Montessori and The Wonder Weeks - Part I: 0-6 months

I have been reading The Wonder Weeks, which documents your baby's mental leaps based on cognitive science (ie. notable changes in brain wave activity and growth of head circumference during specific weeks in their development).  Their suggestions for activities to do with your baby to promote that mental leap are super compatible with Montessori. 

Here are the notes I've made for the first six months, and the corresponding Montessori materials.  I will update this to include links as I go back and document what we used over the first months!

THE WONDER WEEKS	Montessori Materials
Newborn - 5 weeks (1 month) World of strange sensations Cannot distinguish between himself and the outer world, whether his discomfort comes from his body or outside it Sight: can see about a foot away (to mother’s face), beyond that vision is blurred React best to strong contrasts: black and white holds their attention the longest, red and white etc, is also effective Can track moving objects as long as the movement is slow and deliberate Sound: likes sounds that resemble the thump of the heart, veins and other internal organs familiar from the womb Smell: can recognize mother’s smell if presented with her clothing Feel: can sense temperature changes but cannot regulate her temperature; being touched is the best amusement	The black and white Munari mobile to stimulate vision The topponcino, which the mother sleeps with before birth, to comfort baby with mother’s smell
Week 8 (2 months) World of Patterns Ay 6-8 weeks, baby’s head circumference increases dramatically and there are changes in their brain waves Baby no longer experiences himself and his world as one universe Discovers his hands or feet, will voluntarily grasp a toy instead relying on reflex Looks at luminous and shiny things Makes sounds, sings, interrupts when others are talking	Simple grasping toys: grasping beads, bell rattle, puzzle ball Montessori mobiles: the shiny octahedron mobile, gobbi mobile (our baby batted at this one)
Week 12 (3 months) World of Smooth Transitions Can recognize subtle and gradual changes Better control of bodily movement Vision improves and will soon be as good as an adult’s Studies and plays with your hands Can shift between loud and soft sounds Produces sounds that resembles vowels	Montessori mobiles: gobbi mobile in gradations of colour, dancers mobile (this one moves very subtly) Bell rattle Box of textured fabrics *maybe a good time to introduce baby sign language
Week 19 (4.5 months) World of Events String together patterns and transitions to become events eg. he can reach out for a toy, grasp it, shake it, turn it around to inspect it, put it in his mouth Speak in babbling sentences Recognize short flowing sounds Recognize familiar tunes Can understand simple, familiar sentences Enjoys mirror games - recognizes mom and her reflection Dramatic changes in brain waves and increase in head circumference	Bell rattle Puzzle ball Sing musical scale Movement mirror