Teaching Montessori in the Home: Pre-School Years: The Pre-School Years

123 Pages·1997·11.51 MB·English

by  Elizabeth G. Hainstock, Lee Havis

ELIZABETH G. HAINSTOCK
TEACHING
MONTESSORI
IN THE HOME

THE PRE-SCHOOL YEARS
Written as the companion volume to Montessori at home for the
pre-schooler, this book is a guide for more advanced learning.
Itdeals only with math and language development, the two basic
disciplines. Realizing that most children have particular prob-
lems in these areas, Elizabeth Hainstock, teacher and mother,
has adapted exercises from actual Montessori classroom activi-
jes to supplement and implement your child's school work in
these subjects.
ELIZABETH G. HAINSTOCK

TEACHING
MONTESSORI
IN THE HOME

THE PRE-SCHOOL YEARS

is the first handbook for mothers to intro-
duce their children ta the dynamic Mon.
tessori_ method of education al home,
Increasingly popular with parents. and
schools, the Montessori mettod places
particular emphasis on the importance of
arly learsing. It stresses te individual
growth of the prysical, intellectual and
Psychological ab ities of the chile

Airs, Hainstook s experiences as teacher
land mocher arave tnat Montessori can be
taught effectively n the nome environment,
and Fer boos, adapted irom actual class”
room actisites far mare practical hame
lise, 1S an invaluable companion to the
mother who is serious abou: helping her
reschcoler uild a solid foundation on
‘when the shile’s future learning can grow,

‘Alter an introduction to the Montessori
method and instructions for setting up &
Montessori school” erviconmert n the
home, the book is divided into sections of
speciic exercises, for suggested ages,
with step-by-step instructions for the
mother’s easy comprehension and execu:
on, Each exercise, illustrated whe
ful, isdosignedto teach thechild as
skill or fact

In addit on to approximately itty exer
cises, the book shows the mother how to
‘make all the Mentessori equirment used in
tho exercises, easily and inexensively

Mrs. Hainsteck emphasizes “that this
bock comes nat Irom a teacher, though |
(continued on back flap)
(continued from front fap)
have taught, and ol from a” artist, though
Vsell oF paintings, bul for a mother,
Parents do not have to have a teaching
background to wark with this book, nor
‘must they have any talent in order to make
the materials. The only requirements are
that they be parents interested in the dex
velopment af their children.”

ELIZABETH G. HAINSTOCK became in:
terested in the Montosscri method during
its recert revival in the United States. Sho

sceived her Montessori certification from
3 Nicholas’ Training Centre, London, and
began working al home with her ‘pre

hao! children. She warked wilh the Co =
ge of Natre Dare at Belrront, California,
inbrirging tho Mantessori system into the
home, by lecturing to parents and teact~
fers about her own program and its suc
cess. Mrs, Hainstack lectures extensively
ang conducts classes for parents and
teachars. Sne lives in Palo, California, with
her husband ard three daughters.

Jacket cesign by Lind Kusavin
TEACHING
Montessor1
IN THE HOME

The Pre-School Years

ELIZABETH G. HAINSTOCK

Random House | New York
CONTENTS

PART IMONTESSORI IN THE HOME
‘An Introduction to Teaching Montessori in the Home ... $

‘Maria Montessori: Her Life and Her Method 5

‘The Importance of the Farly Years 2

Preparing Your Home School 16

Prepared Environment for the Home 20
PART I—PRACTICAL-LIFE EXERCISES

‘The Practical Situation 21

‘Opening and Closing Drawers + Busy Board or Dressing
Frames + Pouring Rice» Dusting + Carrying a Chair + Fold-
ing a Napkin » Setting a Table » Washing Dishes » Washing
Hands + Washing « Table + Sweeping the Floor + Polishing
Silver + Shining Shoes » Lacing a Shee + Tying a Row

HingerDexterity Exereises 39
‘Bead Stringing + Botties and Tops + Using a Dropper +
Cutting + Painting and Coloring » Doing Puzzles + Sewing

