shapes and signs

i introduced the stereognostic bag this afternoon (i have named it the shapes bag for Jordy). I started showing him the shapes and asking him to reach and and see which one he could find and point it out to me…. not the best way to approach it.  I quickly changed it to lining one set up and asking him to reach in to the bag and find a match for each item in turn (i started with the easier shapes first).

It went quite well.  He only chose three incorrectly and enjoyed the work. But he did not want to repeat it. He wanted to play with the shapes and then he wanted to roll the ball. So i packed the bag away.  I have not left it on the shelves yet. I will present it again tomorrow and see what he thinks.  The shapes are too invting to roll and throw so until i know that he understands the nature of the materials i will keep it out of reach.

I have to learn the names of the shapes myself. LOL! So i will do that tonight and refresh their names in the morning before i repeat it. I wonder if i should first show him the blue geometric solids before we use the bag again?  I can’t wait to start the Montessori course so i have a better idea of scope and sequence.

Yesterday we revised a few signs that Jordy learnt a while back but we have not kept up with. He then asked for signs for a few more items. We played with them again this morning in bed and he asked for the sign for ‘bear’ so we learnt that too. I am going to make sure i spend some time each day using the signs from his baby sign days as he just soaks them up at the moment.

a busy morning

well, it’s only a little after 10:00 and already Jordy has had a big morning! He’s played with his nature basket and sat in the dark again to make more sparks with his quartz, worked with the cylinder block, drawn with his magnadoodle, played ball and, most interesting to me, made shapes with some sticks.

He was playing with some parts of another game that have four wooden posts and he made a triangle and was trying to make a square. I watched for a while and then foolishly interrupted by giving him some coloured paddlepop sticks to use instead. I should have just let him be to work with it himself! We continued to make shapes and straight lines with the paddlepop sticks but he wanted me to do it with him and would often say it was “hard work” when he was successfully doing it alone before i interrupted.

So that’s my lesson for today- to step back and let him work as he chooses. I should have just noted his attempts and tomorrow presented the sticks as new material. I wonder if i should present the geometic demonstration tray soon?