Presenting Montessori materials

 Presenting Montessori Materials 

Lesson sequences for Montessori classroom work 


Montessori materials are such an essential part of the Montessori environment. Montessori materials are provided for children to focus on their interests and developmental needs. It is important that the materials are presented in a specific sequence for children to be able to understand how to use them most optimally. 


Montessori Colours Boxes

Montessori Colour Boxes are a great visually appealing resource to have in a Montessori environment. They were created to be introduced to children as part of the Sensorial curriculum area, this material engages multiple senses. Colour boxes also have a number of extensions and activities which can be added for children to reach different and more meaningful conclusions and the child progresses. Generally Colour boxes are made from a sustainable wooden material and contain a different amount of matching coloured tablets they are small and easy for children to use and manipulate, allowing children to develop more fine motor skills through the use of the pincer grip.


The main purpose of the Colour Box is to develop a child’s visual sense of colour.

Including primary colours and moving onto add more tablets to the mix, expanding a child’s colour knowledge, while also giving children experience in matching. 


Presentation- 

Lesson 1- The colour box 1 (3 coloured tablets) 

Step 1:  Presenting the new material 

Invite the child over to the Sensorial area and tell them you will be working with the Colour Box.

Show the child how to carry the box with your two hands on opposite sides of the box with your fingers underneath the box and your thumbs over the top.

Place the box on the top of your table or mat. Take the lid off from the box, and place it down next to the box.

Take out the coloured tablets, one tablet at a time ensuring a pincer grip is used to touch only the handles of the tablets. Place the tablets down in a random order. 


Step 2: Using language to describe the material. 

Pick up one tablet, show it to the child and name it. “This is red.” Then place it vertically in front of the child.

Ask the child to find the matching pair, and place it next to the original tablet.

Continue for the remain colours of yellow and blue, placing the first of each colour vertically underneath the preceding pair.


Step 3: Invite the child 

Randomise the tablets, and invite the child to match the pairs. 

Allow them to proceed to use the materials in the way you have shown them in the lesson. 


Once the child is confident in their purposeful work, and extension activity can be offered using more extensive colours within the colour box stages. 


The Pink Tower

The Montessori Pink Tower is part of the sensorial area, it is comprised of 10 pink wooden cubes, in 3 different dimensions. The cubes are one colour, which isolates the concept of size for children. This is a grading activity wherein the cubes are to be placed one on top of the other based on a their size.


The Pink Tower has multiple purposes including, forming a concept of size in three dimensions through visual perception, and awareness of dimension, both leading to an understanding of size in their environment.

The Pink Tower also helps develop a child’s fine muscular coordination- perfection hand movements, and the coordination of movement.

The Tower also helps prepare children for abstract mathematical concepts they may come across in the future. 

The pink tower can be introduced to a child at a particular stage of development, allowing them to use all their senses to learn.



Presentation-

Lesson 2: The Pink Tower 

Step 1: Present the new material 

Prepare your work station. 

Invite the child to the sensorial area and identify the pink tower.

Starting at the top, with the smallest cube, pick up one at a time, with one hand on top and one hand on underneath. Carry the cubes to the mat and arrange randomly on mat.


Step 2: Visual and language 

Begin to construct the Pink Tower, by picking up the largest cube with fingertips of each hand on either side of the cube.

From time to time, stop and pause to compare a cube to the next smallest one to make certain you chose the appropriate next cube.

Continue to stack the cubes on top of each other. 

Use language to describe the cubes from largest to smallest. 

When the tower is complete, check if it’s centred using a bird’s eye view.


Step 3: Invite the child 

Randomise the cubes again and offer the child a turn. Allowing them to self correct when needed and gradually perfect the ability to judge size with practice.


The Pink Tower (Extension)

Once introduced the pink tower can be serve many purposes. The visual discrimination of the following dimensions are the focus of constructing the Pink Tower, length, width and height. This material is designed to help children gain a sense of sequence.


Once the child has mastered building the tower, invite them to us the Pink Tower in a different way. Showing the child how to focus on small, smaller, smallest. 


Lesson 3: The Pink Tower

Step 1: Presenting the activity 

Prepare your work station. 

Invite the child to continue working with the Pink Tower.

Arrange the cubes randomly on mat.


Step 2: Visual and language 

Begin to construct the Pink Tower, by picking up the cubes with fingertips of each hand on either side of the cube.

Put emphasis on the small pink cubes, comparing them to one another. 

Use language to describe the cubes from small, smaller to smallest. 


Step 3: Invite the child 

Randomise the cubes again and offer the child a turn. Allowing them to use the materials in the way shown in the lesson. 


Montessori materials are hands-on learning tools that are designed to provide children with opportunities to discover key learning outcomes through repetition and practice. Each specific material teaches one skill at a time and is intentionally designed to support independent learning as well as problem-solving. 

Montessori lesson plans are so valuable to the understanding and learning of the children in the Montessori classroom. Successful lessons allow children to feel comfortable with the materials and conduct in their purposeful work. 

   





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