Madalina Georgiana Gaftoi

Infant/ Toddlers (0 – 3) Diploma Program

Student 35003
georgi_sm29@yahoo.com, 0727280162

Twos A Assignment
1. From my experience, I saw many parents who believed that newborns or infants are not capable to learn alone,
to use their senses, as they are too little and always need help, even when they are seven or eight years old. My
thoughts are that even if we talk about a baby that just joined the world, an infant, a toddler or a twos, children are
capable of fascinating things using their mental capacity, their bodies and their environment; and it is our role to be
sure that he can use all these elements. It is important to give them materials and activities to help them develop
not only by senses, but also through other skills. It is true, we start learning things using our senses since the
moment of birth, but we can permanently develop much more.
2. As for the first questions I have already answers in the first assignment, I would use my answers from there for
a) and b).
a) Cosmic Education is an important part of the Montessori method and represents the overall approach which
includes helping children realise the bond between human beings and nature, as they contribute and as they are a
part of the harmonious whole.
b) To lay the groundwork for cosmic education, a Montessori teacher has to be focused on several simple steps:
children should stay as much as possible in the nature, you should let the children explore the nature as much as
they can, you should not interfere in child’s process of learning nature, you should use materials, equipment and
activities which involves natural materials as much as possible.
c) How can you make cosmic connections for children using an article of clothing?
- by looking, touching and even smelling the article of clothing (in our case I chose a sweater) the child can say
what color the article is, how heavy or how it feels when he is touching it;
- by imagining from where the sweater came the child can speak about the shop or even a factory;
- by talking about the need of having a sweater the child can imagine the cold weather and how many children or
adults have this article of clothing;
- by discussing with the child about how to recycle the sweater after it no longer can be wore the child can
understand that the environment or the planet needs to be healthy and it is our duty to take care about it;
- by discussing with the child about sharing a sweater with the people who can not afford one the child can
understand that not all children are lucky enough to have those things, but can always help and be empathic.
3. In our classroom in the center (1 – 2 and half) we had books from Usborne, First Reading:
- “Wolly Stops the Train”; “The Runaway Tractor”; “The Old Steam Train”; “Barn on Fire”;
We used the books in English; for the younger ones, we translated the story and told it in Romanian and for those
who already knew the story, we used words in English.
4. a) Duties of being a teacher: to watch the environment and this takes precedence over all the rest, must entice the
child to engage with his environment, must be careful not to interfere in any way in the child’s work.
b) It is recommended to intervene and interrupt from the beginning a child’s behaviour when it becomes
inappropriate. If he resists it is okay to remove him from situation, perhaps having him walk through the garden
until he is calm and ready to be back in the community.
c) Dr. Montessori believed that the only duty a teacher has is to present things. She draws the analogy to that of
a valet and his master. The valet’s only task is to look after his master, to observe and to anticipates his needs, but
never to offer advice or to tell him what to. Exactly as in the relationship child – teacher. The teacher must be able
to look after the child, to observe him and his behavior, to anticipates his needs, but never to give his help without
the child asking for it.
 d) The teacher should intervene and interrupt a child, from the beginning, when his undesirable behaviour
interferes with the work and concentration of others.
5. The consolidation period represents the time when the children rate of growth is slowing, when they refine the
many physical skills that they have developed in the first two years.
6. True.

7. a) A child has a sensitive period when he requests a certain activity. As an example, we can use this twenty –
eight months old boy called Raymond who is observing another child in the classroom who listens to an audio
book. After the child had finished, Raymond is trying to work with the same material, waiting for the caregiver to
help and present the activity.

b) A twos can be in a sensitive period when the child’s behaviour seems stuck. You can have in your classroom
a child like in our example, little Raine, who likes to use the words “no” in every situation and with every occasion
she has. Your role is to observe and to find the right words and the right situations: you can talk with the other
caregivers to not use anymore choices that requires answers like “yes” or “no”, you can present group activities to
her where the other children and she have the opportunity to answer with “yes” or “no” in socially acceptable way.

8. a) Use a utensil to scrape leftover food into the garbage pail; place plate, cup and utensils in their proper bins,
placed used napkins in the laundry hamper.

b) Cleaning face and hands, diapering or toileting, washing hands after toileting.

(or my tasks: use a broom or a mop to clean the floor if there is any food on it, use a wet napkin or a wet
sponge to clean the table, clean the placemat throwing the food from it in the garbage pail; - from my experience,
when they are eating, small parts of their food is getting on the table or on the floor and this requires cleaning,
being a great opportunity for them to learn some practical life activities)

9. I believe the activity has two purposes: to develop the sense of community and to develop other important skills
(gross motor skills, body awareness, imitating and practicing following instructions, concentration, confidence, self
– esteem, the basis for social skills needed in preschool)

10. a) This activity helps the child develop practical life skills as he or she needs to follow some instructions.as the
activity can pe presented in a group or for the fact that the child needs to use his or her whole body for the action.

b) This activity helps the child develop cognitive skills as they have to concentrate, to see what the caregiver is
doing and to imitate.

c) This activity helps the child develop the sensory component as he or she has to watch and see what the
caregiver is doing and to use his or her whole body to do the same.

11. For this activity you need to place in your environment a tape or to paint a continuous narrow line about 3
inches wide that it can have almost any shape (circle, oval, square, rectangle) with the two ends joining at some
point. You need to have enough space and simple repetitive songs and action series, few props to assist in focusing
the children attention.

12. After you gathered the children at any point on the line, you invite them to walk behind you, but following the
line.
13. Walking with big steps, jumping on the line, doing the frog jumps, doing the dwarf walking, walking with
hands ups. (There where activities that we had done with our children outdoor, but without following a line.)

14. I believe that a way of showing children that you reached the end of the line is to slow your moving gradually
and after the children did the same, you just quietly sit down on the line. Another way can be represented by
singing a song or poem as a signal.

15. Extension 3 – after you observe the children and their experience and gained skills over this activity, you can
transform it into a language activity where the children can practice speaking, but also taking turns. You can help
them with the concept of taking turns, explaining that they have to wait for the younger ones and that they need to
hear each other, not for them to speak all at once; and for this you can use a signal to get their attention like raising
your hand.

Extension 4 – After the children are capable to do more than one or two steps of the entire activity (moving,
sitting, speaking in line), you can introduce new elements, like asking about their families, discussing about how
they are a family in the center and giving them different tasks in the classroom.

Extension 5 – After the children have gained some experience in walking, sitting, speaking and being aware of
“childcare family”, you can help them learn and understand sitting in silence by introducing the “silent time”. You
need to be aware that each child has his own time of understanding things, so this extension may take many weeks.
Also, do not correct the children and as always use a short song or poem to signal the end of the line.

16. “Sorting Objects by Concept”;

17. It is important to not use objects in the same color, so the child to not sort the objects by color, but by other
aspect.

