Name of material: Colour Box 1: Primary Colours Image(s): - - PDF document

Name of material:

Colour Box 1: Primary Colours

Image(s):

¡ Photo(s) courtesy of Think Education Supplies. Visit www.thinkeducation.com.au to purchase this material.

Video: Point(s) of interest:

The attractive colours and the special technique of reverently holding the tablets so that the colour is not touched.

Primary purpose:

Main objective To promote the visual recognition of colours. To introduce the vocabulary corresponding to colours.

Secondary purposes

Incidental benefits Refinement of motor control and coordination.

Control of error:

The Colour Tablet presentations are deliberately sequenced to provide visual cues for self-

• correction. The lessons begin with Colour Box 1 which features only three, highly

contrasting colours (red, blue, yellow). If a yellow is matched to a red the extreme contrast provides a significant visual signal, much more so than it would be to mistakenly match yellow to orange. As the child progresses through to Colour Box 2 and 3 the eye has been progressively trained to identify differences and similarities in colour and so the control of error can be more subtle but still successful. EYLF Outcome 1.2: Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency by engaging in self-correction to notice a mistake and seek a solution (rather than relying on an adult to identify the error and suggest the answer).

Presentation:

Please ¡note: ¡Montessori ¡presentations ¡will ¡vary ¡slightly ¡according ¡to ¡the ¡specific ¡training ¡ institute, ¡Album ¡or ¡educator’s ¡experience. ¡The ¡following ¡outline ¡is ¡intended ¡as ¡a ¡guide ¡and ¡ highlights ¡important ¡points/procedures. ¡Educators ¡should ¡build ¡on ¡this ¡from ¡their ¡own ¡ experience ¡and ¡their ¡understanding ¡of ¡the ¡children ¡in ¡their ¡care, ¡so ¡that ¡all ¡presentations ¡will ¡ have ¡some ¡universal ¡similarities ¡but ¡no ¡two ¡will ¡be ¡completely ¡identical ¡because ¡of ¡the ¡unique ¡ needs ¡of ¡the ¡child, ¡cultural ¡context ¡of ¡the ¡school ¡and ¡interactions ¡between ¡educator ¡and ¡student. ¡ Preparation:

• Demonstrate the correct method for handling the box (one hand underneath, not

both hands lifting the lid) and invite the child to take the material to the table.

• The teacher sits to the right of the child if the adult is right-handed and to the left of

the child if the adult is left-handed (this avoids the issue of having the adult’s hand/arm block the field of vision of the child).

• The educator starts by demonstrating the method for handling the tablets, placing

the thumb on the wooden frame at the base and stretching the first two fingers up to the wooden frame at the top. This ensures that the coloured silk (or coloured wood) is never directly touched and, as such, the colour is maintained over time. The educator invites the child to practice holding the tablet. Lesson 1: 3 Period Lesson

• The educator introduces a 3 Period Lesson for the names of the colours.

Period 1:

• The educator places the red tablet in front of the child and states, “This is red.”
• The educator places the blue tablet in front of the child and states, “This is blue.”
• The educator places the yellow tablet in front of the child and states, “This is yellow.”

Period 2:

• The educator places all three tablets on the table and asks, “Where is red?”
• The educator asks, “Where is blue?”
• The educator asks, “Where is yellow?
• If the child does not identify the colours correctly then the educator returns to the

first period. If the child successfully identifies the colours then the educator rearranges them and repeats the process (“where is red? Where is blue? Where is yellow?”)

Period 3:

• The educator places the red tablet in front of the child and asks, “What is this?” The

child replies “red”.

• The educator places the blue tablet in front of the child and asks, “What is this?”

The child replies “blue”.

• The educator places the yellow tablet in front of the child and asks, “What is this?”

The child replies “yellow”.

• If the child does not identify the colours correctly then the educator returns to the

second period. If the child successfully identifies the colours then the educator concludes the presentation, “You have identified red, blue and yellow.” Lesson 2: Matching

• The educator revisits the method of carefully handling the tablets by touching only

the wooden frame, not the colour itself.

