Montessori Art Certification Online Course

You know visual art education is valuable, however you might not know where to even start—Traditional Montessori certification does not offer how to learn to create art curriculum or how children really learn visual arts.

• Do you dream of having organized art lessons throughout the school year?

• Do you want art projects to support your most important Great Lessons, or Cosmic Education?

• Do you want your students to have work that leads to innovative thinking and independance?

• No prior art knowlege is required to get trained!

• Do you want to do all this without any stress??

That’s why I created:

Get art certified to bring art literacy into the classroom in less than 7 weeks!

Choose from two online training options:

1. Self-paced video training (No certification included)

2. Video training, art certification, one-on-one coaching, and practicum

Montessori Art Certification Online Course video training center

7 Week Online Digital Course (3 year access!)

Who is This Program For

This training is for anyone who wants to learn how to teach children art lessons or take their art skills and learn how to apply them to teaching children in a Montessori setting.

All types of teachers

This course is designed for guides working with students in early childhood, ages 3-6 or 6-12. It’s a premium online training course that provides focused and up-to-date professional development. Teachers and parents with no Montessori certifications can also register. No prior art training is required.

Art Teaching Blueprint is comprehensive and broad in scope. It lays the foundation for understanding how children learn art, allowing you to start implementing art lessons into your classroom. Art Teaching Blueprint also comes with optional personal development certification and personal coaching.

Improve your teaching skills with a focused visual arts teaching curriculum guided by an expert with 30 years of experience in child art instruction.

International Art Teacher & Author Spramani Elaun

About Instructor:

Spramani Elaun is an author and art curriculum developer from San Diego California. She is a art teacher with a science art methodology. Her success is led by observations and real-life practice of how children cognitively and sensorially process art over thirty years. She is the founder of Nature of Art® Art school & Art supply company, Art Teaching Blueprint Montessori Certification Training.

Sparamani holds degrees in Graphic Design, Digital Media Design, Visual Communications, Print Media, and Fine Arts. She has published seven art education books and five sequential art curriculums for early childhood, lower, and upper elementary levels. She is also a regular exhibitor at the U.S. AMS annual conference and frequently travels internationally for in-service training.

Get Montessori Art Training

Many international Montessori schools and training centers offering Montessori certification have utilized my art in-service personal development training, art digital courses, art curriculums, and consultancy services. Some of our valued customers include The Montessori Accreditation Council on Teacher Education (M.I.T.E), The American Montessori Society (AMS), Association Montessori International (AMI), and MACTE.

Teaching art doesn’t have to be stressful (and you don’t have to be an artist to do it)!

I train you over 7 weeks with my proprietary Science Art Method®

Montessori Art Certification Online Course

This training curriculum not only meets but also exceeds the national and international core arts standards for children. The Art Teaching Blueprint covers the Elements and Principles of Design, the artistic process, and Spramani Elaun’s proprietary Science Art Method® and system of sequences.

Nature of Art® Science Art Method uses 3 key components :

Visual Perception (the visual cortex)
Cognation (Cognitive Neural Network Model)
Phases of Art Development (gross – Fine-motor development)

Here are common struggles Montessori teachers had before taking the Art Teaching Blueprint:

“Learning how to motivate kids to explore art and understanding how to work with different age groups.”
I learned how to simplify my art lessons, and that sculpting and building adds to the young artists 3-dimensional understanding. I have also learned that the process is just as or more important than the masterpiece. I have implemented reflection times into my classes as well, which helps me observe how they create and learn more about my students.“
Kaelee R. – Montessori Guide

Here’s what we’ll cover in 7 weeks:

Lecture 1: Identifying what a quality visual art education is for children (8 videos totallying 40 minutes)

Introduction to visual arts
International art standards
Art language
Teaching Areas of Focus
Artist Techniques
Art Materials
The Artistic Process
Spatial & Dynamic Art Understanding

Lecture 2: How children learn visual arts, Proprietary Science Art Method® (10 videos, totalling 54 minutes)

I share the important patterns I recognized in my 20+ years of teaching visual arts to children. This lecture is all about connecting the science to how kids use their senses to evolve into artists.

