Montessori Sunday: Spindle Boxes

It's been so long since I did a post on a specific Montessori Material that I had to go back and check what I haven't already posted about. So today's post is going to be about the Spindle Boxes because A) I haven't done them before and B) because I just recently showed them to a child in my class.

The spindle boxes are one of the earliest math materials children are exposed to in the classroom and are supposed to convey the idea that numbers mean a specific quantity of something. They are shown after the child has had practice counting the number rods (which are units that are bound together so that 5 is always 5 and you can't accidentally drop any parts to make is 4) and is comfortable identifying written numbers. The material is made up of a shallow box divided into 10 separate compartments. The numbers 0 to 9 are written in the space above each compartment. There is also a container with exactly 45 spindles in it.

The adult double checks that the child is familiar with the printed numbers and then begins demonstrating how to count out the desired number of spindles, beginning with 1. Each time the spindles are counted into the hand first and when the correct number is reached then the spindles are counted again in to the correct compartment. 

When the compartment for 9 is filled all the spindles will have been used, creating a built in control of error for the child. If they haven't counted correctly their will either not have enough spindles for the last box, or there may be some extras left over. 

Once all the spindles have been counted the teacher introduces the 0 compartment. "This is zero, zero is nothing so we don't put any spindles in here." The teacher then demonstrates how to bind the groups of spindles together and place them back in their compartments. This binding is done to show that the number is the whole quantity grouped together.

That's it. A fairly straightforward activity that introduces the child to the idea of 0, careful counting of objects, and double checking of work (by counting the spindles twice). I really miss the spindles from my training class, they were like old fashioned sewing spindles, smaller and smoother than the current type and just felt so much nicer in the hand. They were also smaller, I found that when showing my classroom set to C that he had trouble grasping the spindles in one hand as soon at the quantity was any higher than 7. This makes binding the spindles together even more difficult; how are you suppose to bind something that you can't even hold in one hand, what hand do you have to use then? So I'm currently brainstorming ideas on how to complete this part of the lesson. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Today was relaxing

So today I was either the best teacher ever....or the worst, I'm still deciding.

I spent my morning in the classroom with the children (and granted there were only 4 of them today) and got a lot of work done. I laminated and cut new classified cards and modge-podged a container for the newly completed land and water form pictures. Throughout the morning my students would wander over, ask if they could watch for a bit. We'd chat for a little while, they'd watch what I was doing and I'd explain and then they'd go off again when I told them it had been long enough.

That was it. That was pretty much what I did the whole morning work cycle. No striving to enrich their little lives, or trying to stun them with fascinating details of the world. I didn't present any new materials, or focus on learning letter sound with the sandpaper letters or sound games. I didn't set out to teach any new vocabulary, or impart another lesson in grace and courtesy. I sat and did my own work and watched what the children were up to.

So what all did they do?

Well, to put it bluntly they were amazing.

They all did fetching with the classified cards (multiple times for W!). They'd choose a packet and ask me for the extra set I keep in my cupboard and then one of them would sit in the chair by my stool (or on the stool if they were feeling really important) and send the other to find the matching card. I have to say they did a pretty good job. I relegated myself to reminding them to walk when they got to excited and only offered the vocabulary word if they expressly asked. They were all so busy and eager to work with one another.

It was the first day in a long time that I noticed W was really engaged in what he was doing and didn't end up wandering aimlessly around the classroom. He spearheaded most of the classified card fetching and later took it upon himself to clean up the spilled grains hiding under the red rod stand. I only suggested he use the dustpan and brush rather than the small crumb sweeper. He happily spent close to 15 mins meticulously sweeping up the rolling soy beans and cous cous, completely engrossed.

The other children? Well they also went about their day, moving from work to work and getting fully engaged with whatever they were working on. We had a slight interruption when they went out in little groups to make place mats for the Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, but they went out, did their little project and came right back in to work.

