Bean Sorting

Incorporating Montessori Elements

Lesson plan developed by Aurora Tollestrup, BS Ed

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Activity:  

Bean Sorting
Fine Motor Skills

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Age Group:

• Preschool
• Kindergarten

Objectives:  

Children will:

• apply fine motor skill practice.
• practice sorting skills.

CDA Competency Standard:   

Bean Sorting Fine Motor Skills

II.4.2a

II.5.2a

• Activities and materials encourage children of varying abilities to develop their small muscles
  o   Individual fine motor skills are encouraged through a variety of developmentally appropriate materials and activities

• Materials and equipment stimulate children’s thinking and problem-solving
  o   Materials and equipment provide a variety of opportunities for cognitive development

Materials: 

• tray
• bicolored assortment of beans
• 3 small bowls
• plastic spoon

Procedure: 

• Place bicolored assortment of beans in one small bowl on a shallow tray with two small empty bowls and a plastic spoon.
• Give children a demonstration and explanation of the materials and how to transfer the different colored beans to different bowls.
  
• Be sure to explain the purpose of this activity, which is to strengthen their fine-motor skills and to practice their sorting skills.
• Place the tray with contents on an appropriate shelf in your classroom for children to use independently.

Assessment: 

• Observe and record any improvement in the children’s fine-motor skills when transferring beans to the small bowls.
• Observe and record the children's sorting skills.

* When children are able to transfer and sort the beans easily, try replacing the spoon with a pair or small tongs or tweezers, or add more beans of varying colors.

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The Montessori Classroom

This photo was found on Google images, linked here; http://www.lwmontessori.com/montessori-classroom/

Maria Montessori realized that children were learning best by utilizing the world around them and by driving their own education, interest, and abilities. The Montessori classroom looks similar to many classrooms, but is much busier, well-organized, and communal. For some, it appears to be chaotic and uncontrolled, but to the trained Montessori observer, it is quite the opposite.

Some crucial elements include uninterrupted periods of work time, guided choices of work activities, and multiage groupings of students to promote community learning. There are also specially designed learning materials that are organized specifically for children to be able to access and use as they wish. Lastly, the Montessori classroom has a teacher as a facilitator, instead of instructor.

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