Tuesday Teach 'ems: Music

This summer, Caroline and I participated in a mini-session of music classes at Heartsong Music Together. My sister-in-law had raved about the music program her kids are in, but I wasn't sure it was worth the expense. After seeing the fun songs Liz did with the kids and how much Caroline loved them, I decided we'd try out a couple of classes. We did a trial class with a traveling Music Together class near our house. The class was held at a church, and the instructor was fabulous. From just that trial, I learned not to manipulate Caroline's hands to force her to clap to the beat. Then we tried a class at Hearstong Music Together and signed up for the mini-summer session.

I was amazed -- with the program, with the school, with the instructor, and with what Caroline got out of the classes.

Music Together is a franchised curriculum that is research-based and child-centered. The director at Heartsong is Montessori trained and has the school set-up as a Montessori environment. The kids are welcome to play and explore before and after class. From what I understand, most Music Together classes are held at community centers or churches. Heartsong's school is unique.

The Music Together program rotates songbooks each session, with three books a year, different books for three years. Ideally, one would participate in the classes for three years to experience each book. The course includes the weekly class (50 minutes at Heartsong), two cds (one for the car and one for home), the music book, a parent-guide on the philosophy of the method, and a parent-education night. At the core of the philosophy is the parents' involvement. If mom or dad is participating and enjoying music, the child will take it in.

Caroline bursts into song frequently now. She recognizes musical instruments, mimics tones, and knows the do-re-mi scale. I realized how much she learns from song, so I bought a Christian praise cd for kids that includes the Lord's Prayer to help her learn that. We've also checked out Putamaya's World Playground from the library and are enjoying listening to that. Exposure to the music of different cultures and the complex beats involved is also important, according to Music Together.

We signed up for a full session for the fall, and Caroline and John (and sometimes, I) will attend that together on Saturdays. Heartsong is holding free trial classes this week September 5-7. Check them out!

Tuesday Teach 'ems: Links

A few sites from which I find myMontessori-at-home inspirations:

Montessori for Everyone

Montessori Mom

Mommy Teach Me

Michael Olaf's The Joyful Child (birth to three)

Tuesday Teach 'ems: Nose Blowing and Other Thoughts

Caroline had a runny nose yesterday, giving us the prime opportunity to work on a Montessori lesson in nose blowing.


I've been questioning my choice of alliterative name for these Tuesday posts, thinking that TEACH is not the term I truly intend. I'm not teaching Caroline. I'm creating an environment that allows her to learn--not an environment to learn the alphabet or mathematics, either, an environment to learn to learn, to learn to concentrate and focus, to learn to take care of her body, her environment, her home.

But, I did teach her to blow her nose. And even found a lesson plan online for doing it. Maybe Tuesday Teach 'Em is appropriate.

Tuesday Teach 'em: Great Montessori-Type Activities BARGAIN PRICES

I opened the mail today while Caroline was napping, which allowed me to peruse some of the catalogs I had received. Imagine my delight as some of these finds in the Oriental Trading catalog!

6 Children's Colorful Aprons for $16.95. (That's $2.83 per apron!) These are solid colored and meant to be decorated with paints. I could see using a couple in that way for art projects, but I'd also leave several plain -- a couple for kitchen help; a couple for art-work -- one for Caroline and a spare for doing those activities when a friend visits.

Easy to Grip ABC foam stamps -- comes in your choice of lowercase or uppercase for $12.95 per set. I'd start with lowercase since those are the first letters to teach children as the majority of written material is in lowercase.

Just Shake It! Listen and Match set for $19.95 -- This is a great sensorial exercise! Six unique sounds in twelve wooden shakers. Children shake, observe by listening carefully, and match the like sounding shakers.

Totally Touchable Matching Board for $9.95 -- Another great sensorial exercise -- this one has ten assorted textures to be matched

OK, that's just what I ordered! There are lots of lacing activities, arts and crafts, musical items, and other manipulatives. There are even cross-section models of the human brain and human heart for those with older kiddos! AND FREE SHIPPING FOR ORDERS OVER $75.

