Tot School – Letter M

We have been moving at a very slooow pace with our Letter – Tot – School.  We are focusing more on play these days, particularly playing outside in nature (i.e. unstructured play).  I am still planning on having a “Letter of the Week” out — but it is more like “Letter every two weeks”.  I like that, in between play times, we can focus back on our letter, our letter reviews, or our bible verses.

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We focus on a letter every week and do fun activities based on that letter.  I set out “Tot Trays” for my son to play with and learn as the week progresses.  My trays try to promote the four Montessori principles: Language, Mathematics, Sensory, and Practical Life.  I have decided to only put out one or two trays out at a time. Some children would thrive with all six trays out, as I was doing up until Letter K, but my son needed less in front of him.  My child thrives with less choice and I have found that one or two trays engages him more than six trays. (I bought my six trays from Oriental Trading.)

At the beginning of the week, I cut out each of the following from our Tot School ABCs curriculum — this makes Tot School time easier for me, when we are “in the moment.”

• Numbers: for using manipulatives in 1:1 correspondence
• Colors: coloring with markers or crayons
• Shapes: gluing onto a piece of paper

Here is John with his numbers.  He is learning 1:1 correspondence with these adorable bear counters.

May and John both love their Lauri capital letter peg puzzles.

Here is his tray with his triangular crayons and mouse cards.

He loved his mailbox with his A – M sandpaper cards.

We also used our homemade pom-pom magnets with a metal cookie sheet and the free printables from Making Learning Fun.

This isn’t a Tot Tray, but he loved throwing his beanbags into the laundry basket and a small bowl.

I made this schedule to organize our Tot School time, according to the Montessori principles: Language, Mathematics, Sensory, and Practical Life.

You can read my post about it and download the free Tot School Planning Form here.

Bible verse of the week:

A merry heart does good like a medicine.  Proverbs 21:22

We use the ABC bible verse songs from Songs for Saplings.  These songs are so catchy, beautiful, not “children’s music annoying,” and I find myself singing and learning and memorizing the bible verses along with John.  Carisa at 1plus1plus1equals1 has made coordinating ABC Bible Verses posters which have really helped with his memorization as well.

We put up our bible verse, a Mm small poster from Tot School, a Mm sign from my Kindergarten teaching days, and these wonderful Montessori sandpaper letters.  We put these up on the wall so he could feel the letter every morning and trace his fingers on the letter.

Bible Story of the week:

The Story of Jesus’ Resurrection using our Betty Lukens’ Bible Felt Set.

**I will have a bible post coming soon explaining our Bible Time routine.

Letter of the week: Mm

Our curriculum consists of 1plus1plus1equals1‘s Tot School ABC’s.

John has really gotten the hang of tracing — though here, check out his poor pencil grip  :)  We do this with dry erase markers and heavy duty sheet protectors.  Erasing is a handy practical life skill as well!

**Check out my post on Utensil Writing!

Do-A-Dot markers on his Mouse pages.

We put some M puzzles in a little tin.  He loves this Melissa & Doug letter puzzle.

Here he is tracing his vocabulary cards.  He loved all of the little rodents and learning about them and their names.

We also used 1plus1plus1equals1 Monster Trucks free printables!  I didn’t get a good picture, but he loved singing the Monster Trucks song and reading the little book.

Book of the week:

While I was searching for the perfect “mouse” book — I found that we already had a whole library of them!  I set up his book bin with only books that had a mouse in them.  Some of them were about a mouse, but some only had one little mouse, so he enjoyed finding the “hidden” mouse!

These three mouse books were his favorite:

• Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (Check out my Author Spotlight on Mr. Henkes.)  I was surprised at how much my son loooved this book : )
  
• If you give a mouse a cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
• Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells

Here is his bin of mouse books:

 We have been outside most days and he got a new sandbox which he is crazy about.

John loves his little sandbox.  He plays in it every day — digging holes and making tracks.

This little mouse is very easy to make, all you need is:

May loves to read her little books.  It is so sweet to watch her read them — and she is now turning the pages!  (And eating them.)  These Baby Touch and Feel books are her favorites.

Have a wonderful week,

Check out my posts on the Early Literacy Stages:

This post is linked up at the Tot School Gathering Place and check out my Link-Up page for the other wonderful places I may link this blog post!

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!  ♥