“The child feels the need to repeat this exercise not in order to perfect his performance but in order to build up his own inner being, and the time taken, the number of repetitions required, the hidden law inherent in the spiritual embryo is one of the child's secrets”
-Maria Montessori
Repetition in the Classroom
When a child first learns a new concept in the Montessori classroom, they may be interested in repeating the task over and over again. This repetition is a wonderful occurrence in the classroom and highlights the growing mind of the child. Through this repetition, children begin to understand patterns and connections between concepts all while developing the necessary fine motor and gross motor skills.
A puzzle offers a natural opportunity for this behavior to happen.
Real Photo Puzzles
Puzzles come in all shapes and sizes and can be used to teach everything from vocabulary, colors to ... well, shapes and sizes!
Adding puzzle to the shelves of the Montessori classroom help to display vocabulary in alternative ways. Learning about the concept of caring for oneself? Theres a puzzle for that!
Want to teach about tools used in the home or garden? These puzzles pair perfectly with three part cards of the same nature.
Real photo puzzles can also be added to the culture shelf when studying different types of animals. Farm animals and pets are common concepts that lead to a growth in vocabulary for children. The didactic nature of the puzzles help a child practice this newly learned vocabulary and reinforces the concepts explored.
Cultural Puzzles
Another great use of puzzles in the Montessori classroom is to teach new cultural concepts. Whether you add a hippo puzzle for Africa or red panda for Asia, children will love putting the pieces together.
Including a wide variety of complexity will allow puzzles to have longevity on the shelf. So be sure to add both simple puzzles for toddlers and complex puzzles for kindergartners!
Download the Winter Themed Real Photo Puzzles
