A Prepared Environment: A natural, beautiful space that is prepared with cognitive and social developmentally sequenced materials.
At 15 months he’s walking (sort of) and going through an intense Sensitive Period for vocabulary.
With this in mind, I have put some new activities on Quentin’s shelves.
From top left: A basket of animals featured here. Next, a Practical Life dry pouring work. This is his second dry pouring activity and he is really refining his coordination of the wrist. His pouring has gotten much better. Next, his Fruit &Veg nomenclature cards featured here. I’ve put 3 pairs in the tray: apple, banana, carrot. He recognizes each picture, but doesn’t always match the carrot correctly. Last on the top is a DIY imbucare box with a rectangle block. I’ve just switched out the round cylinder box he had there before. Sometimes he forgets that you have to turn the rectangle to fit the sides properly, but mostly he gets it. This won’t engage him much longer.
From bottom left: A tray of wooden painted acorns for colour matching. Quentin actually prefers to use this as a touch sensorial material. Over and over he picks up as many acorns as he can in one little fist and then carefully puts them back in the tray (not matched to the proper colour). Next a shape puzzle. He can now take out all the shapes and put them back correctly. Next, a DIY clothes pin pincer grasp activity. He mostly still pulls the pins straight off without the ability to “pinch” them open. However, I continue to demonstrate the correct way and leave it at that. Lastly a lock box. Thanks to Rachel for her insight on this amazing material. He can now work most of the bigger locks. Although it is too heavy for him to carry, he still drags it out and uses it everyday.
I finally decided on this work mat from Montessori Services. It works well for Quentin as it is not too heavy.
It’s amazing to see that after months of me modelling it, Quentin now stands up, picks up whatever he has been working on and tries to put it back on the shelves. A “Keeping it Real” moment: he usually drops it halfway there. But he’s trying to do it. I have never given him a “Lesson” (demonstration). I just slowly, silently, pick up the material with both hands and slowly carry it back to the spot where it was on the shelf.
Although I have seen it many times before with many different children, the Absorbent Mind is truly a humbling and awe inspiring thing to witness.
Our Montessori Life 
What gorgeous shelves and activities! Lucy (at almost 17 months) is the same re: the lock box – she drags it and it’s used daily still.
Quentin is so clever, Lucy isn’t much of a talker and is very selective with returning works!
It’s so clear from your posts that you’re a mindful mama who is doing a great job at following your child’s needs!
P.S. Thank you for linking to my new blog domain 🙂 !
Thanks Rachel. The words have sort of come all at once for Quentin. For months we worried, then one day they just came, and haven’t stopped. It helped me remember that every child finds their way in their own time.