Is it even possible to teach Geography to your 3++ Years old?
One of the reasons I love Montessori – it teaches you the complex in the simplest way.
With the Montessori Method, Geography is taught to children in a very unique way.
We start with a very unique piece of learning equipment called the Sandpaper Globe and then move on to the very colourful Continent Globe. These globes are very tactile and provide great sensorial form of learning.
Sandpaper Globe
When exploring with the Sandpaper Globe, the child experiences a concrete way of learning the concept of land and water on earth.
The land is marked with sandpaper and hence rough. The water area is smooth and is blue in colour. When the child touches the two different surfaces, they understands they are different. The child also learns the following through this material:
- Area covered by land and water – which is more and which is less
- What are the characteristics of land?
- What are the characteristics of water?
The material combines sensorial and Stereognostic concepts to teach the child about the shape of the earth and visualize the distribution of land and water on earth.
Isn’t it exciting to learn about our planet through concrete and stimulating experiences as opposed to how most of us learnt through a piece of paper?
Continent Globe
The seven continents are beautifully marked in distinct colours and can be felt in a three dimensional way on the Continent Globe.
It is one of the most attractive materials often visited by children from 3 to 6 years of age in a Montessori classroom.
- Once the child learns about the concept of land and water, they transition to the continent globe.
- The child learns the concept of continents and then proceeds to learn the names of the continents using this material.
- The child unconsciously learns the shapes of the continent through exploring with this material.
- The colours in the continent globe help the child to remember the positions of the different continents across the globe.
- The sensorial nature of the material (colour, texture) creates a lasting impression on the child’s mind. The knowledge learned through this material then becomes permanent.
The seven continents are marked in the following colours:
- Asia – Yellow
- Africa – Green
- Europe – Red
- North America – Orange
- South America – Pink
- Australia – Brown
- Antartica – White
Once the child masters the continents, they have paved their way into learning about Animals, Plants, People, Food and other characteristics of each continent with the same colour coding. This helps the child to join the dots in their learning.
The child is an unconscious being in the early years. They absorb everything that they experience in the environment. They then use the learning in the future when required. This is why Montessori students know their Geography well.
I believe that the Globes can be used very effectively too with children in their primary years of school.
There is a specific way that Montessori teachers present the Globes to their children. Would you like to know more it?
Join us for a Free trial class and we will provide you with a full demonstration.
Call Jenny at: 0815-9005356 or Click Here and leave a message and we will arrange for you Free Trial class and reserve your seat for you.
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