18. After you demonstrate the child how to sort the objects, you put them on the work mat and invite him to sort
them.

19. Water animals and flying animals, spoons and forks, socks and gloves.

20. False.

21.
 22. True.
23. “Yesterday”; “Today”;
24. You can make an extension over two or three days:
a) first day – in the art area you help the children to make different shapes
using clay and put the shapes to dry overnight.
b) second day – in the art area, you can invite the children to paint their
shapes and put them to dry. Also, you can discuss with them about the
changes they observed on letting the clay dry.
25. From my point of view, the child develops fine motor skills
practicing this type of activity by using his hands to pick the objects and
to associate them with the numbers; also, the child develops visual discrimination as he sees the differences
between the numbers and the objects used to associate for each number.
26. It is important to have at least 55 small identical corks so the child to have enough to place on each of the
dots when you are presenting all ten cards.
27. If you present the activity for the first time, you choose number sheet one, two and three and it is important
to not arrange the sheets in order. If you already have presented the activity, you can show the rest of the
number sheets, not only one, two or three.
28. The tactile component is developed here by the child as he sees the caregiver examine the corks and feeling
them, tracing the dots with the finger and having to imitate the actions.
29. It is important to vary the round objects that can be put on the dots to maintain the child’s interest.
30. False.
31. From my point of view, it is not important what pieces is removed firstly if the purpose of the activity is
followed, to pick the shapes and to match them.
32. If the child can not success in working, you can wait until he requires your help. Then, you can gently guide
his hand to take out the shape and to place it back in its right place.
33.

Puzzle found on the Amazon, made by TAG at the price of $46.95.

34. This activity helps the child develop memory as he has to learn where is every object and put it in the
muffin tin. Also, he develops memory by working with different objects, shapes, colors and textures.
35. At the beginning, the buttons are in the bowl and the bowl is on the work tray, on the child’s left.
36. Extension 1 is unique and more challenging as the child has ten cards, each showing a number of dots and
each card is placed in each chest drawer. He has to place the correct numbers of buttons in each drawer until the
basket is empty. His extension helps the child develop memory, visual discrimination, fine motor skills, but also
improving imagination and problem - solving skills.
37. From my point of view, you, as a caregiver, in presenting the activity, have to trace the outline of each shape
to help the child focus, to see the shape and to learn how to match the shape with the outline.
38. In preparing the materials for Extension 1, you can use wood shapes or puzzles with different shapes made
from wood. In our classroom, we had knobbed puzzles made of wood. In Romania, those puzzles are called
“incastre” and there are puzzles from the age of three months old with a large number of pieces increasing with
the growth of child.
39. The twos activity is different from the toddlers one and it is more challenging firstly, as the child already
gained some experience. Secondly, because of the material we use in presentation. Being at the beginning, for
the toddlers activity, we use a booklet containing 10 or 12 large pictures of the child’s typical day at the center
from arriving to leaving, while for the twos activity, we use a set of five sequence pictures showing the child
involved in obvious beginning and ending of the day routine and asking the child to put them in order.
40. A difference is on the material level. The activity needs a basket with five sequence pictures showing the
child involved in obvious beginning of the day and end of the day routines, while in practicing Extension 1, you
need pictures of another child from the center.
41. After all the puzzle pieces are on the work mat in random order, you pick the first piece and compare it to
each of the circles on the poster before placing it below its matching shapes.
42. This activity helps the child develop fine motor skills as he needs to use his dominant hand to pick puzzle
pieces and to place them on the right shapes.
43. a) roll out play dough, cut it into circles with cookies cutter, then cut the circles into halves or thirds;
b) food preparation; you and the child can cut bread or cheese slices into halves or quarters;
c) other activities with food like cutting sandwiches into triangles, small pizza cut into sixths.
44. False.
45. The answer is yes. In the 0 -3 CSM in MyNAMC Articles section it seems that for this activity is included a
printable resource.
46. Extension 3.
47. I believe that what all these cognitive activities have in common is that the child learns using his body,
especially his hands. Even as a newborn he learns using his hands and his mouth, his senses. Each cognitive
activity assumes the child to work using his hands to develop fine motor skills, but also other skills as
concentration, visual acuity or different concepts used in practical life.
48. “Using Group Time for Building Community”, “Matching Shapes to Outlines”, “Sorting Objects by
Concept”, “Matching Three Basic Geometrical Shapes”.
49.

My material is called “Sorting Objects by Concept”.

