Frequently asked questions
Our Materials
Not your everyday Montessori PDF materials, these were designed by a passionate and experienced South African Montessori teacher to build on and enrich her shelves for children whose curiosity extends beyond the bounds of what is usually available in the classroom. With the ever-growing pressure on our preschool teachers to take on extra roles (including aftercare, morning care, holiday care, parent meetings, school events, the list goes on and on), the time for making well-researched, beautiful, contextually relevant materials for our children is unfortunately not available to many educators.
Our focus is on creating Montessori materials that are relevant to the time and culture of South African children, and affordable and accessible for South African teachers. This means that many of the typical, North America-focused examples that other Montessori materials include have been replaced by South African (where possible), or African, examples.
Our materials are also not exhaustive lists, but rather a small selection of some of the beautiful species and features of our country. International examples are sometimes included, too, if they are of particular interest or relevance to children we have taught in our own classrooms. From work on Collossal Squid to Caboose Trains, we hope you are able to find something special and unique to appeal to the children in your care!
Printing and Assembly
A good laminator, metal ruler, sharp paper-knife, and sturdy corner-punch are all worthy investments if you want to improve the craftsmanship of the materials in your environment. We know that children are drawn to work that is beautiful and orderly, and that paying extra attention to these details can make all the difference in how the materials are treated and appreciated.
Colour-coding
With a few exceptions (like the South African Sun Game), our printable Sugarbird PDF resources are generally not colour-coded. This is to allow you to personalize the materials during the assembly process using colours consistent with the rest of your materials.
If you are starting your colour-coding from scratch, this is the system we usually like to use to maintain order on our shelves (incorporating the Montessori preschool system and the South African CAPS curriculum).
Our colour-coding
General Biology: Light Brown
Botany: Dark Green
Mycology: Grey
Zoology: Dark Brown
Invertebrates: Pink
Fish: Light Blue
Amphibians: Light Green
Reptiles: Yellow
Birds: Orange
Mammals: Red
Geography: Purple
Astronomy: Black
Life Skills: Dark blue
Errors
We try hard to ensure that the information, photographs, spelling, and spacing in our work is always accurate, authentic, and not generated with AI. If you notice an error in our work, please let us know so we can correct it and ensure that you (and previous purchasers) receive the corrected version.
Pictures and Art
All photographs have been sourced with the appropriate Creative Commons licensing through Canva Pro, Wikimedia Commons, and other sources. If you have a concern about one of our pictures, please get in touch.
All illustrations were made by a local South African Illustrator and Graphic Designer.
Custom Orders
Do you have a unique idea for a material but don't have the time to make it? We are happy to consider bespoke requests and orders. Reach out through our contact form for more information.
Sharing
Many hours of thought, research, and hard work have gone into the making of these materials. If you enjoy our work, kindly encourage others to purchase a copy for themselves. These materials are intended for personal or classroom use only. They may not be reproduced, distributed, or sold, in whole or in part, without written permission from Sugarbird Education. Images and text are original or used with permission and appropriate Creative Commons licensing.