Our family loves incorporating Montessori activities into our homeschool. Our seven year old has been doing Montessori-inspired activities since he was four. This month he will be focusing on practical life skills with a few other activities sprinkled in. Read on to learn what’s on our January Montessori shelves.
January Montessori Shelves
Some of the activities Noah is working on are classic Montessori works while others are Montessori-inspired. Because the homeschool is much different from a traditional Montessori classroom, we focus on choosing activities for Noah that will 1) meet his developmental goals, 2) encourage him to be independent / self-correcting, and 3) are hands-on.
Below is a list of activities on his shelves for the month of January. Several items are linked so you can either shop or download the files to create your own DIY materials. Many of our materials are homemade and they work perfectly for us.
During January, Noah plans to practicing the following skills. Photos of several of the works follow.
- Grace & Courtesy: phone skills
- Care of the Environment: sweeping with a dust pan & whisk broom; folding fabric
- Food Preparation: cutting fruit; setting the table
- Care of self: tying frame
- Handicrafts: sewing cards; snowflake bookmark making
- Fine Motor Skills: tracing insets; bead lacing
- Sensorial: knobless cylinders {with pattern cards from Montessori Print Shop}; binomial cube
- Reading: Blue reading set #8, moveable alphabet
- Math & Critical Thinking: MiniLUK; geoboard; Math Wrap-Ups (+, -, x)
- Geography: United States pin map & flags {from Montessori Print Shop}; North America GeoPuzzle
- STEM: Hape Basic Builder Set; Magna Tiles
- Science: Squishy Human Body; Animal Cell Puzzle, Professor Noggin’s Human Body Card Game
- Nature Shelf: dissecting microscope with various natural items to observe; nature guides; nature journal
Sweeping with Whisk Broom
Cutting Fruit
Tying Frame
Sewing Cards
Snowflake Bookmark Making
Tracing Insets
Bead lacing
Knobless Cylinders
Binomial Cube
Blue Reading + Moveable Alphabet
MiniLUK Puzzles
Geoboard
Math Wrap-Ups
Pin Map
North America Geopuzzle
Hape Basic Builder Set
Magna Tiles
Squishy Human Body
Animal Cell Model
Professor Noggin's Human Body Game
Microscope & Nature Specimens
Do you use Montessori-inspired activities in your homeschool? Please share in the comments below and like our Delightful Homeschooling Facebook page for daily encouragement, resources, and new blog posts.