50. “Cutting with Scissors”, “Using a Hole Puncher”.
51. The activity from the Twos A Manual is different firstly because we speak about another category of age
and another complexity. If we compare the twos activity with the one from Toddlers A Manual, we can also
discuss about a difference at the material level. For the toddlers activity, you can only use a piece of modelling
dough, the purpose being the child to develop the sense of touch, while for twos activity you can use scissors for
children, modelling dough and a bowl, the purpose being on the child to develop strengthening finger and hand
muscle, but also to lay the basis for writing skills.
52. From my point of view, the teacher demonstrates the following things to the child: how to roll the play
dough and create a short rope about 3 inches long; how to pick the scissors with one hand, how to open and
close them, so the child understands how to manipulate scissors; how to use the scissors and how to cut the rope
made from play dough;
53. The cleaning up process might also involve wiping the table and the scissors.
54. I believe that the role of masking tape is to make the child understand the steps of the activity, as he has ti
throw the object from a distance and to respect the presentation and the order of happening things.
55. a) Practicing this activity, the child develops gross motor skills as he has to use his whole body to work
correctly and to throw the objects into the basket.
b) This activity helps the child develop eye – hand coordination as he sees the presentation the teacher
gives him, sees the objects and the actions and he has to reproduce the whole process.
56. a) You can increase the distance between the child and the basket.
b) You can introduce larger and slightly heavier objects.
c) you can help the child understand the differences in weight, shape, feel and how to adjust the throw
accordingly by presenting an assortment of throwing objects.
57. Eye – hand coordination, manual dexterity, the ability to focus.
58. After you punched the first hole, it is recommended to show the child the hole in the paper and the
“confetti”.
59. Firstly, both activities “Cutting with Scissors” and “Using a Hole Puncher” seen in the picture from the left,
help the child develop strengthening finger and hand muscles and to lay the basis for writing skills. Secondly,
both activities provide the development of manual dexterity and the ability to focus. In each situation, in using
the scissors or using a hole puncher like Mattea, the child needs to concentrate, to use his hands to cut the play
do or to make confetti.
60. These activities look similar at first sight, but there are few differences between them. One of the
differences is represented by the type of clothespins you use for practicing it. Another differences can be
showed by the fact that the twos activity is created for another category of age and having other complexity,
helping the child to develop different skills (developing hand muscle strength, learning to manipulate different
tools).
61. From my point of view, Extension 1 just vary the activity because the process of clamping clothes pens is
the same, the only thing that is changing is the coffee tin into a stout cardboard box or milk carton.
62. The child develops coordination and fine motor skills in practicing this activity in the classroom as he or she
sees the materials used, the process and has to focus and to use his or her hands to do the same as in
presentation done by the caregiver, to transfer the water.
63. Normally, if the sponge was dry, I would not interfere or correct him; but in this situation, where the sponge
is water soaked, I would gently ask the child if he lets me helping him and I will give him towels, explaining
that the sponge is wet and that we need something dry to clean the tray and the table.
64. For this activity, I would probably search on the internet for buying extra large beads, as in the supermarkets
around my city I only saw the small ones.
65. The significant difference between the activities can be the age of the children for practicing it, but also the
number of beads. For the toddler activity you use only six beads, while for twos you use twenty to thirty beads.
66. No, it is not necessary to string all the beads, but only three or four to present the child how to manipulate
the cord and the bead.
67. I believe the child develops spatial relationship through this activity as he need to think spatially about the
materials he is using and to manipulate them to obtain blocks. Also, the child has the chance to build the blocks
by placing the objects how he wants and believes it is correct, without any rules to follow, only his imagination
and spatial thinking.
68. For this activity you can have six cardboard boxes in assorted sizes as most children on this age enjoy the
challenge of lifting a box that looks “big” for them.
69. Day 1 – the presentation begins with the materials that you need to prepare, as you need to put the boxes in
a large basket and the newspaper in a smaller one, but also to invite the child to help you. You announce the
goal of the activity as the child is fully focused and start the presentation. You show him how to crumple up the
piece of the newspaper and how to drop it dramatically into the large box. You invite the child to do the same
and after he finishes it is recommended to help him store the work for being used the next day.
Day 2 – Like in the previous day, you ask the child to help you and you start announcing the goal and a time –
line for the activity. You show him how to continue what he had done the day before, but also how to use the
masking tape. You invite him to continue working on the activity until he finishes filling and taping all the five
boxes, then to put the basket away for the next day and to return the masking tape to its proper place.
Day 3 – After you ask the children to help you to put the floor mat, get the basket of blocks and explain him that
he can now use the blocks he has been working on in the past two days. Allow him to work and get up when he
is fully focused. When he has finished, invite and help him to place the materials somewhere he can easily
access them and work in the next day.
70. Foam squares and rectangles; different boxes (shoe boxes, tissues boxes, cereal boxes, jewelry boxes); paint,
crayons, glitter glue, stickers to decorate the boxes;
71. “Let’s walk along this interesting line and see where it goes. Follow me.”
72. It is recommended to walk in silence and from my point of view, this is the right thing to do, firstly to not
distract the child from the main purpose of the activity, and secondly, to not disturb the other children.
73. You can use different ways f moving around the line such as: crawling, hopping, tiptoeing, jumping,
walking backward or moving like certain types of animals.
74. After you remove the materials from the tray and place them on the table, be careful to position the
ramekins so that the rice – filled one is on the child’s left while you put the empty one on the child’s right.
75. The process of transferring tiny objects using grasping implements – the child has to transfer rice using
tweezers. For this activity, she can also transfer small noodles, dried corn, dried beans, nuts, beads, buttons or as
in Extension 5, she can prepare the snack from transferring cooked chicken or carrot chunks from platter to
plate, or as in preparing muffins.
76. Three differences between “Transferring Using Spooning Implements” and “Transferring Tiny Objects
Using Grasping Implements”:
- in practicing the first mentioned activity you use a metal soup spoon to transfer the objects, while for the
second one you use flat, square edged tweezers.
- the first activity is created for helping the children around 30 – 36 months old, while the second one is for the
abilities of children around 27 – 33 months old.
- beside developing coordination, fine motor skills, concentration or the skills needed for writing, the first
activity also helps children to develop the ability to rotate the wrist and expands practical life skills.
77. From my point of view, the same process has to be done, even if we talk about large pasta shapes, pom –
poms or corn meal. The difference between these three types of objects is that the pasta shapes can be heavier
than the other two, but the process is the same. The child has to use his dominant hand to use the spoon to pick
the object and to transfer it to the empty ball. You can firstly use large pasta shapes as in the activity and in the
extensions to vary the objects, as an example.

78. “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ionescu,

I am writing this e-mail with the purpose to inform you about your daughter’s development in using
some of the activities this week. Me and the other two caregivers observed that these past days, Karina was very
captivated by transferring activities that we have in our classroom and asked for them very often. We think that
she might be in a sensitive period where she can learn some skills and develop some abilities more easily than
other period. During her time in the center, she transferred large pasta shapes, beads and nuts from one bowl to
another using a metal soup spoon for the first objects and a flat square – edged tweezers for the last.
We kindly asking you to help Karina practice these types of activities also at home as developing such skills
will help her when she is about to write. As examples, you can create at home an activity where she can transfer
pom – poms, peas, popcorn kernels using a metal soup spoon from one bowl to another, or rice, radish, buttons
using tweezers.
Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer to them. Also, we can
discuss about the results next weeks at our monthly meeting.

Best regards,
Georgiana Gaftoi”
79.
Developing Gross Motor Skills Developing Fine Motor Skills
“Walking the Line” “Transferring Using Spooning Implements”
“Making Building Blocks” “Transferring Tiny Objects Using Grasping
Implements”
“Throwing from a Distance” “Making Building Blocks”
“Stringing Objects Using a Cord”
“transferring Water Using Squeezing Implements”
“Clamping Clothes Pegs onto a Rin”
“Using a Hole Puncher”
“Cutting with Scissors”

