This Week's Foci: Language and Life Skills
Interactions with Materials
Interactions with Materials
- Q-ball really enjoyed taking control of practical life skills this week and worked to get her hands on "real" things whenever possible. She's still very focused on learning to stir (is it still stirring if there's nothing in the bowl??) and using a spoon and fork to eat. She also loves picking up cups and drinking from them.
- She is still loving books. We read "The Ear Book" constantly. When she spots clocks now, she sways from side to side and says, "Tick Tock." Daddy and I taught her yesterday that watches are also clocks, and she seems to be catching on.
- She also loves her stroller! About 3 weeks ago, I finally let go and removed the carseat from the stroller, so she no longer faces me when we go for runs or walks. It was a little hard for me, but she's loving it. She's visibly excited when we pull out the stroller.
Interactions with Others
- She loves watching others. At the playground, she'll stand at the bottom of the slide and watch the big kids go down and point and laugh at them. (She has quite the belly laugh!)
Interactions with Space
- No big changes with movements. Just lots of it!
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| Helping Mama clean-up. Rice stir-fry is hard to keep on a spoon! |
Interactions with Life
- She so wants to help Mama with everything! I can certainly see the emergence and cause of toddler tantrums! This week she has really tried to help Mama load the washing machine, fold clothes, water the plants, and vacuum and mop.
- I've tried to capitalize on these skills and reinforce our "clean up" practice. She will now help me pick up a few bits of food that she "drops" from her high chair after meals. It's still, of course, difficult to get her to focus on cleaning up all materials before moving on to something new, but I've still been diligent about demonstrating.
- We really need to get more practical life materials for her size, so she can learn to help herself. I often see the Montessorian phrase "help me help myself" in her expressions. But, I often think she's feeling more like, "ERRR....HELP ME HELP MYSELF!!"
To see the rational and purpose for the Watch Her Grow series, please check out this post!
Yes- I love the selection at For Small Hands! And, I think you are the one who introduced it to me first. Thank you! I always learn so much from your posts!
ReplyDeleteThe stirring love is likely to stick around for awhile, I'll tell you. This morning, I had to give Annabelle a coffee mug full of water and a spoon to stir it with, because it was driving her nuts to watch me stir my coffee and not get in on the action! I have heard, "wanting to stir it," more times than I can count this week;)
ReplyDeleteI love picturing Q-ball rocking back and forth at the sight of a clock, too. :)
You may know this already, but my favorite source for child-sized odds and ends for household tasks is Montessori Services/For Small Hands.