Pythagoras - a plain wood tray from the dollar store.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-50954302177411117382011-03-01T09:13:00.000-08:002011-03-01T09:31:06.817-08:00Square of Pythagoras - First Presentation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmcscduKvoUjSSHhC1KAYTC-SuOcxtcp4HOB4U-pBzCBmn-LDz39Fs8X0gY1y7S6D89BUjRbunFUloXi0RaOp5xmVUrQC9-v6ob2NGSs7kdJQDwYMLLruPCZgXrUB3rMQ_NCgpQ/s1600/Montessori16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmcscduKvoUjSSHhC1KAYTC-SuOcxtcp4HOB4U-pBzCBmn-LDz39Fs8X0gY1y7S6D89BUjRbunFUloXi0RaOp5xmVUrQC9-v6ob2NGSs7kdJQDwYMLLruPCZgXrUB3rMQ_NCgpQ/s400/Montessori16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Thanks to all who inquired. No, I'm not dead! It's been almost a year and a half since my last post, and while my life has been moving quickly onward I've been facing it mostly with glazed eyes and an air of confusion. Such is life with twin boys.<br />
<br />
My sons are now 2 and are healthy, mischievous little fellows. I've begun to do some early Montessori work with them, which you will hear about in an upcoming post.<br />
<br />
Ella is now "officially" grade 1, in that she is 6 and that is the typical grade 1 age. And there ends all that is "typical" about her.<br />
<br />
Evidently she's doing some things on a grade 4 level, and she was teaching our 17 year old babysitter about geography. Her reading is about average, or perhaps a bit above average for her age, and her handwriting in abominable! Though much of what she writes looks like the hen-scratchings of a preschooler, what she writes is very well done. I guess we just didn't do enough of the sandpaper letters or the metal insets.<br />
<br />
I have a vast backlog of photos and lessons to share and I hope to do so over time. For today, here was our afternoon lesson: the first presentation of the square of Pythagoras (also called the deconomial square).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwhP2NCdu3z-WBeMpGaYHmL8cSj7dyx1agGYRkUyIukZBol_EHxfTWyRYvrxlmUGLGT4FaXzVLahDX9JrysAH9mKxU61VtRtSpxHZirK8nw6mrE_Apm84iECel4esRwx-BtLDWA/s1600/Montessori13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwhP2NCdu3z-WBeMpGaYHmL8cSj7dyx1agGYRkUyIukZBol_EHxfTWyRYvrxlmUGLGT4FaXzVLahDX9JrysAH9mKxU61VtRtSpxHZirK8nw6mrE_Apm84iECel4esRwx-BtLDWA/s400/Montessori13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The square of Pythagoras is basically the multiplication times table in visual form. The smallest square is 1x1 cm and is red in colour, which coordinates with the colour of the bead bars.<br />
<br />
The next three shapes are green, like the "2" beads and are 2x1 cm, 2x1 cm, and 2x2 cm square.<br />
<br />
The next five shapes are pink, representing "3" and are (2) 3x1 cm, (2) 3x2 cm, and a 3x3 cm square.<br />
<br />
In the above photograph, Ella is laying out the 4s.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2T3BfDdBJE2ge5lSnUkh2tslwldBGl0eov6cMUAORVqgq3Ssruf5vKJ0Mej8f2PjGhoX4YO-JAo-Jilf8YXRoRBPpQdXmsUvfn_IigqrWkWbjThSKZZixXFE5FqGD8w-4XTBpA/s1600/Montessori14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2T3BfDdBJE2ge5lSnUkh2tslwldBGl0eov6cMUAORVqgq3Ssruf5vKJ0Mej8f2PjGhoX4YO-JAo-Jilf8YXRoRBPpQdXmsUvfn_IigqrWkWbjThSKZZixXFE5FqGD8w-4XTBpA/s400/Montessori14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I find that she really enjoys making the square of Pythagoras as she thinks that the pattern is beautiful. I think so too.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvjkOxvYiAMXQoY6C1aYfxRMQAKb2q0ptQzdD8JbieNiFLTWeOStUR_LcNHOj_poIh_lu8jcmS5-QRgGCFzpmC5nqAp2TR6kaPnN2tF9e8Zmpb4ERnfigAbYTaptUeWRvhu4LZw/s1600/Montessori15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvjkOxvYiAMXQoY6C1aYfxRMQAKb2q0ptQzdD8JbieNiFLTWeOStUR_LcNHOj_poIh_lu8jcmS5-QRgGCFzpmC5nqAp2TR6kaPnN2tF9e8Zmpb4ERnfigAbYTaptUeWRvhu4LZw/s400/Montessori15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrm3GKu33jsFOdKjtBKqfXFpBP2ImhWQ_eiwbQ4CIhqNRKRzxq1WvCyMUAtay2eP5yet81p0xJGTlH-0DcjMKsIQdtC8Hjb1p0E4VEMpoyr3uIUx5uEgeZFJlX2v78Re6q6kvsQ/s1600/DSC00409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The completed square (as done by Ella). As you can see it goes from 1x1 cm to 10x10 cm. It is meant to coordinate with the pink cubes, the brown/broad stair/rectangular prisms, and ultimately can be used as a guide to laying out the bead bars in the deconomial. Hopefully I will be showing these extensions in the near future.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As for the Square of Pythagoras material itself. It is really hard to find to purchase. Ideally it is supposed to be made out of wood, but I found it much easier to make it out of foam sheets using a large paper-cutter. (An office-sized paper cutter can be invaluable when making materials.) I've also seen beautiful square of Pythagoras lay-outs made of felt or other fabrics, plastic duo-tang covers (though I don't know how easy or difficult it would be to find the colours you want), and painted cardboard or bristol board (though they can tend to warp).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Initially I planned on making it using inches as a base, rather than centimetres. Bad idea! It was HUGE and very unweieldy. I'm very glad I downsized, though what I'm going to do with all that extra foam is beyond me!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first presentation of the square of Pythagoras is not meant to teach the multiplication table, but like the binomial and trinomial cubes it is a sensorial introduction to a more complicated mathematical concept. Right now we call all the green rectangles and square the "twos," all the pink the "threes" and all the yellow the "fours." It will be some time before we begin to name individual rectangles 2x1 or 4x3.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To present it I simply named the material, "This is the square of Pythagoras." and I began making the square, beginning with the red, then the green, then pink, and so on. It didn't take long before Ella got the idea and just took over.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She was rather frustrated by the fact that her square of Pythagoras wasn't as "perfect" as mine, but with a bit of reassurance that it took practice she became satisfied with her results. I'm looking forward to her reaction to the extentions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-38301789415749861642009-11-23T19:58:00.001-08:002009-11-24T19:07:25.653-08:00Montessori Mathematics: The Complete Bead Material - Part 5<p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Making the Bead Squares</span></strong></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left">The bead squares are not much more difficult to make than the bead bars, but there's no quick-and-sneaky way to make them. There's no easy way to make the bead squares either, so you might as well get used to it! Keep in mind that when it seems that it will never end, you get to the bead chains and speed will again be a factor.</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left">Many of the steps for the bead squares are the same as for the bead bars, so I'm not going to elaborate on those steps, although I've included the photographs for your benefit. There are some differences, though, and that is what this post will focus on.</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluhay25zLjMQx3lu4ZgJ_6nH3QCFrLmFEisifTcRKVx7a4A38UcRgv5RqzX7OiygKyZFHJMuwEGhIffh6L-VZ4033VtAnES1es8C7aXJsyfS_Xci3JUSP_S-ypuOO3MkWZf2tbw/s1600/for+blog+1-750202.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407519090706815410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluhay25zLjMQx3lu4ZgJ_6nH3QCFrLmFEisifTcRKVx7a4A38UcRgv5RqzX7OiygKyZFHJMuwEGhIffh6L-VZ4033VtAnES1es8C7aXJsyfS_Xci3JUSP_S-ypuOO3MkWZf2tbw/s320/for+blog+1-750202.JPG" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2009/11/montessori-mathematics-complete-bead.html">Step 1: Gather your materials</a></strong></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong>Step 2: Cut your plastic canvas.</strong> You will need to cut two sections that are (1 square) x (N x 2 - 1). For my example, using 5, I cut 1 x 9 squares. (1 square) x (5 x 2 - 1 = 9). There is one exception to this. When doing your 2 square, you only need one piece of canvas cut.</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4NMkMyAJM63NcUy_4d8xNf70o3Lc5vIAo4frYdxTqZe-jNcb6FGej3tD4STEgtjhx37L48uIW_L3nUCV2Z7P7SAaN85FaNBh2xD7xfaR9bLTww9TpL0ecIgd3Kn59CuuGz5g5Q/s1600/for+blog+15-751144.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407519095356652882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4NMkMyAJM63NcUy_4d8xNf70o3Lc5vIAo4frYdxTqZe-jNcb6FGej3tD4STEgtjhx37L48uIW_L3nUCV2Z7P7SAaN85FaNBh2xD7xfaR9bLTww9TpL0ecIgd3Kn59CuuGz5g5Q/s320/for+blog+15-751144.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2009/11/montessori-mathematics-complete-bead.html">Step 3: Cut your wire.</a></strong></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2009/11/montessori-mathematics-complete-bead.html">Step 4: Make a wire curl.</a></strong></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2009/11/montessori-mathematics-complete-bead.html"><strong>Step 5: Straighten the wire.</strong> </a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong>Step 6: Thread your first bead.</strong> It's really easy to forget at first that you're making a bead square, not a bead bar, and I've mindlessly begun to make bead bars while the plastic canvas laid right in front of me!</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelGUSGhIshBu3bWvT63ZVTooG9-YmnOUNHAvL2P4QB8K1hiIsmvW15nBi0VDmty9s2hMYZtvLFj7Ogl1hmiUUpHfUVLgUOa9QeaPzZwkheB7gM2k9LuhCi08kJcKB6N3m7AphHA/s1600/for+blog+16-751876.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407519096689951970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelGUSGhIshBu3bWvT63ZVTooG9-YmnOUNHAvL2P4QB8K1hiIsmvW15nBi0VDmty9s2hMYZtvLFj7Ogl1hmiUUpHfUVLgUOa9QeaPzZwkheB7gM2k9LuhCi08kJcKB6N3m7AphHA/s320/for+blog+16-751876.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong>Step 7: Add your first piece of plastic canvas.</strong> You will need to thread the wire through the first square.</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACPa-vyZofu3cZLiH9dV68MYP1SocZLaTITnNQimyy7-9QPzft72UGlRaW27rYBNyOBrUF3FmBJvGJ_vfRLIGjMAf8-2iH27NjnocQsB8urzhQAFP5SStk39oWYiL0bQCAKvkzw/s1600/for+blog+18-754391.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407519107921375042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACPa-vyZofu3cZLiH9dV68MYP1SocZLaTITnNQimyy7-9QPzft72UGlRaW27rYBNyOBrUF3FmBJvGJ_vfRLIGjMAf8-2iH27NjnocQsB8urzhQAFP5SStk39oWYiL0bQCAKvkzw/s320/for+blog+18-754391.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong>Step 8: Thread the rest of your beads, minus one. </strong>So, if you're doing five, you've already got one bead on and you need to bring the number of beads to four.</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyqpV84u3qnLtgn9WQcaB30e4R6z8bjLoDjjgcbsXYEcPy0PINvFDcptlhf_k8qb5bSMFlJ4Qa9kc4JvPDQpkyLl45pQmn7Fpx5Qg9QYBBKNHev-EyH8HCGa1yJgCsdvcobopiw/s1600/for+blog+19-755231.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407519112023849298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyqpV84u3qnLtgn9WQcaB30e4R6z8bjLoDjjgcbsXYEcPy0PINvFDcptlhf_k8qb5bSMFlJ4Qa9kc4JvPDQpkyLl45pQmn7Fpx5Qg9QYBBKNHev-EyH8HCGa1yJgCsdvcobopiw/s320/for+blog+19-755231.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong>Step 9: Add your second piece of plastic canvas. </strong>Again, you put the wire through the first square.</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1VJwJtUCBrzt3rgMPHgTlhTPmyCB7uTb-EwU7ktPJRwye6IAoXByvbpEr6OohvSAfgqJOggypg28D60aLk_Sr7VrPAM6QF4goXGa7iFvRvQ46DaJkYbY1CaKVIFL9vK2JWRAZg/s1600/for+blog+20-756212.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407519115490179314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1VJwJtUCBrzt3rgMPHgTlhTPmyCB7uTb-EwU7ktPJRwye6IAoXByvbpEr6OohvSAfgqJOggypg28D60aLk_Sr7VrPAM6QF4goXGa7iFvRvQ46DaJkYbY1CaKVIFL9vK2JWRAZg/s320/for+blog+20-756212.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong>Step 10: Thread your final bead.</strong></p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><p align="center"><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjir2u7tPgvuDZpeUEdjTcXjViUhpoKlScz-9J6aTJe3vl88LeNDmQNeE41wL79b0Z-r0mquCBSn_BTUcRPi4vscW0COsDWYg0kDbFEJ6kklxbpnbFv1SKYLq_k4EB882psPko7VA/s1600/for+blog+21-721422.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407516817435359538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjir2u7tPgvuDZpeUEdjTcXjViUhpoKlScz-9J6aTJe3vl88LeNDmQNeE41wL79b0Z-r0mquCBSn_BTUcRPi4vscW0COsDWYg0kDbFEJ6kklxbpnbFv1SKYLq_k4EB882psPko7VA/s320/for+blog+21-721422.JPG" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2009/11/montessori-mathematics-complete-bead.html">Step 11: Twist the loose end.</a></strong></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrVDkJPujw9PQM7Bhf3oUrLroVRJ24SjfR13SJEBvHPOje-8uPtKcAjYGFlFHLdqaCaB0DaGI6DaTqyikcU-x898aFm6KBpFXUNcsso7nte7_SASIgEM-xoq6yzlillneCENRzA/s1600/for+blog+22-722260.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407516822655012914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrVDkJPujw9PQM7Bhf3oUrLroVRJ24SjfR13SJEBvHPOje-8uPtKcAjYGFlFHLdqaCaB0DaGI6DaTqyikcU-x898aFm6KBpFXUNcsso7nte7_SASIgEM-xoq6yzlillneCENRzA/s320/for+blog+22-722260.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2009/11/montessori-mathematics-complete-bead.html">Step 12: Clip off the excess.</a></strong></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoc-Cxxq2ibvfrDOm1XJnFs45bNDNTHrMT0ffbsnIwcLSdDDQ4Mxml1gm1O09V7Tv8lLcDSYB7ilI_IMFflqiooBOlw7Pb_pYzjhNz9vpG5gzgrcVyX4svT7Bonq2qJ32elRl0pQ/s1600/for+blog+23-723540.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407516826108850770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoc-Cxxq2ibvfrDOm1XJnFs45bNDNTHrMT0ffbsnIwcLSdDDQ4Mxml1gm1O09V7Tv8lLcDSYB7ilI_IMFflqiooBOlw7Pb_pYzjhNz9vpG5gzgrcVyX4svT7Bonq2qJ32elRl0pQ/s320/for+blog+23-723540.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2009/11/montessori-mathematics-complete-bead.html">Step 13: Make a tight wire curl at the angled end of your row of beads.</a></strong></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5Q6o9Lwf1nh9s7w7Ytlk5XBDhaaBrDn-0F18Ocxdpyf8z48NPrAYn2IkLR97t508zAkTA1kDTYLHEdKUUMQkP50h6zBbIgKVbAkG34cHbsmsoj7KkbM99x5UAO45W7sKMHy_2A/s1600/for+blog+24-724513.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407516831301853522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5Q6o9Lwf1nh9s7w7Ytlk5XBDhaaBrDn-0F18Ocxdpyf8z48NPrAYn2IkLR97t508zAkTA1kDTYLHEdKUUMQkP50h6zBbIgKVbAkG34cHbsmsoj7KkbM99x5UAO45W7sKMHy_2A/s320/for+blog+24-724513.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37tbwcg9420jsBN9AA8MN-dZto8xzhw8QAX_QAT50lf8gpH0Xbyra3xE_RLn_zZ-CQmMl8YlqcVmR38X5nVux9JFEyxAW8gxe8hVJPX6uIt1QvUQZybtQbF4tYP3Ka4I3-ICAcA/s1600/for+blog+25-725349.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407516835729542466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37tbwcg9420jsBN9AA8MN-dZto8xzhw8QAX_QAT50lf8gpH0Xbyra3xE_RLn_zZ-CQmMl8YlqcVmR38X5nVux9JFEyxAW8gxe8hVJPX6uIt1QvUQZybtQbF4tYP3Ka4I3-ICAcA/s320/for+blog+25-725349.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left">One row done!</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeGtsk17fYO5OUhDDqNf6iDhDY4Y_aZxdcfQ3mw1XkJOoBFsgAXbycDoPfT72O6aSwYtnD_Sru1tm2jJhxB4ggcG98CVz8kYhs570_Bj2yy0sOBvnp-BR8EkzRRycYDhXgyqeUw/s1600/for+blog+26-726208.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407516838269577378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeGtsk17fYO5OUhDDqNf6iDhDY4Y_aZxdcfQ3mw1XkJOoBFsgAXbycDoPfT72O6aSwYtnD_Sru1tm2jJhxB4ggcG98CVz8kYhs570_Bj2yy0sOBvnp-BR8EkzRRycYDhXgyqeUw/s320/for+blog+26-726208.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="left"><strong>Step 14: Begin your next row.</strong> Basically you follow steps 1-6 and when the time comes to put the wire through the first piece of plastic canvas you skip one square and put it through the following one. In the five bead <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">square</span> each row of beads threads through the canvas at squares 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.</p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2si2tkceSNBn-5TPWZ0TRYg5GMTK9EhDREUMrBzN6-BU1KFbRPYaPJmFyr1TTyxWIEQJzd8TZUlu2uVQfN43ZZ1tos8bwmT_5C5F7ktSdj1YnwA1dnz_4OJPs8P42BV_-QOk6_A/s1600/for+blog+27-727696.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407516844752592962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2si2tkceSNBn-5TPWZ0TRYg5GMTK9EhDREUMrBzN6-BU1KFbRPYaPJmFyr1TTyxWIEQJzd8TZUlu2uVQfN43ZZ1tos8bwmT_5C5F7ktSdj1YnwA1dnz_4OJPs8P42BV_-QOk6_A/s320/for+blog+27-727696.jpg" /></a></p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><p align="left">TA-DA! You've made a bead square.<br /></p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-41643347618587481652009-11-19T19:58:00.001-08:002009-11-22T21:27:26.337-08:00Montessori Mathematics: The Complete Bead Material - Part 4<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Making the Basic Bead Bars</span></strong></div><br />I know it's been a long time coming, but it's finally here! Details, with photos, of how to make the bead material. We'll start with the most basic: the bead bars. You will need to make 55 each of the bead bars 1-10. I'm using the "fives" as my examples because they're not too big and time-consuming to make, but they're are large enough to show some of the more complicated aspects of bead material making.<br /><br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsHDIL_TPutw_hDylbftVmYLLwdCYshnxggjqt4w7FC0dSR1Ypo184Rn8mpmeud_4LynA9UyCu09mECgsLHXCKLe6gPfL-BafdLwthWrZc8nml0j6sco5o1S09wajUEh7MzcC4A/s1600/for+blog+2-738725.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406030401651228690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsHDIL_TPutw_hDylbftVmYLLwdCYshnxggjqt4w7FC0dSR1Ypo184Rn8mpmeud_4LynA9UyCu09mECgsLHXCKLe6gPfL-BafdLwthWrZc8nml0j6sco5o1S09wajUEh7MzcC4A/s320/for+blog+2-738725.jpg" /></a></p><strong>Step 1: Gather your materials.</strong> It's best to have your beads organised and your wire cutters, wire, round-nose pliers, and plastic canvas all in one place. That way, when you have a moment you can grab the supplies and work or you can pile them quickly in a bag to take with you. I found the car is a wonderful place to work on making bead material. Please keep in mind, though, if you decide to work in a vehicle, you should not be the person behind the wheel!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzk_t4tXSPw6GrNb6eF1OUjQD1ttYWvozNKNkdOu9g-NtaQxXzy4KCNelOOIlKz2dGUATXPOxjq2V6XE_7LBYdqFvGHvQaoOpu3ULsYOp3b0-YOcGfDzsny7MjVqJWzkbuCX2VsQ/s1600/for+blog+3-739493.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406030409691069714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzk_t4tXSPw6GrNb6eF1OUjQD1ttYWvozNKNkdOu9g-NtaQxXzy4KCNelOOIlKz2dGUATXPOxjq2V6XE_7LBYdqFvGHvQaoOpu3ULsYOp3b0-YOcGfDzsny7MjVqJWzkbuCX2VsQ/s320/for+blog+3-739493.jpg" /></a></p><strong>Step 2: Cut your wire.</strong> You'd think this would be the simplest part, but you'd be wrong. Not that the cutting is particularly difficult, but the judging of the right length is! There are two ways to go about this, the stupid way and the smart way. I did it the stupid way for most of my bead bars, but when making the bead chains I figured out the smart way and I've been using it ever since. The stupid way is quite simple. You unwind approximately as much wire as you think you'd need to make the bead bar, plus some length for the two loops, plus a little bit extra. To make things go faster, you'd cut a bunch of wires at once. The problem with this method is twofold: first, it's remarkable how badly one is able to judge the appropriate length, you always end up with several that are way to short or way too long; second, as a result of poor judgement, you find yourself wasting wire, it doesn't seem like much, but many little bits add up. The smart way to go about cutting the wire (and I highly recommend you do this, rather than my first method!) is to unroll yourself a long piece; how long depends on how much space you have and how high you are. Because you need the beads to go run down the wire as you string them lengths of wire that spool on the floor become awkward. So, while in the photos you will see me making a single bead bar on a short length of wire, it is best if you start out with something like this:<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJN0Tq0CFiQYo6hluEcmJeojWHM5JIXtBXecIJTXlBWPxM7siTh936KYbL83SKNOY9TX-0e1aH5wRU_ZhMsIIZIInr6pDUdhEvVb3cl1Hlhmp9XI5ylnHF2-Y0G4yM7ZyfgxAlFg/s1600/for+blog+13.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407135827979168802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJN0Tq0CFiQYo6hluEcmJeojWHM5JIXtBXecIJTXlBWPxM7siTh936KYbL83SKNOY9TX-0e1aH5wRU_ZhMsIIZIInr6pDUdhEvVb3cl1Hlhmp9XI5ylnHF2-Y0G4yM7ZyfgxAlFg/s400/for+blog+13.jpg" /></a> </p><p></p><p></p><p><br /><br /><br /></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBl1idmnI5nSqnyrK3BXNcYmyOcHUSIHHnqHhKv95ZQshUcYu-g3CPNcoMmKH7EX9bhnFYqsbvJhv3u3mUOesB7B6NOwY5UCAc73iLs-NMMCFj_bCHK0jHoeQ8eCmQ5genRv35Ow/s1600/for+blog+4-740141.