During this health crisis, I have had many people contact me wanting to know what they can do with their students through Zoom meetings. They want a way to practice the Montessori Method but in a way that can be communicated and experienced through technology. This is a challenge since our wonderful Montessori materials are all concrete and not in the homes of our students!
Some key concepts to remember is that our goal is not to have the child memorize a lot of facts or do paper work or busy work but to engage the children in an activity or a discussion that fosters a love of learning, and to make a connection with the child as he social-distances from friends and teachers.
“Our aim is not merely to make the child understand and still less to force him to memorize, but to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core.” - Maria Montessori
We need to enthuse the child with our excitement to see them in their home environments and to share an experience together online. Starting out I would suggest that you keep the time limit not more than 15 to 20 minutes and realize that you may need to mute the participants until they raise their hands and have something to share. Why mute? Well, there are noises in every home that can lead to distractions and there is the excitement of the children being “live” online. It is a little like giving each child a microphone at the same time. It can be chaotic!
Some suggestions:
1. Begin by greeting each child by name, just as you would in the classroom.
2. As students begin to log on, speak with the children individually asking them what they have been doing at home.
3. Try reading a favorite book to them with dramatization getting into each character or read a great non-fiction book. Be prepared to ask questions about the content of the book, engaging each child. Ask parents ahead of time to provide paper and art supplies and ask the children to draw pictures about the book after it has been read. Invite each child to show their picture and explain what they drew.
4. INVITE THE PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE WITH THEIR CHILD! Before the meeting send an e-mail with a list of simple things that can be found in the home and ask the parents to be prepared to give their child a small bowl of water. Our goal is to create a “Sink & Float” work together. (Please see our video clip of this activity done with 3 children in a home and the list of objects.) You control the activity by inviting the children to pick up the same object at the same time and place it in the water to see if it sinks or floats. This can be a really fun activity to do together!
5. Use your cell phone and create little video clips to share on Zoom. Don’t know what to record? How about a walk around your flower bed or a garden and get up close with a tomato plant and discuss how each flower will be a tomato! Then show your parts of the plant cards or read a book about plants, flowers or vegetables.
6. Check out Kids National Geographic website. They have many free video clips, one great one is the glass frog. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos/#/614536771576 Create questions to discuss and learn about the life cycle of the frog. Also, check out our free Life Cycle of the Frog to send to parents to print or create for your classroom or do a virtual presentation.
7. Purchase and download Shelly Murley’s Montessori Minute Melodies and have continent props or use the World Map and sing together. This is a wonderful resource because it also has songs about the oceans, months of the year, days of the week, the planets, time, money, etc. Lessons can be built around any of these learning theme songs. Each song is only one minute! (check out our video of the song with our floor map)
8. Sing songs with hand motions! Sing songs with their names, opposite songs, months of the year, days of the week, any of your classroom favorites! Together create a simple musical instrument like a paper plate tambourine or plastic cup maraca. Use spoons for rhythm sticks or make shaker eggs from plastic Easter Eggs! Just e-mail the list of house items needed to create and do step by step together online.
You will have to be creative but the lessons and time together in your Zoom classroom experience can help you stay connected and the children learning! Try it and don’t give up. As with everything remember, through repetition comes success!