Here are some photos I recently took of some of my very basic transferring activities that I have prepared for children who are recently just beginning to do transfers in our Montessori classroom. They are having a lot of fun with this work and my co-teacher and I are already seeing a lot of progress in concentration and coordination. Typically this work is great for ages 2 through 6, but older children can also benefit from it, especially if they have never been given the opportunity. If you are interested in making your own material, most of the material in the images can be found at your local craft stores, dollar stores, and bargain stores. If you are new to this concept and interested in learning more about preparing your own material, I have shared some additional information at the end of this post.
For beginners who are just learning to grab, try some big bells to add a jingle to the work.
The children enjoy the "ting" sound that the plastic crystals make when transferring into a glass dish.
Add more crystals and change out dishes to add new interest to the material.
Adding dry food to the mix seems to help kids feel productive, as if they are helping out in the kitchen.
Change up the bowls and offer different sized beans and spoons to challenge the children.
Once children have mastered transferring one bowl to another with a spoon, you could add two smaller dishes for them to work on dividing up the objects.
About Transferring
For those who are hearing about this for the first time, transferring activities are great for children to start building fine motor control for specific skills. While the process helps children to focus and gain coordination and control, they will also gain skills that will benefit them as they begin to learn more complex tasks such as writing, caring for themselves and the environment. There are countless activities for transfers that often include different variations of transferring small objects from one bowl to another.
In a Montessori classroom, there is a strong principle that Maria Montessori called the "control of error." After repeating the activities over and over again, children often learn to correct themselves on their own. To learn more about "control of error" and other Montessori terms, click on the link below to a great website on Maria Montessori and her methods:
Lessons are often provided to children first before the child does certain transferring activities on her or his own. The teacher shows the child how to do the transfer, returning everything back to the original dish. The lesson is done slowly and carefully to allow the child time to observe. Below is a tutorial video I found that is a great example of how one transfer lesson is carefully demonstrated.
Thanks for tuning in. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or comments.
~Angelique
