Personal Timeline – History and Fun all in one!

This past Monday we did our daughter’s annual Walk Around the Sun. When we did, we also chose to do her personal timeline as well. We used four blank pieces of paper, painter’s tape, pictures from 0-4 and then some extra pictures from the last year for her special moments or milestones. We did this in conjunction with the Walk Around the Sun but these can be two stand alone lessons as well.

This is a fun and simple lesson that helps emphasize the linear nature of time and it’s passing. It is a tangible way to personalize a very abstract concept. In the Montessori history sequence for Montessori 3-6, it starts with an concrete representation of something from the past. I do feel that using the child’s past has been the most successful way of illustrating early on the concept of history.

The personal timeline can be done with pictures or by drawing the pictures on the timeline. We opted to print out pictures and let our child put them on the right place on the timeline. I marked the date on the timeline as she walked around the sun, then she went back at the end and put the pictures on the timeline.

Simple. Fun. Effective. This is why I love Montessori!

Have you done a personal timeline in your home yet?