Our preschooler is raring to go for kindergarten this year, so when I was considering what we’d use as our primary curriculum, I looked around and tried a few things. We love using apps to reinforce what she’s learning, but I also wanted her to have some hands-on kinesthetic activities to help her really “see” the concepts.
She’s also very enthusiastic about doing “schoolwork” like her siblings, so I knew she would want a program that would challenge her and be able to grow along with her ability.
So when I got the opportunity to review ShillerMath Kit A and ShillerMath Language Arts Foundations, I was thrilled! This was just the kind of program I was looking for!
If you’re considering a Montessori homeschool kindergarten approach, take a look at how ShillerMath curriculum makes learning math and ELA into an interactive experience for young kids! Plus, see how you can score a discount on a ShillerMath order of your own!
And for books your early reader will love, check out our simple homeschool kindergarten reading list!
Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
Montessori Homeschool Kindergarten: ShillerMath Language Arts Foundations
When I opened my boxes from ShillerMath, I really didn’t know what to expect, so I was amazed by how complete the curriculum is.
Language Arts Foundations is a relatively new program from ShillerMath, which is designed to introduce ELA to children aged 4 to 5 (think: preschool through kindergarten).
The program includes lesson plan books and manipulatives – so, so many manipulatives. There is no way kids will get bored with this curriculum.
I have been aware of the Montessori method for some time. I haven’t used it with my children, but I have always liked the idea of helping children to take ownership of their education through hands-on learning, which is what Montessori teaches.
But – I’m not a Montessori teacher and I was unsure how to go about using this method with my kids. Which is why ShillerMath is so awesome. You don’t have to know the Montessori method to use it. It’s all outlined for you in the lesson plan!
This is one of the lessons in ShillerMath Language Arts Foundations. As you can see, the entire script is laid out for you. You can truly just open the book and read the instructions. Which is exactly what we did!
For this lesson, we used the movable alphabet, some playdough, and the grain. (All of this is included in the box, by the way.)
Once we identified the letter C, we spent a little time working with the wooden letters on the work mat. We turned them backwards and upside down until we recognized how to place them so that we could read them correctly.
Then it was time to break out the grain. As instructed, I gave my little one a small bowl and let her pour the grain herself. She was so psyched to do that on her own.
Of course, she had to have a little sensory play in the grain before continuing with the lesson.
We traced the letter C in the grain for some fine motor skill practice and a sensory experience.
Then it was time to make some playdough letters! We rolled out some dough and made playdough ropes.
Then we just shaped them into the letter C! We decided to do an uppercase letter C and a lowercase letter C.
That’s an example of the Montessori method in action. Instead of just showing a child the letter, you get to let them explore the letter in as many forms as possible. My kindergartner had a blast with it.
Keep reading to see how ShillerMath approaches Montessori math for early grades!
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