Nature Study and Geography 45
PART HI—EARLY SENSORIAL EXERCISES
‘The Sensorial Situation 47
The ThreePeriod Lesion + The Tower » Cylinders and
Solid Insets » Fabric Basket » Thermal Bottles » Button
Games, Part 1 + Button Games, Par! 2+ Rough andl Smooth
Boards + Silence Game » Walking the Line + Baric Tablets
+ Mystery Bag + Sound Botties » Golor Tablets + Scent Bot
tles » Geometric Insets, Part 1 » Geometric Insets, Part 2+
Geometric Shapes » Naming the Colors
PART IV—READING AND WRITING EXERCISES
Language Development 67
Sandpaper Letters « The Correct Way to Write Letters «
Command Cards + Pictures and Sounds - The Movable
Alphabet
PART V—ARITHMETIC EXERCISES
Arithmetic Development 7"
Number Rods » The Spindle Box + Sandpaper Numbers +
Writing Numbers » The Correct Way to Write Numbers «
Number Progression + Number Progression Chart
Measuring Exercises 88
PART VI-HOME MONTESSORI EQUIPMENT
How t0 Make Your Equipment 89
Paint and Play Dough + Busy Board + Individual Dressing
Frames + Baric Tablets » Comraand Cards + Rough and
Smovth Boards + Scent Bottles » Sound Bottles » Thermal
Battles + Golor Tablets » Color Circles « Spindle Box + Pic
tures and Sounds » Movable Alphabet + Sandpaper Num:
bers and Letters » Geametric Insets » Number Rods and
Numbers

APPENDIX
Montessori ‘Terms ns
Educational Toys 4
Bibliography 16
For
Katie, Jennifer and Sarah
Part I

Montessori in the Home

An Introduction to Teaching Montessori
in the Home

“The prewures and fas: pace of today’s society have taken
away he times of quiet togetherness which we should have
with our children, It is important to a child's future not ©
bbe deprived of this close relationship, and it should be im:
portant to you as a mother to kave an opportunity to spend
time with your young child. We all know bow quickly they
anil ie is too late

grow up and leave us, so let us nor wait

‘The opportunity of teaching your child is a thrilling and
challenging experience, It enables you to sce his progressive
steps in learning and to watch him develop into a responsible
thinking human being. I feel chat itis a unique opportunity,
rewarding beyond measure. Tt nurtures a wonderful closeness
between mother and child and will develop a real rapport be.
oven you.

It is necessary and important for the parent to fully under
stand Montessori before attempting to teach it to the chile.
For this reason, I have included a book list that I feel will be
A STEACIIING MONTESSORI IN THE HOME

‘of help to you for background and reference, Teaching Men-
tesiori in the home is something that should not be attempted
unless you fecl that you will be able to carry i¢ through. Your
attitude toward your child during this period will have a
‘great ellect on him, What the child learns will depend solely
ton you as his teacher. He possesses the capabilities, but you
must arouse thera. You as a parent should be able to instine-
tively sense your child's neeils and be able to determine the
rate at which you should progress, Always take your lead from
the child,

In your zeal to sce hint progress, you must be carelul not
to introduce exercises which are too advanced for him. Re.
member, this is not a contest, You are not doing this to im-
press friends and relatives with litele Johnny's remarkable
skills, but rather to help give your child a better foundation
‘on which to base his future learning.

The exercises given in this book cover the preschool years
from two to five years. I have not attempted to go beyond
this stage, as T feel that a child of five shoulé he in a normal
school environment with children of his own age. I feel

strongly, however, tat die child from (we to five can be
taught effectively and well in the home environment and,
in fact, can lean, in many cases, more han he would in
school during these formative and sensitive years

For mothers who are sincerely interested in introducing,
the Montessori method to their children but, for one reason
tor another, are not able to send them to a Montessori school,
this book, I feel, holds the solution. You do not have to be a
teacher to teach Montessori in your home, nor is it necessary
to have unlimited space. For the past five years T have had.
“school” in a small bedroom, shated by my two eldest dangh:
ters, and have felt it to be quite satisfactory. After several
years of working with Montewsori in amy awn home Tam
deeply gratified with the results, The older girls learned easily
and vsith enthusiasm, and the younger child, while having