80.
81. As is written in Extension 5, after the child gains some experience and skills, you can introduce him to
sorting objects by color using a color wheel. You can create a simple color wheel by drawing a large circle on a
piece of Bristol board and by dividing it into four equal sections using a marker. Each section has a color and
you give the child a basket with small objects in the same colors as on the wheel with the purpose of matching
them.
82. A sensory “treasure” list is a sheet of sturdy construction paper or card stock that contains four small
photographs or realistic drawings of objects the child can easily find in the center, both indoors and outdoors.
For this sensory “treasure” list you can use different pictures; a list can contain only red objects, a list can
contain only objects that make a sound, a list can show only objects of clothing.
83. For this activity is recommended to not name or identify the objects from the list while you touch it and loo
closely to it. It is important the child to understand that this is a hunting activity, where he has to find the objects
by senses and that is not a language activity.
84. When you found the object you were looking for, compare it with the picture on the list, exaggerate your
motions and start to examine the object by rubbing it, shaking it or smelling it.
85. Once the child has finished the activity, found all the items from the list and returned the work mat with the
basket, you can reverse the process by inviting him to return all the items to their proper place. After he finished
to return all the objects, you can invite him to repeat the activity using the same list or using a new list.
86. My “treasure” list of red objects that can be found and explore outside:
87. Reasons why “Pairing Objects According to Color and Pattern” is more challenging than “Matching Pairs of
Objects by Color”:
- the twos activity is created for children about 27 – 30 months old which involves and experience gained, more
tasks and complexity than the toddlers activity created for children about 12 – 15 months old.
- the toddlers activity recommend to use as material only a basket that contains pair of objects different only in
colors, while for the activity from Tows A Manual, we do not speak only about color, but also about patterns, as
we use two baskets and ten pairs of socks with different colors and patterns.
- for the twos activity we use ten pairs of socks, while for the toddlers one we only use two.
88. The pair of socks should be separated into two baskets, so the child can have ample time to compare one
sock that he is picking from the first basket with each sock from the second basket until he finds the match. It is
important for the child to understand the process and to perceive the differences and the identical parts between
patterns.
89. Towels, wash cloths, cleaning cloths.
90. the child is discriminating between sizes and shapes as for this activity the caregiver is using cylinders or
wooden blocks drilled in different shapes and sizes. Also, the five cylinders match the holes of the material
showing holes from smallest to biggest.
91. You can vary the activity to maintain the child’s interest by using stickers. You can allow the child to
practice matching different sizes of things; on a sheet of paper stick a horizontal row of stickers identical except
in size. You can arrange the stickers from largest to smallest or from smallest to largest. If the sticker comes in
only three sizes, stick on three large stickers, then three medium – size and three small, with an equal space
between each one and then give the child a bag of stickers and invite him to make rows matching the row you
created.
92. a) expanding concentration;
b) developing hand and finger muscles;
c) can help children learn about sizes, shapes and patterns;
d) decision – making skills – as they need to think about what colors they should use or want to use;
93. In the Montessori center that I have worked last year, the classroom was a little small and we did not have
enough space for all the things we wanted inside, or the possibility to make an art area as we wanted, but in one
corner, we put a work table containing crayons of different colors, playdough of different colors and utensils for
working with it and close enough to this table, we created some sort o easel, where we could put papers, a
paintbrush and a jar of tempera (a different color every day). Also, on the other side of the easel, we put a part
of board where they could draw using chalk and a small sponge to erase. At two days, we switched. Two days
we ere using the easel to paint and two days we ere using the board. I know it was not the best solution (if we
think about a child who wanted to paint in the third day, as an example), but we tried to complete the classroom
in some way.
94. When presenting this activity, you should use broad strokes to make marks in one direction on the paper.
Also, you can use tiny strokes to make dots or you can create few wavy lines.
95. Extension 1 – the child learns other colors than the ones he is used to, to combine them and to see what
happens when you mix two different colors. He develops concentration, creativity and he is experimenting with
colors.
Extension 2 – after he already gained some experience and increased his abilities, the child can learn that there
are many sizes and types of paintbrushes, but also that he can paint using other objects. He develops
concentration, creativity and becoming aware of the art component in different ways.
Extension 3 – the child learns that he can paint using different methods. He develops creativity and experiment
the color mixing using the straw method.
96. For this activity you need a texture box. To make a texture box you need to find a long sturdy box with a lid.
To make sure the child’s fingers can reach the textures inside the box, choose a box no more than 1 ½ inches
high. Then, you have to divide the inside of the lid into six equal square and into each square you firmly glue a
different piece of textured material. In the bottom of the box, cut six ½ inches circles, each poisoned over the
center of one of the six squares inside the box. For using it, you have to cover the box completely with a contact
paper in a solid color and to place the lid on the box.
97. True.
98. For maintaining the child’s interest for this activity, you can vary it, transforming it into an opportunity to
practice texture matching. You have to show the child how to remove the lid and examine the textures more
closely. Then you have to give the child six squares of cardboard, each covered with textured material
corresponding to one of the six section in the box. Invite the child to place each square of cardboard on its
matching texture. You can also remove the texture sections from the box, place them in a row on the work mat
and let the child to match them with the squares of cardboard.
99. For this activity is recommended to use a small area about 2 feet in diameter where you should use a long
rope to mark off. From my point of view, it is important to use a rope to mark the working area, the children to
understand where should they work. Inside of a classroom you use a work mat to delimitate the working space;
Outside, for such activities, you can use a rope.
100. When presenting this activity, you can model respect and you can make the child understand that needs to
respect the environment and the living beings or the things inside it. If you see an ant, you can model respect by
showing the ant to the child, but without touching her. You should explain that you do not need to hurt the ant,
but only to examine her from distance using the magnifying glass.
101. a) In Montessori Method we also hear about the nature table. This type of table is created with the purpose
to capture attention of children while letting them exploring and touching the wonderful objects of nature. This
table represent a small table, a shelf or a work tray for displaying objects from nature that children can explore
sensorially. This table can be thematic and need to be placed in your environment.
b) Extension 4.
102. In preparing the “smell bag”, you have to sew a number of small bags identical in shapes, sizes, color and
texture. After that, you have to scoop 1-2 tablespoons of an aromatic material loosely into a small plastic bag
punched with fine hobs so the smell can get through. Also, you have to fasten the plastic bag so that it won’t
open when it is handled.
103. It is recommended to close your eyes when you examine the bag so you can focus only on the sense of
smell.
104. After you observed the children who worked and gained some experience and skills, you can transform it
into a group activity by sitting in a circle with three or four children and pass one smell bag around from child
to child, each trying to examine using their sense of smell before passing it.
105. Developing sensory awareness.
106. Before presenting this activity, is recommended to take ample time to present an assortment of activities
that introduce the child to fruits, vegetables and trees native to your geographical region. For this to happen, you
can visit gardens, produce markets, parks or you can check out gardening books from library. Also, if it is
possible, introduce the child in preparation for planting like digging he soil, removing stones or weeds and
creating pathways.
107. Visual sense, tactile sense, auditory sense, the sense of smell, the taste.
108. After the child has finished filling the feeder, you should firstly thank the child, then you should ask her to
close the lid of the feeder, explaining why it is so important to put the lid on.
109. When you are working with a child, no matter what age we are talking about, you need to understand that
each has his own personality, temper and development. You need to understand that if you want to grow an
independent, confident and calm adult you need to speak gently and to answer to everything the child is asking
you about. You are giving not only information, but by your behaviour you educate. You are a model for the
children around you. Each step you are taking, each word you are saying or every action you are doing mean
something and influence their behaviour as children, but also as adults. We are all humans and we understand
that sometimes we can have a bad day, a headache or problems that we are worried about, but we must
understand that the children we are working with are not responsible for our moods or for what we are feeling,
so we must maintain the same behaviour as in the other days. We all have been children wanting to explore and
seeking for understanding the world we are part of. Be kind, be patience. We are educating a generation, we are
education our own children to be calm, kind and generous with everyone and everything.
110. In educating a child, you, as a caregiver or as a parent, have to give your time, your patience and your
words for him. In this manual, each activity is created with the purpose of helping the child to develop not only
his behaviour in front of the environment and the others, but also his skills, his abilities, his strength, becoming
an independent and confident child and then, an adult. This part of the Twos Program concentrates in presenting
activities that have the role to develop the child’s sensory component: sight, hearing, smell, touch or taste. Also,
working these types of activities, he develops his concentration, his creative part, his memory and language, his
ability to make decisions, to become aware of colors, shapes, sizes, patterns and texture and also to develop fine
and motor skills. Practicing he has the opportunity to understand the world he is part of, to explore it, indoors
and outdoors, to see how things can change because of time, to learn how to respect the environment and all the
things inside it, living beings, plants or just objects.
 Twos B Assignment