There were two instances where I did need to step in. M took out the Trinomial cube, which is a pretty complicated puzzle and one she's just beginning to learn. She spent close to 1/2 an hour trying to figure it out, finally managing to get it all in so the box would close and she could return it to the shelf. Well...at least until I pointed out that one piece was still at the table. Needless to say it just didn't fit anymore. M tried to get it to fit, but when the box just wouldn't close she stood up to walk away and I came in right away to help her put it together the only way it would all fit in the box. Meanwhile W had been inspired to take out the slightly simpler Binomial cube, but since he had never been shown the material before he was just as perplexed and needed help getting started.

Other than that all I really did was finish my own projects and chat with the children a little bit.

These are 3 year olds, 3 year olds. (Ok, so W just turned 4 but close enough) They spent almost 3 hours keeping themselves busy. This busyness resulted in no real messes or catastrophes. They all spent time with other children and working independently. They served themselves snack or made their own food if interested. They struggled with work, but respected their teachers right to continue her work first before helping them.

So I'm still not sure. I know I had a great day, and I know that my students sure seemed to as well. But I can't necessarily say that I actually 'taught' anything today. Luckily I'm a Montessori teacher. We respect that it's really the child that is teaching themselves and we're just there to assist them. And I'm pretty sure I accomplished that just fine today.

Just roll with it

So usually I try to prep the children for when a big change is coming. One day I knew I was going to do some major re-arranging of materials, so I warned them beforehand that things were going to be a little different when they came back on Monday. Rather than being confused they were actually excited to try and find where I had moved things to and adjusted pretty quickly.

So when I heard we were getting our new carpeting installed over the weekend I told the children what to expect on Monday. Well Monday has come and I wish someone had told me what to expect! Due to a measuring error our new carpeting was an extra two feet wide and two feet short in length. Can you say oops? So I re-arranged the shelves, blocking off the area the carpet didn't quite reach and using other shelves to help hold down the temporarily taped down edge of the carpet.

Oops...

The children and I spent the day admiring the new carpeting and navigating the room length bump caused by the overlap onto the tiled area. I actually think they rolled with the situation better than I did. They were more excited about the new color and extra space my re-arranging had made. Let's just say there was a lot more reminding about not running or twirling in the classroom.

So even though I can't prepare them for everything I'm glad to see that all my students are comfortable in the room so things like this don't bother them. After the initial excitement we got right down to work. In fact they were so dedicated that in order to give presentations I had to wait until they finished working and catch them before they got something else out; what a great problem to have!

Highlight of the week

So I was doing classified card fetching with C. He'd chosen to use the fruit cards and had spread his set out at a table across the room and kept coming back to me with the particular card I asked for.

"Can you get me the coconut?" I asked before he darted across the room. C came back, beaming and shoved a card with a green object on it in my face. "You brought me the lime," I said matter of factly, and flipped over my card to show him the picture. "Can you bring the coconut?" Luckily he darted off again before I started giggling, this refrain playing in my heard. "You put the lime with the coconut and drink it all up!"

Guess there's some jokes I just can't share with them ;)

Lessons of the day

Lesson 1: Careful what you're doing, someone is always watching you.

C came to school so early that I was still setting up the classroom so I enlisted her happy help. Together we set up the dishes, put out the laundry, sharpened pencils, and delivered a few random things back to their places, including my notebook and clipboard for note taking. later that morning when we came in to formally start the work cycle with the rest of the children I headed over to my stool to check my lesson plan before starting presentations. To my shock I noticed that C had not only delivered both items as requested, but had carefully tucked the notebook in my side table, balanced upright how it best fits, and placed my clipboard on the nearby stool with the pen on it ready to write....just like they eventually end up every day even though I try to store them both hidden in the side table. And then I started wondering....what else have they been watching me do?

Lesson 2: Never underestimate a 4 year old.

J and Q were playing together at recces, enjoying the new snow and the return of sledding. J was riding along as Q pulled her. Q slipped along; the sled starting and stopping. "I can help you!" J giggled happily, using her arms to push the sleds forward in little lurches. Q looked back, a slightly disgruntled look on her face. "Stop, I don't need your help." J, always happy to please her friends listened immediately and settled her arms back in to the sled. Without another word Q took off, her boots slipping on the snow a bit before a final yank pulled the sled forward in rush. J fell back down in the sled from the force and lay there giggling as Q stomped away through the snow. She didn't need anyone's help to pull that sled; after all, she's 4 now!

