Wow another week blew by so quickly! Somehow I am already in my 34th week of pregnancy and not feeling like working so much, yet we homeschool on. Tonight we are attending a special needs fundraising gala-type-thing, and I’m wearing comfy flats, my maternity dress from Easter #sorrynotsorry and telling baby to scootch over and let me have my stomach for one evening. What does any of that have to do with my homeschooling week in review? Nada. I’m just really excited about eating fancy food. 😉
What did Montessori homeschooling look like this week?
Let’s see…
Math:
We spent a lot of time on math this week. One day, Mary worked nearly a whole morning doing collective exercises review — aka the bank game (great tutorial link) — with the golden beads one on one with me. We did some addition, but primarily we spent our time practicing dynamic subtraction and “buying” items around the room and subtracting each item from her balance. She also had to exchange money at the bank. Great review work.
She bought my iPhone for a little over $2k. Wasn’t really a good deal for her — well or for me for that matter as we were using plastic beads as currency.
Josie’s math skill miraculously came back. Here she is doing dynamic addition with the stamp game like it aint no thang.
Multiplication work:
Reviewing formation of numbers, teens:
I’m overhauling our math shelves this weekend (way overdue), but I’m leaving some very basic formation of numbers work just in case we have to start back at the beginning again. Just never know. I’m really, really hesitant to take a break for June for baby, but I know we need at least a month off from classroom work. I hope Josie doesn’t forget everything we’ve done overnight.
I may need to source a good Montessori-compatible workbook for math. Any ideas?
Sensorial:
There were more sound cylinders, more decanomial squares…
*New*
I finally added our tasting bottles. This was so much fun and took up a long afternoon to present. Josie has revisited this material multiple times since then. Her current favorite for sure.
Here is a full, detailed post on how we set it up: Tasting Bottles Presentation
Language:
We did some tasting extension work with three part cards.
The grammar garden was revisited.
We introduced the grammar family story and practiced a little more with symbols. 
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhZQi1Bjl3W/?taken-by=cosmic_montessori
Josie did several drawers from the Waseca Reading Program this week. She wants to catch up to Mary so badly.
Why are we using a black alphabet instead of the traditional red and blue moveable alphabet? I know someone is internally critiquing me on this. We have a large red and blue MA that doesn’t fit on the table, but she insisted on working at the table. Flexibility is why. Same reason why our pink tower is currently going right to left rather than left to right as it should. Going for some variation after two years of homeschooling with Montessori with kids who have done been exposed to the correct methods. We will be ok. I’m not totally inept I swear.
*phrases you hear in the South. See I’m playful with our materials AND my words.
Geography:
Misc:
The kids spent tons of time outside this week. I think it was pretty lovely across most of the country.
Keeper!
We also made two quick visits to our local French pastry shop while Mike was at preschool and Josie was in therapy this week working on fine motor, saying /s/ and /z/ and vocabulary. Don’t worry — we brought every one home something yummy both times! So good.
Art: Pottery was great as always. Music was a huge focus this week as we had a friend (teen) come assist the girls at home this week for orchestra. I can sing, and I can read music, I can play in several positions on guitar, and I can ride my bike with no handlebars — but for some reason violin fingerings really throw me for a loop. Best to bring in the reinforcements. They also had their usual lesson and sectionals this week. Busy, busy.
This has become known as our music room… wonder why…
Spider-man likes to hang.
Mary has been drawing a lot. Here’s her princess design. Very nice attention to detail if I do say so myself!!
As for our upcoming plans, here is a sneak preview of some items I’m getting ready to introduce for May. Our last month before baby comes, and in all likelihood, the month baby indeed arrives!
For grammar work — I am going to make three-part-cards to go with these because 1) I can not find any suitable ones and 2) you know how much free time I have on my hands (haha SO much). Last push before the real pushing… ugh. Sorry that got kind of graphic.
I’m sure I left out some stuff as always, but this should give you a nice overview of our week! Plenty of time for fun and play plus serious concentration too.
Ok, I need to go get ready for the party tonight. There will not be any drinking or much dancing for me to speak of, but as I stated above, oh boy, am I excited about the food. Have a happy weekend y’all!
“ with kids who have done been exposed to the correct methods. We will be ok. I’m not totally inept I swear.”
Love this! And so true! I always say, “I’m a homeschooler first, and a Montessorian second” because when it comes down to it, it really is about the philosophy behind the materials anyway!
I so agree!! I’m glad that you feel that way too. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one over here doing things our own way 🙂 Thanks for the comment <3