1. In discussing on how the language activities from Toddlers B help the twos in the new activities prepared for
this category of age, I would like to talk about all ten activities, as I consider they all were created to help and to
make the next steps more easily for the child. The language activities from Toddlers B Manual involve children
in different process of learning. Some activities here help him become aware of counting numbers, of phonetic
sounds, skills that he will develop later when he is able to recognize them or to become more familiar with
them. He starts developing vocabulary, from simple words or syllables to simple sentences. Some of the
activities help him to develop visual acuity, naming objects and pictures or motor skills, abilities that he will
improve faster and easier later, as he grows up.
2. a) The three period lesson is an individual oral presentation used to introduce vocabulary, helping the child to
make connections between language. The first period, the one where the child is supposed to repeat, can
function on two different levels, one on naming objects (any objects from his environment) and one on naming
qualities (first positive, then comparative and then superlative). The second period is the one called the
recognition period where the key word is “show me”. By this period, the child demonstrates what she learnt in
the first period. The third period, the recall phase, is the period where the teacher asks what the object is and
where the child should recognize the object and answer.
b) In working with a two years old child, I would probably use the first period, the one of naming objects and
qualities as I believe that is the proper time to introduce him to naming and help him develop his vocabulary, as
he can reproduce syllables and simple words.
3. The most interesting tips I found in the list are:
“Respect your child’s work (e.g. focusing on details and growing concentration) by not correcting or
interrupting him.”
“Use accurate speech and precise vocabulary to promote language and emotional development.”
Why did I choose these two tips? It is simple. I am firm believer that if I do not like or enjoy something as an
adult, then a child can feel the same way in different situations. It is important to show your respect, not only on
his work, but also on his personality, to stay at the same level with him when you are talking, to have the visual
contact. It is important to not interrupt his work or to correct it, even if he is doing something wrong on the
process. Let him work. Let him practice control of error. Trust him by letting him correct himself. Talk with
him as much as you can from birth to adulthood. Talk, explain and more important, listen. Do not think that he
is not capable of understand the words you are using and do not start choosing silly words for talking. He is a
child with a brilliant mind. Speak with him using the same words you are using everyday. Explain your feelings
and invite him to speak about his emotions, about what he feels in different situations too. Create a bond
between you and your child, between you and the child you are working with. A safe and healthy bond based on
respect, on communication and appreciation.
4. a) The social development is promoted by having only one set of materials in your classroom as the children
will have to wait when someone is already using it, action that will help them learn maturity and patience.
b) I believe great benefits of a larger Montessori class is that the older ones can be a model for the younger
peers, they can grow naturally together, they can learn and know instinctively when to offer help, when to
encourage or when to comfort.
c) In a mixed age setting, children learn from one another as the older children are role models and delight in
helping their younger peers, as to grow together is something natural.
5. Montessori said that in the animal kingdom, when children have grown, the love is gone and the parent and
the young become completely strangers, competing for survival, while for us, human beings, the love never
disappears, but it extends beyond the confines of the family.
6. a) farm animals with hooves: goat, cattle, bison, horse, dear.
b) jungle animals with spots: jaguar, giraffe, green frog, leopard, zebra.
c) construction tools: hammer, level tool, screwdriver, hand saw, wood file.
7. I believe that the preliminary conditions for this activity is to choose interesting concepts that the child may
not have experienced yet and to present only three cards at the beginning.
8. As I learnt, the second period’s key word is “show me”. From my point of view, this activity involves more
the first period, as the caregiver shows the child the pictures, points and name them, and just a little for the
second period, as the caregiver asks the child to place a certain objects she names in the box to verify if the
child learnt the objects from the pictures.
9. a) The child develops a sense of whole and the parts that make up a whole as he is using for this activity a
puzzle in which each piece correspond to just one body part, so the twos is learning that many pieces form a
whole.
b) the child develops body awareness as she is moving her body to use the puzzle, but she is also learning
about body parts.
c) The child is increasing manual dexterity as he has to use her hands to handle the puzzle, to pick the pieces
and to work with them.
10. After you have removed and named all the pieces of the puzzle, announce that you are making the parts into
whole again.
11. “Simon Says”, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes”.
12. The main difference between those two activities can be represented by the material you need for practicing.
For the Toddlers activity you need a small booklet containing ten laminated pictures of people and objects that
start with the same phonetic sound that can be described by a word of one, two or three syllables, while for the
Twos activity you need a drawstring bag containing five real or real – looking miniature objects, each starting
with the same phonetic sound and that can be described by two or more syllables.
13. Differences between “Naming Objects Starting with the Same Phonetic Sound” and “Naming Pictures
Starting with the same Phonetic Sound”:
- the first activity helps the child practicing specific phonetic sounds, while the second mentioned activity helps
the child to expand his vocabulary and to practice objects recognition.
- for the first activity, as material, you need a drawstring bag containing five real or real looking miniature
objects, each starting with the same phonetic sound and that can be described by words of two or more syllable,
while for the second activity, you need a small booklet containing ten laminated pictures of people and objects
that start with the same phonetic sound that can be described by words of one, two or three syllables.
14. I would turn the first page of the booklet, I would point to the first picture and I would name it as it follows,
“Look. This is a parrot. Pa – rrot. You say parrot.” I would speak slowly and clearly.
15. Airplane, apple, ant, abacus, apricot.
16. I believe is recommended that you remove all the objects from the bag at once, so the child can focus on the
purpose of the activity, on naming objects and not on the objects as in a treasure basket.
17. “Beginning Basic Counting”
18. In this activity the child counts the objects that correspond to each number in the booklet.
19. a) Extension 3 is for indoors, while Extension 4 is for outdoors.
b) Extension 3 helps the child learn to count the objects inside the center and to choose what would he like
to count, while in Extension 4 the child takes a number of steps and he chooses the number and the kind of steps
he likes to take.
20. Constructing a simple sentence and reading from left to right.
21. From my point of view, it is recommended to use at least one picture with the child whom you are
presenting the activity, firstly to show your respect and that he is a part of the word and secondly, because he is
familiar with what he is seeing and it is more easier for him to express sentences about it.
22. It is important that when he is telling you a story to not interrupt or correct the child if their account is not
the same as your own or is out of sequence.
23. Actually, the activity is designed for the child to become familiar with the letters and their sounds, to begin
to understand that letters represent sounds, and not to learn letter names. It is recommended for the child to
learn firstly the letters sounds and then the letter names.
24. when taking the “p” pouch out of the basket and placing it on the work mat, you should point to the letter
and say the sound as it follows, “ppp”.
25. The child develops her listening skills practicing this activity as she hears the audio book, the objects that
she hears are corresponding with the ones inside the book.
26. It is recommended that you with the child listen silently the book. I believe you have the possibility to
explain the child from the beginning that she has to focus and to be quiet, or, if she is talking while the story is
playing, you stop the tape and gently explain that you need to pay attention and listen the story in deep silence.
27. a) “Stories about rabbits and other animals from the jungle”
“Stories by Ion Creanga”
b) http://actsipoliton.ro/povesti-audi/cd-sanda-socoliuc-povesti-cu-iepuri-si-alte-animale-din-jungla.html.
http://actsipoliton.ro/povesti-audio/cd-ion-creanga-povesti.html.
c) ~ 6 euros
~ 10 euros
28. I believe is recommended to use binoculars for this activity to help the child concentrate about several
objects and to let her find them while her vision is modified, but also, to make the activity more interesting and
interactive.
29. True; if we concentrate on the primary goal and if we believe that Extension 2 introduces the child indirectly
to adjectives.
False; if we concentrate only on the primary goal and if we believe the child is not introduced indirectly to
adjectives.
30. for preparing the material for this activity, I would do the following steps:
- I would buy and English alphabet board;
- if I do not want to purchase an alphabet board, I would try to do one;
- to make the board, I would cut out all the lowercase letters of the alphabet, using blue for the vowels and red
for the consonants;
- I would glue the letters in horizontal row, in order from “a” to “z” on 11 – x 17 inches piece of white
cardstock;
- I would prepare a basket containing a set of individual lowercase letters of the alphabet which have been
printed on transparent film and cut into shapes;
31. As everything the child will learn in school letters have to be learnt too. Dr. Montessori believed that at the
beginning the child should become familiar to letters sounds then to name letters, to facilitates the work. From
my point of view, a child is capable of fascinating stuffs and is capable to learn everything he sees in his
environment. Becoming familiar to letter sounds first and then to capital letters and to name the letters will help
him develop cognitive and lay the basis for reading and writing skills, abilities that he will need not only for
school, but all his life.
32. a) “Matching Letters on an Alphabet Board”
“Becoming Familiar with Letters and Their Sounds”
b) “Listening to an Audio Book”
“Looking at Number Booklets”
“Naming Pictures Starting with the Same Phonetic Sound”
c) “Using <<I spy>> to Practice Identifying”
“Listen to an Audio Book”