3 key components parts to learning visual arts:

Visual Perception
Cognative Art Processing
Gross to Fine-motor
Phases of Art Development

Lecture 3: How to teach children visual arts (11 videos totalling 45 minutes)

I explain what art skills and teaching methods help make children become successful artists. This includes my proprietary system of sequences to help nurture creative development.

Process-based
Choice-based
Copy-Mode
Creative-Mode
Art Teaching Practices

Lecture 4: Complete art supply & materials list, seasoned practical tips (7 videos totallying 56 minutes)

Here’s where we get practical! I share my list of the best art supplies to use for teaching each area of visual arts; I also give you the tips and suggested ideas to help you easily teach art for years to come.

Medium
Materials
Demonstrations
Shopping List
Art Supply Prompts

Lecture 5: Art environment (9 videos, totallying 40 minutes)

Set-up
Art Environment
Managing mess
Storage
Staging

Lecture 6: Staging a Montessori art shelf (10 videos, totallying 50 minutes)

A well-staged art shelf can be super powerful! You’ll learn how to set up your art supplies and art shelf to support on-going art literacy and active, engaged, self-learning.

Staging
Material Themes
Focused Group
Independent work
Guided Lessons
Presentation & Demonstration Tip

Lecture 7: Art lessons & planning formulas

This final lecture will help get you in the right mindset to start teaching your students with confidence! I break down how to teaching art lessons so that you can schedule a year’s worth of lessons with ease.

Art Lesson Framework
Art Lesson Development
Scheduling Formula
Art Observation
Making it Montessori
Art Albums
Art Assessment Guides

New trainings added this summer!

Lecture 8: Making it Montessori (1 video)

How to make visual art literacy integrate with the Montessori Pedagogy. Topics:

Sensitive periods
Sensory
Environment
Staging
Montessori Curriculum

Lecture 9: Art Observing (1 video)

Learn what we observe in visual art development, how to use the observation cycle to observe, take notes , assess, and modify art lessons.

READY TO REGISITER / PAYMENT DETAILS HERE!

Got a question? Email: Info@Spramani.com

Visit my websties:

www.Montessori-Art.com

www.EcoKidsArt.com

No part of this blog may be used or be reproduced in any manner whatsoever including reproducing, publishing, performing, and making any adaptions of the work – including translation into another foreign language without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Nature of Art® Publishing P.O. Box 443 Solana Beach, California 92075.

May 1, 2023May 1, 2023

10 Fun Big Bang Art To Share With Your Montessori Students

By Spramani Elaun

Fun Big Bang Art To Share With Your Montessori Students, spramani art album

As a Montessori teacher, you know it can be overwhelming to choose the best art activities for your students. That’s why I’m here with some guidance on which Montessori art activities for Big Bang lessons are most appropriate for your classroom.

Art activities related to the Big Bang are some of my favorites to teach. They allow children to explore their imaginations and get creative in a concrete, meaningful way. From drawing explosions to painting supernovas, students can visualize and understand such a big concept.

Integrating art with science helps kids express ideas creatively, stimulates their senses and provides tactile experiences. And when it comes to teaching the universe’s and the Big Bang, there is no shortage of art inspiration.

To get started, take a look at some of your books for visual inspiration. One of my favorites is “Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story” by Jennifer Morgan. The illustrations are sure to inspire your students to create.

And for more ideas, download my top 5 Montessori Big Bang Art Activities. These activities can easily be adjusted to fit early childhood, lower elementary, or upper elementary classrooms. Click here to get started!

The Big Bang Theory is a fascinating science topic that Montessori teachers can incorporate into their art projects to make the learning experience interactive and fun. Below are ten art projects that Montessori teachers can use to teach elementary kids about the Big Bang Theory.

10 Fun Big Bang Art

1. Create a Cosmic Painting: Take your students on a journey through the universe with a cosmic painting activity. Discuss the Big Bang and the creation of the universe with your students, then have them create a painting depicting the birth of the universe.

2. Constellations: Give your students a chance to create their own constellations using paint or clay. Educate them on how the Big Bang gave birth to stars and how stars are the building blocks of constellations.

