CSMP - What are A-Blocks

[Tracy]

I am excited to start CSMP and came across a materials list. Most of it I am finding on the site. But does anyone know what A-Blocks are?

[forty-two]

Attribute blocks.

 

IIRC, CSMP uses a set of 24: 4 shapes, 3 colors, 2 sizes. It tells how to make a set somewhere in the materials.

[Tracy]

Attribute blocks.

 

IIRC, CSMP uses a set of 24: 4 shapes, 3 colors, 2 sizes. It tells how to make a set somewhere in the materials.

 

Thank you very much. I see in the materials where there are the patterns, but I don't see anything anywhere that tells how to make them. But the 700-page TM is not searchable. Any idea of where I might find the instructions?

[forty-two]

A-block masters are here (scroll down to the "For Kindergarten" section).

[forty-two]

Thank you very much. I see in the materials where there are the patterns, but I don't see anything anywhere that tells how to make them. But the 700-page TM is not searchable. Any idea of where I might find the instructions?

 

Well, in the first A-block lesson (pg 4-37), it just says to either make them or, if you buy them, to make sure they have size, shape, and color attributes. I suppose I'd just print out the block masters on cardstock, maybe laminate them, and cut them out.

[Tracy]

Well, in the first A-block lesson (pg 4-37), it just says to either make them or, if you buy them, to make sure they have size, shape, and color attributes. I suppose I'd just print out the block masters on cardstock, maybe laminate them, and cut them out.

 

Thanks! That sounds like something I can do. :)

[Poke Salad Annie]

I just made my own from cardstock in the appropriate colors and cut to the shapes I needed for the lesson. I made them in haste, as I realized that I needed them for that day's lesson, and unfortunately, they had not been prepared in advance. I would like to make a set from the master which was linked by forty-two, and will probably print the b/w page over several times, coloring them in, then cutting and laminating.

 

I think it's a great idea to get all the materials made and ready before starting. If you can do so over the summer, I would suggest printing off the schedule for whatever year's work you'll be using. You can then look over the lessons online to see what materials or supplies are needed and pencil them in to the back of the schedule page in a notation. I plan on doing that for the rest of our schedule.

 

Our standing joke around here is, "Are the mini-computers charged up?". That always brings a round of guffaws. :lol:

[Tracy]

A-block masters are here (scroll down to the "For Kindergarten" section).

 

Okay, I hadn't noticed the ones in the Kindergarten section. I see that there are a lot more there than in the 1st grade section. Are the 1st grade A-Blocks supposed to be an add-on to the Kindergarten ones? Do I need to print both?

[Poke Salad Annie]

Okay, I hadn't noticed the ones in the Kindergarten section. I see that there are a lot more there than in the 1st grade section. Are the 1st grade A-Blocks supposed to be an add-on to the Kindergarten ones? Do I need to print both?

 

Tracy, the blocks I made were actually the ones from the First Grade section--A-Blocks labels. You could print those, and will most likely use them also. I don't think it would hurt to have both sets. If you don't want to use so much colored ink to print, you could make them from cardstock, eyeballing the sizes and tracing around household objects to get the shapes and sizes you need. I don't think it's about a very specific size as in measurements, but more a small/large, red/blue/yellow, etc. thing---KWIM?

 

Something else that comes to mind to add in with this might be the Montessori detective adjective game. You will need to print the triangles and cut them out, but it is great for seeing differences. I can't find the link for the ones I printed several years ago, but there should be one floating around the web.

[Tracy]

Tracy, the blocks I made were actually the ones from the First Grade section--A-Blocks labels.

 

Okay, now what are the A-Block labels? I already printed out the A-Block red/yellow/green/blue pattern pages. Are the labels just something I need to print out on cardstock and cut out?