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406030412733699202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBl1idmnI5nSqnyrK3BXNcYmyOcHUSIHHnqHhKv95ZQshUcYu-g3CPNcoMmKH7EX9bhnFYqsbvJhv3u3mUOesB7B6NOwY5UCAc73iLs-NMMCFj_bCHK0jHoeQ8eCmQ5genRv35Ow/s320/for+blog+4-740141.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"></p><p><strong>Step 3: Make a wire curl.</strong> The small metal loop at the end of each bead bar is what keeps the beads from sliding off and it keep little fingers from being pierced by sharp, metal points. The size of the curl results according to how high in your round-nose pliers you grip the end of the wire. It will take quite a few tries to get used to getting the size loop you desire. If you're a perfectionist you might want to practice first. I just hopped in and figured that it was good enough. If they were really way too big or small, I'd do my best to fix it and in a few very funny-looking cases I tossed the wire and began again.<br /></p><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSH27KfCYOC3I5M0UERhVZRp7CuECNx4ucEVjvZcRNz64TOZ7xUB-waex9gn-mweAwQNfsuzNVO6-44R49G_1s-ORh2CIJepvJ3qhnuvPx5GKLCOBvteVEww2WZb4JVmk_vA3UQ/s1600/for+blog+5-741275.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406030417137964578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSH27KfCYOC3I5M0UERhVZRp7CuECNx4ucEVjvZcRNz64TOZ7xUB-waex9gn-mweAwQNfsuzNVO6-44R49G_1s-ORh2CIJepvJ3qhnuvPx5GKLCOBvteVEww2WZb4JVmk_vA3UQ/s320/for+blog+5-741275.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"></p><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZGL_QYQbMR7cptiy7M6fJnUUYQW6lIJU3XxLMH_C8J2R3CdSYqsp3YtDjLr6KL6W2U8a9_BmhC39fCD7-smXnYul7ZJIGOpmdQmpxbqhqMTBQTKpgVuwAHpLKtyCGx1YzoMibQ/s1600/for+blog+6-742157.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406030419445144834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZGL_QYQbMR7cptiy7M6fJnUUYQW6lIJU3XxLMH_C8J2R3CdSYqsp3YtDjLr6KL6W2U8a9_BmhC39fCD7-smXnYul7ZJIGOpmdQmpxbqhqMTBQTKpgVuwAHpLKtyCGx1YzoMibQ/s320/for+blog+6-742157.jpg" /></a></p><p></p><p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0o-VnCYnM1uL2Z-ZVbIhxQ4dkWkH3wADvz4_y8jQTDrQf5gPwkYn7ylSdSB0zAu1c5ned-Yf6TIxBLLKOo68bvN-mqhQBjTlS50vqzRsYl7yeIuh0kXBsGjOL_pOA4NnTGKdEmQ/s1600/for+blog+7-717613.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407127676227230610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0o-VnCYnM1uL2Z-ZVbIhxQ4dkWkH3wADvz4_y8jQTDrQf5gPwkYn7ylSdSB0zAu1c5ned-Yf6TIxBLLKOo68bvN-mqhQBjTlS50vqzRsYl7yeIuh0kXBsGjOL_pOA4NnTGKdEmQ/s320/for+blog+7-717613.jpg" /></a></p><strong>Step 4: Straighten the wire.</strong> Once you've got the wire curl finished you will need to grasp the wire in one hand and use your round-nose pliers to put a twist in the wire where it meets the loop. Essentially, you are trying to make the loop meet the straight section like a lollipop (O---) rather than like a number 9 (O___), as is seen below:<br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"></p><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAvBAUdmSbv_469vvcH6yP1eRQ67nTBXebBML_pektb4XNEt4Q1u-XZrTe9KLTtdCwI5Q0HG0Za5iFT4EjBHsvFj2R3BLAvraCVxcEjIKfYfg7GVHN9vWlorOc2C1_FXUCAoU-A/s1600/for+blog+8-718274.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407127680044896402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAvBAUdmSbv_469vvcH6yP1eRQ67nTBXebBML_pektb4XNEt4Q1u-XZrTe9KLTtdCwI5Q0HG0Za5iFT4EjBHsvFj2R3BLAvraCVxcEjIKfYfg7GVHN9vWlorOc2C1_FXUCAoU-A/s320/for+blog+8-718274.jpg" /></a></p><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"></p><br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3Pgb6PeqS6DQgUrYDaXYz7gsvcYB3GOzKhaSBFN2iRSzhisSXaLyYX0bmGEXk0TlQU1mII9DcwhtooV6kVMsQrUFVyurswCCkQctwDvE-ikAwJ8cxew6V5zWBS5Hvb1zckI1Fg/s1600/for+blog+9-719306.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407127686002383474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3Pgb6PeqS6DQgUrYDaXYz7gsvcYB3GOzKhaSBFN2iRSzhisSXaLyYX0bmGEXk0TlQU1mII9DcwhtooV6kVMsQrUFVyurswCCkQctwDvE-ikAwJ8cxew6V5zWBS5Hvb1zckI1Fg/s320/for+blog+9-719306.jpg" /></a></p><strong>Step 5: Thread the beads.</strong> If you are doing individual bead bars, then you would add the number of beads needed, in my example, five light blue beads. If you are making many bead bars and are using the long-wire method, then you keep adding beads until your wire is about 3/4 filled and then make another wire curl at the other end. If you get too many or too few beads it is quickly and easily fixed, so don't put too much thought into getting it just right. You will then need to slide the correct number of beads to this end.<br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"></p><br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnbbxdmqfUP8tnRGIUZIYnm9KuueQtPZmtJiy2Sqi2g5qMfPhd3BSQh3w2Nk57URO3rKn3irCfs5y70uK0J_0sKwNRfq8UpcoMxFLCs8ZAHJok9gyU5ltqfHmOuB21A-zuB-nRg/s1600/for+blog+10-719854.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407127686269869026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnbbxdmqfUP8tnRGIUZIYnm9KuueQtPZmtJiy2Sqi2g5qMfPhd3BSQh3w2Nk57URO3rKn3irCfs5y70uK0J_0sKwNRfq8UpcoMxFLCs8ZAHJok9gyU5ltqfHmOuB21A-zuB-nRg/s320/for+blog+10-719854.jpg" /></a></p><strong>Step 6: Twist the loose end.</strong> Putting the tip of your round-nose pliers as close as possible to the last bead, you will then twist the wire to at least a right angle relational to the bead bar. This will keep your beads in place.<br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"></p><br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrNNN-cTU5dIkpbSSJqMIXrk9oKUPjXHrrF5IBrktZUnqSt3zvz7wx21943vl5ftKuTUxW2rOFdVbI6uHjx7HajHuFxic-igr9Wu1m4K3J-D-PvFT3ahm_VZNbcU4p6pJlw-DJQ/s1600/for+blog+11-720715.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407127689915289394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrNNN-cTU5dIkpbSSJqMIXrk9oKUPjXHrrF5IBrktZUnqSt3zvz7wx21943vl5ftKuTUxW2rOFdVbI6uHjx7HajHuFxic-igr9Wu1m4K3J-D-PvFT3ahm_VZNbcU4p6pJlw-DJQ/s320/for+blog+11-720715.jpg" /></a></p><strong>Step 7: Clip off the excess.</strong> This is the next-hardest part of making a bead bar because it involves another bit of visual judgement. You have to use your wire-cutters to make a length of wire from that last bead which can be turned into a nicely-sized curl: too big and it will not look right, too little and your beads might come off. Doing this correctly takes some practice. It is difficult to tell in the photograph exactly how much wire I'm leaving. If you are doing individual bead bars, if you had cut the perfect length of wire at the outset (and it does sometimes happen) you may not need to trim the wire at all! If you are doing a length of wired beads, however, you will not be able to skip this step, indeed, you will have to add a little bit to it. After cutting the wire make sure you put another wire curl on the end of your long bead string or else you may find yourself picking up dozens of beads that slid off the wire when you were distracted by making the wire curl at the end of your new bead bar!<br /><br /><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"></p><br /><p class="mobile-photo" align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYKzgIUPwk3vVWFqROkm8aKf0eEDtEdb6_bRYNou_8KjDea8vU-vuu0j75DZsuHxL9ekgI6pTv8d6S4huXCezX2U6uvi_J1D8vdqRa1dLt0WxCxhai4mG8V3gDS8PUSYfxnvIYA/s1600/for+blog+12-721468.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407127694720365890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYKzgIUPwk3vVWFqROkm8aKf0eEDtEdb6_bRYNou_8KjDea8vU-vuu0j75DZsuHxL9ekgI6pTv8d6S4huXCezX2U6uvi_J1D8vdqRa1dLt0WxCxhai4mG8V3gDS8PUSYfxnvIYA/s320/for+blog+12-721468.jpg" /></a></p><p><strong>Step 8: Make a tight wire curl at the angled end of the bead bar.</strong> When I say "tight" I don't mean "small." The loop cannot be too small because if it gets at all squished the beads can come off right over it. However, the loop must pull tightly enough so that the beads are not loose. Loose beads on a bead bar means the bead bar can bend more easily and you'll find yourself spending a lot of time straightening them!<br /><br /><br /></p><p></p><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBmjB3ZPZN6OXKyrIZxMXg0TDNpbZtpobLA2EWm8qyyykL8eVD7On3OBzsQhSp4uYcQXApD73l6t1O6bAHcI2XHV7Z9ksddEufkM6FlGen6dHVN6DM8mFYi-JH6fSJ5Wo0CpM7w/s1600/for+blog+14+(1).jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407159696558203042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBmjB3ZPZN6OXKyrIZxMXg0TDNpbZtpobLA2EWm8qyyykL8eVD7On3OBzsQhSp4uYcQXApD73l6t1O6bAHcI2XHV7Z9ksddEufkM6FlGen6dHVN6DM8mFYi-JH6fSJ5Wo0CpM7w/s400/for+blog+14+(1).jpg" /></a><br />And <strong>VOILA!</strong> You've got a bead bar! Next up: How to make a bead square!</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-59017198898885556232009-09-17T21:18:00.000-07:002009-10-05T16:37:44.208-07:00Extra Resources: MagazinesThe best classrooms I've been in have always had one thing in common: <em>lots</em> of age-appropriate educational reading material. Books are an obvious source of material, but magazines can be equally enjoyable and they provide something new on a regular basis. You can focus on a subject or topic based on the theme of your magazine and if the publication is well-designed you usually have a variety of activities and stories that can add a lot of interest to your everyday curriculum.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-tiavr9y1kjn52F6P4rn29KVNUpmFTKsRMYY7hcCvPdMTlrHUyEHzCH6BR3ChLnkiudaJXv1fpwg7T8KaEzHO3TE7RTSFslSMroA5qRDp9OffTtQc1S-7yZJEdrL3Uek3bkQcQ/s1600-h/IMG_6772.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382667676477571922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-tiavr9y1kjn52F6P4rn29KVNUpmFTKsRMYY7hcCvPdMTlrHUyEHzCH6BR3ChLnkiudaJXv1fpwg7T8KaEzHO3TE7RTSFslSMroA5qRDp9OffTtQc1S-7yZJEdrL3Uek3bkQcQ/s400/IMG_6772.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here are some of our favourites:</p><p>top left: <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazines/index.html?intcmp=topnavHP">National Geographic Little Kids</a> - A pretty good magazine for preschoolers, with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">collectible</span> animal cards, super-simple science experiments, activities, and factual articles about animals and culture. It's not my number one choice, but I can definitely see the appeal and I occasionally buy a copy. That said, I have and will continue to, steer clear of National Geographic Kids (meant for elementary-aged children) as I've found it to be ridiculously heavy on the ads. There are much better science/culture/animal magazines for school children.</p><p>top right: <a href="http://www.nwf.org/kids/kzPage.cfm?siteid=2">Your Big Backyard </a>- This is a marvelous contrast to National Geographic Kids. Put out by the National Wildlife Federation (American), this was a favourite of my brother and mine when we were growing up. It is ad-free, has been awarded with Association of Educational Publishers awards, and has an editorial advisory board comprised of 4 to 7 year-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">olds</span>! There is often an emphasis on animals from North America, which is nice for those of us who live there, but it does not exclude exotic animals. There are both fiction and non-fiction articles, activities, simple science experiments, recipes, songs, posters, and reader response. This magazine is followed by <a href="http://www.nwf.org/kidzone/kzPage.cfm?siteId=3&departmentId=205">Ranger Rick</a>, for ages 7 and up, which I also enjoyed as a child. I just discovered tonight that they also put out a magazine for infants and toddlers now: <a href="http://www.nwf.org/kids/kzPage.cfm?siteid=1">Wild Animal Baby Magazine</a>! I'm going to look into that one for the boys. </p><p>second row: <a href="http://owlkids.com/chirp/index.html">Chirp</a> - From the publishers of <a href="http://owlkids.com/owl/">Owl</a> and <a href="http://owlkids.com/chickaDEE/">Chickadee</a> came this little magazine on science and health for those under 6, and it's a favourite of my daughter. It is virtually ad-free (in one edition, for example, there is a contest sponsored by Mastermind Toys and Leapfrog, a one-page advertisement for a parenting magazine, an inside-back-cover ad for a reading and writing program, and a one-page promotion of "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Chirp's</span> Picks:" recommended books, toys, and DVDs). It includes comics, activities and crafts, science experiments, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, jokes, and reader response. I usually find myself reading and re-reading chunks of it to her.</p><p>third row: <a href="http://store.zoobooks.com/Zootles-Subscription-P224C6.aspx"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Zootles</span></a> - Focusing on animals and having a theme which includes an animal, a letter, and a concept (example: high/low) in each edition, this magazine is full-to-brimming with activities and adventures. There is a pull-out section in the centre, one page each for parent and child, consisting of writing and drawing activities for the little one and resources and ideas for the adults. A word of caution, though. It claims to be for children aged 3-6, but when Ella was 3 it was still above her. It certainly wasn't wasted, though, because we kept them until now and they are just right!</p><p>fourth row: <a href="http://www.ladybugmagkids.com/">Ladybug</a> - Our favourite! Ladybug is the best literary magazine for children aged 3-6 available outside the United States. (I've heard good things about <a href="http://www.highlights.com/high-five-magazine-for-kids?productId=hhfmag">Highlights High Five</a>, but they don't ship to Canada.) It has a variety of stories, songs, poems, and comics, all with fantastic illustrations! There are a few activities, but mostly this is simply an excellent read.</p><p>fifth row: <a href="http://www.babybugmagkids.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Babybug</span></a> - Before we got Ladybug, there was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Babybug</span>! It was the only magazine for babies when Ella was born, and it is excellent. I cannot recommend it enough. The illustrations are amazing, the pages are durable, the stories, poems, and songs, extremely enjoyable, and the suggestions to parents for accompanying activities are inspired. We saved all our copies and now Eli and Henry are enjoying them too! </p><p>Magazine subscriptions can be very costly, I know, so when you're thinking about what will be best for your child and for your classroom, do your research. I'd recommending buying a copy before committing to a subscription, but sometimes that's simply not possible. In our family (both immediately and extended) we've found that magazine subscriptions make excellent birthday and Christmas gifts. They're appreciated when <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">received</span> and they continue to be enjoyed for a year, or more!</p><p>If anyone else has a magazine that they subscribe to for their children that they just can't imagine doing without, please add a comment and tell us the magazine title, what it's about, what age it is for, and why you love it so much! Obviously the periodicals I've mentioned are written in English and are published in North America, but don't feel limited by that. I look forward to hearing about your favourites, and I'm sure others will too.</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-3080174859363241532009-09-08T18:42:00.000-07:002009-09-08T22:49:08.062-07:00My NEW Montessori Classroom<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">it's finally here:</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;">Montessori at Home</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:180%;">THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL EDITION</span></strong></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7GaEc9RQja0p6qXMzSlbEkYceJJQCVkGhQkFJbUZg3K9RdkPO3v8fzZOs0aYlcSbDOtAHCaBnbWFuWMY299wOcW4UkuMCcJ__kzGagik_v8Thxbp8GeGfyhesCbwwFqAiL8Nkg/s1600-h/IMG_6723.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379331450779732786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7GaEc9RQja0p6qXMzSlbEkYceJJQCVkGhQkFJbUZg3K9RdkPO3v8fzZOs0aYlcSbDOtAHCaBnbWFuWMY299wOcW4UkuMCcJ__kzGagik_v8Thxbp8GeGfyhesCbwwFqAiL8Nkg/s400/IMG_6723.JPG" border="0" /></a> Ella on her first day of "official" homeschooling: Grade Kindergarten<br /><div align="left"><br />Since February my life has been absolutely, positively crazy, but if I hear someone, <em>anyone</em>, tell me yet again, "You must be so busy!" or the other constantly-heard phrase, "You've got your hands full!" I think I'll sweetly inform whomever it is that in point of fact I spend most of my time most of my days sitting or laying around and reading. It wouldn't be far from the truth. I'm the nursing mother of two growing boys who refuse to take a bottle. Although I often try to do something else while nursing I've discovered that either my activities distract them from nursing or whatever I'm doing is so shoddy I have to redo it later. </div><div align="left"><br /><br /></div><div align="left">And yet, in the midst of this I've been spending much of my non-nursing time getting ready for school. I've done a lot of paperwork, organising month-by-month and then week-by-week what I want to cover. I've also had to move our classroom from the church across the street into our home. This was not a small matter as our home is rather small, our family has just become much larger, and the "spare" room had to become a nursery. But with a wonder of a friend (Thanks, Sherri! You were a whirlwind of activity. I don't know where you get the energy!) and the sacrifice of a dining room (as our kitchen is galley-style the dining room table is our <em>only</em> table) we have created a new classroom.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The shelves (as seen above) lack something in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">aesthetic</span> value, but are extremely practical. The main portion of shelves was my own bookshelf from my childhood. All the added bits and pieces are from a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">decrepit</span>, dismantled desk transformed by Sherri. So, with no cost to me, I ended up with extensive shelving!</div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left">A glance ahead, three of the shelves up close:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeziR9VS6LOqvOOtQT_51W8loq2O99pOQYHn2pRfEr778v9xaGSIT0KlYqh9cIDXn-TV88sCiCOb5Qofhd9ccuZx8tJr2YN9smdv_98Af7oah6HDhZpKFWn9hAAL-QKobXPHyMA/s1600-h/IMG_6755.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379331442442464578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeziR9VS6LOqvOOtQT_51W8loq2O99pOQYHn2pRfEr778v9xaGSIT0KlYqh9cIDXn-TV88sCiCOb5Qofhd9ccuZx8tJr2YN9smdv_98Af7oah6HDhZpKFWn9hAAL-QKobXPHyMA/s400/IMG_6755.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>Math Materials<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDjurKb7qqFXR8zRC3GcSbrgGypayoSioRfto3dJiyNeIz33ktx8y59W58G7GRmBsI2ceY_fR3itNCVw7xw9fKU38gO3MsJiXWs9hyphenhyphenvVcLOgMoxepobcdRbzNqRALc_BH-PZxTg/s1600-h/IMG_6747.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379331433662613426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDjurKb7qqFXR8zRC3GcSbrgGypayoSioRfto3dJiyNeIz33ktx8y59W58G7GRmBsI2ceY_fR3itNCVw7xw9fKU38gO3MsJiXWs9hyphenhyphenvVcLOgMoxepobcdRbzNqRALc_BH-PZxTg/s400/IMG_6747.JPG" border="0" /></a> Language Arts Materials<br /><br /><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguO1p1bs6f6ikdOEsEYvRys8Besi025YksmOAGlDwRexS_71_JfJcBsI9o5xLPOoIFOhyphenhyphenriXQkm1HOlfK0fm8jFWf6H4x3ePZ4Bp2Lsx7mDV7MtIn5OphhcweVX0reFZGj9i9oGQ/s1600-h/IMG_6743.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379331431818856514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguO1p1bs6f6ikdOEsEYvRys8Besi025YksmOAGlDwRexS_71_JfJcBsI9o5xLPOoIFOhyphenhyphenriXQkm1HOlfK0fm8jFWf6H4x3ePZ4Bp2Lsx7mDV7MtIn5OphhcweVX0reFZGj9i9oGQ/s400/IMG_6743.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><p align="center"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sensorial</span> Materials</p><p align="left">Some of the materials and their uses I have written about in previous blogs. Items which are new I will be covering in the near future. Plus, I will very soon have completed part two of the Montessori Mathematic Bead Material. It has been some time in the making... In more ways than one! For some reason I got a bit off track around February. Can't figure out why...</p><p align="left">Also in the works: Montessori and Montessori-type activities for infants. This post could also be termed "Keeping two boys occupied while trying to educate their sister." It's just going to get more exciting from here on in!