3. Paper Mache Planets: Introduce the concept of planets and solar systems by having your students make paper mache planets. You can use this opportunity to discuss the origins of planets and how they were formed following the Big Bang.

4. Galaxy in a Bottle: Encourage your students to learn about galaxies by creating a galaxy in a bottle. This can be a great way to explore the vastness of space and how galaxies form after the Big Bang.

5. Moon Phases Art: Discuss the moon phases and how they are caused by the changing position of the moon. Have your students create art that depicts the different phases of the moon using paint or chalk.

6. Starry Night Sky: Teach your students about stars by creating a starry night sky mural. This activity can help them learn about the different types of stars and how they are formed.

7. Cosmic Collage: Give your students an opportunity to create a cosmic collage by cutting out pictures of planets, stars, and galaxies from magazines and newspapers. Discuss the Big Bang and how all these celestial bodies came into existence.

8. Sun Catchers: Discuss the origins of our solar system’s star, the sun, and have your students create sun catchers using colorful tissue paper. This can be a great way to explore the different colors of the sun and how they are visible to us.

9. Universe Mobile: Make a universe mobile to showcase the Big Bang and the creation of our universe. Students can create planets, stars, and galaxies to hang from the mobile.

10. Astronaut Art: Discuss space travel and astronauts’ role in exploring space. Let your students create astronaut art that depicts them exploring the galaxies and space beyond, giving them a glimpse into the vast universe beyond our planet.

By incorporating these art projects into your Montessori lessons, your students can learn about the Big Bang Theory and explore the vastness of space in a fun and interactive way.

Montessori Art Activities | Big Bang Art Lessons

Order my Montessori Art Books & Curriculum HERE

February 25, 2023February 26, 2023

Montessori Art Routines & Art Language Part 2.

Art Routines

Last week I started a series on the topic of art routines Part 1. By having routines in place you can stop chaos during art sessions. Having these routines in place has helped me in classroom management.

Art Smocks
Art Material Set-up
Art Language

Continuing on this topic I’m sharing my insights on art talk & the artist language we teach. If you are not familiar with what art language means, it’s how we describe artworks and our process. It’s art’s own language. You can learn more by reading these books Defining Visual Arts, or Early Childhood Art Guide.

Montessori Art Routines & Art Language Part 2.

Art literacy is not only about making art, but also teaching students how to communicate. Keep in mind I’ve been teaching children for over 30 years. These routines and expectations came together over a long period of time. So it will take time for you to practice.

Over the years I’ve had my share of students disrupting my art classes. At some point I reflected on the times I spent in fine art studios working with other artists. I wanted my teaching sessions with kids to have that same feeling of expressive openness. So I came to the conclusion that my role was not just to show them how to make art, but also how to behave and talk like an artist. I created fine art studio behavior models (art expectations).

Only communicate in art language
No negative peer critiquing
Observe like an Artist
Reading Instead of Disturbing

As a now roaming art specials visiting classrooms across the county, I use these with all ages from 3 – 12 years.

Only communicate in art language

This means you are talking about your art, your art process, or helping someone with their art. Not what you are eating for lunch, or what happened at recess. This is also how I can hear when my students are getting off track.

No negative peer critiquing

Unnecessary comments could affect a students confidence to express openly in the classroom. I make time to explain how acceptable critiquing is using art language. I explain that I will make time for open refection time. And any student can volunteer to share with the classroom their art. I describe what positive critiquing sounds like.

Example

Negative – “Why does that nose look like that, it looks weird!”

Vs.

Artful talk – “I noticed he used thick wavy green lines to create the nose. That’s not something I expected to see in his drawing.”

or ,

“I wonder why he put purple leaf shapes in his nature drawing, rather than making green shapes”.

You can model this type of art language with practice. If you would like to learn how to talk to children artfully, check out this mini art training course.

Observe like an artist

I explain that if they want to look at someone’s art, to walk quietly around them, and observe with eyes only. So not to interrupt a working artist. In fact I show my young students how to observe by putting their hand behind their back. The action is like they are viewing art in a museum, to not disturb the art. I explain it’s OK to be curious and look at everyone’s work, but observe like an artist.

