Color Matching Activity Cards: Not Just For Learning Colors

I was always so amazed as I watched my children "play" with these beautiful color match activity cards, it seemed like such a simple activity...a fun thing to do...a game. 

I knew that working with the cards promoted fine motor skills while they were learning their colors, but I was not aware that so many more things were going on in their minds while their little hands were happily matching and sorting. They were also gaining early math concepts, such as sorting, grouping, and pattern recognition.

Seeing the sense of accomplishment on their face as they identified and matched those colors is something I loved seeing. It was such a boost to their confidence. 

Visit www.insightfulbrain.com to grab a set for your child or classroom and watch their little minds work!

Following the Child

After our traditional book reading last night, Little Angel was walking up the staircase singing and humming. All of a sudden, she stops, holds up her index finger, and said "What is this finger called?" I told her and she sprinted happily up the stairs to brush her teeth for bed.


All of a sudden, I realized this is an opportunity to "follow the child." She posed interest in the different names of the fingers and I could offer a learning experience for her. I ran upstairs and created a "finger labeling activity." Of course, before I completed the activity, she was asleep. However, I had it on the table for her to "discover" the next morning.


I traced my hand and created labels for the thumb, index, middle, ring, and pinky finger. I also created a control card. We placed the blank hand in the workspace and the labels for the fingers on her dominant side. The control card is to the right of the workspace (we flipped it over so the answers did not show). 


She loved it. It was also amazing, that even though she is still in the early reading stages, she was able to use critical thinking and logic skills to decode which label referred to each word.

Little Angel busy at work doing the
"Finger Labeling Activity"
The control card is located to the right
 (upside down).

Little Angel checking her work
with the control card

Close-up of control card

Here is a link to the finger labeling activity I created... I have it located on my "free download index" (scroll down to the bottom of page) on insightfulbrain.com. Please feel free to download- it's free!

Outdoor Nonmenclature Cards

I love the traditional Montessori-style of teaching and I try to stick to at least the main philosophy of the method of following the child while setting up as many natural learning experiences and variety of interesting experiences as possible. 

This is very difficult to do with three children while making sure everyone has at least one pair of clean underwear (I will confess one day last summer, I found my daughter wearing her bathing suit bottoms as undies when I forgot to double check her underwear stash for the week).

All things considering, I try to use the materials I make or put together in as many varied "lessons" as possible --- not necessarily true montessori, but I feel that it is effective, fun, and better than sitting at desks all day long :)

One of the ways we use this set of outdoor nomenclature cards is in the more traditional manner of matching label cards with the respective picture card. I printed off two sets of labels and affixed the name of the thing shown in the picture to the back of the card for self checking.

On beautiful days, we use the cards in an outdoor activity. We lay the cards on the sidewalk, pictures down and words facing up. Little Angel takes the cards and finds an example outside of what the word states.

To self-check, Little Angel flips the card over and see if the picture matches the real-life example. I love finding ways to take our classroom outside... and the kids seem to become more peaceful after an activity like this also.

You can find a copy of these montessori materials: outdoor nomentclature cards at

  www.insighfulbrain.com

Letter Sound-Picture Match

This is one of the reasons I love the Montessori method. My older children were able to learn their letter sounds and to read with ease using the montessori materials. My "little angel" shown here is matching pictures of objects to their respective letter sounds. She loves it as if she were playing a game.

She loves this variation even more. We take the card set and turn them over (we use one letter card and one letter picture for each sound). We play a concentration game as she matches the letter card with the object that begins with the letter sound. It is a great review of the letter sounds as well as an awesome critical thinking activity.

You can download the letter cards and sound pictures on my website www.montessoriforlearning.com.The montessori materials are found in the Reading/Language section (pre-reading).