</p><p align="left">Are my hands full? Am I busy? Maybe just a wee bit, but my quiver is full of blessings, so I don't mind!</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-65017969660713917972009-05-04T21:09:00.000-07:002009-05-04T21:14:27.192-07:00"The Absorbent Mind" Book ClubFor those who have expressed interest in <a href="http://www.absorbent-mind.blogspot.com/"><em>The Absorbent Mind</em> Book Club</a>, it has begun! We will be reading the first chapter for Thursday, May 7th, 2009. If you have recieved an invitation and still want to be involved, please accept. If you have a look at the blog and decide that you are interested, please see the previous two posts on this blog to find out how to join.HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-31897432583355358692009-04-19T17:22:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:15:08.547-07:00"Absorbent Mind" Organisation - Plus Easter Photos<div align="center">Eli and Henry at Two Months Old</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdMIwfEG10R7HlMsU4WhYrD6n4NW_X-ZnCMiBHMSj_wVKL1tbJCK7OsQNuV4xAVaWEFIPiS-4hpKBT3vs4s0nn-lt6T9i1BVedTDlss13FiNpbtqMORU03bFy3gX5ROCFjtft-w/s1600-h/Photos+at+Home0003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326564844557543170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 272px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdMIwfEG10R7HlMsU4WhYrD6n4NW_X-ZnCMiBHMSj_wVKL1tbJCK7OsQNuV4xAVaWEFIPiS-4hpKBT3vs4s0nn-lt6T9i1BVedTDlss13FiNpbtqMORU03bFy3gX5ROCFjtft-w/s400/Photos+at+Home0003.jpg" border="0" /></a> Eli (left) and Henry (right) on April 2, 2009</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">[If you just want to skip to information on the "Absorbent Mind" challenge, just scroll down to where I've written that in bold.]<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">It has been a few weeks of sickness, quarantine, and busyness but I have not forgotten about the "Absorbent Mind" challenge. I must apologize for allowing all the other interesting challenges to get in my way. Ella had a terrible 'flu, which meant separating her from the boys and Derek and me from each other. Derek and Ella got the living room. It's a good thing our couch is very wide so they could both sleep on it. Henry, Eli, and I got the master bedroom. Sometimes Ella would stand at the door to our room and ask, with the saddest, most pitiful voice, "Mummy, will you hold up Henry/Eli so I can see him and say "hello" to him?" Derek and I would occasionally meet up in the bathroom, him on a quest to empty and clean the (so-called) "barf bucket," and me to get damp facecloths, a glass of water, or more wet wipes. But if we were able to, and took the time to get in a hug or kiss, then I had to change my clothes and "scrub in" again before rejoining the boys. We went through a lot of instant hand sanitizer!<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Then Derek caught the 'flu just as Ella was getting better. This resulted in my first-ever foray into the outside world with three children in tow. The normally simple trip to the bank and run for a few errands was greatly complicated by this, and took much longer than usual. But, we all survived. Everything took a lot longer with two babies and a preschooler, resulting in a late arrival home after a 9:00 pm supper at Subway. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Since Der</span>ek had ensconced himself in the master bedroom, with frequent runs to the bathroom, Ella and I made up a "bed" for her on the floor. It turned out to be rather a nest of blankets and pillows, but it served the purpose. I took the couch and put the boys in their bouncy seats. Ella really enjoyed "camping out" in the living room. The couch did become rather squishy, though, when at some point in the wee hours of the morning I tried to move only to discover that there was no where to which I could move as all three children had somehow ended up on the couch with me. Ella I could understand. She at least has great powers of mobility. I'm guessing the Eli and Henry had contrived to get me to fall asleep while nursing them.<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The next day the children and I evacuated the premises, putting Derek in solitary quarantine, and we retreated to my mother's house. Derek had no sooner recovered than he was thrust into Easter<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"> week</span>end. All's well that ends well, but it's a week past Easter and we're still recovering! Mum says that we're living in perpetual "survival mode." She's not entirely wrong.<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">In the midst of all this insanity, Eli and Henry turned two months. During Ella's first year we did a "photo shoot" every month, so how could I do less for my boys? We did simplify, but I got their pictures nonetheless. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kHQaKfWOPgN2sukSqXHOKwy23mliQuUw-VprK6vn9NndtlLf1OvwpV838mdUtTqwkjndE9EPp4CrgHWSiwCvQau5TPL6HjoqS4GxtCTQ2LAIvBVm0gqN1l2Nu_QWrbL7Yji4eA/s1600-h/Photos+at+Home0006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326564385236170194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kHQaKfWOPgN2sukSqXHOKwy23mliQuUw-VprK6vn9NndtlLf1OvwpV838mdUtTqwkjndE9EPp4CrgHWSiwCvQau5TPL6HjoqS4GxtCTQ2LAIvBVm0gqN1l2Nu_QWrbL7Yji4eA/s400/Photos+at+Home0006.jpg" border="0" /></a> Eli Derek, two months old</div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmwOM6dF84ZLV9yfsIzLOeXTgHarJmEt6UAj41qmMe2kAYUSiB70PypsezZLN5_MYLs1vs1N8Fc73KS0ioP3MGRCBSlerYc__9QdLSzdx4z_8Lp1HKW7FMbWkpCPbSbdfmiusLA/s1600-h/Photos+at+Home0002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326564376804784722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 265px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmwOM6dF84ZLV9yfsIzLOeXTgHarJmEt6UAj41qmMe2kAYUSiB70PypsezZLN5_MYLs1vs1N8Fc73KS0ioP3MGRCBSlerYc__9QdLSzdx4z_8Lp1HKW7FMbWkpCPbSbdfmiusLA/s400/Photos+at+Home0002.jpg" border="0" /></a> Henry Harold, two months old</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">It's not hard to tell that they've been gaining quickly since getting home. They are quite aware that they have unlimited access to food twenty-four hours a day, and they take advantage of the fact! How wonderful to see their bodies filling in all that excess skin. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">They</span> really look like babies now, not just minuscule old men.<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>ABSORBENT MIND CHALLENGE INFORMATION:</strong><br /><br />Well, we've got ten people who want to read <em>The Absorbent Mind</em> together, and a couple who want to "audit" the discussions, so it's time to get started. There are two different options for our group. Please think about each option and vote for the option you like the best.</div><ol><li><div align="left"><strong>Have an <em>Absorbent Mind</em> Yahoo! group.</strong> That would mean that we'd communicate primarily through e-mails and/or at the Yahoo! group site. We could post files for others to download, and we wouldn't have to constantly be checking a specific website. It is easy, using this method, to make quick comments on something someone else has said. This format lends itself to briefer posts and would have more of a feel of an actual, spoken discussion. That said, it's less "tidy" in the sense that it would be easy to get multiple threads going on the same topic, which can be confusing, and there wouldn't be any quick-and-easy way to read through the discussion notes in order and properly organized.</div></li><li><div align="left"><strong>Have an <em>Absorbent Mind</em> blog.</strong> I would create the blog and then invite each of you to join as authors. We could chose to make it an open or closed blog. Each blog entry could be on one chapter (or a specific portion of one chapter) and the discussion would continue in the comments. This format would work well if we want to have longer comments, lending itself to an essay-like first post with more complete responses, dealing with the chapter/book portion in a methodical way. Of course, this would mean having to check a website on a frequent basis, and more care<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">fully c</span>onsidering such things as formatting and grammar.</div></li></ol><p align="left">One way sounds like it would be perfect for the free-thinking, artistic type and the other for the analytical, mathematical type. I'd say, "let's do both!" but it would be impractical.</p><p align="left">The other think I need to know in order to get us started is your e-mail addresses. If we do a blog I'll have to send out a specific invitation to each of you, and if we do a Yahoo! group I'll want to know that those applying to become members are actually the folks who want to participate or listen in. (Oh, those who want to "audit" this group, so to speak, are always welcome to add their thoughts and opinions as well.)</p><p align="left">So, I'll ask those who responded indicating that they wanted to be involved in <em>The Absorbent Mind</em> challenge to respond to this post, letting me know which way you'd prefer the group to "meet" and what your e-mail address is.</p><p align="left"><strong>PLEASE NOTE: The comments you submit that contain personal information - in this case, your e-mail address - will be REJECTED and will never show up on this website. The only person who will see that information is me... or possibly my husband if he happens to download the e-mail before I get to it. The information will only be used by me and I will not be sending unsolicited mail to you.</strong></p><p align="left">Just wanted to make that clear! Now, for a few pictures from Easter!<br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNFRM_t0L9z6Rq0ENGbayfGK9eg3rgMuWnOD3sPD8zxDPo8-sBj9bZLR8keTo_b2b0_FAa_RLVVabVVjUkJ4CHt-YGSpgrjzQtAwbIxTFCQ9gCu1OGJVjlyfIKbgcxUzqN4I6Ug/s1600-h/Photos+at+Home0001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326564372634560370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 272px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNFRM_t0L9z6Rq0ENGbayfGK9eg3rgMuWnOD3sPD8zxDPo8-sBj9bZLR8keTo_b2b0_FAa_RLVVabVVjUkJ4CHt-YGSpgrjzQtAwbIxTFCQ9gCu1OGJVjlyfIKbgcxUzqN4I6Ug/s400/Photos%3Cspan%20class=" /></a>Ella and Her Bunnies: Sarah and Myis<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_zyOaIFebWc5I6t65VQWpU6SvyzFccn0wm2RD-rbquxFlmzzDtw27CKKpQ5kpChQVwWro6fKXiLbow8HbjyGtUOEEtOf4g460QegvUeosxrTr7f7yz1rnAFis-nB3FwrvNN6Fg/s1600-h/Photos+at+Home0007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326564367362834418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_zyOaIFebWc5I6t65VQWpU6SvyzFccn0wm2RD-rbquxFlmzzDtw27CKKpQ5kpChQVwWro6fKXiLbow8HbjyGtUOEEtOf4g460QegvUeosxrTr7f7yz1rnAFis-nB3FwrvNN6Fg/s400/Photos+at+Home0007.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Proud Big Sister and Her Easter Treat: Eli!<br />(Eli's not sure that he wants to be in the basket.)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcY1_JSuxcvLkb0a8nJMBni-ssa4PAZ8pOytCq4yDWYgrvFX1ytNm1rt9LeOHZOe2sqxgLDgE4wMHsT1kF96bIqa-DJqKxIzBR__QAZThCSMudwB3Dnn7n8Tyw3UItp0d_rYCzg/s1600-h/Photos+at+Home0008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326564366173890354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 279px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcY1_JSuxcvLkb0a8nJMBni-ssa4PAZ8pOytCq4yDWYgrvFX1ytNm1rt9LeOHZOe2sqxgLDgE4wMHsT1kF96bIqa-DJqKxIzBR__QAZThCSMudwB3Dnn7n8Tyw3UItp0d_rYCzg/s400/Photos+at+Home0008.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ella Enjoys Henry.<br />He is the spitting image of Ella as a baby. </div>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-30434739769079160402009-03-26T20:41:00.000-07:002009-03-27T12:07:22.422-07:00"The Absorbent Mind" Challenge<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbkMtUqbla-lC-J3O0f1y1piBb0VYiVYekMIhh-cX2w2kiK_XRsyZIPCxyXKN-4kKciXBnVN4SI8Bf-9X4ak_6Jsg8A4UC-PmdhrDHozpeLLZug9bPpzOylEY51mTChA9qAfWzg/s1600-h/Photos+at+Home0001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317727844674463426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbkMtUqbla-lC-J3O0f1y1piBb0VYiVYekMIhh-cX2w2kiK_XRsyZIPCxyXKN-4kKciXBnVN4SI8Bf-9X4ak_6Jsg8A4UC-PmdhrDHozpeLLZug9bPpzOylEY51mTChA9qAfWzg/s400/Photos+at+Home0001.jpg" border="0" /></a> Eli (in blue) and Henry (in green)<br /><br /><div align="left"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">It's almost 2 am here, and I'm up nursing Eli and am again thinking about something I've been wanting to do ever since the boys were born. I remember reading Maria Montessori's <em>The Absorbent Mind</em> and thinking that it really applied well to infancy. Many of the things I learned in that book I had already, instinctively, done with Ella. But it's time to brush up!</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Books are always more enjoyable when you have someone to discuss them with, and so I'm throwing out a challenge (an easy one): who would like to read <em>The Absorbant Mind</em> with me? We'll be doing it at a leisurely pace, perhaps over 2-3 months, giving ourselves lots of time to absorb and discuss it.</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">There are a few different ways we can do this and I haven't decided which way we'd go yet. It would be nice to have the imput of others who want to be involved first. So grab your copy, or buy or borrow, and sign up! The more opinions the more interesting our reading will be. I have yet to get my own copy of the book, so you have time to get one too. Perhaps we can begin mid-April?</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">If you are interested, please respond to this post. In a few days (around April 1st) I will post again to co-ordinate those who wish to be involved. If you don't want to join in the reading and discussions but you do want to see our discussions, please let me know that too, just so I know whether our posts/messages should be public or not. Understand, though, that the final decision of whether our discussion is public or private will be up to the entire group, not just me.</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Hope to hear from you soon!</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span><br /></div><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"></span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBY2mNj_OfrZADBIS3bHguH18zIDQuIYu6j_v-I__64ujcCxsrz7KnwnKSQCXHgJj0LwDgqlEKqF102-yrMWGZBsOU3QSYeL9YYZIR4lSLJ1vvSCnWpbk5f2guPAzGEYJwYzE6g/s1600-h/Photos+at+Home0002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317727849536955378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBY2mNj_OfrZADBIS3bHguH18zIDQuIYu6j_v-I__64ujcCxsrz7KnwnKSQCXHgJj0LwDgqlEKqF102-yrMWGZBsOU3QSYeL9YYZIR4lSLJ1vvSCnWpbk5f2guPAzGEYJwYzE6g/s400/Photos+at+Home0002.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>My Boys</p><p align="center">Photos by me. Beautiful afgan background by <a href="http://www.zirbert.blogspot.com/">Zirbert</a>'s wife, she of the magic sticks and string!</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-25119233180456514482009-03-19T08:14:00.000-07:002009-03-21T20:49:22.499-07:00Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jigg<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S-anzy1BxMf49VUJpI_lGgdp90C89aYf8IZjUzOczJ5UQ92XUtqhIUMmzE9ZoCJWkUhstW9kxmCnTu_PxoJTvAhoALRZ4bRRaTujCZRF9Emvi37t187eEULBDSwDxf2XruhPVg/s1600-h/IMG_4462.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314919156332137714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S-anzy1BxMf49VUJpI_lGgdp90C89aYf8IZjUzOczJ5UQ92XUtqhIUMmzE9ZoCJWkUhstW9kxmCnTu_PxoJTvAhoALRZ4bRRaTujCZRF9Emvi37t187eEULBDSwDxf2XruhPVg/s400/IMG_4462.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ella, Eli, Henry, and Me</div><div align="center">On their first morning out of the hospital</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><p align="left"><br />Well, it only took six weeks, and now our family is finally all together! Life has suddenly improved <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">exponentially</span>. Though we are still doing our share of running around, mostly to doctors' appointments.</p><div align="left"></div><p align="left">Almost the moment the staph infection was under control Henry began to complain <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">vehemently</span> about his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">diminished</span> rations. They began <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">gavage</span> feedings again, but he remained unappeased. He wanted to <em>eat</em>. But between the bowel infection and the staph infection it had been a long time since he'd nursed and he just couldn't remember how to latch. He was so frustrated because he knew he had done it before. So for a time breastfeeding became alternately trying to help him latch and trying to calm him down.</p><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><p align="left">Until that time I had never had any problem with breastfeeding. I remember thinking shortly after Ella was born, "Why on earth did I go to a class to learn <em>this</em>? It's so easy!" Of course it <em>was</em> easy for me - and for Ella. She came out, looked around, and asked, "Where's the food?" and upon latching I could hear her thinking, "Now that's what I'm <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">talkin</span>' about!" </p><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><p align="left">Even though the boys were born "too early" to have the instinct to suckle Henry arrived already knowing how and Eli was just a day or so behind him. In Eli's case it wasn't so much that he didn't know what to do, but more that he didn't expect the usual results! The first time he latched and suckled his surprise was hilarious. Once he tasted milk his eyes flew open in shock, he yanked himself backwards, and stared at my breast as if to say, "What just happened?!" Eating by mouth took some getting used to in his case. After he had come to accept the consequences of suckling he picked up the skill very quickly.</p><div align="left"></div><p align="left">Henry's difficulties helped me understand to a greater degree the plight through which many breastfeeding mothers go. Though I didn't become frustrated as he was attempting and failing to latch, I completely understood why other mothers, especially first-time mothers, would become extremely frustrated themselves. As I'd already had years of successful breastfeeding (2 1/2 to be exact) I really didn't have any fear that <em>I</em> couldn't, nor did I fear Henry being unable to feed. He had done so before, so it was just a matter of remembering and practicing. Part of his issue was impatience: being so frantic to get milk that he wouldn't stop bobbing around and trying to suck at anything he found, not taking the time to get a decent latch. <em>That</em> aspect of his feeding problem continues; if he'd just slow down and relax he wouldn't get nearly so upset! (I have told him this, but it doesn't seem to help. We'll have to continue with lessons on comprehension of the English language.) </p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge94MZqCzuRylsg_MaEvFtETCp3v7gIrqDxwd7uFVCf3eMfH3LWczntC45Jf5HtzC83fzVCX02uqFxKG-SHA1LxTd4EyaWhTegdJq52Vmjk_HwEBD2ihJrPvcbsP0VTUkqvL-cTA/s1600-h/IMG_4432.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314918868218706306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge94MZqCzuRylsg_MaEvFtETCp3v7gIrqDxwd7uFVCf3eMfH3LWczntC45Jf5HtzC83fzVCX02uqFxKG-SHA1LxTd4EyaWhTegdJq52Vmjk_HwEBD2ihJrPvcbsP0VTUkqvL-cTA/s400/IMG_4432.jpg" border="0" /></a> Henry - trying to decide if his car seat is edible<br /></p><p align="left">Establishing breastfeeding was so important in the boys' cases because they needed to be able to have the energy and ability to take all their feedings by mouth, eliminating the need for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">nasogastric</span> tube. Because of Henry's infections, Eli met this goal several days before him. But by that time Henry was taking about 80% of his feedings orally, either by breast or bottle, so we knew they were very close to discharge.</p><p align="left">As excited as we were by that prospect, Derek was worried about one thing - since Christmas (when I'd <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">received</span> a gift certificates both for the movies and for East Side Mario's) we'd been planning on going out on a date. My husband had been reminding me that it would be our last chance to go on a date for the next 18 years!</p><div align="center"><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-NtJ4x4geFTcFGDpOUs4RybzmTwUMcAJD4-Bfpo_V8q_lkI7x8FbRd3oCviLQnf2_rv__mLG7gSz2yWp0cc7GOydLWAya0PAxEUGTNNm3nAPOj16NJJvG1csiXMVE7_tQ9-96g/s1600-h/IMG_4428.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314918875513462850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-NtJ4x4geFTcFGDpOUs4RybzmTwUMcAJD4-Bfpo_V8q_lkI7x8FbRd3oCviLQnf2_rv__mLG7gSz2yWp0cc7GOydLWAya0PAxEUGTNNm3nAPOj16NJJvG1csiXMVE7_tQ9-96g/s400/IMG_4428.