Iveta Pumpina

Iveta specializes in Montessori pedagogy in Austria. At the time when she started working with Luula’s Table, Iveta was expecting her second child. The Luula table made Iveta’s work in the Montessori cabinet in the Family and Child Development Center “Miracle” much easier as children, even with severe developmental disabilities, enthusiastically joined in the activities at the Luula table. Here are some insights from Iveta’s experience:

“The table facilitates the teacher’s work. A lot of work is needed to involve children with developmental disabilities or to expand the offer. The children like to sit down at the table. Children focus. Sits on the sand for 45 minutes, plays patiently, and works hard all the time. Excellent training in motor skills”.

“A girl with severe autism has been coming to me for a year. All this time she was just circling the room. Although the table with us is only 3 weeks, to my surprise, a week ago she sat down at the table and spent the whole lesson at it”.

“Kids love putting items in rows, arranging them in boxes. Especially young children. Learns to grasp – put and take things out of boxes. Develops finger motor skills, coordinates movements”.

“We build our world in the sand, we discuss what is happening, we play patterns of behavior”.

“The blackboard is used less often. But a 3-year-old child does not speak clearly, takes everything wrong in his hand, but takes the chalk nicely, correctly, because the chalk is small. Draws straight lines”.

“A child with a major developmental disorder – Down syndrome – drive on the sand with a brush. Try not to drive over the edges, do not spill sand”.

“Usually, hyperactive children quickly lose interest – change their occupation all the time. If the table is placed at the wall, the child focuses only on this area, on one activity. For active children, sand attracts attention for a long time”