The Lineup of bosses.....

A Good Play

We built a ship upon the stairs, all made of the back-bedroom chairs, and filled it full of sofa pillows to go a-sailing on the billows....

This reminded me of the Robt. Louis Stevenson poem. The children made a pirate ship and normally I would have encouraged them to put the chairs away and work from the shelf but they were all having such a good time sailing on the billows. Notice the Commanding Officer, Caleb, and the Executive Officer, Andrew, studying the map they had made. And then there is Connor, just comfortable in their ability to steer the ship wherever and Nevada lying on the chairs waiting for Alyssa to cover her up with the mats. I am not sure what Dawson, in the background, is thinking. He is probably wondering about the make and model of the ship.

Whitlee puts the finishing touches on her map of South America.

1st grader, Whitlee, is writing huge numbers and learning place value.

More Daily Work

They watch everything we do. Scary! Alyssa watches me teach piano and is "teaching" Nevada. Little sweethearts.

Caleb was working with parts of trucks while Tanner was making a large equilateral triangle from four smaller equilateral triangles.

Caleb and Connor's little sister. Such a cutie!!

Dawson is using the fraction skittles to make whole skittles. At first the children just set the skittles together but later it helps with understanding fraction parts. The the little bulb on top of the skittle encourages the use of the three fingers with which we hold a pencil. There are many activities in a Montessori school which are designed to strengthen those muscles used in writing.

Sweet Kadan is cutting bread into cubes and after she cleans the tray and puts it back on the shelf, she will offer cubes of the bread to the other children - if she wants to. She may choose to eat it herself but most of the children always share it. Alyssa waits fairly patiently for her turn.

Chef Tanner is helping make his birthday cake for his fourth birthday!! The children wear the chef's toque proudly but I think, after seeing this picture, that we should put some starch in the top of it.

Little Nevada carries the little glass cup for the water very carefully, gets just a spot of water, carries it to the table and then "paints" with water. Notice how she is holding the top of the brush carefully so that she doesn't press too hard on the bristles and scratch the board. This is some kind of special board which, when painted on with water, makes the design and then in a few seconds fades away. She is very careful with it.

Kadan's Birthday

Sweet kids - they love to make the Birthday cakes. When we put in the baking powder I always tell them that it makes the cake rise. Then I always ask this same question, "What made Jesus rise from the dead?" They vociferously tell me, "The Holy Spirit!" Someone must have not paid attention the other times or was one of the "new" kids, but today when I asked what made Jesus rise from the dead, the answer came, "baking powder!" Sometimes it is tough keeping a straight face but when they are being serious and not trying to be funny, you simply must not laugh at them.