• The educator places one of each colour in a vertical row on the top left side of the

table.

• The educator places the three corresponding colours in mixed order on the right

side of the table.

• The educator explains, “I am going to match the colours by finding two that are the

same.”

• The educator points to the colour at the top of the row and repeats, “I’m looking for

the same colour”.

• The educator visually assesses the mixed tablets and carefully selects the matching
• ne.
• The educator collects the matching tablet in the special grip and places it to the

right of its mate. The educator observes the pair and announces, “They are the same.”

• The educator continues this process for the second and third tablets.
• The educator takes a moment to observe the matching sets and then explains,

“Now I will mix them up so you can match the colours.” The educator rearranges

• ne of each colour into a random arrangement.
• The child works to match the colours and engages in as many repetitions as he/she

likes. Conclusion:

• After the presentation you can ask the child if he/she wishes to continue repeating

the work or if he/she is ready to finish.

• If the child chooses to conclude the activity then ensure that you guide the child to

replace it to its correct spot on the shelf. This empowers the child to know where it is located so that he/she can independently choose the material again when he/she is ready and interested. This contributes towards the creation of a learning environment and promotes EYLF Outcome 4.4: Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials.

Links to the Early Years Learning Framework Outcomes:

Participating in Colour Box 1 with an educator and peers helps the child progress towards the following Learning Outcomes; 1.1: Children feel safe, secure and supported by engaging in one-on-one interactions with a nurturing and supportive adult. 1.4: Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect by encountering the concept of ‘turn-taking’ in a controlled situation with an adult role model. 5.1: Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes by communicating with a trusted educator, with words and through imitation and engagement, in a mutually respectful context. Revisiting Colour Box 1 for independent attempts helps the child progress towards the following Learning Outcomes; 4.1: Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity by engaging in experimentation, self-correction and assessment. 4.3: Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another by applying their skills of visual perception and self-correction to increasingly challenging levels of activity.

Observation and assessment for learning:

When the child is working independently the educator can gather and analyse information about what the child knows, can do and understands by observing the following: Indicators of progress;

• The child identifies one colour but not others. The educator can present a 3 Period

Lesson featuring only the unknown colours.

• The child is able to match colours to one another but does not remember the
• names. This indicates visual perception skills but a lack of confidence with the

associated vocabulary. The educator can provide a revision of the 3 Period Lesson. Indicators of mastery;

• The child confidently articulates the name of each colour and successfully matches

the pairs of tablets.

• The child begins spontaneously incorporating colour recognition into his/her daily

explorations and observations. If the child demonstrates the aforementioned skills the educator can engage in intentional teaching by introducing the following lesson. If the child does not yet demonstrate the aforementioned skills the educator can show responsiveness to children by scaffolding the learning by repeating the presentation. If the child still does not acquire the skills once the presentation is repeated then the task should be broken into smaller, discrete steps. If the child still cannot master the skills presented in

the discrete steps the educator can support the child’s learning by reverting to the prior lesson. Questions for reflective practice: After presenting this material the educator might ask,

• Are there other theories or knowledge that could help me to understand better what

I have observed or experienced? What are they? How might those theories and that knowledge affect my practice?

• Who is advantaged when I work in this way? Who is disadvantaged?

Extensions/Variations:

Please ¡note: ¡Authentic ¡Montessori ¡environments ¡should ¡ideally ¡utilise ¡the ¡existing ¡materials ¡and ¡ comprehensive ¡curriculum ¡to ¡engage, ¡support ¡and ¡extend ¡the ¡child. ¡Adult-­‑initiated ¡extensions ¡ and ¡variations ¡should, ¡therefore, ¡be ¡viewed ¡with ¡the ¡‘Three ¡C’s ¡– ¡care, ¡context ¡and ¡constraint”. ¡ Extensions ¡and ¡variations ¡should ¡not ¡be ¡introduced ¡for ¡the ¡sake ¡of ¡novelty ¡or ¡presented ¡ universally ¡to ¡all ¡children, ¡but ¡may ¡have ¡their ¡place ¡where ¡it ¡helps ¡to ¡care ¡for ¡a ¡child’s ¡unique ¡ needs, ¡is ¡relevant ¡to ¡the ¡specific ¡context ¡and ¡is ¡constrained ¡by ¡a ¡respect ¡for ¡the ¡original ¡purpose ¡