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ella and I get Eli into his car seat for the trip home.</p><p align="left">So, the night before discharge we sent Ella to Mum's and we hit the town. Most dates don't end how ours did, however. After a wonderful evening we headed back to the hospital so I could go up to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">NICU</span> and pump! Home was just too far away and it was a frigid night so pumping in the car was not an option.</p><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeIPGQbnoj_1-eRCR-XD_zQR9CNwHq0iXuNBVe7Xv79DrotYJybnQiqpZXBCJPfQp-faCRQLVamZQ3qTktDvQ74gTj7YFnVPj0SiZZmzWRdC8KkbtEDDNTlqHgUyZDy6gwt072w/s1600-h/IMG_4444.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314918873447140722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeIPGQbnoj_1-eRCR-XD_zQR9CNwHq0iXuNBVe7Xv79DrotYJybnQiqpZXBCJPfQp-faCRQLVamZQ3qTktDvQ74gTj7YFnVPj0SiZZmzWRdC8KkbtEDDNTlqHgUyZDy6gwt072w/s400/IMG_4444.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ella - ready to take her brothers home</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><br />You know how, as a kid, you look forward to Christmas for weeks and weeks? You think, you plan, you anticipate the arrival of that day with so much excitement and joy. The day we brought our boys home was like that. The anticipation is so great that you don't think the actual event could possibly live up to it, but in this case it did.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Because of some vehicular issues, we couldn't take our boys directly home, but ended up going from the hospital to my parents' for the night. They graciously gave up their room to Derek, Eli, Henry, and me because the spare bedroom in their house is freezing (for some reason it gets very little heat). Although not what we'd expected, it was a blessing. My father got to hold his grandsons for the first time, which he had been looking forward to. And, after a long, mostly sleepless night, I got to sleep in as there were plenty of other folks around who wanted to take care of the boys!<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Oxz7hzvbKUSzQmLbzqpYZ3kWsxDwWRDewlNApexl_sNbXUt5zbeZOBwG1xkkV1VvGSjrrgUFDO50SlJpPKEn-x8Icdk1kLE2vruZFbz2_M2dRFz-ej6cnt8mG_wA-xUy1zxLsA/s1600-h/IMG_4476.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314918869824980530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Oxz7hzvbKUSzQmLbzqpYZ3kWsxDwWRDewlNApexl_sNbXUt5zbeZOBwG1xkkV1VvGSjrrgUFDO50SlJpPKEn-x8Icdk1kLE2vruZFbz2_M2dRFz-ej6cnt8mG_wA-xUy1zxLsA/s400/IMG_4476.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>Derek - tired but happily holding Eli</p><p align="left">Having Eli and Henry with us all the time has been bliss - bleary-eyed, brain-fried bliss. Between them and Ella we are kept constantly busy all day and boy do they ever go through diapers! At nights, though, they aren't all that bad - especially when I compare them to Ella in infancy. Perhaps because we keep our room dark at night (compared to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">NICU's</span> constant lighting) they've been tending to sleep for four hours straight, then they wake, eat, and get their diapers changed, a process that takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, and again sleep for four hours. When I remember Ella's every-two-hours-without-fail night wakings (which lasted for almost two years!), I feel I'm positively well-rested.</p><p align="left">It has been a joy, getting to know our sons in our own environment, without the constant presence of others. Henry is very demanding and impatient, wanting a lot of attention. If he's hungry and you have to first change his diaper he will protest loudly until he gets his milk. He also wants to be held all the time. If he falls asleep in your arms and you try to transfer him to a crib or pack-and-play you are almost <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">guaranteed</span> to hear him screaming within the next five minutes. He's also very strong and determined. He can manipulate his body in order to get himself into very interesting positions and places, so we have to keep an eye on him. And when he's awake, he is unfailingly curious. It's very difficult to hold him in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">traditional</span> burping position (vertical, against your chest) as he always pushes himself backwards with his hands so he can see all around himself. I don't doubt he'll keep us on our toes!</p><p align="left">Eli tends to be more relaxed, most of the time. He does love attention, but doesn't always demand it. Like his brother he wants to be held a lot. I wonder if this is due to being in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">isolettes</span> for so long while in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">NICU</span>. When there they didn't get nearly as much human contact as most newborn babies, and when they were getting attention it was usually because there was some medical <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">procedure</span> that had to be done, so it was unpleasant attention. Now they can get all the snuggles they want, and they want them a lot! Eli, provided he's not hungry and has a clean diaper, will generally lay quite contentedly in a bouncy chair provided someone is around touching him, talking to him, or even making noise in the same room as him. He just likes having folks around. When held in the burping position, Eli will just curl right up and snuggle, often enjoying himself so much he relaxes and falls asleep. He's also pretty good at self-soothing, having discovered that a thumb can be a pleasant appendage, especially when he's waiting for food. And if a diaper change is necessary before milk time, as soon as you begin to do the diaper change he settles down until the change is over before "reminding" you that he's hungry. Whereas Henry goes all-out crying to get what he needs, Eli will give a loud cry and then stop and wait to see if he gets the desired results. If not, he cries out again. Only if you ignore him does he really yowl.</p><p align="left">They're both very smart, too smart in some ways! Eli figured out (sneaky boy that he is) that when he wants Mummy, no one else, just Mummy, all he has to do is pretend to be hungry. He did this in the hospital, refusing to accept the bottle that the nurse was trying to give him but rooting around anyway. When she finally gave up and handed him to me to try nursing, he did nothing more than give a little suckle and then he pulled away, smiled up at me, laid his head on my breast and went to sleep! I don't know if he told Henry about that trick, but now Henry's doing it too.</p><p align="left">And on Tuesday, when we had a doctor's appointment for the boys, they had an uncanny sense that they were in a medical environment. From the moment that we entered the examination room until the doctor finally left, they both screamed. In fact, every time she came toward them with a medical instrument they howled even louder. They fought everything she tried to do, even something so innocuous as a stethoscope they tried to get away from. After she left the room, however, they both settled down quite happily! It was kind of spooky, and almost funny.</p><p align="left">But, having that doctor's appointment made one thing very clear; feeding less frequently since arriving home has done them no harm, so they must be getting more than they did before! Eli had gained a pound - in just a few days! And Henry was up half a pound. They both weighed in at 5 lbs. 8 oz., making them positively hefty compared to when they were born. Getting to self-regulate their feedings, both in terms of frequency and volume has been a very good thing indeed.<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cOYuhl2lfQcCxhNsBKqcjehgh_LKpEdsl4wwsGIhigiJEq_Nfk51P_PWZnbY0cwiQS2wgTrYgTQAv7SSEv1Pu36naW0U1I12xu6USFkthabq8p8Jca6x-uMd1hfxSw6QTDRQFQ/s1600-h/IMG_4483.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314918860015977778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cOYuhl2lfQcCxhNsBKqcjehgh_LKpEdsl4wwsGIhigiJEq_Nfk51P_PWZnbY0cwiQS2wgTrYgTQAv7SSEv1Pu36naW0U1I12xu6USFkthabq8p8Jca6x-uMd1hfxSw6QTDRQFQ/s400/IMG_4483.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="center">Ella and her brothers - who are evidently feeling camera-shy!</p><p align="left">Our next big challenge is going to be establishing a routine - one that includes such things as housework and getting the nursery ready.</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-6109970599003613602009-03-04T12:49:00.001-08:002009-03-04T17:16:19.378-08:00One Month Old<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnuLZqCS3fxsrPZutRmXJGtQXtpttqYUBn0VT0uUpG3XfQczOIMk5CDKT4CNisbs_zO9PqLxXW69ak4um_ks6mN_oequnfUIZUet81q5jMO1Afu_ews75nVhpXC36qsULsl7NTQ/s1600-h/image+4-3-2009+(12).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309450080284781618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnuLZqCS3fxsrPZutRmXJGtQXtpttqYUBn0VT0uUpG3XfQczOIMk5CDKT4CNisbs_zO9PqLxXW69ak4um_ks6mN_oequnfUIZUet81q5jMO1Afu_ews75nVhpXC36qsULsl7NTQ/s400/image+4-3-2009+(12).jpg" border="0" /></a> Henry Harold - One Month Old, 4 lbs. 4 oz. - and a very sick little fellow indeed.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4OhQHjqT3YgeJLWNTLMbWJGpOpT4mZxQwZmXL1Gi_qXc2A9AN81FbLP7x3sU_OCeeZaXeVBSMBvpXgHTf-VuhXOOtko-53cply9whIYyLC4XztiYoPomKGBN3lof_je8KwdSRA/s1600-h/Eli+-+Close+Up.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309450067640755122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4OhQHjqT3YgeJLWNTLMbWJGpOpT4mZxQwZmXL1Gi_qXc2A9AN81FbLP7x3sU_OCeeZaXeVBSMBvpXgHTf-VuhXOOtko-53cply9whIYyLC4XztiYoPomKGBN3lof_je8KwdSRA/s400/Eli+-+Close+Up.jpg" border="0" /></a> Eli Derek - 4 lbs. - growing and thriving.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJORoXNOuewm5pnMoDfTMqpS2w6LPcYYR7FhlCrKK0RC9Zvf5sBoSoHx0xMwtkwog58r-a9Zlh7rK-RgOFI5WrBzbEUe_CGJgntGJWcZqdsXOL9WpQxsBFdFVUagizXw4UP0L2Kw/s1600-h/image+4-3-2009+(17).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309450077535393058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 244px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJORoXNOuewm5pnMoDfTMqpS2w6LPcYYR7FhlCrKK0RC9Zvf5sBoSoHx0xMwtkwog58r-a9Zlh7rK-RgOFI5WrBzbEUe_CGJgntGJWcZqdsXOL9WpQxsBFdFVUagizXw4UP0L2Kw/s400/image+4-3-2009+(17).jpg" border="0" /></a> Ella holds Eli. She <em>loves</em> holding her baby brothers! She often asks, "Are Eli and Henry <em>ever</em> coming home?" We all look forward to that day!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXABuMYYLXaFK7g_14blLosQKTFXNCVIem-I0fVlfl0rHx76Mr-ETrcmsQ2XznGB1d8ndQgJj3Bs2NG736nukrH-7Kq2G8F2NAghe8_a3nu_BhUJKkCCmKA04nQabxvodQARMurg/s1600-h/image+4-3-2009+(10).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309450075101172930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXABuMYYLXaFK7g_14blLosQKTFXNCVIem-I0fVlfl0rHx76Mr-ETrcmsQ2XznGB1d8ndQgJj3Bs2NG736nukrH-7Kq2G8F2NAghe8_a3nu_BhUJKkCCmKA04nQabxvodQARMurg/s400/image+4-3-2009+(10).jpg" border="0" /></a> Henry has had a rough time of it in the last week and a half. He had a bacterial infection in his bowels, resulting in a lot of blood in his feces. So he was separated from Eli, put on antibiotics and an IV (for food) and they stopped feeding him <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">breast milk</span>. A week later, when they resumed his feedings (albeit, smaller doses) the problem seemed to have resolved completely. He'd had several bowel movements with no blood. That night (Saturday) we'd heaved a sigh of relief and went home.<br /><br />Shortly before midnight we were rung by the on-call paediatrician who told us that Henry had been having frequently repeated apnea episodes. Basically, his heart rate would slow down significantly and his breathing would stop. For a couple hours his nurse couldn't leave his side, constantly having to stimulate him to start his breathing again. These apnea episodes are not uncommon in premature infants, but since Henry had never had any episodes before, and he was only two days away from being a month old, they knew something else was causing this.<br /><br />He was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">intubated</span> (put on a <a href="http://kingproductions.com/images/reellttl.jpg">respirator</a> to keep him breathing) and he had a lumbar puncture (spinal tap), blood work, and stool samples taken. The doctor suspected a blood infection of some sort and he wanted to rule out meningitis. At issue was that the test results would take from 24 to 48 hours to come back which would give the infection (whatever it was) that much time to spread. So they began him on two strong antibiotics. Derek and I packed an overnight bag, woke Ella (who was less than pleased with the sleep interruption) and went to my parents' to drop her off. Then we headed to the hospital.<br /><br />We arrived at 3:30 am, scrubbed in (standard <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">procedure</span> for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">NICU</span>) and went to see our boys. Henry was white as parchment, despite having been on the respirator for a couple hours. Evidently his hemoglobin was low as well. He was definitely a very sick little fellow. We stayed overnight (if you can call a four hour sleep "overnight") and most of the next day. There was a snow storm coming, so Derek left to go to Mum's so he could be with Ella and I stayed with Eli and Henry. We didn't want to be stuck at the hospital and unable to get to Ella and we didn't want to end up stuck at home and unable to get to the boys, so splitting up made sense.<br /><br />Henry began to improve while on the respirator and antibiotics and the test results came back that he did not have meningitis but another kind of blood infection: gram positive cocci (commonly known as a staph infection or staphylococcal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septicemia">sepsis</a>), which is pretty nasty, but not as nasty as meningitis. He began to get his colour back, at least somewhat, and by the time I left the hospital (Tuesday afternoon) he was much improved, off the respirator, and energetic enough to put up a fuss from 3:30 am to 5:00 am. Needless to say, I'm exhausted!<br /><br />So we're all heaving a sigh of relief that the antibiotics are working, that he continues to improve (his nurse told me he's getting very active again), and that he's again able to have regular feedings of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">breast milk</span>.<br /><br />One of the nice side-effects of me being in the neonatal unit so long is that Eli got to do a lot of breastfeeding, establishing his ability at nursing very well. He still doesn't have quite enough energy to take all of his feedings that way, but he could take several feedings or half-feedings a day that way. And he was able to be transferred from an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">isolette</span> to a regular cot. So now he's wearing real clothes and as long as he's well bundled up he's able to maintain his own heat. Occasionally he has gotten a little bit cool, but I told him if he'd only keep his hat on that wouldn't be such an issue!<br /><br />It will be a glorious day when both boys are well enough to come home from the hospital. Until then we continue to do a lot of travelling back and forth to Mum's and to the hospital. It's tiring and stressful, but we keep reminding ourselves that, in general, the boys are doing well and that this too shall pass.<br /><br />A <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">humorous</span> side-note:<br />On the night we rushed to the hospital, first dropping Ella off at Mum and Dad's, Ella evidently woke up a bit confused early in the morning. According to Mum she sat straight up in bed, looked around, and asked, "What is going on here?" Mum reminded her about Henry's illness and she laid back down and fell asleep again almost immediately!HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-4928139210186426052009-02-18T08:34:00.000-08:002009-02-18T09:06:24.956-08:00Introducing...Henry Harold, born on February 2nd, 2009. 45cm long, 4 lbs. 2 oz.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiI_WW7LoIixuTKKPOv9pNUZUTSIm8nYVw2tESYz7_Dwh6IMHy0uW-PqlXjp1IFvlxARb7KK6w2yZbQC4WGvEwdegsNCFeYrKimxw6wZkN__vlsGuhmEs-CLS2jEnPV94g-GxW4Q/s1600-h/Henry+close+up.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304177616253757746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiI_WW7LoIixuTKKPOv9pNUZUTSIm8nYVw2tESYz7_Dwh6IMHy0uW-PqlXjp1IFvlxARb7KK6w2yZbQC4WGvEwdegsNCFeYrKimxw6wZkN__vlsGuhmEs-CLS2jEnPV94g-GxW4Q/s400/Henry+close+up.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />AND<br /><br />Eli Derek, born February 2nd, 2009. 40 cm long, 3 lbs. 11 oz.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXw7bn04fX6_95NiO4E4aiLJwt4h3hQ05R8oX44QnMBe5PTCZfGEWu_Sn7N-TzJ0fKsX9PVsu-aXT9UjGazXpHB6CYmy2SzePaHPBbgGi8ST3sSHIHsuvB9PHyn9CSzacH0YsDQ/s1600-h/Eli+close+up.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304177594230104834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXw7bn04fX6_95NiO4E4aiLJwt4h3hQ05R8oX44QnMBe5PTCZfGEWu_Sn7N-TzJ0fKsX9PVsu-aXT9UjGazXpHB6CYmy2SzePaHPBbgGi8ST3sSHIHsuvB9PHyn9CSzacH0YsDQ/s400/Eli+close+up.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Both boys are doing remarkably well considering their very early arrival. Neither needed to be put on oxygen and both are very active. Eli has gotten himself the nickname "Wild Man" by the nurses as he is so successful at removing all his IVs, monitors, and tubes. Henry is pretty good at getting them out too, but he is more interested in moving around his isolette and getting into interesting and awkward positions. Both are still being fed predominantly by gavage (a tube to the stomach) though Henry has figured out how to latch and has begun to breastfeed for up to half his feedings when I'm there.</p><p>The early arrival occurred when, on the morning of February 2nd, as we were preparing to head to the hospital for an ultrasound, Henry broke his water. Talk about a shock! As it turns out, I would have been giving birth ASAP anyways as I had been quickly developping <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preeclampsia">pre-eclampsia</a> complicated by <a href="http://www.hellpsyndrome.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=40426&PID=493919">HELLP Syndrome</a>. I spent the day, following the boys' birth, drifting in and out of consciousness, pretty much unaware of what was going on. I was in the ICU for two days until they were able to stabilize me. Because my kidneys and liver had stopped functioning I swelled up like the Michelin man. For some reason that defies explanation, both of the boys and I also had high levels of pottasium. Evidently that can be bad!</p><p>Eventually with medication expirimentation it came down in all of us. All my organs are on their way back to normal again. I stayed in hospital for two weeks and now we're doing a lot of running back and forth to visit the boys who will be in the NICU until they have gained sufficient weight and are also able to take all their feedings by bottle or breast.</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-57032407582314769952009-01-22T17:39:00.000-08:002009-01-22T18:15:18.545-08:00Montessori Mathematics: The Complete Bead Material - Part 3Nope, I'm not dead yet! It's been too long since my last post, but for me, at least, that time has flown. Between Christmas preparations, having our computer sent away to get fixed, and perpetual exhaustion, fewer things get time and attention, my blog being one of them.<br /><br />That doesn't mean I've been skipping out on materials making. I've got a fair bit done, and now I have pictures! Here's my work to date:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52qv_gsrDiIEf2_MubnfaFZveCCKe_Za0PECrtGaYMEbA-6txP6Lhe3DAtxmhvG5Gw5YF3KHPgcd3OqLbt15hNMGVv3vJ1h2cnnssiZk1r5z1woLZ9f9QPGDtMbBJl_G9t8oDpQ/s1600-h/image_30_11_2008-13(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294297985921986002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52qv_gsrDiIEf2_MubnfaFZveCCKe_Za0PECrtGaYMEbA-6txP6Lhe3DAtxmhvG5Gw5YF3KHPgcd3OqLbt15hNMGVv3vJ1h2cnnssiZk1r5z1woLZ9f9QPGDtMbBJl_G9t8oDpQ/s400/image_30_11_2008-13(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a>My first priority was getting the bead bars ready so we could learn the snake game and do various additions and subtractions up to ten. Then it was getting one copy for each number of the squares and cubes (of course, I needed more than one ten square - I needed ten in order to continue with the golden bead material). My eight, nine, and ten cubes are not yet completed, but eight and ten are coming along quickly. And my short (square) and long (cubing) chains are just barely beginning. We won't need those for a little while though.