Extensions and games

Lately in the classroom I've really been focusing on showing extensions of sensorial materials to the children, to encourage them to go back and practice the things they've already been shown so they can truly understand and master them. I have at least one child who feels that after she has done something once, she's done with it, no need to practice (even if it wasn't all that easy the first time!). By introducing some little 'games' she can do with friends though, I've gotten her to practice a lot more with the materials and get to know them a bit better.

While there are about two dozen or so different sensorial materials, the extensions are pretty similar. The children can do different types of matching.. They can match the materials themselves, find things in the classroom environment that are the same color/shape/size/etc., or even just bring one set to a table on the other side of the classroom and try to remember what they're looking for while navigating across the room. All this little games help build up their memory and really help solidify the aspect of the material that they're working with.

C doing an extension of the color tablets where he collects items
from around the classroom that match the color of the tablets.
Several children observed this and couldn't wait to try it themselves!

Another main extension that I've tried to make a point of introducing is the language that goes with each material. Things like the color tablets and geometric shapes have obvious language to be given, but all the sensorial materials have a certain bit of language associated with them. For example the pink tower is large/small, the brown stair is thick/thin, and the red rods are long/short.

The specific words are used to introduce the children to the idea of comparing two different qualities through language. In a certain context one red rod may be the longer one, but next to another rod it may be shorter. While a child  may be able to put the rods in order, they may have no idea how to explain verbally to another person what they did. The point of these language extensions is to formalize and give the language for something the children  already understand.

I do want to point out that as a teacher I'm not actually trying to teach children the 'idea' of large and small, I trust that they've already noticed that objects are all different sizes. What I'm trying to supply them with is the language associated with these different properties so they can communicate about them with other people.

Montessori Sunday: Celebrating Holidays

Ok, so how to celebrate  a holiday isn't exactly a Montessori material in any regard, but it is something that is approached a bit differently and since I didn't get to talk about our 'visitor' on Friday I'll do it now. There usually aren't 25+ copies of the same art project made by the children displayed around the classroom. Bulletin boards aren't updated with the usual holiday colors. Though there are some similarities though that seem prevalent in every preschool environment. Special songs and stories surrounding the season are shared with the children. Also, the diversity of holidays (especially around the winter season) is introduced with the idea of exposing children to many different points of view.

Here's how our All Hallow's Eve 'party' went as an example. Our class has spent two days preparing a jack-o-lantern. The children helped gut the pumpkin, then sorted the seeds from the flesh to save for a snack. The next day they each drew a part of the jack-o-lanterns face and I carved it out. I also set the seeds out on a table to dry and the children were very excited to remember that they were going to be our snack on Halloween.

On the day of Halloween I waited for all the children to arrive before asking them to put their work away and wash their hands for a special snack. While they did so I darkened the room. Together we passed out napkins and the roasted seeds, as well as some warm apple cider from our Fall Festival the weekend before. The children were very careful with being allowed to eat on the carpeting and were very careful and neat with their snack.

I lit the pumpkin and read one of my favorite Halloween stories, "The little old lady who wasn't afraid of anything." The children munched on their pumpkin seeds and enjoyed their apple cider as the jack-o-lantern flickered and I read the silly story to them. They were so attentive and well behaved that I wish I had a video of the event. When I finished the story the candle was blown out the children who were done took care of their dishes and napkins before getting back to work. They all agreed they wanted the Jack-o-Lantern to visit our classroom for the rest of the morning so I left him out for them to admire at leisure. Then I sat and enjoyed my own snack with the stragglers and that was it. That was our entire Halloween.


There was no big hoopla about candy. No tears and uncontainable excitement around costumes. Just a peaceful snack with friends and a silly story in a slightly spooky setting. Then they were done and over it. I didn't hear another word about Halloween for the rest of the morning. They were content with what we had. I only hope we can do it again.