Reading Instead of Disturbing

When a student is disturbing the classroom, I give them a choice. Join us in art, or dismiss yourself into reading quietly until we are done with art. This usually works because the student feels left out when everyone is enjoying art. Generally students usually ask to return back to art. I will ask if they agree to participate artfully, leaving it up to them.

Love to hear your feedback!

Warmly,

Spramani Elaun – Art Instructor

September 25, 2022January 15, 2023

Montessori Elementary Art | How To Bring Art In To The Classroom

How to bring elementary art into the Montessori classroom

By Spramani Elaun

Every Montessori school should have an art environment. Whether an art shelf inside the classroom, dedicated classroom, or specials visiting. Elementary students should be engaging in some type of art. Allowing them to express creativity plus building basic skill sets. One of the reasons art programs exist is to expose children to different kinds of mediums. When exposed to different art activities students are likely to find the right art domain they enjoy. When children find the right art experience they enjoy, they become independent as they practice these skill-sets. When Montessori elementary students work independently they can also self regulate their own stress with hand work. Independent working students can also reach creative flow states! So where should you start with bringing Montessori elementary art into the classroom?

There’s six areas to focus on first:

Schedule Art
Choose Art Subjects
Teach Art Elements
Choose Art Mediums
Choose An Artist Technique
Teach Skill Building Foundations
Focus On Art Direct Aims

Schedule Montessori Art Lessons

Start with scheduling regular interactions with art making. Schedule daily, weekly or even bi weekly art lessons. Even bi monthly if your teaching schedule is super busy. I did this as a visiting Montessori art specials and I heard from Montessori guides how the children learned so much from just 4 visits! Once you have chosen the day, move to creating time segments. Be sure your timeline is specific to lower or upper elementary attention spans.

Art Subjects

Then move into deciding which visual art subjects you want to explore. I recommend choosing from my five art domains. Subjects like painting or color theory. Learn more about the 5 domains by buying: Defining Visual Arts Book HERE

Montessori Elementary Art | How To Bring Art In To The Classroom

Teach Art Elements

To meet the national art standards it’s important to teach children the Art Elements. The Art Elements cover things like line, color, shape – etc.

Each one of your art lessons should always focus on a key art element. I can’t stress enough how important this is to a solid art program. I meet many Montessori teachers not even aware of art literacy standards. Even the artistic process, or how-to scaffold art lessons, or what art sequences should come next. Learn more about the Art Elements by buying: Defining Visual Arts Book HERE

Mediums & Technique

Then the fun stuff starts by deciding on which mediums to experiment with first. This also includes what presentations and demonstrations to schedule. For example you could teach the subject of painting and focus on the watercolor medium. Then show children a crayon technique – wax resist marks. Or let’s say you decide to integrate a sensory craft with zoology. Like cutting sea life shapes from paper with a collage – technique.

Building Montessori Art Skill-Sets

The best advice I have for you is to teach how to set-up, clean-up, and prepare the environment for their next classmate, learning to complete the cycle in the Montessori way first is important. This supports independent work through the school year. Then foucs on building skill-sets and don’t waste time on the wrong type of art lessons. Like focusing on the Masters, copying images, or too much process- based art. Try not to focus lessons on copying the Masters artworks. These lessons can be lacking in developing independent art skill-sets or their own creativity. Montessori elementary students need the right order of skill-set lesson first.

Focus on Montessori Art – Direct Aims

The other important thing I want to share is even if you can’t draw or paint you can still teach proper art lessons. Your own refined skill-sets are not the focus. What’s important is knowing your direct aims. Direct aims like preparing the environment, and presenting the right order of demonstrations. Scheduling and choosing age appropriate art lessons. Indirect Aims will happen like – your students brainstorming or conjuring up original ideas. Even exploration that leads to the most optimal state of creative flow!

Teaching art can be intimidating without any basic knowledge or experience. But I’m here to tell you I’ve taught thousands of parents and teachers. I have lots of preparatory teaching methods easy for you to follow. But here’s a secret… you will learn right beside your students, I promise!

Art Professional Development

I invite you…

No matter what capacity of training you desire, I’ve built art teaching resources you can have access to!