• f ¡the ¡material. ¡Extensions/variations ¡should ¡never ¡replace ¡the ¡original ¡material ¡or ¡detract ¡from ¡

its ¡purpose. ¡

• The educator can introduce a ‘Memory Game’ with the Colour Tablets. One of each

Colour Tablet is placed on a table (or mat). Their names are revised and then they are covered by a piece of material. The educator uses the material to lift one tablet

• ff the table (keeping it covered). The child is then asked, “What’s missing?” and

must try to identify the missing tablet. The educator then allows the child to self- assess his/her own guess by opening the material to reveal the missing tablet. This game can be played with a group of children and the educator can encourage the children to take turns of ‘hiding’ the tablet for one another.

• The educator can introduce a ‘Treasure Hunt’ game with the Colour Tablets. The

tablets are placed on the mat and the Matching Lesson is revisited. Then the educator explains, “Now we’re going to match some objects in our classroom to these colours.” The educator nominates the first colour and asks the child to go searching for something that is the same colour. For instance, the educator might nominate the red tablet and the child would go and collect a Red Rod. The chosen

• bject is placed on the table/mat beside its corresponding colour. This can be

played with a group of children. It can become increasingly challenging with the educator, for instance, asking for “three yellow objects” or “one red and two blue

• bjects”.
• The child can be invited to create their own ‘handmade’ Colour Tablets with card

and paint. Small rectangular cards can be offered along with paint (preferably acrylic) and the child paints two cards yellow, two blue and two red. These can be taken home to communicate the Colour Box learning experience to the child’s parents.

Support ¡at ¡home ¡ ¡ Partnerships ¡with ¡families ¡

At this stage in a child’s development he/she is beginning to visually assess colours and to express their associated names. A parent/relative could reinforce this and support continuity of learning and transitions by;

• Model and reinforce the language associated with these perceptions of colour – red,

yellow and blue. Pepper these words into your conversation with your child and look for opportunities to identify these colours in the world around you. Make special effort to include these colours even if you wouldn’t otherwise need to (eg. when asking your child to collect his/her school bag try saying “Please get your yellow bag” rather than just “Please get your bag”).

• Include colour-themed activities into your child’s prepared environment or activity
• area. Bring out puzzles, exercises, books or décor that focus on these colours. Your

child’s absorbent mind will drink in these environmental cues even if you’re not formally “teaching” the colours as he/she engages with the materials.

• Arrange colour sorting activities for your child. These can be formal ‘exercises’ (like

activity trays) in their prepared environment – for instance, a large bowl filled with red, yellow and blue beads (10 of each) and three smaller bowls so they can be sorted by colour. You can also just look for spontaneous, natural moments to sort by colour – such as asking your child to hand you the “yellow pegs” first at the clothesline and then the “blue pegs” and so on.

• Present art materials that focus on these colours. Provide red, yellow and blue

paint – or red, yellow and blue paper for collage or modelling clay to work with. The materials don’t need to have a predetermined “outcome” – just let your child engage with them spontaneously and creatively as a sensory experience with these colours.

• Investing in high-quality resources that involve matching colours. If purchasing a

store-bought material the parent should look for the following attributes;

• Isolation of quality – the activity should ideally present one concept at a time,

rather than a mix of many. If the activity is meant for colour matching then the pieces should be the same apart from that colour (rather than also being different sizes/different shapes etc).

• Beautiful but simplistic aesthetic – where the natural wood or carefully

chosen colours are present and unnecessary distraction/decoration is absent.

• Natural materials – wood or felt offer more tactile, sensory appeal than

plastic and also encourage greater respect/care for the materials.

To ¡learn ¡more ¡visit ¡WikiSori ¡