33. True.
34. At the beginning of presenting this activity you should announce the goal. The goal of the activity is to show
the twos how to open and to close a door without making any noise. You can announce the goal as it follows, “I
am going to go out this door, then come right back in. I am going to try to close the door without no noise.
Please stay here and listen. See whether you hear a noise.”
35. I believe if this situation would happen to me, I would probably let the child work by opening and closing
the door of the classroom, without correcting him or interrupting him, but staying close to him, to observe and
to be sure that he is safe and that he does not get focused on something outside the classroom. This is a type of
activity we used to present while I was working at the center, but for it, we used the bathroom door, as the
bathroom was directly connected with the classroom and they had no opportunity to get out in the hall.
36. a) When the child is focused on the plant inside our classroom, you can say, “John, can you please take the
napkin and help me clean the plant’s leaves? Thank you.”
b) When we are preparing for eating the lunch and the child is close to the shelf where we have the bowls,
you can say, “Mara, can you please give me a blue bowl so I can put some soup? Thank you.”
37. It is recommended to use a very heavy, moveable object for this activity, such as a brick, so the object can
not be pulled by one child alone, but needs the strength of several children.
38. I believe the activity promotes effective problem solving as the child using his mental capacity and
imagination can find a solution for moving the brock together with several children.
39. When the children begin to pull on the ends of rope, you can quietly speak words of encouragement. It is
recommended that you focus on the group effort, not on how much the brick is moving.
40. a) As the children gain some experience and skills, you can vary this activity by changing the brick with a
heavy metal material, like a fishing magnet about 2 kg.
b) As the children gain some experience and skills you can add some complexity for the activity. The
children need to pull on the brock, but using some directions you have made outside on the ground using chalk.
41. From my point of view, assertiveness represents the capacity to express what we are, what we are thinking
and what do we want without hurting other people’s feelings. The child develops the sense of assertiveness by
working on this activity as he understands when to use the word “no” and when to use the word “yes” and by
naming something that makes him want to say “no” or “yes”.
42. In presenting this activity, when you are repeating the verse, you can vary the physical position and the
volume.
43. In my opinion, it is recommended to take the children outside to examine a real tree before you start
painting one, to make them observe all the details: colors of the leaves, the branches, the texture of the bark.
44. I believe it is recommended to give the tree a special name, as friendship tree, firstly the children to become
aware that they are creating and they are part of something special, and secondly, to understand that each child
is working for it, is part of the team and they have to be connected and to respect each other’s work.
45. Extension 1 is different from the activity itself as for it, the caregiver had varied some of the materials and
the children are supposed to stick them instead of painting them.
46.
“Recognizing Feelings” “Recognizing and Describing Emotions”

- Appeals particulary to the interest and - Appeals particulary to the interest and
abilities of toddlers 21 – 24 months old abilities of twos 27 – 33 months old