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLo7YUnH_xe8zsraXOaQTzrkP5Snu4M2vvMWXG6yuhyphenhyphenigwalg0IFlvmaO-UHzwkxr1ni6gf-_0ne6IGdhC-53JRsZTtU3UCAQcawGTclGynV6nYPnOKuEOcNTytsasgFoGz5PMw/s1600-h/image_30_11_2008-10(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294297985936320162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLo7YUnH_xe8zsraXOaQTzrkP5Snu4M2vvMWXG6yuhyphenhyphenigwalg0IFlvmaO-UHzwkxr1ni6gf-_0ne6IGdhC-53JRsZTtU3UCAQcawGTclGynV6nYPnOKuEOcNTytsasgFoGz5PMw/s400/image_30_11_2008-10(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a> As you can see, I've been using the plastic canvas to steady the cubes and squares. Take my advice: when beginning a cube, start in the MIDDLE and spiral your way out. The first one I tried I began at the corner and that was a mess!<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>Also, for the long and short chains, you'd be wise to pick up some jump rings or split rings (they're in the jewelry making/beading section of any craft store among the other findings). I tried making them myself, but it's very difficult and time-consuming. If you buy the rings, you can simply make a bunch of bead bars and then link them together. Otherwise there's a bunch of fussing and fidgeting to get bead bars attached.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>I'm sure that many of you have anticipated this: as I am having (soon!) two baby boys, my life is about to become much more complex. My plans as far as the blog goes are to leave it up, post when I can, and try to update the blog as materials are made and as pictures are taken. Perhaps as the boys age I will get to post more often, but better a little than none!<br /><br /></div><div></div>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-75960142390090354012008-11-19T08:00:00.000-08:002008-11-19T09:51:17.166-08:00Montessori Mathematics: The Complete Bead Material - Part 2Well, I've had my <a href="http://www.bolekscrafts.com/">Bolek's</a> order for just over a week now. Wow! That really is <em>a lot</em> of beads! Beading has taken over Christmas preparations, baby preparations, computer time, and my bead stuff comes with me everywhere.<br /><br />To keep things simple, here's the materials (other than beads) that you will need to make the bead material:<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=bd0356&channelid=">Round Nose Pliers</a> (Usually available at craft stores in the beading section.)</li><li><a href="http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443256838&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672919&bmUID=1227115828291&deptid=1408474396672839&ctgrid=1408474396672849&subctgrid=1408474396672919">Linesmen's Pliers or Diagonal Cut Pliers</a> (Found in almost any pliers set money can buy - so check your toolbox, your husband's toolbox, or borrow from an obliging neighbour, and if all else fails, go to your local hardware store!)</li><li><a href="http://www.createforless.com/Fibre-Craft+Paddle+Wire+22+Ga+Silver+115+ft/pid16843.aspx?SI=83f823b3-cbaf-4265-a6f2-d8cb9fa2d217">Wire</a> (This is not the <em>exact</em> wire I bought. I got Panacea Bright Floral Wire Value Pack 22 Gauge 8oz. I had been looking at the wire in the beading/jewellry section at Michael's, but it was all so <em>thin</em>. I needed something that would be able to stand up under much use by children, so I went to the floral section and found this. It's heavy-duty and I've got hopes that it won't tarnish - but who knows for sure?)</li><li><a href="http://www.createforless.com/Darice+Plastic+Canvas+7+10.5x+13.5/plid2574.aspx?SI=7a765b62-2110-4571-b4a8-9327dc103809">Plastic Canvas</a> - (I got two 10 1/2 x 13 1/2 sheets for a dollar at my local dollar store. This is used to keep the squares and cubes properly positioned. I found that with 8mm beads - the size of "standard" Montessori beads - the hole size worked really well when using every other hole.)</li><li>Easy-to-sort containers for holding your loose beads. I just used four-section veggie tray containers from the grocery store. After we've eaten the veggies we usually recycle them, but for this we reused them instead. They keep the beads nicely separated, hold quite a few, and the covers don't come off too easily so I'm not constsantly re-sorting beads... Unless Ella's been "helping!"</li></ul><p>There's a few other items that potentially could make beading much easier, but until my next trip to town to get a closer look, I can't say whether or not they're worth it. If I deem so, you'll be sure to hear about it in an upcoming post! But, since I've made squares, cubes, and chains, I know that those options are not absolutely necessary.</p><p>A couple thoughts about my Bolek's order. When I ordered the beads I chose <a href="http://www.bolekscrafts.com/bead_color_chart.htm">opaque colours</a> for all but the golden beads. My thinking was that the wire wouldn't show as much, and I was right. But I discovered an additional benefit: it's easier to find the hole! With light shining through and reflecting off of the beads sometimes that little hole can be elusive. No so with the opaque colours. Perhaps if I was used to working with transparent beads I wouldn't notice such a thing, but I'm not used to it so the easier it is to find the holes the sooner I'll get this done!</p><p>As for pictures, yes, there will be some in the very near future. My father and brother have been deer hunting and took Mum's digital camera. When they get back, I'll post photographs showing details on how to make the bead materials.</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-4107690153372885782008-11-17T13:05:00.000-08:002008-11-17T16:12:22.945-08:00A Little More Math...<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#9999ff;"><strong>1+1=3 ????</strong></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Doesn't seem to add up, does it? But that's what is happening in my house!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">No, this post is not about Montessori math, just to give you the heads up now. If you want information about Montessori <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mathematics</span>, pick one of the following: </span></div><ul><li><div align="left"><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2008/11/montessori-mathematics-complete-bead.html">Montessori Mathematics: The Complete Bead Material - Part 1</a></div></li><li><div align="left"><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2008/10/teens-board.html">Teens Board</a></div></li><li><div align="left"><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2008/05/homeschooling-frustrations.html">Homeschooling Frustrations</a></div></li><li><div align="left"><a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2008/03/im-constantly-adding-and-adapting.html">New Montessori Activities</a></div></li></ul><div align="left"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtQZtWyZrkKI7NysyNZD6c97PDU-CrKvP6NzZGmQLRxDIy0zTbOGWw7O3Y4bx6olZ2u9ZESTSxVF6YpqZaz17F6m5ZwKFDXKT23IXWVOvBJFLvl1UhxNsvXUiS8WyVZQZpTpj4A/s1600-h/Belly+Shot0001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269782180422978450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtQZtWyZrkKI7NysyNZD6c97PDU-CrKvP6NzZGmQLRxDIy0zTbOGWw7O3Y4bx6olZ2u9ZESTSxVF6YpqZaz17F6m5ZwKFDXKT23IXWVOvBJFLvl1UhxNsvXUiS8WyVZQZpTpj4A/s400/Belly+Shot0001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">There, that's out of the way. Now to explain my brilliant mathematical equation:</span></div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#9999ff;"><strong>1 pregnancy + 1 pregnancy =</strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#9999ff;"><strong>3 children!!!</strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">At least, that's what they tell me! Evidently I'm having twins - two boys to be more specific. This explains a few things, like why I threw up so much during my first trimester when last time I never threw up - I only felt nauseated. Also, I started having nasty ligament pain ridiculously early in the pregnancy. And once I began to feel movement, I noticed that the "baby" seemed to be kicking either very low or very high, not often in the middle. I just figured that he really got around. But as for my size, it never gave the secret away!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">You see, when I was pregnant for Ella, I popped <em>BIG</em> and I popped <em>EARLY</em>. At three months I barely looked pregnant, but by four months people were stopping me and making comments such as, "You must be due any day now!" When they found out I had five months to go, they would say, "Oh! You must be having twins!" Not the sort of thing that improves self-esteem.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Once I got that big, however, I pretty much maintained my girth until around 8 months, after which I put on a bit more weight until giving birth, and then promptly lost it all within 3 weeks. I was back to my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pre</span>-pregnancy weight, but the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pre</span>-pregnancy <em>shape</em> was a bit more elusive!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">So, on the rare occasion that people commented, "Oh, you're big for only __ weeks!" I'd laugh and explain that I was positively tiny compared to my last pregnancy. In fact, I was rather pleased at the difference.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Well, that difference won't last much longer! Both boys have their own placentas and amniotic sacs, which is very good. And they're both at the weight and height that any normal 20 week-old would be at, so I've got two full-size fellows on the way. (This is not unusual for multiples - they tend to have normal measurements right up until nearing the end of the pregnancy when they often arrive a bit earlier, and lighter, than many other babies). No wonder my ligament pain began early - they're holding up twice the weight they normally should be!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">The really marvelous part is that this pregnancy has been absolutely fantastic compared to pregnancy with Ella. Ligament pain and vomiting notwithstanding, I've felt great physically, and, even more important, I've felt great emotionally.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">Though postpartum depression has been getting a lot of press lately, <em>finally</em> helping to normalize the illness, <em>antenatal</em> depression is still virtually unheard of. Essentially I was suicidal for my first trimester with Ella. Thank heavens when the second trimester came along I got all better - almost as if someone had flipped a switch. I was very lucky not to end up with postpartum depression as well.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">My case had been so severe for that one trimester, though, we had a few doctors strongly advise us not to have any more children. But, at least as far as this pregnancy goes, our worries were all for naught. Of course, I'm being closely monitored by my Mum and Derek to make sure my hormones don't start to take me in that direction, and they will continue to watch me closely through the postpartum months.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ffffcc;">So, if posts become more sporadic over the next few months, you'll know why: I'm madly working both on Montessori materials (I want to get as much finished as possible before the boys arrive) and on preparing for <em>two</em> babies' imminent arrival! And if, perchance, the boys arrive early, I'll probably "disappear" for a while. Don't worry, though, I'll be back!</span></div>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-11096220343910911332008-11-06T16:19:00.000-08:002008-11-06T19:42:15.688-08:00Montessori Mathematics: The Complete Bead Material - Part 1When those who are not much familiar with the Montessori Method hear it referred to they often have interesting <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">preconceived</span> idea of what it entails. Some thoughts that I've heard are as follows:<br /><br />--"Oh, the schools where they have no tests and they play with educational toys all day!"<br />--"You mean those really expensive private schools?"<br />--"Montessori schools are where the smart kids go."<br />--"Don't they mix up grades there?"<br />--"Children from those schools don't adjust well to 'regular' schooling!"<br />--"The teachers just leave the children to learn on their own."<br /><br />If you are <em>really</em> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">knowledgeable</span> about Montessori, then you can see how most of these statements have a grain of truth enhanced by a dose of ignorance. My usual response to the above includes such explanations as:<br /><br />--"No, they don't have traditional type tests in Montessori schools, at least not in the early years, but the children are constantly being evaluated on what they have learned. And all of the educational <em>materials</em> used are graded as to difficulty, so there is a natural progression as the child learns to master each level."<br />--"Yes, many Montessori schools are very expensive, but in some places the Montessori schools have been adopted into the public school system. And if you cannot afford to send your child to an actual school, they can still have a Montessori education if you put your mind to it!"<br />--"Montessori schools are not only for children who are intellectually gifted. In fact the method began when Dr. Montessori was working in a mental institution with the severely disabled. A Montessori classroom is an excellent environment for learning for children of any age and of any intellectual ability. Whatever the level of intelligence, any child brought into such a place and taught accordingly <em>will</em> end up smarter, though, and at his/her own pace!"<br />--"In a Montessori school each classroom is composed of kids of various ages. The idea is that those who are more advanced can teach and help those who are just learning. It is a cooperative environment."<br />--"Children who learn through the Montessori method become used to <em>active</em> learning. This is the best way for children to learn because they learn best by doing, not by explanation and reading. It also engenders a love of learning so that as they grow they become <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">independent</span> learners, wanting to find out <em>for themselves</em> about subjects that interest them. Unfortunately, 'regular' schools don't often offer this to their students."<br />--"Teachers often work as <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">facilitators</span>, teaching a lesson, then re-teaching the lesson occasionally, each time becoming a little less involved in the 'teaching' as the child takes over. This continues until the child understands the lesson enough to 'teach' the teacher, or the other children!"<br /><br />As for the materials themselves, if someone has heard of them or seen them the impression that they come away with is often, "that's a lot of beads!" The reason being that the Montessori method wants to start children off by learning things not in the abstract, but in the concrete. Teachers don't explain the difference between 1, 10, 100, and 1000; we <em>show</em> the difference! The way we do that is with beads - lots and lots of beads!<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cxyHS2_HWPCEdJclcd-lU4wTBO9VxrGC_URaO05SLXy182_y3qKptECQqMZKaDWv8osLBeDwLigISoNm-Z3kH0dcuJkhip7unkoq-H1xlBE186eE6vSLoI_H1FLlSB6wWDIdIg/s1600-h/Golden+Beads0001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265712306157303666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cxyHS2_HWPCEdJclcd-lU4wTBO9VxrGC_URaO05SLXy182_y3qKptECQqMZKaDWv8osLBeDwLigISoNm-Z3kH0dcuJkhip7unkoq-H1xlBE186eE6vSLoI_H1FLlSB6wWDIdIg/s400/Golden+Beads0001.jpg" border="0" /></a> I got lucky on eBay and was able to buy the <a href="http://www.montessoriequipment.com/Decimal-Symbols-p/m.156.2.htm">Decimal Golden Bead Material</a> at an excellent price. Thing is, getting the complete math bead material is a <em>massive</em> investment. Its uses are almost endless and reach into upper elementary. It makes traditional math lessons look positively boring, and it makes it easy for children to grasp what are usually considered to be complex concepts. The decimal golden bead material is an excellent example of this.</p><p>Above, Ella and I are doing a lesson on the decimal system. The initial idea is for the child to visually and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">tactilely</span> note the difference between a unit (1), a set of ten units (10), a set of one hundred units (100), and a set of a thousand units (1000). The unit bead is simply a single bead. The ten bead bar is ten beads identical to the unit bead connected in a line. The hundred bead square is essentially 10 ten bead bars connected into a square of beads. The thousand bead cube has 10 hundred bead squares connected on top of one another making (obviously) a cube. Both in appearance and in size there is a vast difference between the unit and the thousand cube.</p><p>The next stage of the same basic lesson is to bring together 10 unit beads and set them together by the ten bead bar to demonstrate the relationship between 10 ones and 10, making sure that the child counts them out. It continues by laying 10 ten bars together, counting them out, and then showing how the result is identical to the hundred square. And finally you put 10 hundred squares together so that they become visually the same as the thousand cube. (Note, though, that the hundred squares tend to interlock when placed on top of one another - so for the purposes of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">demonstration</span>, I held them up on their edges making the cube vertically, rather than horizontally, which worked very well.)</p><p>Thing is, the golden bead decimal material is all I have. And the time has come that Ella and I can't go much further in math, at least not using Montessori lessons, without getting more bead material. If you've done much searching online for Montessori materials, you know that they can be <em>very</em> expensive. And when it comes to bead material, there is a lot of different items you'll need. Deciding where to get it, when, how much, and in what order can be extremely overwhelming.</p><p>I've searched all over for the least expensive mathematical bead material and the least expensive buy-it-all-completed place I've found (though if you've found one less expensive, please do share!) is <a href="http://www.montessoriequipment.com/default.asp"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">IFit</span> Wooden Toy Supplier</a> in Vancouver, BC (And at the time of this writing, they've got a good sale on - take a peek!).</p><p>If you want to get every component <em>needed</em> for <em>everything</em> - i.e. every lesson, game, and bead activity, you don't have to <em>buy</em> everything. You need only buy the parts that have enough components for every lesson, game, and activity. For example: the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">decanomial</span> beads have 55 of each of the bead bars for the numbers 1 through 10. If you use material from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">decanomial</span> beads, you won't have to buy any other bead stairs, nor will you have to buy additional golden 10 bead bars for the golden bead material. Albeit, you won't have all the tidy boxes and cabinets for storage, but if you can contrive to make those you'll cut down on your costs considerably.</p><p>For enough components to do all bead activities, you'd need to buy:</p><ul><li>the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Decanomial</span> Bead Bar Box</li><li>the Elementary Negative Snake Game</li><li>the Complete Bead Material</li><li>Forty-five Golden Bead Units</li><li>Forty-five Golden Hundred Squares</li></ul><p>Today (November 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">th</span>, 2008) the price for the above materials from <a href="http://www.montessoriequipment.com/default.asp"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">IFit</span> Wooden Toys</a> is $523.28 CAN or $422.00 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">USD</span> - which is partly because of the fantastic sale they have on. But don't forget shipping costs when you make up your budget! For example, if I were to order it, I'd have to add 5% <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">GST</span> (Goods & Services Tax - Canada's national sales tax) and shipping costs ($62.86), so my total would be $612.30.