Many students are using the Small Bead Frame, Large Bead Frame, and Stamp Game in our classroom and I want to share more about how these incredible materials work. They transform abstract math concepts into hands-on learning experiences that build confidence and understanding.

• Stamp Game: This versatile material supports all four operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  It’s a set of small tiles or “stamps” representing units, tens, hundreds, and thousands.  The children use the Stamp Game to deepen their understanding of operations as they physically group, exchange, and move the stamps to solve equations. This hands-on approach helps them internalize concepts like carrying in addition and multiplication, and borrowing in subtraction. For division, children distribute tiles (representing units, tens, hundreds, or thousands) into equal groups, reinforcing the concept of sharing and remainders.
• Small & Large Bead Frames: These frames teach operations like addition, subtraction, and multiplication using color-coded beads to represent place value. The Small Bead Frame focuses on numbers up to the thousands, while the Large Bead Frame handles millions, bridging the gap between concrete and abstract thinking. As children slide beads across the frame, they physically see how numbers grow and interact.

By blending tactile exploration with visual learning, these tools build independence, confidence, and a love for math. They turn abstract problem-solving into a hands-on adventure.

This week, our Montessori students are diving into exciting lessons about reptiles and plants!

• • First Grade: Our youngest learners are studying the external features of turtles. They’re observing the hard shells that protect their bodies, the webbed feet that help some species swim, and the scales covering their skin. Through models and illustrations,  students are building their scientific vocabulary and sharpening their observation skills.
  • Second Grade: Second graders are delving deeper into the body functions of turtles. They’re exploring how turtles breathe using their lungs, regulate their body temperature as cold-blooded animals, and move in water and on land. Hands-on activities and discussions help students connect these functions to how turtles survive and adapt in the wild.
  • Third Grade: Shifting to plants, our third graders are studying the parts and functions of ferns. They’re learning to identify fronds, stems, and spores while exploring how ferns photosynthesize to create energy, reproduce through spores, and adapt to various environments. By examining fern specimens, they develop a deeper appreciation for plant life.

These lessons spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and connect students with the natural world. Families can join the fun by exploring reptiles and ferns in books, nature shows, or outdoor adventures.

The children have been working incredibly hard these past few weeks to prepare for the holiday concert, and all that effort truly shone through! Despite a few pre-concert jitters, they performed with so much confidence and joy—it was a wonderful moment to witness. Seeing so many of you in the audience, cheering them on, made it even more special! A huge shout out to Megan Kirk for organizing this event and making it so memorable!

In addition to the concert, the kids had a great time creating their beautiful snowflake ornaments in class as a holiday craft. Their creativity and excitement really added to the festive spirit, and I hope those ornaments bring a little extra holiday cheer to your homes!

Mary and I wish you all a happy, healthy, and restful holiday break. Enjoy this special time with your families, and we’ll see you in 2025!

This week, the Lower Elementary students embarked on an exploration of Maria Montessori’s Great Lesson on the creation of the universe. What made this experience truly incredible was the leadership of the third-grade students, who not only embraced the lesson but also stepped into the role of educators.

As presenters, the third graders guided their younger peers through captivating science experiments, illuminating the processes behind the universe’s formation. This cross-age collaboration created a vibrant learning environment where curiosity thrived, understanding deepened, and knowledge flowed freely between students.

The younger learners were captivated by the hands-on demonstrations, their faces lighting up with excitement. Meanwhile, the older students gained confidence and a deeper grasp of the material through teaching. Moments like these highlight the beauty of Montessori education, where students learn from one another, fostering both intellectual growth and a strong sense of community.

In our Lower Elementary class, we have weekly class meetings where students get to problem-solve together as a team. These meetings are all about making sure everyone feels heard, tackling problems as a group, and coming up with solutions that we all can get behind. When kids are part of the process, they’re way more likely to stick to the rules they’ve helped create!

What Happens During Class Meetings?

1. Compliments and Appreciations
   We kick things off with five minutes of gratitude. Everyone gets a chance to share something positive, like a compliment or a thank you. It’s the best way to start on a happy note!
2. Review a Past Problem
   The secretary (one of our student roles!) reads out a problem and solution from a past meeting. We have a quick chat to see if our fix is working or needs tweaking.
3. Brainstorming Time
   Got a new issue? Bring it up! The person who added it to the agenda explains the problem, and then we all brainstorm possible solutions. After the brainstorming process, we vote on the solution we think will solve the problem the best.
4. Connection Activity
   To wrap things up, we end on a fun note—telling jokes, riddles, or solving quick mysteries together.

Meeting Jobs

To keep things running smoothly, everyone has a part to play:

• Facilitator (that’s me!): I keep the meeting on track and make sure everyone gets to share respectfully.
• Time Keeper (student job): Keeps us on schedule and lets us know when it’s time to move on.
• Scribe (that’s me again!): I jot down all the brainstormed ideas on the board.
• Secretary (student job): Writes down the problem and solution in our Class Meeting notebook—a permanent record that anyone can check out anytime.

These meetings are such an awesome way for kids to build real-world skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and decision-making. Plus, they’re just fun!

This week, we had an exciting and educational visit from the Botsford Fire Department! The firefighters arrived with their full gear and brought along one of their impressive fire trucks, ready to teach us about fire safety and prevention.

Students learned about the importance of creating a fire escape plan, what to do if there’s smoke in a building, and how to “stop, drop, and roll.” The kids were thrilled to explore the fire truck and see all the equipment up close! The firefighters showed us their tools, explained their functions, and even let one student try on their fireman suits. Students asked thoughtful questions and learned how the firefighters work as a team to keep the community safe.

Thank you to the Botsford Fire Department for a visit full of valuable lessons and fun memories!

As the weather gets colder, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately with warm coats, hats, and gloves for outdoor activities. It’s especially helpful if clothing is labeled with your child’s name to avoid any mix-ups. Thank you for your support!

Continue reading “This Week in Lower Elementary”

This week has been full of energy and discovery in our Lower Elementary classroom! Each grade is diving into Montessori grammar work, and I’m excited to share what everyone’s been up to.

The first graders are exploring the world of nouns. They’re on the move with a noun scavenger hunt around the classroom, finding and labeling all the nouns they can spot with a little black triangle—keeping them engaged and looking at the world around them in new ways! In Montessori, each part of speech is represented by a specific symbol to help students visually categorize words. Nouns are symbolized by a black triangle, representing stability and substance, just like people, places, and things in the world around us. Using this symbol helps first years recognize and connect with nouns in a concrete way.

Meanwhile, our second graders are working with prepositions. They’ve been using Grammar Dice and Grammar Strips to identify and understand how prepositions work in sentences. This hands-on activity has been such a fun way for them to get familiar with the idea of position and relationship words. In Montessori grammar, prepositions are symbolized by a green crescent, representing the way they “hold” relationships between words. Just like a bridge connecting ideas or objects, prepositions help us understand where things are in relation to one another.

The third graders have been diving deep with Grammar Sense, a game that helps them review all the parts of speech they’ve learned so far, from nouns to adverbs. They’re also starting to work on pronouns, expanding their grammar toolkit. In Montessori grammar, pronouns are represented by a purple, small triangle. This symbol resembles the black triangle for nouns but is smaller, indicating that pronouns act as stand-ins or substitutes for nouns.

Overall, it’s been a fantastic week of hands-on learning and building language skills. It’s wonderful to watch them discover the connections between words—and get excited about grammar!