LIVABLE LEARNING - Preparing the Home and the Heart
Montessori Education

"Maria Montessori developed her teaching methodologies one hundered years ago and have survived because her ultimate goal was to preserve the dignity of the child. How can a child not thrive and learn in a prepared environment that emphasizes respect and integrity? -- A respect and integrity not only of the materials presented and used, but more importantly of the child himself, and of those with whom he interacts."
                                                                        S.V. Wilhelmi

LLkids.jpg

LIVABLE LEARNING can help you prepare
your HOME and your HEART for learning!

LIVABLE LEARNING is my term for a homeschool environment where both the child and the teacher (parent) create an environment that is conducive to learning. This is achieved externally through a simplified order of the household and the learning materials, while internally both the teacher and the student arrive at a greater self-discipline in how they think and act.

Maria Montessori, a physician and scientist from italy, through her direct observations of children, pioneered many changes in educational philosophies in the ealy 1900's. The foundation of Livable Learning is Montessori education. Much of what Montessori tried to do in the Practical Life exercises of the classroom was to recreate the home environment, so in a homeschool environment there is no need for us to re-create what is naturally there. We just need to learn the methods. The application of Livable Learning introduces adaptations to make the Montessori Method more homeschool friendly.

The Montessori Method - the Basics
     The Montessori Method
     Three Period Lesson
     Planes of Development
     Course of Study
     Prepared Paths to Culture
     The Infant as Human Being
     Montessori Made Easy for All Ages

Montessori Method - Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Teacher Preparation
     From Creative Chaos to Livable Learning
     Moral & Spiritual Preparation

Student Materials
     How to Get Started
     Teaching from a Tackle Box

Montessori Made Easy - MME
My desire is to offer a Livable Learning plan for Montessori education. It is so overwhelming at first for most of us:  learning a whole new way of education; learning to observe and to follow our child; investigating materials and presentations; considering the spiritual preparation of the teacher....
In our personal Montessori homeschooling adventure, I  have been working since 2003 to design homeschool-friendly materials and to simplify the write-ups of the basic presentations. The following is the outline of my Livable Learning plan with materials groupings and links to adaptations of the Montessori academic works.

SENSORIAL

Presentation Summaries
DIY Materials & Plans
Ready Made Materials
Sensorial I:  Basics
Set 1: The Block Sets
Set 2: The Cylinder Sets
Set 3: Binomial & Trinomial
Set 4: The Basic Senses

 
Sensorial II:  Geometry & Fractions - Planes & Solids
Set 1: Sterognostic Sense - Solids
Set 2: Geometry Cabinet & Cards
Set 3: Constructive Triangles
Set 4: Circles, Squares & Triangles
Set 5: Fraction Inserts
   

PRACTICAL LIFE

Presentation Summaries
DIY Materials Plans
Ready Made Materials
Practical Life I:  Prelminary Activities
Set 1: Working with Mats & Trays
Set 2: Moving Furniture
Set 3: Silence & Line Activities
Set 4: Peace Table
   
Practical Life II:  Elementary Movements
Set 1:  Opening/Closing
Set 2:  Stringing/Sewing
Set 3:  Transfer/Sorting
Set 4:  Pouring
Set 5:  Spooning/Ladeling
Set 6:  Tonging/Tweezing
Set 7:  Folding
Set 8:  Cutting/Tearing
Set 9:  Tracing/Punching
   
Practical Life III:  Care of the Environment
Set 1:  Crumbing/Sweeping
Set 2:  Washing/Scrubbing
Set 3:  Dusting/Polishing
Set 4:  Care of Plants
Set 5:  Care of Animals
   
Practical Life IV:  Care of the Person
Set 1:  Dressing
Set 2:  Grooming
Set 3:  Food/Table Preparation
   
Practical Life V:  Grace & Courtesy
Set 1: 
   

LANGUAGE

Presentation Summaries
DIY Materials Plans
Ready Made Materials
Language I:  Vocabulary
Set 1:  Two-Part Cards
Set 2:  Three-Part Cards
Set 3:  Classification Cards
   
Language II:  Phonics
Set 1:  Sandpaper Letters
Set 2:  Metal Insets
Set 3:  Printed ABC, Objects & Labels
Set 4:  Fishbowl Words
Set 5:  Fabric ABC & Word Families
Set 6:  Sight Words
   
Language III:  Grammar
Set 1:  Grammar Games
Set 2:  Mini Environment - Farm
Set 3:  Grammar Boxes
   
Language IV:  Word Study
Set 1: 
   
Language V:  Sentence Analysis
Set 1: 
   

MATH

Presentation Summaries
DIY Materials Plans
Ready Made Materials
Math I:  Numeration
Intro to Math
Set 1:  Beginning Counting
Set 2:  Linear/Skip Counting
   
Math I:  Decimal System
Set 1:  Place Value/Hierarchy
Set 2:  Bank Game/Operations
Set 3:  Stamp Game/Dot Game
Set 4:  Bead Frames
Set 5:  Decimal Board
   
Math III:  Memorization of Math Facts
Set 1:  Snake Game/ Mult Layout
Set 2:  Math Facts Folders/Boards
Set 3:  Decanomial Materials
   
Math I:  Abstraction
Set 1:  Checkerboards/Long Mult
Set 2:  Racks & Tubes/Long Div
Set 3:  Algebraic Pegboards
Set 4:  Algebraic Cube Puzzles
   

CULTURE

Presentation Summaries
DIY Materials Plans
Ready Made Materials
Culture I:  Geography
Intro to Culture
Set 1:  Land & Water Forms
Set 2:  Globes
Set 3:  Puzzle Maps & Pin Maps
Set 4:  Continent Folders
   
Culture II:  History
Set 1:  Minutes Clock
Set 2:  Calendar/Seasons
Set 3:  Timelines
   
Culture III:  Science
Set 1:  Great Lessons
Set 2:  Botany
Set 3:  Zoology
Set 4:  Anatomy
   
Culture IV:  Music
Set 1: 
   
Culture V:  Art
Set 1:  Child Size Masterpieces