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Learn And Play® Montessori School

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Montessori + STEM Experiments & How to Enhance Learning at Home

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Montessori education and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are powerful tools for nurturing children’s curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. When these two educational philosophies intersect, children experience a dynamic learning environment that ignites their passion for discovery. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of Montessori + STEM education and provide a collection of exciting at-home STEM activities to complement your child’s school experience. To learn more about our STEM curriculum, you can take a tour of any of our schools.

At-Home STEM Activities to Enhance the Montessori + STEM Experience

  1. Weather Watchers: Create a weather journal to record daily observations. Discuss temperature, humidity, and precipitation. Over time, your child will notice patterns and gain a deeper understanding of weather.
  2. Seed Growth Experiment: Plant seeds in different conditions – some with lots of water, some with minimal water, and some in different soil types. Observe and discuss how each condition affects seed growth.
  3. Simple Machines at Home: Explore simple machines using household objects. For example, construct a pulley system using a rope, a chair, and a bucket to learn about mechanical advantage.
  4. Nature Scavenger Hunt: Organize a nature scavenger hunt, encouraging your child to observe and collect different items from the natural world. Discuss the characteristics and functions of these objects.
  5. Invent with Recyclables: Provide your child with a collection of recyclable materials, and challenge them to invent a useful or creative item. Discuss the engineering principles involved.

Enhancing Montessori + STEM at HomeMontessori plus STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math)

  • Encourage your child’s questions and curiosity. Emphasize that it’s okay not to have all the answers – part of the STEM process is exploring the unknown.
  • Create a dedicated STEM workspace at home. This can be a corner of a room or a table stocked with supplies for experiments and projects.
  • Keep a science journal. Encourage your child to record their observations, hypotheses, and the results of their experiments.
  • Foster critical thinking by discussing everyday STEM-related challenges and problem-solving together.

Montessori + STEM at home creates an environment that extends your child’s learning beyond the classroom, fueling their passion for exploration, discovery, and problem-solving. These experiences help children build a strong foundation in STEM and develop skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.

 

The Magic of Montessori Material and Activities for Daycare, Preschool, and Kindergarten

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Maria Montessori emphasized the use of real materials in the classroom. She believed that imagination is the natural inclination of the child; it stems from what is real. To stimulate children’s imagination, give them real objects and a real understanding of the world.

How is Montessori different from traditional preschool programs?Montessori classroom

Traditional classrooms often emphasize disembodied education and memorization with seated book learning. To the contrary, the Montessori approach embraces embodied education, the philosophy that movement and learning are tied together. Montessori learning is hands-on, experiential, and investigative.

Let’s discover the importance of Montessori materials in classrooms and their role in promoting hands-on learning, independent exploration, and cognitive development. Explore the diverse range of Montessori materials used in our classrooms and how they facilitate a holistic and engaging educational experience for children.

What materials are used in our classrooms?
Montessori materials are made from natural materials when possible: brass, wood, wicker, cotton, metal, and glass. All of these materials provide a multi-sensory experience for the child, and part of that is the visual appeal that results in a calm, prepared learning environment.

What are some common Montessori Activities?

  • Practical Life Activities: pouring, spooning, buttoning, sweeping, or watering plants. These activities promote fine motor skills, concentration, independence, and a sense of responsibility.
  • Sensorial Activities: by using Montessori Pink Tower, the Knobbed Cylinders, or the Color Tablets by allowing young children to distinguish and compare attributes such as size, shape, color, texture, weight, and sound.
  • Language Activities: by using sandpaper letters, movable alphabets, phonetic reading materials, and language games to promote language acquisition and literacy.
  • Math Activities: by using Number Rods, Golden Beads, and the Decimal System enable children to understand mathematical operations, place value, counting, sequencing, and arithmetic.
  • Cultural Activities: puzzle maps, explore nature, conduct experiments, or engage in artistic expression.
  • Fine Motor Activities: by using tweezers to transfer objects, lacing and threading activities, bead stringing, or using tongs to pick up objects.

Montessori materials are fundamental to the Montessori approach, providing children with a rich and stimulating educational environment. These purposefully designed materials support hands-on learning, sensorial development, sequential progression, independent exploration, and the cultivation of concentration. By incorporating Montessori materials into our classrooms, we create an engaging and holistic educational experience that nurtures children’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth, setting the stage for a lifelong love of learning.

Contact us today to learn about how Montessori can help your child succeed!

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Contact us today to learn about how Montessori can help your child succeed!
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