Choose:

Art Lesson plans

Sequential Art Curriculum

Montessori Professional Development

Montessori In-service Training (email info@Spramani.com)

Montessori Art Certification

Custom Art Programing (email info@Spramani.com)

August 11, 2022August 11, 2022

Staging Nature Based Art Activities – Montessori Art, By Spramani Elaun

There are so many good reasons to include natural art elements around your home or classroom. These beautiful natural elements can inspire children to create beautiful artworks. Nature has lines, patterns, and textures that can really make fun marks. Natural elements are easy to find around your environments like backyards, school yards, and parks. The other reason to use natural elements is to connect children to the outside world. By going outside to forage for these natural elements you have the opportunity to teach the importance of living biospheres. Here are some nature elements you can forage for:

Elements Nature elements like;

Leaves
Wood
Bark
Seeds
Sticks
Stones
Seashells

Another amazing reason to use nature is it demonstrates resourcefulness! You can teach children to go outside to find objects to create artworks, rather than going and buying stuff from the store. By using natural items found outdoors in your students’ environment can spark some good conversations!

Staging Nature Based Art Activities – Montessori Art, By Spramani Elaun

You can also take your students outdoors through the seasons. They can learn about the seasons and what types of natural elements are there. I find interesting seed pods only a few times a year. I also can only get the right colored leaves in certain seasons. There is so much rich education right outside by using nature based elements.

I have written many Nature Based Art Activity Blogs:

Crafting With Natural Found Objects | Montessori

How to Make Paint, Inks & Dyes from Nature | Montessori Activities

Outdoor Nature Journaling | Montessori Kids

I also have an amazing training called:

Theme Art & The Natural World

About this training

Grow your child’s knowledge about the natural world by taking them outside and challenging them to create focused art based on the nature around them.

Buy this Video Training HERE

December 13, 2018February 1, 2020

5 Ways to Become an Art-Trained Montessori Teacher Over Winter Break

Usually when I tell Montessori teachers they can start teaching art in their classroom, they look at me like I’m crazy! So many of them tell me they have no training, they’re not creative, or they struggle with just drawing stick figures! Trust me though, you CAN become an art-trained Montessori teacher!

In fact, winter break is one of the best times to get started. Think about how excited your students will be to come back to school and find out you’ll be introducing art lessons to them. They’ll love it! Not only will it help develop their creativity and art literacy, but it helps them make connections between all the other subjects they’re learning—such as the Great Lessons.

So, now I’m sure you’re thinking, “Look, Spramani, I definitely want to become a better Montessori teacher, and it would be really cool to start providing visual arts in my classroom, but how can I become art trained in a matter of weeks? Winter break is only so long.”

I’ve done the hard work for you. After 20 years of observing the way kids learn art, I’ve created a simple way to teach art that works perfectly in the Montessori classroom. It really doesn’t require much leg work from you, and students get to explore the entire artistic process. Of course, you’ll have to sign up for my Art Teaching Blueprint and get all the info you need (I’ll touch on what the course is and why it’s so awesome further below), but here are five things to do to get you started to becoming art trained over winter break.

1. Buy Some Supplies

The first step to becoming art trained is setting yourself—as well as your classroom and students—up with the right tools and supplies. (I’ve broken down the essential art supplies every Montessori classroom needs in this blog post.) Starting with a stocked classroom gives you the foundation to explore the visual arts.

2. Set Up an Art Shelf

As you know, subject-based shelves are the basis of a successful Montessori classroom, so it only makes sense that you should set up an art shelf. You can read how to set up an art shelf in your classroom here. A proper art shelf supports art literacy and helps keep all your supplies organized in one easy-to-reach place for your students to access.

3. Build an Inspiration Gallery

Another way to get your classroom set up for teaching art is to create an inspiration gallery. It can give students a place to observe and talk about artwork, which can increase their art literacy, language, and self-esteem. While an inspiration gallery is a simple concept, there are some tricks to it. For instance, you don’t want to solely include fine art examples; it’s important to incorporate students’ own work too. (If you want to learn more about how inspiration galleries work, read this blog post.)

