Edit: For some reason this did not actually get posted on Sunday, oops! Please pretend that it did!
Welcome back to another post of Montessori Monday, which from now on will be Montessori Sunday. My last Montessori post covered the basic history and structure of the method and today I'd like to introduce you to one of the actual classroom learning materials. There are hundreds of Montessori materials in the Casa dei Bambini (ages 3 to 6) alone, and where else to start but the Pink Tower, the iconic Montessori material.
The pink tower is more than just a pile of blocks and building it is more than just stacking the blocks one on top of the other. The blocks are built to specific dimensions so that they all vary by the same degree (1cm cubed). When the teacher presents this material to the children she shows how to carefully carry the blocks one at a time to a working mat. When the blocks are all brought to the mat she then shows the child how to build the tower. This isn't because she doesn't think the child can figure out how to build the tower, but because she wants to convey the precision and delicacy with which she builds it. The blocks are never slid into place, but rather picked up and re-centered to help improve fine motor skills. The tower is then admired from all angles and dismantled just as carefully. Originally Dr. Montessori had allowed the children to knock the tower down, but then changed her mind as she wanted them to treat all the materials with respect and care.
A child may learn how to build the tower very quickly and master its order, but that doesn't mean they are finished with it. Most Montessori materials have extensions beyond the first presentation. These are given to extend the child's use of the material. Simple games and language activities keep the children engaged with the material longer so they can really become familiar with it. With the pink tower the child may be introduced to scattering the blocks on one mat and then actually building the tower on a different mat across the room. This not only encourages them to remember which cube they need next, but to retain their focus as they wind across the busy classroom. The language for large and small is also introduced using the pink tower, giving the child a chance to begin using more precise language to describe their world.
But one of my personal favorite things about the pink tower is the fact that it corresponds to the brown stair (also called the broad stair). The two materials are based on the same basic dimensions and it is fascinating to watch the children explore the different ways the two materials can go together. Ok, and it's fun to do it yourself as well!
A child may learn how to build the tower very quickly and master its order, but that doesn't mean they are finished with it. Most Montessori materials have extensions beyond the first presentation. These are given to extend the child's use of the material. Simple games and language activities keep the children engaged with the material longer so they can really become familiar with it. With the pink tower the child may be introduced to scattering the blocks on one mat and then actually building the tower on a different mat across the room. This not only encourages them to remember which cube they need next, but to retain their focus as they wind across the busy classroom. The language for large and small is also introduced using the pink tower, giving the child a chance to begin using more precise language to describe their world.
