Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Setting up our Montessori inspired homeschool

Would love to see your pictures. As we go forward, maybe we can share lesson/activity ideas.

what a lovely list - I am going to use it as we start to modify our learning space a bit towards the end of this year

Enjoy the experience!

https://www.facebook.com/shannon.ta...893089122959.1073741827.521317958&type=3

Here's pictures of our first day of homeschooling and some of just the room. (I'm not that concerned with privacy...)

I have a 4.5 year old son and 18month old daughter who doesn't nap. Including hubby, the 4 of us live in a 900 sq.ft. 2-bedroom apartment with lots of closet space, but no additional storage (e.g. basement storage). Obviously, we don't have the space to have a dedicated homeschool area.

We all sleep in the smaller bedroom and the other bedroom has been the "toy room" until now. I've converted it to be a learning space as well as a toy room. The big table is meant to be DS's workspace, but sometimes DD does her work there too.

Previously, DS had gone to Montessori, but ultimately had a bad experience. Still, I'm incorporating some elements of it (e.g. the 3-part cards you see, and some of the math manipulatives I know he liked). We don't really have the space for everything to be beautifully displayed. The cube containers generally hold learning toys (puzzles, magnetic ABCs, etc.), but I'm not acting like everything they do has to be a learning activity.

For other learning activities that might change more often, like the 3-part cards, Montessori bead chains, or the little activities I plan for DD, I'm using the concept of activity bags, placing everything in large plastic bags. I can then easily swap out activities. Don't yet have a good container for those, though.

Lovemydd, I followed your link to this post from "homeschooling kinder" thread, and I'm inspired by your wonderful homeschool set-up. My DS is about to turn 4, so I'm starting to think maybe I should provide more school-like activities for DS to explore.

My DS already taught himself how to multiply by observing our sand timers (one 5 min & one 10 min), so before I invest in materials, I want to ensure I'm meeting him at his level. The trouble is determining that level - he is not one to answer direct questions about what he knows, so mostly I find out by observing him or through him telling me during play. I love the Montessori materials, but I wanted to ask for your review of the math manipulatives you purchased and how their "shelf-life" has fared with these remarkably fast learners.

Also, I didn't see pics posted that you mentioned. Could you please pm me with those? Thanks!!

what awesome pictures! I love that to home school you don't have to have a large space - as long as your child is able to engage happily then all is well

Please update us into how the homeschooling is going now with both your little ones

Okay emeraldcity, I really don't know how to answer your question. Dd loves her homeschool room and spends a lot of time there. I have seen her play with all the science stuff I have there. She also loves the moveable alphabets. She goes to the math manipulative material occasionally but I believe she has picked up a lot by just having them in the room, kwim. She spent considerable time many months ago writing a large (4-digit) number using number magnets and then using the units, tens, hundred and thousand material to visually represent the number and using the Montessori number cards to write the number. Within a few weeks, she could add multi digit numbers in her head and had a solid concept of place value. The fraction sandwich was a big hit and she got a lot out of it. She can easily add fractions like 1/8 +1/8+1/4 in her head because she visualizes it. She had a phase where she was crazy about the multiplication and division boards. Learnt what she wanted. So great, right? The problem is they were all short phases and then they were over. Having said that, I would do it exactly the same way again. She got so much from the material. I had initially thought I would use them to teach her stuff but that never happened. But I think as she encounters more difficult concepts, we will come back to the materials and use them in other ways. So yes I would recommend them as long as you don't care how much or how often your child uses them.

Lovemedd, thanks for sharing your DD's experience with the materials.