- You use a small booklet containing six - You use a set of 30 or more pictures or
laminated pictures or photographs of human photographs of people, each showing
faces showing different feelings different emotions
- The primary goal is to develop socialization - The primary goal is to develop skills in
skills recognizing and describing emotions in self
or others
47. This activity helps the child develop language skills as the teacher pick some images and name each
emotion showed by pictures, name the emotion and explaining it by the person’s gesture, body language and
face.
48. Walking to a nearly construction site to watch a house being built – Start discussing with the children by
telling them that you will walk to the house, as the house is in our neighborhood, one street away. Explain them
that you need to walk only together as the cars passes, that we have our path. Then, explain them that you do
not need special clothes or shoes, you only need to be calm, quiet until to reach there. At the building house,
you can ask each question and the workers will help us receive the correct answers.
Walking to a nearly park to feed fish in a pond – Start discussing with the children by telling them that you
will go the park to see the fish and to feed them. Explain them that they need rainy clothes and boots, as outside
is slowly raining. Tell them that they need to have some money to buy the fish food from the park and to get
there, as you will use the bus. Explain them that if they want, they can take some bags for collecting treasures
from the park and some snacks to eat if you become hungry.
Walking to the nearly farm to see the animals – Start discussing with the children by telling them that
tomorrow, Mr. John, the one that takes care about our yard and the one that brings us fresh eggs, will come with
a bus and will take us to his farm to see the animals. Explain them that they need some boots and not shoes, that
you will gonna see and feed the animals together with Mr. John, that you can take care about the animals, speak
about or with them, and also, Mr. John will cook for everyone a healthy and delicious recipe and that you will
eat and sleep there, in a special room arranged by the owner. Then, explain them that they can come with bags
to pick treasures from the farm and that you will discuss about them the next day.
49. The manual recommend to make repeat trips to the same places, as this action helps the children notice the
changes that appear and understand that time passes.
50. Action stories are represented by up to 20 line long expressing different types of actions. They are typically
slow and dramatic, with lots of repetitions, acting out movement and references to all five sense.
51. Going to the woods, going to the woods where the light is not so powerful. Look, look, look. Oh, I feel the
wind blowing. Cold, cold, cold. I see the trees and the leaves moving. Vash, vash, vash. I hear birds singing.
Cip, cirip, cip, cirip. What a beautiful song they sing. Wait! What’s there? What’s that noise I hear? Oh, it is a
big owl staying in the tree. Bu hu hu! I smell something very nice. There are flowers near the root of that big
tree. Sniff, Sniff! I want to see more. Walk, walk, walk. I see a big oak. So big I can not hug it. Wow, wow,
wow. I hear something crunching. It is a little squirrel behind that bushes. Crantz, crantz, crantz. Look! There is
a rabbit. He is jumping over the fallen leaves. Jump, jump, jump. I want to be a rabbit too. Jump, jump, jump. I
am scared! I hear a wolf howling. Aww, aww, aww. I run. Run, run, run. I see some big trees. I hide behind
them. Hide, hide, hide. I look at the bird that stays near me. She sings, but we need to stay in silence. Shh, shh,
shh. I am still scared. Run faster, run faster. I go back to my bicycle and go home. Run, run, run. I got my
bicycle. Ride, ride, ride. I got some and I see I have some leaves in my shoes. Pick, pick, pick. I see my dog
sleeping. Snoring, snoring, snoring. I curl up beside him to sleep. I am tired. Zzz, zzz, zzz.
52. If I were a teacher at one of the schools from my city, I would probably use this activity at the beginning of
the school year, when I consider the children need to know each other, to interact, to become friends. It is a
good opportunity for them to develop not only language skills, but also to socialize and to practice manners. In
doing different activities, I would probably use this activity a couple times per year.
53. For this activity, you need a set of cards in many colors, but having only one pair of each color. The set
should be this way, so in the group of children to be two of them who have matching color cards.
54. As an extension for choosing a partner, you can use objects. You put in a treasure bag objects like 2 lemons,
2 green peppers, 2 red apples, 2 oranges, 2 bananas, 2 kiwis, 2 pears. The children will match with the one who
has the corresponding fruit or vegetable.
55. As I already mentioned in speaking about other activities, each one is created with the fundamental purpose
of developing skills ad abilities. I would say that this activity helps the children develop practical life skills as
the goal of the activity is to show them how to make butter, and ingredient of their everyday alimentation. The
children can also understand by practicing this activity that for preparing the food, you need time, effort and
different material. Time is an interesting component that they learn about, as the process of preparing butter
takes time. In explaining the children how to make butter, how to use the materials, how to prepare it, you help
them develop the visual component, the sensory component and also language and social skills. Also, preparing
the butter together, working together all the time, the child can understand and develop cooperation and the
sense of community, about the product of a group. You, as the teacher, respecting their part of work, will help
them learn to respect yours, you work together and share the product at the end of the process.
56. a) “Making Butter Together”; “Pulling Together”; “Practicing <<Please>> and <<Thank You>>”;
b) “Making Art Group”
c) “Recognizing and Describing Emotions”
57. - gives the child the opportunity to practice the tasks associated with dressing themselves;
- each frame demonstrates a different type of clothing fastener;
- they are always offered as an individual presentation;
- there are more than seven dressing frames;
- Montessori originally created ten dressing frames, each one corresponding directly to a fastener that
children at the Casa dei Bambini would have had on their clothing;
58. a) between the ages of two and half and six;
b) Dr. Montessori believed that manners and social graces should come from the heart and cautioned that if
these presentations were left until later in life, they would lack spontaneity and genuineness.
c) True.
59. It is recommended that when the child had finished the activity, to return the work mat and the dressing
frame to their proper place after fastening the shirt. I believe the child needs to fasten the shirt firstly for the
tasks to be complete and secondly, if another child wants to work with this activity, to work from the beginning,
to start to unfasten the shirt.
60. Baby pants with zipper, adult sweater with buttons, girl dress with buckles, a wallet with zipper, a bag with
buckles.
61. It is recommended to allow ample time for this activity as the young twos can spend long periods of time
washing objects.
62. If you observe that the child does not wash the objects, but he starts popping bubbles, it is recommended to
not interrupt or correct the child as his actions are part of his learning experience.
63. In Extension 2, after the child had already worked with the activity and developed some abilities, he learns
how to dry the objects using a tea towel and that after cleaning, you need to put the objects in their proper
places.
64. a) This activity helps the child in the development of wrist and hand muscle, need for writing in the pre –
school period, as he uses his hand in practicing this activity. The young twos pick the napkin, washes it using
his hands and he also is using his dominant hand to use clothespins to put the napkins to dry. In the process of
washing the napkins, the only part of his body that he is using at high level is the hand, helping the hand muscle
and wrist to develop.
b) In this activity, the child explores, works and develops his hand muscle and his wrist as he needs to pick
the object, to take it, to place it in the water, to hold it while he scrubs it. For the whole process, the chil needs
to concentrates.
65. For practicing this activity, you need the following materials: child – size sink, work table, dishpan, small
mushroom brush, large colander, child – size mop for clean up, apron, compost container or a garbage pall, a
basket containing four fruits and vegetables that need washing and some preparation before cooking or eating.
66. As the child gains some skills and experience in practicing this activity, you can introduce him to scraping
fruits or vegetables in a compost container. For this process to happen, you can use mushrooms. The child needs
to scrap the mushrooms and to place the food scraps into the compost container.
67. This activity helps the child develop his sensory component by tasting, smelling and watching. In the
process of making a fruit salad, the child sees the fruits, can smell them and can taste them, learning about each
fruit.
68. After the child gained some experience in preparing a fruit salad, you can help him learn how to prepare a
vegetable salad using different vegetables like avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radish.
69. From my point of view, the activity can also develop social skills or can be considered a social activity, as
the children receives the help of the teacher during the hole process of working and after finishing the fruit
salad, they share it and eat it together at the table, also the child can see and imitate the teacher’s gestures while
eating. You can extend the activity by making it a group activity. You can have at the table a couple of children
that can prepare the fruit or vegetable salad and then share it and eat it together. At the center where I was
working, the tows were implied in the cooking club, were, after the program, they stayed in the center’s kitchen
with the bigger children and cooked different recipes like pizza, homemade ice cream, banana cookies or
muffins.
70. a) With the child, put on aprons and get the pail. Ask the child to fill the pail half full with water.
b) Take time to examine the sponges together. Use a towel to wipe up any spills.
71. If it is the first time you are presenting this activity to the child, it is recommended to take time to examine
the squeeges together, noticing that it has a sponge side for putting water on and a scraper side for taking water
off.
72. Writing a note placed in the entering hall to be seen by everyone:

