July 7, 2021

Planning for Year Two of the 3-6 Montessori Classroom at Home – Materials List

I am planning for our next school year in our Montessori Homeschool Preschool and I am making a game plan for which materials I will buy and which materials I will DIY. I thought others may benefit from my list so I’ve included it here on the blog. To see what materials we already have for the first year+ of the 3-6 Montessori Classroom, check this post out.

Sensorial

Constructive Triangles – I am DIY’ing these and laminating them. I found them free here. If the cost of lumber goes down, I may make special boxes for them. I still might make them and use a different material… contemplating cardboard. I haven’t decided yet! Here’s a great DIY tutorial for both the triangles and the boxes.

Note: These could be grouped with year one but we went a little out of order with our sensorial sequence. We have done all of the tactile, baric, and thermic sense. We have done auditory exploration with music but more under cultural. We will do some of the more traditional auditory lessons this year and next.

Update: I downloaded them for free, laminated, and cut them out. I am playing with them this week and introducing them at the beginning of September.

Geometrical Figures – I am planning to DIY from a free printout + laminate as well. These could be grouped with year one potentially as well. Just depends on how you do your sensorial sequence.

Sensorial Decanomial – I grabbed this printable from Making Montessori Ours on Etsy. We will only use the sensorial deconamial portion of the printable right now but the rest will come in handy when using the decanomial beads.

Knobless Cylinders – Kid Advance (not yet purchased)

Binomial Cube – Kid Advance (Purchased)

Trinomial Cube – Kid Advanced (Purchased)

Leaf Cabinet – Kid Advance (Not Yet Purchased; Introducing Spring 2022)

Language

Metal Insets – Kid Advance (Similar Here) and trays.

Chalkboard – I am grabbed this work from Waseca. I adore the chalkboard tracing work, the letter family stories and believe that this will be used often with the girls. I may still grab a plain chalkboard as well! We do have a chalkboard on our easel so that may not be necessary. If she is really into tracing work, I found this site that has free printables for cursive writing practice that I may utilize. We shall see!

Phonetic Object Box & Phonogram Object Box – DIY – I loved this idea from the Kavanaugh Report for a DIY Sound Object Box. I am going to do a mix of small boxes and then use an extra case for the moveable alphabet (from Kid Advance) to do something similar. I will update this post when I’m done and/or write a new post on this DIY.

In addition to the above, I will be DIY’ing Dwyer’s reading folders. This is a great overview/tutorial. I have the books, “Montessori Read and Write” by Lynne Lawrence as well as “Basic Montessori” by David Gettman. I just grabbed Dwyer’s booklet, “A Path for Exploration of Any Language Leading to Writing and Reading”. We are using Dwyer’s approach for reading and writing (as opposed to Pink/Blue/Green Series – which is the other main alternative in American English that follows the Montessori Method) and will be supplementing with Waseca materials/downloads.

Update: Read about how Dwyer’s pamphlet changed my perspective and sequence for the language progression here.

Mathematics

Sandpaper Numbers – Kid Advance

Number Rods & Cards – Kid Advance

Spindle Boxes – DIY based on this idea from Mathesori (you can buy this from them in one of their Numbers & Counting Kit. Super affordable but not full size.) I’ll add my picture once I have completed this DIY!

Cards and Counters – probably a DIY. I’ve already done a few with our units (more for organic counting, not number symbol to quantity recognition.) It’s fun to match these to themes as well! Here’s some we’ve done already and here’s some more ideas from Living Montessori.

Golden Beads – DIY with this tutorial from Tackle Box Montessori and this free printable (maybe…. I might make all the cubes from beads!) I am planning to DIY the Place Value Mat using this tutorial.

Large and Small Number Cards – Planning to DIY this. I found this free printable. .

Stamp Game – Purchased used.

Dot Game – This one seems like a simple DIY or one that we might just grab a printable for. I’ll probably be checking them out on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Colored Bead Stairs – DIY with this tutorial from Tackle Box Montessori. I am loving these sweet trays we just grabbed for this material from Etsy.

Teen and Tens Boards or Cards – Kid Advance (have not purchased)

Bead Cabinet – DIY with this tutorial from Tackle Box Montessori. I’m loving this idea for a space saving/economical option for the cabinet by Making Montessori Ours. We will likely do something similar.

Snake Game – DIY with this tutorial from Tackle Box Montessori paired with these trays for initial presentations and then to display attractively on the shelf!

Cultural

The World Puzzle – Kid Advance

Felt World Map with Colored Continents (Maybe even a biome version too!) – DIY – Originally I was going to just buy this one but I’ve decided this is an easy DIY that I can do at home. I am using this tutorial and will probably make the quiet book for our tot. I am unsure if I will outline the continents and let them attach or do the sand and water version… leaning towards just outline the continents on the map itself.

North America Unit

North America Puzzle (Kid Advance)

North America Biome Stencils – Waseca – I simply adore these but they are not in budget. I’m leaning towards grabbing the control charts (all continents for $25!) and using those and the black line masters. I also may DIY some biome pieces for our world felt map I am planning to DIY.

North America Readers – I may try to buy these second hand but we would not be ready to use them this fall when we do our North America Unit. I may just grab some fun books to read together for now and add these later…. or DIY them…. If I DIY I can match to the animals I grab for our DIY Continent Boxes.

North American Animals

North America 3 Part Cards and Resources (Looking at both of these resources although I could end up DIY’ing these Trillium Montessori and Waseca)

Update: I am in the process of DIY’ing our North American 3 Part Cards.

North American Continent Boxes (I am DIY’ing these… I will do another post on them when they are done!)

Antarctica Unit

Antarctica Puzzle? I am not seeing one on Kid Advance but honestly I am not sure what the utility would be since it is one piece. They do have one on Waseca’s Website. It could be nice for tracing work since it is the entire continent unlike the continent of Antarctica in the world map. I have some time to decide. We would not do this unit until Winter.

Antarctica Biome Control Charts

Antarctica 3 Part Cards (Looking at Trillium Montessori and Waseca for these)

Antarctica Readers – We may not be ready for these yet but we would be (at least the red book). I will decide closer to. I know I will add these around 5.

Antarctica Animals

Antarctica Continent Box – DIY’ing this. Will add more info when I am done!

South America Unit

South America Puzzle

South America Biome Control Chart

South America Three Part Cards (Looking at these from Trillium Montessori and Waseca)

South America Readers – Waseca – We may be ready for the red ones when it is time for this unit in the spring.

South America Animals

South America Continent Boxes – DIY’ing this. Will add more info when I am done!

Practical Life

Any of these can also be introduced in year one. Just follow your child!

Apple Slicer

Geoboard

Mini Hand Crank Paper Shredder

Sowing Work – I want to be more intentional with this in the upcoming year. I grabbed the book, “Sewing in the Montessori Classroom” by Aimee Fagan M. Ed. and am LOVING it so far.

That is our list for year two in the Montessori Primary Classroom! I am working on prepping six months ahead right now. I am hopeful that this will give me some breathing room during the year. We shall see!

Here are some more resources you might find helpful when planning for your Montessori Homeschool Preschool: