What Did You Do at School Today?

Written by Cynthia Dahl and Regan Becker

Setting a Table

One of the most common questions adults ask a child is, "What did you do at school today?" A common response is, "Nothing!"  Children may give an elaborate description of snack, or whether or not the class went out to play. It is the rare child that will describe in detail the amazing work or social interactions that they are all involved in each and every day. 

Like detectives, parents and caregivers notice spontaneous outbursts of new information learned at school. To jog a child's memory and give them something more specific with which to respond, parents and caregivers might ask a child whether or not they did a specific activity in class today, or if they saw someone work with a specific activity: "Did you work with the Red Rods?" or "Have you been given a lesson on Metal Insets?"

Knobbed Cylinders

Here is a small sample of Montessori materials and activities in the four curricular areas of the Montessori Primary classroom:

• Practical Life – Polishing (metal, mirror); Sewing (a button, burlap); Caring for a Plant (carrying, watering, misting, washing the leaves).

• Sensorial – Brown Stair, Red Rods, Knobbed Cylinders, the Binomial Cube.

• Language – Sandpaper Letters, Metal Insets, Movable Alphabet.

• Math – Sandpaper Numerals, Number Rods, Spindle Boxes, Golden Beads.

Movable Alphabet

Although most children in Montessori primary programs enjoy working independently, some work with others or observe another child working. According to the National Library of Medicine, seventy percent of the population are visual and kinesthetic learners (as opposed to thirty percent who are auditory learners). Children who have a visual-kinesthetic learning style often benefit from observing someone else do an activity before doing it themselves. Observation also builds emotional confidence. During lessons in the Montessori environment, children initially participate as observers to the guide’s quiet performance with precise gestures. The child’s senses are finely tuned by clear, simple actions and attention to movement, sequence, and care for materials.

Parents and caregivers may also check Transparent Classroom – where photos of children at work and play are shared regularly with the Montessori material, activity, and (sometimes) fellow learners tagged. 

Number Rods