Dear parents,
We are writing this note to inform you that this week is the “sewing week”. Your child development has
reached a great level and now they are prepared for learning more and more. Thank you for all your support,
time and effort to continue our work at home.
Why sewing? The answer is very simple. As many of the activities they have already done in our center or
outside, on our trips, sewing is not only an action, but it is an engine that helps our children to become more
independent and confident. By sewing, the child not only develops practical life skills that he can use any time,
but also develops hand – eye coordination, the pincer grasp, the sensory component and concentration, it lays
the basis for writing skills needed in the pre – school period and most important, develops self – esteem.
Starting with Monday, we will have on the shelf the material, ready to be used by our children. We will explain
everything to them and present them the activity as we used to until now. We kindly ask you that from Monday
to give your children at home the chance to sew something (a shirt, a sweater, a pair of socks).
For any other questions I am here and I will gladly answer to them.
Thank you!

73. In presenting this activity, when you reach the end of the thread, it is recommended to pick up the scissors,
to turn the hoop upside down, to hold the thread up and to cut it.
74. For safety, you should make sure the batteries are new and not leaking.
75. At the beginning of the activity, the batteries are in the flashlight. You only pour out the batteries to
examine them with the child and to talk about them.
76. a) Alarm clock, watch, transistor radio.
b) Tv remote, audio player.
77. From my point of view, the circular motion is an important movement needed for writing, as the child need
to work his hand muscle and wrist, to flex them to be able to hold the pen correctly and to move the hand the
right way to start the process of writing.
78. True.
79. Two other benefits in working with plants:
a) developing the sensory component by feeling the plants textures;
b) developing respect for the things from his environment;
80. Like I already mentioned in my answers many times before, I truly believe that each activity, no matter the
area (language, social, sensory, practical life, cognitive or motor), is created with the purpose of letting the child
explore the world around him, to learn and to develop different skills and abilities that will make him more
independent. Each activity comes in the child’s life when the teacher or the parents already observed his
development and know that it is time for something more, something challenging and complex. In our
discussion, if we mentioned the activities that help the child be ready to practice “Making Snacks”, we can
enumerate the following, like “Using Cookie Cutters to Cut Bread into Shapes”, “Cutting Soft Food into
Pieces” and “Serving Food”, all from the Toddlers B Manual. Each of these mentioned activities introduced the
child to the world of preparing the food, each task had helped him understand the importance of food, how to
handle it and how to use utensils to cut it and to eat it. In “Making Snacks”, the child is already at the age where
he has gained experience, skills and abilities to work more easily with food but also he has the capacity to speak
clearly in sentences. If we are also talking about learning and development, I need to specify that all the
cleaning activities from Infants Manuals and from Toddlers Manuals, even if we speak about self care or the
care for the environment, helped the child to have the sense of order, to have limits and the sense of cleaning the
objects after he had finished working with them.
81. Activity: “Dusting A Shelf”
Primary Goal: developing the sense of order, the ability to do tasks
Secondary Goal: developing confidence and independence, practicing motor skills, developing concentration
Material: - you can pick a shelf from your classroom or from your center that needs to be clean
- a work tray or a basket
- a container or a spray bottle containing water
- a set of two napkins made from baby towels
Presentation:
This activity appeals particulary to the interest and abilities of twos 33 – 36 months old.
In advance, prepare the materials and place them on the work tray.
Invite the child to join you in cleaning the shelf.
With the child, take the work tray and place it near you and the child or near the shelf.
Place a finger on the shelf, examine it and say, “The shelf is full of dust. Let’s clean it together.”
Pick the spray bottle and splash some water on the shelf.
Take the napkins and clean the shelf from one end to another, but letting some spots for the child.
Pause and smile at the child. Then invite him to do the activity. Give him time to start the activity.
If the child begins to clean the shelf, get up and allow him to work undisturbed. Do not correct him or do not
intervene unless he asks for help.
If the child does not start working, ask him if you can help and gently guide his hand to take the spray bottle.
If he is enjoying the activity and wants to clean all the shelves around him, let him do it.
After he had finished the activity, encourage him to put the materials in their proper place. This completes the
activity.
Make sure that the activity stays available – on a low shelf or on the floor in a basket – for the child to use them
and to work again when he wants.
Extension 1 – As the children gained some experience and skills, you can transform this in a group activity for
showing children how to clean the room. One child can clean the shelf, one can clean the table, one can sweep
the floor.
82.
Care of self Care of environment

“Sewing” “Polishing”

“Making Fruit Salad” “Taking Apart and Putting Back Together”

“Preparing Vegetable and Fruit for Cooking and “Washing Windows and Other Large Objects”
Eating”
“Washing Napkins”

“Washing Kitchen Objects”

83. Working in a Montessori center for several months with toddlers and twos, I had to face this situation
almost everyday. We had one mother who was always concerned about the materials we use for the activities,
about the stairs (because our classroom was upstairs), about the food (even if we used only raw – vegan
recipes), each day another fear. When in comes to your own child, maybe one that you had struggle to have (the
youngest mother on our center was about 42 years old), you want the best for him, you want to know that no
matter what he is in safe hands and this I can totally understand. I understand that when you want a child so bad
and when you have it, you can only think about their good. But you can not let the fears dictate your mind. You
will not be able to let him grow healthy. And from what I have learnt everyday there, is that in such cases, you
can explain the parents that the children are well cared, the food is fine, you can show pictures and videos while
they are working, but the fears will never disappear completely. It is a constant battle between what you think as
a mother and what you feel, feelings dictated by fears. You only need to support those types of mothers, to not
criticize them, to understand them, because like all humans, they have experienced some things that made them
feel that way.
84. For this situation, you can create a practical life activity of cleaning the shoes when you come from outside.
You can think and ask another caregiver to help you prepare the materials very quickly and to be ready to
present the new activity right in the entering hall. Firstly, you need to talk to Arly, to give him all the attention
and love he requires and explain that you can help him. After you saw that all children are focused on Arly and
you, you can start presenting the activity. After the presentation, you give a wet sponge or paper napkins for
cleaning not only to Arly, but for all of them. You intervene only when someone is asking for your help. After
the cleaning is done, encourage them to put the shoes on their right place, on each child’s spot. Then, you can
continue the day with other activities in the classroom.
85. 7 pages.