4. Pick Up a Book

montessori art how to — https://store.ecokidsart.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=IVATTMC-paperback

Once you’re all set with supplies, an art shelf, and an inspiration gallery, it’s time to start your training. You can give yourself a great base by doing some quick reading. I’ve written two visual art books that create a framework for learning the subject. Defining Visual Arts focuses on the latest standards and the most important projects, mediums, and techniques to teach. Introducing Visual Arts to The Montessori Classrooms gets a little more specific in providing solid guidance for teaching art in a Montessori environment. Either one—but of course, both—of these books are helpful in giving you the context for how children learn art and are a great option in kicking off your art training.

5. Register for my FREE teacher course: Phases of Art Development Guides & Art Project Ideas!

I created a free video course to teach Montessori teachers like you the phases of art development—or what art skills your students are capable of learning in each age range. The course also includes three bonus videos of art lessons, projects, and techniques to use in your classroom, no matter what grade you’re teaching. Best of all, you can go through this mini training in the comfort of your own home (while on winter break!).

You can do it, YOU can become an art-trained Montessori teacher. I believe in you and your students will thank you for taking the time to learn how to teach art in your classroom. If you have any questions or want to connect with other Montessori teachers who are going through my course, make sure you go like my Facebook page.

November 29, 2018February 1, 2020

Teaching Montessori Art, Creative Making vs. Copy Making

By Spramani Elaun

In my twenty years of observing and teaching children of all ages to draw and paint, I’ve discovered the best ways for teaching art without stifling their creative spirit. My unique teaching method breaks down instruction into two balanced approaches: creative-mode and copy-mode.

When art instruction is balanced using these two methods, a child can develop skilled fine art motor movements, plus conceptualize original imaginative ideas. Understanding how to teach creative making and copy making is simple. I cover it in more detail in my book, Introducing Visual Arts to Montessori Classrooms, but here’s a quick guide to give you a foundation.

Creative Making

Creative mode is how children first learn to create art. In creative mode, you can introduce projects and demonstrate a medium, but refrain from giving students a point of reference or image to copy. The child creates art by exploring the medium and conjuring up their own creative images from their own imaginations, thoughts, and ideas.

Introducing Creative Making to Students

Creative making is all about giving students the freedom to explore. You can show kids examples of projects using similar mediums and technique but give them space to come up with their own ideas of images, colors, and even different techniques to finishing their artworks.

Young children should start their art experience in creative mode, then move on to copy mode learning and observations in the upper grades.

Copy Making

Copy mode refers to a systematic, step-by-step art instruction. When students are older they are able to learn to make art by mimicking or copying a visual image by following a series of steps, resulting in a similar finished project. In fine art adult classes, students learn to draw or paint by copying what they see an in image and studying its perspective renderings of line, form, light, value and composition.

Introducing Copy Making to Students

Start out by having kids copy a design step-by-step. For example, you can teach kids how to draw a butterfly in just three to four simple, systematic steps and most students will create similar butterfly shapes. You can then transition children into creative-mode thinking, by allowing them to color or paint their designs however they choose—tapping into their own individual creativity they harnessed at a younger age. The goal is to give kids the foundation to draw an outline of a basic butterfly shape (in copy mode) and the freedom to think creatively (in creative mode).

The Benefits of Creative Making & Copy Making

Copy-mode drawing can help develop muscles in students’ eyes, hands, and memories. Copying geometric or organic shapes can help students achieve similar shapes they might desire in their own creative drawings or designs. Limited copy-mode and step-by-step drawing lessons should be introduced to children in elementary grades.

Creative-mode supports children in developing ideas from their own imaginations. It gives kids free range to conjure up their own ideas; this also supports the artistic process. When children learn to create from their own ideas, they conceptualize original artworks through imagination, planning, and finally, constructing. These are the qualities of a creative innovator. Because young children have great imaginations, it’s ideal for children to being making art this way.

Teach by Balancing Both Methods of Instruction

For students to benefit the most, you should be balancing fun projects that utilize creative-making opportunities with occasional skill-building, copy-making techniques. Using both methods of instruction will support art literacy by guiding students through the artistic process. Children have the opportunity to create and imagine their own ideas and design, then explore and construct their art projects, and finally express what they create with words or written descriptions about their process.