</p><p>Unfortunately, that's a lot of money to spend all at once, and most <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">homeschool</span> families just don't have it! After all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">homeschool</span> families rarely have two salaries! So even though this price is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">phenomenal</span> considering what you get, it's still beyond many, myself included. Therefore you might want to consider going the route I've taken: making the bead material yourself.</p><p>My first piece of advices is: don't go tripping off to Michael's or a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Wal</span>-Mart and think that you can buy the beads there. I did and once I began to calculate I realised that it would be much cheaper, and much more efficient to buy the bead material outright! That's provided they even have enough beads in enough colours.</p><p>You'd do much better to order the beads, possibly from a wholesaler. Some of the least expensive places I've found online for buying ridiculous numbers of beads are as follows:</p><p><a href="http://www.luremaking.com/catalogue/catalogue-index/catalogue-items/plastic_round_beads.htm">Lure Making</a> - Yes, it's a fish-oriented place. But some fishing lures need beads, and they have a decent price!</p><p><a href="http://commerce.johnbead.com/eStore2/frmCategorySearch.aspx?setSessionSubGroup=Facetted">John Bead</a> - A Canadian company, although, as a wholesaler, they have some restrictions as to whom they will sell. But if you have a friend who works in a craft store...???</p><p><a href="http://www.consumercrafts.com/Store/Products.aspx?clg=jewelry&cat=acrylicplastic(jewelry)&s=Shape:faceted">Consumer Crafts</a> - Which seemed my best option until I discovered they don't ship to Canada! So, for non-Americans, you may as well just skip this link!</p><p><a href="http://www.bolekscrafts.com/prod01.htm"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Bolek's</span> Craft Supplies</a> - The company I decided to go with for three main reasons: they <em>will</em> ship to Canada, and they were the least expensive, and they have a big selection of colours.</p><p>Now, before you say, "But pony beads are <em>much</em> cheaper! And they're available everywhere in bulk!" let me warn you: pony beads are marvelous for children's crafts, but because they are not <em>round</em> they cannot be used for bead material. Here's why. Pony beads work well for the unit beads, and even for the bead bars, but when you begin to make bead squares and cubes you'll notice right away that the squares are not squares but rectangles, and the cubes are not cubes but rectangular prisms! To make Montessori bead material you need beads that are as long as they are wide, as they are high, which limits you to either cube beads (and you'll never find enough of these in enough colours to use) or round beads. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Faceted</span> round beads will work as well.</p><p>The traditional colours for the Montessori bead materials are: red, green, pink, yellow, light blue/aqua, purple/lavender, white, brown, dark blue, and golden. And for some special-use beads you'd have to add: light grey, dark grey, black, and a second shade of pink. Obviously, not all companies have all these specific colours, so you might find yourself having to improvise, but if you do, you certainly won't be the first one to do so!</p><p>So, how many beads, exactly, does it take to make the bead material? And how many do you need of each colour? Well, you've struck a goldmine now, because I've already done all the figuring out for you! Hopefully all my figures are right!</p><ul><li>55 RED BEADS</li><li>142 GREEN BEADS</li><li>273 PINK BEADS</li><li>35 PINK BEADS <span style="font-size:78%;">(for the pink/white bead stair in the snake game, you may wish to use a different shade of pink)</span></li><li>476 YELLOW BEADS</li><li>775 LIGHT BLUE or AQUA BEADS</li><li>1194 PURPLE or VIOLET</li><li>1777 WHITE BEADS</li><li>2488 BROWN BEADS</li><li>3411 DARK BLUE BEADS</li><li>10 LIGHT GREY BEADS</li><li>265 DARK GREY BEADS</li><li>8095 GOLDEN BEADS</li></ul><p>Well, that's about all I can write for tonight! There will be other posts regarding the making of bead material in the future, as this is a topic that takes a <em>lot</em> of time, for the Montessori material maker, the Montessori teacher, and eventually the Montessori student!</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-61316155317609599182008-11-05T20:59:00.000-08:002008-11-05T21:13:00.864-08:00For the Spouses that Support Us & Those Who Cannot Join Us<div align="left">Every now and then kids say something so unexpected, but so seriously and so much in earnest that you have to bite the insides of your cheeks to keep from laughing aloud and offending them. That happened a few days ago and I just found the scrap of paper upon which I recorded the moment. It was one of those things that you don't want to forget so you can tell your child when she's a teenager in front of all her friends. (Evil cackle!)<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwZdDzsORZ2ACZjwA7Zm6X1GapxxO29P2Z7HBQquyY_kZWx1KKx3LEJgKKpdHSXaZkRKyIVHWzG8kgsqA0ihbcr9L3iGcVst99TGquKKZwteWPX6bZRTx4CMQGg6GtVjNbLxouA/s1600-h/E&D0001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265406390787154162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwZdDzsORZ2ACZjwA7Zm6X1GapxxO29P2Z7HBQquyY_kZWx1KKx3LEJgKKpdHSXaZkRKyIVHWzG8kgsqA0ihbcr9L3iGcVst99TGquKKZwteWPX6bZRTx4CMQGg6GtVjNbLxouA/s400/E&D0001.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(Above: Ella and Derek enjoying her pool this summer.)<br /></span><br /><div align="left">I used to be one who could be a real worrier. Then I married Derek and found that he could worry enough for both of us so I quit. He's done the vast majority of fretting ever since.<br /><br />On this particular day he was working on more than his fair share of the family anxiety. Ella and I were headed up to Mum's for the day. Derek must have said something to Ella as he was snapping her into her car seat because as I pulled out of the driveway, Ella informed me that we had to pray for Daddy because he was having a bad day. I thought that a good idea and once we had agreed that yes, I <em>should</em> keep my eyes open since I was driving, I prayed aloud for Derek.<br /><br />The moment I was finished, Ella began her prayer. This is (more or less) what she said:<br /><br /><br /><p></p><blockquote><p align="left">Dear God, Daddy is bigger than Mummy, and Mummy does a lot. Daddy doesn't<br />do a lot but he gets very worried and has bad days. Jesus help him to be<br />safe and secure so he isn't worried and can have a good day and get stuff<br />done. Amen.</p></blockquote><p align="left">I kept my laughter at bay by chewing on the insides of my cheeks. The perspective of a child is so totally different than that of an adult! The part that killed me was "Daddy doesn't do a lot," mostly because it is utterly untrue. Derek (in my opinion at least) is Mr. Wonder-Husband. He cooks, he cleans, he does laundry, and he writes the grocery list. He is also Mr. Wonder-Dad. He baths Ella, reads to her, takes her for walks, puts her to bed, and takes her away when I'm about to pull my hair out. On top of that, he works full-time.<br /><br />Now, he doesn't do all these things <em>exclusively</em>. Some he does a lot of, and some he does less of. It's a balance thing. But truth be told, if he didn't do a lot of these things there's no way I could homeschool Ella. We don't go over to "school" everyday, but when we're home we do "school" stuff (although she doesn't realise it). Often this is when our lessons for arts and crafts and practical life frequently occur. We'll also read books, do so cooking or baking, play games, and go exploring (which becomes biology, botany, construction - how many 4-year-olds know the difference between concrete and cement? - and anything else that comes to mind). Many evenings are taken up by making Montessori materials and planning lessons, and now that I'm pregnant, naps are often required at some point during the day.<br /><br />But when you consider who does the most <em>with</em> and <em>for</em> Ella (in her point of view especially), it would be Mummy. Laundry, cleaning, and cooking, don't count as <em>doing</em> stuff! It's not directly for or involving her, so how can it be? As for working in the Pastor's study, or when Derek's home working, what she mostly sees is "Daddy reading," or "Daddy 'playing' on the computer," which in her view isn't working at all! So what <em>does</em> Daddy do? Daddy plays with her (or somehow keeps her occupied) when Mummy's napping. Daddy either reads to her or snuggles her most night, occasionally doing both. Daddy usually has breakfast with her in the mornings (he's a morning person, I'm the night owl). So Daddy does do <em>some</em> stuff!<br /><br />When she's older, I hope she'll come to realise that if it wasn't for all the "other" stuff Daddy does, then Mummy couldn't be both parent and teacher. If it wasn't for Daddy's willingness to spend time with her when Mummy's tired and/or irritated, Mummy might just ram her head through a wall! If it wasn't for Daddy's hard work and acceptance of a single-salary lifestyle, rather than having Mummy all day, she’d have daycare or preschool and it certainly wouldn’t be Montessori!<br /><br />I’ve heard people say, “Well, anyone can homeschool, if they <em>really</em> want to. They just have to learn to make sacrifices." I've also heard similar things said about being a stay-at-home parent. "We all know that if people weren't so materialistic every child could have a stay-at-home parent. Families don't <em>need</em> two incomes, after all."<br /><br />I don't buy it. Life isn't that simple. There are a lot of single parents out there now and they have only themselves to rely upon. I have a great respect for those mothers who work hard to do the best by their children, even when they have to do it all alone. Because they <em>need</em> to work, homeschooling is rarely an option. And there are plenty of families where one of the spouses can neither work, nor care solely for the children because of a disability. The other spouse either <em>has</em> to work, or sometimes has to take over full-time home care, leaving them in a situation where caring for their children has to be shared.<br /><br />Perhaps you've never witnessed this phenomenon, the superior stay-at-home mum or the homeschool mum who looks down on anyone who sends their children to public school. If you've ever been on the receiving end of such comments, I apologize now on behalf of stay-at-home parents and/or homeschool parents everywhere. Too often when we find out what's right <em>for us</em>, we try to make the point to everyone else that it's right<em> for them</em>, too.<br /><br />Basically, I want to say "Hurrah!" for all the husbands (and in some cases the wives) who make it possible to be a homeschool and/or stay-at-home parent. Without their help, support, and constant love we couldn't be all that we are for our children.<br /><br />And "Hurrah!" for all those parents who are stuck in situations where neither option is possible but they do their best to fill in any gaps that result from working away from home or from sending their children to public school.<br /><br />In both cases, I hope that your children (and mine) grow up to understand and honour the decisions you made, the effort you put in to being the best possible parent, and the sacrifices you made for the sake of their education, care, and well-being.<br /></p></div>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-39653759369166529222008-11-04T16:10:00.000-08:002008-11-06T12:53:44.733-08:00Sex Ed.<div></div><div>Got your attention, huh?<br /><br />So, sex ed. isn't something that is covered in any of the Montessori <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">curricula</span> that I've ever seen. But we're starting zoology soon, so that may change! And honestly, there is probably little need for most parents to even consider the question of sex education until their child is a fair bit older. Typically kids don't register things like that until they're 9 or 10. Then again, I speak as a child of the 70's and 80's - nowadays you can barely get away from overt sexuality unless you join a convent, and even then!!! Advertisements, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tv</span> shows, magazines, even cartoons, for heaven's sake, are suggestive. I didn't want to be caught unawares, and I was prepared, even before Ella was born, to have a handy, simple answer when the question "Where do babies come from?"<br /><br />You see, I really don't want to lie to my child, and I don't want her to ever go through the terror that my grandmother did when, at the age of 13, she believed that all her internal organs were beginning to fall out. Her mother hadn't bothered to tell her about menstruation.<br /><br />My mother feels similarly to me, which is why I've never felt really <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">embarrassed</span> about sexuality and rather considered it pretty normal and natural. It never became a "big deal," at least not in the sense that it does to most hormone-driven teenagers.<br /><br />I really wanted the same for my children. I didn't want them to be weirded out by their own bodies, or by the bodies of others, and I didn't want them to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">perceive</span> the world as a place where sexuality was more important than the person, even though it does make up a part of each one of us. Basically, I want my children to know the facts, to treat them as facts, and to preserve their innocence until they are really ready to understand more.<br /><br />Most people, when they hear a statement such as "preserve their innocence" would assume that means "preserve their ignorance," but often the opposite is true. If someone is familiar with something, then the deep curiosity and the rush that comes from it being taboo can't exist. And let's face it, procreation is something that inspires a lot of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">curiosity</span> in all kids, and if that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">curiosity</span> isn't met with age-appropriate explanation then <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">curiosity</span> will become experimentation.<br /><br />I cannot express how surprised I was when Ella, who at the time was all of 2 1/2 years old, asked me how babies were made. No, at 2 1/2 she didn't phrase it that way! We had been with family visiting, and as usual, the men gravitated towards the kitchen and the women to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">living room</span>. Among the women was a cousin who was soon to give birth, so of course much of the conversation revolved around pregnancy and babies. Ella must have been listening closely!<br /><br />About two nights later, while laying in bed snuggling, Ella asked, "Mummy, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">dere</span> is a baby in cousin's belly?"<br /><br />"Yes," I said, "Cousin is going to have a baby, and right now the baby is inside her growing."<br /><br />Her face twisted up, considering this, and then she followed up by asking, "Mummy, how <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">de</span> baby get in cousin's belly? How <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">de</span> baby get <em>out</em> of cousin's belly?"<br /><br />As I said before, I was ready for this, though I had never thought that I would need to be so soon! I told Ella I'd be right back and I grabbed the book, <em>Where Willy Went: The Big Story of a Little Sperm</em> by Nicholas Allan.<br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhQC6jCNEkDx17CG-a9h7S3gBKXHau_jxVqcpBCJkuM1aGftx-o2_Dan9Y-XCZrmeJTvwQGpeDpyQv3AFo05grz8WHIEEUtD0fGhzEnZB-NYaIetexeDD1dAlbq-qN-mjiFVSfw/s1600-h/Willy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251612609690513202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhQC6jCNEkDx17CG-a9h7S3gBKXHau_jxVqcpBCJkuM1aGftx-o2_Dan9Y-XCZrmeJTvwQGpeDpyQv3AFo05grz8WHIEEUtD0fGhzEnZB-NYaIetexeDD1dAlbq-qN-mjiFVSfw/s400/Willy.jpg" border="0" /></a>This book is written on two levels. The first level constitutes a very gentle and simple retelling of the facts of life. All the sperm are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">anthropomorphized</span>, having characters, attitudes, and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">aspirations</span>. Of course the greatest <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">aspiration</span> is to win the "great swimming race" and winning the grand prize: the egg.</p><p>Visually, it is anatomically correct without getting too graphic (although I suppose that depends on what you consider to be "graphic"), and it does get the general idea across without getting into the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">nitty</span> gritty." Outside of "sperm" and "egg" you won't see any other technical terms (penis, testicles, vagina, uterus/womb, etc.), leaving exactly how much to explain entirely up to the parent.</p><p>The same is true when the "great race" occurs. There are anatomically correct "maps" given to the racers, but as you "watch" the race all you see is the interior corridors, not how they're all connected. As for <em>that</em> is it carefully "slipped over" as the adult protagonists (Mr. and Mrs. Brown) are only shown in bed, completely and totally covered with blankets. What <em>exactly</em> happens beneath those blankets is up to the imagination.</p><p>The same is true yet again when it comes to the birth. Mrs. Brown gracefully goes from greatly pregnant to holding a baby in her arms in the hospital without reference to any pushing, stretching, or pain. So again, it's up to the parent to decide how much they want to explain to their child.</p><p>The second level upon which this book is written is an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">humourous</span>, tongue-in-cheek perspective for adults. This is both a wonderful addition and a bit of a distraction. It can be tough to explain to a young child what is so funny when, buried beneath blankets during the great race, Mrs. Brown cries out, "Come on, Willy!"</p><p>Ella's reaction, at 2 1/2, after I had finished reading (and explaining some parts) was priceless: "Mummy, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">dat</span> is amazing!" When I went on to draw the parallel that if you replaced Mr. Brown with Daddy and Mrs. Brown with Mummy then the baby would be Ella, she wasn't as impressed. "Oh no!" she said, slowly and seriously. Then added, a bit more adamantly, "No, no, no, no, no!" So we just left it at that!</p><p>Now that I'm expecting, Ella's had a renewed interest in reproductive health. And because we've done some anatomy in school, she also wants to know the names of parts and how they work.</p><p>Part of teaching such things is also remembering to teach when talking about such things is appropriate. It is <em>not</em> appropriate to tell one of the deacons, "Boys have a penis and girls have a vulva!" Nor is it appropriate to explain to your grandfather the way the placenta and umbilical cord work to deliver food, blood, and oxygen to the baby in the midst of dinner. On the other hand, it <em>is</em> okay to say, while helping me change a baby's diaper, "Mummy you missed wiping up some poop behind his testicles." Take my advice - don't forget to add this aspect to sex education, because if you don't, you'll end up <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">embarrassed</span>!</p><p>One other book we used a lot for reproductive education (in this case human gestation - though I didn't use those terms with Ella) was Peter Tallack's <em>In the Womb: Witness the Journey from Conception to Birth through Astonishing 3D Images</em>. I found this at our local library and Ella was fascinated by all the pictures. I'd simplify the explanations so she could understand, more or less, what she was looking at. She loved it so much that she took it to her grandparents, showed them the pictures and explained to them what the photos were!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNXEJ7ilsVT4SfthASoWkRvRFHpiVU_T3sszfxqDyeNkpNZsvnaURwtM_M0Z-Hvo6OcPN7BaH8OP_93qZCQFqtDOLWMkPAPQ01esAKtcsj557wqdyec6CUF9UfTIhdZVA0l5v9g/s1600-h/In+the+Womb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265649535714082850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 187px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 187px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNXEJ7ilsVT4SfthASoWkRvRFHpiVU_T3sszfxqDyeNkpNZsvnaURwtM_M0Z-Hvo6OcPN7BaH8OP_93qZCQFqtDOLWMkPAPQ01esAKtcsj557wqdyec6CUF9UfTIhdZVA0l5v9g/s400/In+the+Womb.jpg" border="0" /></a></p></div>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-81001650972678080822008-10-25T13:27:00.000-07:002008-10-27T18:37:33.889-07:00Montessori Research & Development Teacher's ManualsIf you've never browsed the materials at <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index.php">Montessori Research & Development</a>, press pause on reading this article and go there to see their products. They offer high-quality teachers' manuals, curriculum materials, and books pertaining to Montessori teaching method.