Tuesday Teach' Em: Encouraging Little Helpers

Even young toddlers can help with some chores -- if we give them an environment that allows for their help.

Make the environment accessible: Put your toddler's eating utensils on a low shelf so they can help empty the dishwasher. Provide a place for your toddler to put away her clean, folded clothes (Caroline just carries hers to her bed for now.)

Provide the right tools: Your toddler will love helping you with housework! Use natural, non-toxic cleaning supplies and give your toddler her own spray bottle of water and vinegar and a cleaning rag. She can spray and wipe surfaces for you. Fill an old shaker bottle (like a parmasan cheese shaker) with baking soda, and she can sprinkle the tub, shower, and toilet bowls for you.

Demonstrate: Model with slow, deliberate moves -- step by step -- how do do the task. I read somewhere that the modeling should be motions only, no "lectures" or verbal explanations. It's hard for me to keep my mouth shut, though, so I try to do a run-through without words and then a run-through with explanations. Also, show your toddler where things go: have at least one waste basket accessible for throwing trash away. Show them were you'd like their dirty dishes placed. A two-year-old can reach the counter to place her dirty plates or cups on it.

Let them: This is probably the hardest part. Just let them do it. Sure, it's going to take them a bit longer. Don't hover as the plate is carried to the kitchen sink after dinner. The pile of clothes carried to the bedroom might get mussed a bit, but that's OK. Resist the urge to redo their work.

Thank them for helping.

TTE: Books for Toddlers

Looking for ideas of books to read to your toddler? You can get ideas from award lists, like Caldecott Winners, from The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, from your librarian, from other families (like my list below -- a work in progress), or from just stumbling upon them. Make library visits part of your routine and check out a few books each week. I always have my list of to-reads in mind, but I like to get a book or two not on my list -- books that catch my eye or that Caroline pulls of the shelf and hands to me. I've stumbled upon some great ones this way. I've created an amazon list of our favorites.

Tuesday Teach 'em: Utensil Skills

A key concept in Montessori philosophy is building independence, and therefore self-confidence, in toddlers by letting them do things themselves. How many battles are fought with "twos" because they want to DO IT SELF! Helping them to do it themselves can alleviate many of these battles. Montessori ideals also stress using real or beautiful items -- wooden toys over plastic; glassware over plastic. I found a great toddler stainless flatware set at Magic Cabin to use instead of the ubiquitous plastic wares.

Caroline enjoys using her toddler-sized flatware, both in preparing snacks and meals and eating them. Since the dull knife works, she can slice a banana for a snack. The prongs on the fork really work, too, so she can accurately use her utensils.

New Idea: Tuesday Teach 'ems

I like routine. I like having a set plan for what I'm doing, including what I'm writing about. I tend to be more diligent with my blogging when I have a mission. So I've decided to add my own little weekly assignment to my blogging: Tuesday Teach 'ems.

I've been reading quite a bit and talking with friends a lot about educational philosophy and teaching our toddlers. I regularly read Barbara Curtis's Mommylife blog, and I just finished her books, Mommy, Teach Me and Mommy, Teach Me to Read. I've read a few other books based on Montessori philosophy. I've also read a bit about Waldorf philosophy, and I do have a masters degree in secondary education with an emphasis in gifted and talented populations. All of this has ingrained in me the importance of child-centered / child-led approach to learning. I'm trying to bring this all together to ground my daughter in an environment that sets a foundation for learning. I don't plan to send my daughter to an academic "preschool" or spend time drilling her on the memorization of the alphabet. The foundation I want her to have is broader. I believe that mommy is the best teacher a toddler and young child will ever have. I'll probably expound on those ideas in the weeks ahead, but I guess it's important to note that my Tuesday Teach 'ems will not be about rote memorization.

Every Tuesday, I'll post an exercise that I've completed with Caroline. I predict that some will be roaring successes and some blaring failures. We'll learn together. Eventually, I can add a Mr. Linky so that others can join in on Tuesday Teach 'ems. That may or may not happen, but I'd love to get ideas from others out there.

Check back tomorrow for the first TUESDAY TEACH 'EM.