If you require kids to follow too many step-by-step instructions and do not allow for any creative freedom, it can stifle their creativity or love for making art. Additionally, a child’s visual perception and fine-motor development develops slowly over childhood. Some children may not be developmentally or cognitively ready to copy at an early age and this can negatively affect their self-esteem and ability to think creatively on their own. Some copy-mode instruction can be introduced in early elementary, but should be directed more towards upper elementary grades.

All kids need artistic inspiration to serve as a springboard for drawing and painting ideas to get them started. You should always give kids some point of reference to copy initially, then allow their own ideas or designs to flourish. It’s really difficult for many kids to sit down and think of something to create off the top of their head without any guidance at all, especially if they do not have much practice in visual arts just yet. This is why it’s so essential for copy and creative making to work hand in hand! Simple copy-mode lessons can be used as inspiration. Just remember, copy making and step-by-step instructions should be options, not requirements.

If you would like to learn more about teaching art in your Montessori classroom, register for my next Art Teaching Blueprint training. I break down these concepts in simple, easily digestible lessons (that you can go through at your own pace) and help you start using these methods in your classroom. Trust me, so many Montessori teachers like you have been able to implement visual arts in their lessons and always come back to tell me how much their students love it and are benefiting from it. I want this for you and your students too! So, click here to register today.

November 15, 2018October 7, 2023

Making Gratitude Cards to Celebrate Thanksgiving, Montessori Activities

The holiday and Thanksgiving season are a time of reflection for most people—most adults, anyway. It’s a time we think about everything we’re grateful for, and it’s a practice we should be sharing with our children and students.

Expressing gratitude has the power to reduce stress, foster a sense of belonging, and yield a host of emotional and mental health advantages. Fundamentally, gratitude involves feeling thankful and appreciative of the positive aspects in your life. As educators, we have the opportunity to lead our students toward recognizing and appreciating the multitude of “gifts” they encounter daily, spanning from the wonders of nature to the joys of delicious food and the warmth of cherished friendships.

Every year, around our Thanksgiving holiday here in North America, for as far as I can remember, I would have my children make gratitude cards for all our guests. We would place them around the dinner table for each guest to read when they sat down. Each card would be something simple, the guest’s name and a sweet sentiment of appreciation for who they are.

I would also surprise my own kids with tiny gratitude gifts as well, telling them how thankful I was to have them in my life. I still do this every year, even though they are all grown up! 🙂

I think it is so important to write and document these thoughts and feelings. I know this activity has always grounded my children and given them a heart of giving, rather than receiving. I still journal myself about what I’m grateful for, and give thanks all year long for the big and little things in my life—like the free lemons that grow in my garden.

Teaching Gratitude to Your Students

Preschool students should be taught to say thank you when they receive a gift or a kindness from another person. Remember to teach them that the size of the generosity doesn’t matter. They can be grateful for a big gift, but also for a sunny day or hug from a friend.

Students in lower elementary can think a little more in depth and should be encouraged to reflect on their day. They can even create and keep a gratitude list of good things that happened.

Upper elementary students can also focus on keeping gratitude lists or journals. But introduce the concept of good coming from bad, and teach them they can be grateful in negative situations too.

Gratitude Card Making Project Idea:

Here’s a great way to combine a writing and drawing lesson that helps students express their gratitude.

Gather your students, talk about what gratitude means. Give examples of things you are grateful for, or suggest things they might feel grateful for. Then pass out index cards and have each child write, “I am grateful for…” Be sure to write prompts out to copy as an example.

Once they’re done, have them draw a picture about what the thing(s) they were thankful for. Students can make a booklet or paste their card to their picture. Be sure to check out the video below for supplies and simple instructions.

Supplies:

Paper or card stock—any size, color, weight
Stickers—any theme
Stamps and ink pads—any colors
Pencils
Crayons
Color pencils
Glue
Tape
Scissors
Washi decorative tape

Gratitude Cards from Spramani Elaun on Vimeo.

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The Phases of Art Development is a quick digital course that explains how art making can help students develop their creativity, fine-motor skills, and focus. More importantly, I share what types of projects students at every age are capable of completing safely, and without making a mess.

Best of all—it’s free! To sign up for the course, click here.