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index.php"><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index.php"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261996891426599570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 70px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvv7tQogOFjCYcxB36pEnDN0fL4uSvCUfpHq6DumrveS9Cc7R8qrto5R-_KxNwzIfxNPcXjNu1CQnCRCEm83SA0f2r7fm4TMqctlT3csd4DBp0m4D_hy621Y0lZ7EDE8YzgEbb0Q/s400/MR&D+logo.jpg" border="0" /></a></a><br />Thus far, I've discovered that there is one thing that even surpasses the excellence of their products: their customer service. Albeit, I only dealt with one of their representatives, but I was extremely impressed with how accommodating she was, going far away and beyond the call of duty.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_80&products_id=157"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261996500984818546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 310px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pq3nzUCQCQnOKbNcTdiUqFSA0tMQYiL7NywIEWLQxUSzwPIMuGGzneRiYEmhF3Mk3UVxJ2tR9fmr23gfSc_nOsaly30vr3xnV5-LkRJRoIY9LqQielzBDUs6uZZCCOOnDWUWJQ/s400/Math+Manual.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br />The best example of this had to do with shipping to Canada. <strong><em>International buyers beware: contact the company directly via e-mail or phone when placing your order because their on-line shipping calculator is utterly daft.</em></strong> When I tried to place my order through their online check-out, the price of shipping was greater than the cost of my entire shopping cart! It was clear that something just wasn't right, so I e-mailed the company and found out that shipping to Canada had a flat rate of $32.85 per box (that being the least expensive option). Since my order didn't fill the box completely, their representative and I fiddled around with the contents, adding and subtracting manuals until the box was as full as it could get!<br /><br /><br /><br />In the end I bought the following Early Childhood teachers' manuals:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_79&products_id=153">LANGUAGE ARTS MANUAL VOL. II</a></li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_80&products_id=157">MATHEMATICS VOLUME 1</a></li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_82&products_id=159"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SENSORIAL</span></span> MANUAL</a></li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_82&products_id=170"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">SENSORIAL</span></span> MATERIAL VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS</a></li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_82&products_id=171"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">SENSORIAL</span></span> EXTENSIONS FOR THE BEAD CABINET</a></li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_87&products_id=160">ZOOLOGY MANUAL</a></li></ul><br /><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_82&products_id=171"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261996497418690962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 335px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 335px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWgxCZ270Lf7YslEBo9KIPx_txPU7JH2a1DA8agXGhyE1uok1YzOFTrI2n_3N_ss737C6v3zeGy9Euik-n4mXe1K9VpC-rbxd_9pbSh4pAdSRso6fKE3YjIUgWyo5CzzGBKHrZw/s400/Sensorial+Extentions+manual.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p>What actually arrived in the box included the above manuals, plus <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_37_40&products_id=191">CONTINENTS</a>, <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_37_40&products_id=1">FLAG PARTS</a>, and <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_14_16&products_id=205">PICTURE MATCHING- ORCHESTRA INSTRUMENTS</a>. Naturally I was impressed and very pleased.</p><p><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_14_16&products_id=205"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261996480414514786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06DuYasuqVwKyKdVH4Pil_Lmm20bOELf1dGH8_8crLi7uI2WBitJId-qV2jBMyCog1inhVee8-RPhM0eW2bQGpRNN5ulVPWWI8V3n7qM5ELTeGZPDOkplG3tvTsSA70VLt6xGJA/s400/Orchestra+Instruments.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>In addition to my order directly through <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index.php">Montessori Research & Development</a>, I have purchased several of their items used from other Montessori parents. These items were:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_78&products_id=150">GEOGRAPHY MANUAL</a></li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_14_46&products_id=71">PHONIC WORD LISTS</a></li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_14_46&products_id=70">SINGLE WORD BOOKLETS</a> (please note: The booklets at this link are the <em>blue series</em> booklets; the booklets I bought are the <em>pink series</em> booklets. I couldn't find them on the Montessori Research & Development website, but this gives the general idea. If you are looking for details on the <em>pink series</em> booklets, please contact <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index.php">Montessori Research & Development</a> directly as I'm sure they will be helpful in this regard)</li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_14_46&products_id=63">INITIAL SOUND PICTURE CARDS</a></li><li><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_14_46&products_id=66">PHONIC PICTURES WITH WORD LABELS</a></li></ul><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_14_46&products_id=66"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261996495398205154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mZDgeEvQEvSSUsmwcBnuiRiqyvIm32E-1b5mk2zhf1Xo8SxjyIIxhHomtwccFKwCRNqoJNzNdz9T9Qq9dNUfrXH-kUQejqVurT-jZMLdICZo_rE2331ao7_1ZH0IeKqvOFGNrQ/s400/Phonic+Pictures+with+Word+Labels.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>Of all the products I have from <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index.php">Montessori Research & Development</a> none of them have been less than excellent quality. The manuals are available either bound or in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">loose leaf</span>. I opted for the bound when buying them directly, but the <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_78&products_id=150">Geography Manual</a> came in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">loose leaf</span>. There are advantages to having the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">loose leaf</span>: once you've hole-punched it and put it in a binder you can add in regular <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">loose leaf</span> pages between lessons to add your own notes. Having the manuals bound means that there's no chance of pages disappearing into the fourth <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">dimension, which would be entirely too likely in my case! At any rate, I have no problem with writing directly in the manuals, since they are mine and now that baby #2 is on the way, I'll be re-using them rather than selling them.</span></p><p>The lessons themselves are generally short, clear, and rather easy. Naturally the manuals assume full access to Montessori materials, so I try to keep reading a few lessons ahead so I know what will need to be made. Thus far, I am making the most use out of the <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_80&products_id=157">Mathematics</a>, <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index2.php?cPath=2_17_79">Language Arts</a>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index2.php?cPath=2_17_82">Sensorial</a></span> manuals, though I am branching further into <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_78&products_id=150">Geography</a> and am planning out materials for <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_87&products_id=160">Zoology</a>. Until then we're continuing with human anatomy - more on that later.</p><p>Initially I had thought the cost of manuals at <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index.php">Montessori Research & Development</a> were too high (at least for my budget), but as I searched for other teachers' manuals I began to realise just how reasonable their prices were. For example, the <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_80&products_id=157">Mathematics</a> manual was $30.00 American. Even after having placed my order I still thought that particular manual expensive - until I received the parcel! Then, as I hauled out the <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_80&products_id=157">Mathematics</a> manual, which proved to be much heavier and was indeed much larger than any of the other manuals, I understood the higher cost. In fact, the <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_80&products_id=157">Mathematics</a> manual will not only be used during the preschool years but the lessons run for children from age 3 to age 8! In my opinion, that's value.</p><p>In trying to decide which manuals to order, I found reading the table of contents very helpful. They are available for almost every teachers' manual on the website and can be invaluable when trying to decide which level of <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index2.php?cPath=2_17_79">Language Arts</a> will be best for your child.</p><p>A couple of the wonderful consequences of having concrete teachers' manuals are that I can spend a lot less time online trying to find out what the appropriate next lesson will be after Ella absorbs the current lesson, and that I can carefully pick which materials I will most want to have at hand.</p><p>For example, the breadth of use of the Montessori bead material for mathematics in the <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_17_80&products_id=157">Mathematics</a> manual made it abundantly clear that having <em>real</em> beads as opposed to images of beads or stick-lengths coloured to represent the bead material would be worth the cost, time, and effort of getting real beads and making all the math materials. Having looked over the lessons I can see that they will get a <em>lot</em> of use and will be used for a lengthy period of time - at least into middle elementary.</p><p>Essentially, having the actual manuals makes it much easier to prepare lessons, figure out what is worth making (or buying, as the case may be), streamline your resources, and minimize the hassle of printing up hundreds of lessons from online and then having to sort and order them. The manuals make Montessori homeschooling easier - both for you and for your child. That is really worth it!</p><p>Please note that the photographs displayed in this review are copyrighted to <a href="http://www.montessorird.com/index.php">Montessori Research & Development</a> and each is linked to it's original source on their website. (At least I hope they are - I tried to link them properly!)</p><p>Questions and comments on this post are welcome and further discussion as a result will probably end up happening in the "comments" section. If they are too numerous and/or require more depth of discussion, I'll post a sequel to this blog with more details.</p><p>Happy Teaching!</p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-89004584806712592662008-10-18T14:03:00.000-07:002008-10-18T15:32:54.980-07:00Teens Board<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XWN6hMNnJ3UIYJLyDQ4AtaDhlWGkGWz-J9AXA2zlqcT_ooRlL0RaVMNm-STZJpJoCXcVCzeJYGOn7jvxMyAsMkecy6gJapJ9AMBpfTk0kGosoAUA77gvDrp2tLo3MsvGitm-Mw/s1600-h/IMG_3379(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258620566993384066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XWN6hMNnJ3UIYJLyDQ4AtaDhlWGkGWz-J9AXA2zlqcT_ooRlL0RaVMNm-STZJpJoCXcVCzeJYGOn7jvxMyAsMkecy6gJapJ9AMBpfTk0kGosoAUA77gvDrp2tLo3MsvGitm-Mw/s400/IMG_3379(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a>I had the brilliant idea of using foam board (like two pieces of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bristol</span> board with a layer of firm foam between) to make the shapes for the geometric <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cabinet</span> and the metal insets. I scratched that idea when I began to use the foam board to make my <a href="http://www.montessoriequipment.com/Teen-Ten-Boards-p/m.116.1.htm">teens board</a>. I had all the measurements I wanted and thought I had settled in to watch a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">DVD</span> while making it. I wished I had not begun the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">DVD</span> until I had <em>really</em> settled in! <div></div><br /><div>For a while I was up and down trying to find the right tool to cut the stuff. This was an exercise in frustration if ever I had one. After three pairs of scissors and a steak knife failed, I went on a quest for my <a href="http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=nw0156">X-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">acto</span> style craft knife</a>. That was the tool I finally settled on. I found it was easiest (and neatest) to do each cut in three stages:</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdMXVIT2Kx6POpo4F_BTBF9lFhZAT_90orglqSeqnZEspWfOkhRv62T8Rf7A0xl7lLeZl-qII9TjPkXpds1ZZ5Qr1xhr3EPvK1JOf4LD36OhsWZ4u3EK1U7OzbUprmHr3oOKdFg/s1600-h/IMG_3382(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258620595899554466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdMXVIT2Kx6POpo4F_BTBF9lFhZAT_90orglqSeqnZEspWfOkhRv62T8Rf7A0xl7lLeZl-qII9TjPkXpds1ZZ5Qr1xhr3EPvK1JOf4LD36OhsWZ4u3EK1U7OzbUprmHr3oOKdFg/s400/IMG_3382(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a> First, I would cut the upper <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">bristol</span> board trying not to push down too far into the foam. <div></div><br /><div>Second, I would push the blade out all the way and would slide it into my first cut. Then I'd use pressure along the entire blade to make a very smooth cut. Well, a <em>somewhat</em> smooth cut, through to the second piece of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">bristol</span> board. For long cuts, I'd have to do this in stages at something of an angle. This was much better than my first cuts when I pulled it along resulting in clumps of foam forming and then the blade pulling over top of it just to sink in deep again and repeating the process. The results were uneven cuts and thousands of little bits of fluffy foam everywhere!</div><div></div><br /><div>Third, I bent the foam board backwards along the cut to form a crease in the bottom <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">bristol</span> board. I'd use the blade at full length to slice up through the crease.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjId1LosaSziL9GuMg2BjdbrJNdRww5uHLDDsExGqTe7ehfUg7c7KM02w0AKd07Gu1rFdEHbNs2JGt2mkS44RyuQMfu0F6jXUqZ_qfcwJu7y_lzTnS4j74IFHu94w-iXU4m-Ph6Xg/s1600-h/IMG_3380(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258620581353957506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjId1LosaSziL9GuMg2BjdbrJNdRww5uHLDDsExGqTe7ehfUg7c7KM02w0AKd07Gu1rFdEHbNs2JGt2mkS44RyuQMfu0F6jXUqZ_qfcwJu7y_lzTnS4j74IFHu94w-iXU4m-Ph6Xg/s400/IMG_3380(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a>Then it was just a matter of writing on the numbers. And the joy of it all is: I get to do it all over again for the tens board! (Though for that, I must admit I'm going to re-use the board I made for the teens and just make new number cards).HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-27051967238045279362008-10-06T17:34:00.000-07:002008-10-06T19:19:39.820-07:00Red Rods and a VisitorI've been doing a lot of painting so the broad/brown stair/rectangular prisms and the red rods could be put into good use rather than waiting for paint in a big bucket. Well, the broad stair (brown rectangular prisms) are all finished and we've used them a couple of times, and the red rods, while not completely done yet (each rod needs another coat of paint on half), are usable. If you look closely, though, you can see the pencil marks I made for Dad telling him how long the rod is supposed to be.<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLudJ3KjqCAuaGsJjYPWis1TDgySkmB_A8KEGKeUemfUsZ-ZnnPXohMRP9DCFKEgED0YGSHis-tm061rtPdlK_tYJwpPexEeSTtQjvmKrmUAx5ztUud4R3-Mu4Nay7vRUMaQsqw/s1600-h/269_0193(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254207281697411586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLudJ3KjqCAuaGsJjYPWis1TDgySkmB_A8KEGKeUemfUsZ-ZnnPXohMRP9DCFKEgED0YGSHis-tm061rtPdlK_tYJwpPexEeSTtQjvmKrmUAx5ztUud4R3-Mu4Nay7vRUMaQsqw/s400/269_0193(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />(Yes - that is a rare photograph of me. Usually I'm behind the camera)</p><p>After we had organised the rods from shortest to longest, which was a pretty easy, we used the smallest rod (1 decimetre) to measure all the others to discover that they were 2 decimetres, 3 decimetres, etc., up to 10 decimetres (1 metre). We then proceeded to make the linear course, which we have done before with the mini red and blue rods, but it's so much more fun when you make a <em>big</em> linear course! With the small one, we used marbles to go through it... well, marbles and "<a href="http://moosehuntress.blogspot.com/2008/03/stacking-blocks.html">little monster</a>," but how much more fun to use big rods and be able to go through the course yourself!<br /><br /></p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2hnqEagMDMZMggyEynD1xHy5jAMveGLEUy64ME6GfWOD3R999C7ZupFnvCcKxGScimV79Y2VnJQlle18AUpqb9-GQgL2DRydl_rOlH4eLKCU09FX-TDhJJ3WG_NWm4-oRXCYnQ/s1600-h/269_0189(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254207012121060354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2hnqEagMDMZMggyEynD1xHy5jAMveGLEUy64ME6GfWOD3R999C7ZupFnvCcKxGScimV79Y2VnJQlle18AUpqb9-GQgL2DRydl_rOlH4eLKCU09FX-TDhJJ3WG_NWm4-oRXCYnQ/s400/269_0189(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a> If you're wondering what a linear course is, essentially you take the 1 decimetre rod and lay it in a central area. Then place the 2 decimetre rod at the end of the 1 at a 90 degree angle. Then put the 3 decimetre rod at the end of the 2, again at a right angle. Continue doing this with each successive rod. It's actually rather fun!</p><p>And to whom do those adult legs belong? (They're obviously not mine as they lack the tell-tale baby belly above the pants!) Well, we had a very special guest today at school: <a href="http://depressionsucksbutjesusreigns.blogspot.com/2008/10/running-around.html">Auntie Janis is visiting</a>! And oh, what fun we've had!</p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9uH9hme9nOEB9KhKiqsjbQIFQBCG_yO6r5JKWI7v0-JKrfzPmrj28WcvXBqB2kIPiGOZsoY4vax7O_lhu-lCO9BKhRbMJ4uF8ctXpwFP9GoFeWx66FBZnxuf9RjyTwzpQ5rPKg/s1600-h/269_0191(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254207018108592930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9uH9hme9nOEB9KhKiqsjbQIFQBCG_yO6r5JKWI7v0-JKrfzPmrj28WcvXBqB2kIPiGOZsoY4vax7O_lhu-lCO9BKhRbMJ4uF8ctXpwFP9GoFeWx66FBZnxuf9RjyTwzpQ5rPKg/s400/269_0191(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a> Auntie and Ella took turns kicking the ball through the course.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cZMUr4rnGjt2ojdnm1uH5VYEhA6lzJrAILGO4Pi6U5G1r6U4Au8-3p19WcE-V2ay3cCvga8cHMtpfNO5stnXzGCa-zD8jAF0lIPFx4cYdc_4VwkK3BXAgcF7w90ygsw03Q6mig/s1600-h/269_0188(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254206592259413442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cZMUr4rnGjt2ojdnm1uH5VYEhA6lzJrAILGO4Pi6U5G1r6U4Au8-3p19WcE-V2ay3cCvga8cHMtpfNO5stnXzGCa-zD8jAF0lIPFx4cYdc_4VwkK3BXAgcF7w90ygsw03Q6mig/s400/269_0188(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a>Then Mummy mixed all the rods up again, and Ella got to make her <em>own</em> linear course. Naturally, she didn't want to use the previous design!</p><p><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGb8bIjhyphenhyphenhafhn-JRajbKrAyKi6bbO4hner_HB3TVU7bNe5JlKZhCK-yPw9GdBD93fO-IG78pHzESMfZLM6vxOxUKU7SuvaBCsAFtWfAXXLjM237ASDhfRwSAMv7aRl0t9tK1Nw/s1600-h/269_0169(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254204719369349842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGb8bIjhyphenhyphenhafhn-JRajbKrAyKi6bbO4hner_HB3TVU7bNe5JlKZhCK-yPw9GdBD93fO-IG78pHzESMfZLM6vxOxUKU7SuvaBCsAFtWfAXXLjM237ASDhfRwSAMv7aRl0t9tK1Nw/s400/269_0169(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a>She did, however, begin with the smallest. From there it went pretty wild!<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy06wFZpZkElkbiucqndEMTcXNk7PWtDDsFDzdxJ6oG9xbwj8XxaEu13UG8cCQtf0lR6XtrDsnd4n85gI8uRZwbM_Vf0DYk5drURD4yRTl3NpkScs3YtjckarjmgAyLAtSCAcrA/s1600-h/269_0170(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254204720019481698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQy06wFZpZkElkbiucqndEMTcXNk7PWtDDsFDzdxJ6oG9xbwj8XxaEu13UG8cCQtf0lR6XtrDsnd4n85gI8uRZwbM_Vf0DYk5drURD4yRTl3NpkScs3YtjckarjmgAyLAtSCAcrA/s400/269_0170(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk4QmLSjUD5B3AhvGGxMHY43n1v2Pq9i1w3sNZhtvDKxERyYwR8wR7zrucFWOBjVlWWDdsyjcBhS6kBq62R8sMuxU3Olvb7qQYzN1kndDA73VY7QHchHNXi4gmjEKkniQH8bSmA/s1600-h/269_0171(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254204728741764514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk4QmLSjUD5B3AhvGGxMHY43n1v2Pq9i1w3sNZhtvDKxERyYwR8wR7zrucFWOBjVlWWDdsyjcBhS6kBq62R8sMuxU3Olvb7qQYzN1kndDA73VY7QHchHNXi4gmjEKkniQH8bSmA/s400/269_0171(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p></p><p>The result were interesting, to say the least. But her course proved to be fun too. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CjWYd8VijsIIXoKZ_l3H8mSyFsAL0oDrkXf_RrbaLv-T-Pc_-DQscSFTkahiPbkd25Fg9e0_shsCwQnSpgUBGQAI5I5tBXshZFWn2mAOi9Z6gtTUs5thiFz2CdLgxjYNU3sF1w/s1600-h/269_0172(rev+0).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254204731781517762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CjWYd8VijsIIXoKZ_l3H8mSyFsAL0oDrkXf_RrbaLv-T-Pc_-DQscSFTkahiPbkd25Fg9e0_shsCwQnSpgUBGQAI5I5tBXshZFWn2mAOi9Z6gtTUs5thiFz2CdLgxjYNU3sF1w/s400/269_0172(rev+0).jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>And with a bit of pride, Auntie and Ella made it into the middle.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA7s4hjtQ0KTqDu2s9cz-1rFiezxX2W1PJZyXQIIxicbYKu-YuxaKJ_CXnLxhPbRF62CaX-JgAElwnq5cwzj0yAc-LRbAv4Op-Aj2oC-DK_-gKLFdAkRip_iRzdwr4n39SMDQNA/s1600-h/Export+240001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254226467706441602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA7s4hjtQ0KTqDu2s9cz-1rFiezxX2W1PJZyXQIIxicbYKu-YuxaKJ_CXnLxhPbRF62CaX-JgAElwnq5cwzj0yAc-LRbAv4Op-Aj2oC-DK_-gKLFdAkRip_iRzdwr4n39SMDQNA/s400/Export+240001.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31724953.post-33863426820693748842008-09-21T16:49:00.001-07:002008-09-21T20:18:26.635-07:00Homeschooling Philosophies - "Teaching HOW to Think, Not WHAT to Think"You know you haven't posted in too long when you get questions as to whether or not your blog has moved!<br /><br />Nope, we haven't moved, we've just been on summer vacation! Having "school" got dropped for the summer, and the blog got dropped too. But we've resumed classes, and now the blog too. Not that I haven't been thinking about it. The next few posts will probably be a game of catch-up.<br /><br />After our first day of classes, I knew I'd have to share a bit of Ella's perspective, which naturally leads into a topic I've put off far too long: my homeschooling philosophy.<br /><br />Almost every time we go to school (our classroom is in the church across the street) we open our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">school day</span> with the singing of "O Canada," saying the Lord's Prayer, and a Bible story. Though I think the memorization of the Lord's Prayer is important, I didn't want it to be "rote." So we've talked about each part of it until Ella has come to understand what it is she's saying. As a result of this, she has one of the most expressive and enthusiastic Lord's Prayer of anyone I've ever heard. I've managed to curtail my amusement so that I don't laugh aloud when she says, with <em>much</em> verve and expression, "For <em>Thine</em> is the kingdom, the <em>power</em>, and the <em>glory</em>, for <em>ever</em> and <em>EVER</em>! <em>Amen</em>!" When I put in the italics, exclamation marks, and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">capitalization</span>, I'm not exaggerating. She could easily compete with a bouncing Southern Baptist preacher who laces his/her sermons with a, "Can I hear an Amen? Tell me, do you <em>know</em> it?" Who knows? Maybe that's what she'll become one day.<br /><br />Well, since she's got "O Canada" and the Lord's Prayer well memorized, I decided to add Psalm 23 to our school openings. It wasn't all that long ago that I helped my husband memorize it, as he hadn't come from a faith tradition that emphasized Scripture memorization.<br /><br />Just as I had with the Lord's Prayer, I would say a phrase and then Ella would repeat it, so she's really learning by <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">repetition</span> and as time goes on, we begin to discuss each section to add understanding. This method worked smoothly from verses 1-4. It was in verse 5 that Ella began to question what she was saying. Which, in my opinion, is a very good thing. You should never sign papers that you haven't read, and you shouldn't say something that you're doubtful about. [Please note: if you're not familiar with Psalm 23, the text is added to the end of this blog post.]<br /><br />When I said, "<em>Thou <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">preparest</span> a table before me in the presence of mine enemies</em>," she repeated what I said and then piped up, "But Mummy, why would you want to eat with the bad guys?"<br /><br />I explained that by preparing a feast just for you, God was showing how much He loved you and how special you were to Him. And by letting your enemies see all this, then they would know that they were wrong to treat you unkindly. She thought this was an excellent idea, but seemed to get a bit too much pleasure about God rubbing the noses of her enemies in His honour of her. Vindictive little thing! But I didn't comment on her smirk, since the Psalmist often seems to have that very attitude!<br /><br />Then I repeated the next section of verse 5, "<em>Thou <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">anointest</span> my head with oil</em>."<br /><br />Ella didn't even repeat that! Her shock was evident in her, "<em>WHAT</em>???" She was so surprised I had to laugh and as I did, Ella added, "God wants to put <em>OIL</em> on my <em>HEAD</em>?"<br /><br />When I had recovered, I explained that in the days that the Bible was written when a person had a special work to do for God and He wanted them to be set apart for this special work and for others to know how special the person was whom He had chosen, a priest or a prophet would anoint their heads with oil.<br /><br />Evidently my explanation just didn't cut it with her. "But I don't <em>want</em> oil on my head! I don't <em>like</em> oil!"<br /><br />"Well, that was just the way God showed someone that they were extra-special, that they were especially chosen by Him to do His work." I explained again.<br /><br />Ella wrinkled her forehead, leaned back in the chair, crossed her arms, and said, "Maybe, but I'm not going to say that. No way!"<br /><br />So, we skipped that part and went on to "<em>my cup <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">runneth</span> over</em>," which she liked very well - after all, who <em>doesn't</em> like having God fill their life with good things? And we finished the rest of the chapter without incident.<br /><br />Which brings me to my homeschooling philosophy. After all, there's not a lot of "religion" in this blog. At least, I don't think there is, but when you're a pastor/pastor's wife, it slips in everywhere, often without me even realising it. But my purpose in homeschooling is <em>not</em> to give my daughter a "Christian Education." This fact, for some reason, can really freak out a lot of Christians who are homeschooling for just that purpose. To them, they cannot see the point of homeschooling if it's <em>not</em> for religious reasons - essentially to keep their children from being taught something against the family's beliefs and to separate their children from the negative influences of "the world." That is a legitimate reason for homeschooling, and I can understand parents who feel that way, but I happen to disagree.<br /><br />You see, I've never seen the school system as being responsible for the Christian Education of my children. It's a terrible place for any child to receive "Christian Education." I <em>am</em> a firm believer in Christian Education, and took many courses in college on precisely that subject. But, for whatever reason, I think that the purpose for school is <em>academic</em> education, and that a child's Christian education ought to rest on the parents and the church. If we had decided to put Ella in the public school system, we certainly wouldn't expect her to be getting any Christian education there. If we had decided to put Ella in a private school, it would not have necessarily been a Christian school. Our decision, regardless of the religious (or lack thereof) orientation of the school would be primarily based on their academic program and how well said program would work for Ella.<br /><br />For 90% of our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">school day</span>, no observer would think that Ella was getting a "Christian" education. For now all of our subjects are academic, outside of our opening. Eventually we might get into learning Biblical languages (Hebrew with Mum, Greek with Dad) - but even those, while <em>related</em> to our faith are still academic subjects. There is a vast difference between teaching <em>devotion</em> (embracing the teaching of a faith) and teaching <em>religious/Biblical comprehension</em> (understanding and interpreting the texts of a faith and the theology of a faith). The two <em>can</em> intersect, but it is not <em>necessary</em> for them to.<br /><br />I also have a fear of putting my daughter into an education situation which is not so much <em>education</em> but <em>indoctrination</em>. It's not too difficult to spot the difference. Those who have gone through Christian Education not only know <em>what</em> they believe, but <em>why</em> they believe it and can compare and contrast their beliefs with other beliefs. These are the people who want to hear what you have to say, are willing to try to understand it, and are not threatened by it. Those who have gone through "Christian" indoctrination (which truly should be an oxymoron) know what they've been <em>told</em> to believe and they believe it, perhaps even with some level of understanding. But they don't want to know what <em>you</em> believe. They don't want to listen to your defense of your faith. And when confronted with something outside their belief system they are often threatened and respond accordingly with "fight or flight." When something conflicts with their belief, it is obviously either untrue or results in a crises of faith.<br /><br />I remember sitting (somewhat dazed) in an early-morning Hebrew class. (Every Hebrew class I've ever taken has been ridiculously early in the morning - don't ask me why!) We were translating the portion of the Torah dealing with the flood narrative, more commonly known as "The Story of Noah and the Ark." At some point during our discussion (it was a seminar class, and therefore very small, amounting to a professor and a group of students sitting around a table) our professor brought up the vast number of flood narratives <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">occurring</span> in almost every ancient religious tradition in the Middle East. Most of the students in the class had already read many differing flood accounts from ancient religious texts in another class, so it was "old news."<br /><br />After class, however, I got into a discussion with a first-year student to whom the concept of Biblical narratives having pagan parallels was entirely new. She was an intelligent young woman who had just graduated from an (evidently) very conservative Christian school. She was, to say the least, shocked, horrified, and threatened by the idea. In her mind, the professor had pretty much just informed her that much of the Old Testament was copied material from pagan religions.<br /><br />That had not been my take on the discussion at all. Firstly, because I knew the professor well and knew him to be not only a professor but also an ordained minister who took not only his academics but his faith very seriously. But he was also a man who would present an issue from multiple sides, explaining multiple interpretations, and left the decision-making as to which interpretation was correct to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">discretion</span> of the student. Some students left his lectures confused. I always left desiring to study more on the subject until I had come to my own conclusion.<br /><br />Secondly, since I had already studied the subject previously, I had already had time to process the information and come to my own understanding. There was a reading room nearby, so we went in there (it was empty, so we weren't disturbing anyone!) and we had an interesting discussion which has stayed with me ever since.<br /><br />"There are a lot of different ancient religious texts that have a flood narrative. We know this to be fact, right?" I asked her.<br /><br />And though I could tell it cost her to admit it, she nodded her acceptance.<br /><br />"Okay, so we have this fact, but have you thought at all about what that fact means?" I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">queried</span>.<br /><br />"I don't get it," she said. "What is it you're asking me?"<br /><br />I thought for a moment and then <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">rephrased</span> the question. "So, there's a lot of different flood stories. Fine. But why does this upset you?"<br /><br />"Because if there's so many other versions of a Bible story, that means they just all copied from each other! It really didn't happen at all!" By this time, she was close to tears.<br /><br />"<em>Is</em> that what it means?" I asked again. "<em>If </em>there are multiple flood stories <em>then</em> they must have been copied from each other?"<br /><br />At this point, she realised that I didn't think her conclusion was right at all, and I could see her trying to figure out what I was getting at. She didn't quite make the leap. "What else <em>could</em> it mean?" she wondered.<br /><br />"Well, let's say that the flood account isn't true, then you'd be correct that it's just another retelling of an old, old story. But, if our premise is that the Bible is the Word of God and is Truth, then the flood narrative <em>did</em> happen, right?"<br /><br />She nodded.<br /><br />"And the flood narrative tells us that the "whole world" was flooded, right?"<br /><br />Again, she agreed.<br /><br />"Now, I can't say whether this means the <em>whole</em> earth as we know it, every continent under water, or whether this means the whole <em>known</em> earth, and I don't even care. That would be for geologist to figure out. All I know for sure is that everything that the writer of this portion of Scripture knew was under water, so the flooding must have been incredibly wide-spread. Could have been <em>everywhere</em> or just Eurasia and Africa. But there was flooding, and a lot of it."<br /><br />"Tell me now, if there was flooding all over the place, and there was one family who survived, and they spread out all over the place, and raised their families, and generations passed, and they began to form their own religions, what would happen to the flood story?"<br /><br />Light was dawning for her, "Then <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">there'd</span> be a whole bunch of flood stories, not all the same, but an awfully lot alike!"<br /><br />"Bingo! And they wouldn't be copies of each other, but..."<br /><br />"But they would all have the same root story!" she exclaimed.<br /><br />"And so, as far as I'm concerned, the great variety of flood accounts doesn't prove the lack of a flood, but testifies to the <em>truth</em> of a flood!" I finished.<br /><br />I graduated some time before she did, so I don't know how she dealt with the vast differences in Biblical interpretation or the varieties of theologies she would have been taught later, but I hope and pray that she remembered to be open to new ideas, to consider them critically (in the sense of skillfully judgment as to truth or merit, <em>not</em> as in being inclined to find fault or judge harshly), and to make her decisions and opinions based on sound judgement tempered with faith rather than rejecting any theory off-hand or (worse) losing her faith.<br /><br /><em>That's</em> why I'm wary of "Christian" education. And, depending on how you look at it, not only do some "Christian" school try to indoctrinate children, it's not very different in public schools!<br /><br />One of my friends is fond of calling public schools "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism">Secular Humanism</a>" schools, and another calls them "Darwinian" schools. I would have to agree with the first, on the whole, although many would point out that the latter led, quite directly, to the former. At any rate, public schools are "religious," even if their "religion" has no god, and the way they go about teaching their beliefs is not much different than the way I described my issues with most Christian schools, to wit, that they attempt to teach the children <em>what</em> to think, rather than <em>how</em> to think.<br /><br />And on top of this, teachers are frightfully overworked, sadly underpaid, and usually very stressed out due to the pressures put on them by parents, the school district, the department of education, and their over-full classrooms. As if that were not enough, classrooms often deal with mayhem due to the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusion_(education)">inclusion</a>" and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_child_left_behind">no child left behind</a>" policies.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, I think it extremely important that children learn to be friends with and accept those who are handicapped or disabled in some way, but while that interaction is important, when it interferes with the learning process, and it disturbs greatly during <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">class time</span>, resulting in lower grades and difficulty learning for children easily distracted, I draw the line. Education should be primarily about scholarly education, not social "education," which really is the reason why we send our children to schools rather than socials.<br /><br />As for "no child left behind," I think that has failed miserably. What results is that highly intelligent children face a system that is "some children <em>kept</em> behind," and those who have difficulty learning face a system that is "some children <em>forced</em> forward." Often teachers find themselves forced to teach to the lowest common denominator, meanwhile the intelligent and very bored children have plenty of time to come up with smart-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">aleck</span> remarks and have plenty of time to catch up on their note-writing and passing, or worse.<br /><br />Education is so incredibly important. I've always wanted the best education possible for my children (although at this point I only have a class of one), and when I read about the Montessori Method I knew I'd found the kind of education I wanted my daughter to have. In fact, I think every child should be able to learn this way, and it's very sad that more children don't have the chance. The state of education in New Brunswick is currently in sad, sad shape. And truth be told, most families don't have any option but to send their children to public school. Many parents continue to educate their children at home and often augment their children's education with extra-curricular classes and/or activities. But I'm grateful that I do have the option, and I just keep praying for the discipline, to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">homeschool</span> my children.<br /><br />[Please note: that last sentence is not a typo. I ended up getting pregnant this summer, much to our shock and delight, and so I'll have another student soon enough. The best part about it is that now all this Montessori material making will be used at least twice!]<br /><br /><div align="center"><em>Psalm 23</em></div><div align="left"><em>The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.<br />He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.<br />He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.<br />Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. </em></div><div align="left"><em>Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. </em></div><div align="left"><em>Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.</em></div>HomeSchoolerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17049486049395488105noreply@blogger.com9