May 27, 2010
Wow! I know everyone is talking about the warm weather right now but I have to say we are truly enjoying it at school! Your children are choosing to be outside so much that it seems awkward to be inside for too long. This week we have been exploring every inch of our campus by taking long walks. The chicks are the first place the children lead us to and then from their we go into the flower garden. The daisies, lavender, lilies, and iris' have been the flowers we have talked about this week. The rocks that line the garden offer another opportunity as your children roll them over and discover ants, beetles, worms, and centipedes. There is so much life that is happening in the flower garden!
After we finish at the flower garden our next stop is the Zen garden. The children enjoy pulling the rakes around and viewing the pattern that they make. They also enjoy picking up the pea stone and feeling it fall thru their fingers. There is a small bench right on the side of the Zen garden and I very much enjoy sitting at this stop on our walk as the children are very peaceful as they do their work here.
We ventured over onto the elementary playground this week as a new site for exploration. In the back corner of their playground is a VERY large maple tree that the children enjoyed climbing on the roots that were protruding thinking "Maybe I can just reach a branch". Little do they know that the closest branch is a good ten feet above them. Just past the maple tree is a labyrinth of trails that flow thru several different kinds of bushes and pine trees. The children giggled with glee as they entered, what to them must of been like a magical jungle! Angie, Maureen, and I of course were too tall for these trails so we had to squat very low and maneuver at quite a good pace to keep up. Quite a funny sight! We all agreed that sore backs were worth providing this moment for your children.
I can't believe it is the end of the year! I feel incredibly blessed to have spent this last school year with your children! I reflect on all the cooking projects we've done, on how some came into the class barely walking and now they are running and talking in sentences. They have taught me new things daily! I have a special love for each of your children that I will carry with me forever. These years under three are in no comparison to any other time of development because of how much and how fast they are learning and growing. I count it a great privilege to have prepared an environment that meets their individual developmental needs. Thank you all for all your support and the love that you so obviously give your children!
" I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks."
- William Shakespeare
May 21, 2010
This week has been full of a lot of "firsts". Your children work very joyfully yet diligently in our classroom at tasks that we adults don't think about as being challenging. The following are things that I observed a number of students doing all by themselves for the first time this week: putting on their shoes, pulling up their underwear and pants, carrying a cup of water to the sink without spilling it, using tongs to serve themselves and friends, and going in to the bathroom and using the toilet without having to be reminded. These are very exciting things for your children and you can tell the gratification they get by their precious smiles or the "I DID IT MYSELF!" Keep your eye out for these things at home.
Our gardens around campus are full of beautiful flowers! Many walks have been taken this week to look and talk about the various flowers we are seeing come up and we always stop and visit the ever popular chicks. These walks not only provide much needed gross motor movement but they also provide language and sensorial opportunities. The flowers we have been stopping to look at are the Iris, Daisies, and Lilacs. We stop and talk about what color they are, if they are tall or short, and of course we smell them. While on our walks we also can hear various types of birds and different vehicles going by on the road. Taking time to walk slowly so the children can really engage and not feel rushed helps the children know that it is good to take our time.
"Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save." ~Will Rogers, Autobiography, 1949
May 14, 2010
One of our friends asked me this week just out of the blue, "Marie, can I tell you something?" and I of course said "Yes! Please tell me!". She then went on to say "You know what I like?" "What do you like I asked?" "Chocolate!" Another friend came up and said, "The Red Wings lost last night!". I was also asked what my Mom and Dad's names are. This week has been full of these funny and yet very thoughtful questions. The children are really showing their independent thinking when they make these out of the blue statements. I'm sure as much as I am you are also getting a lot of the "Why" questions. I enjoy these because they offer the opportunity to really help your children know more about their world which in turn leads them to be more confident and self motivated.
This week for our cooking project we made sweet potato and red skin potato fries. The children enjoyed using the vegetable peeler to carve off the skin. Then we put the potatoes in the slicer and they would help press the top down by using all of their body weight. They got very excited when they popped out the bottom in the shape of what they know as French fries!
As an added project this week we made play dough. As always the children were very helpful in mixing the ingredients. After we got done cooking the mixture it formed into our dough and what a surprise to them to play with play dough that was warm. A couple of them I believe thought it was pizza dough or cookie dough and were quite surprised by the VERY salty taste! Offering these sensorial experiences is so important in developing the whole child.
"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. " ~Stacia Tauscher
May 7, 2010
Our cooking project this week was a Stir-Fry with brown rice, zucchini, red and green pepper, mushrooms, onion and then all tossed with curry and garlic. Your children enjoyed helping slice up the vegetables and taste testing them before we put them in the wok to cook. It was fun to watch them as they noticed the sound of the vegetables sizzling and they smelled the aroma of them cooking! The children all tasted the Stir-Fry at snack and several of them enjoyed seconds. Through our cooking projects I have observed that children are more likely to try new tastes if they help with the preparation.
Stones, logs, and chickens. Three things that you typically wouldn't see grouped together but when your children attend a Montessori toddler program it makes perfect sense!
Melissa Cole's primary class has been raising Bantum chickens and also a Rhode Island Red rooster. They are living on our campus in an outdoor coop that was just finished this week. The children love to pay these feathery friends a daily visit or three!
The children have also enjoyed painting water onto Petoskey stones this week. The really seem taken by the design that appears when they brush water onto the stone.
Lastly the children have enjoyed some logs that we put out on the playground for them to carry, stack, stand on, or create whatever they want with. You would have thought I brought out some amazing new toy by the way they reacted when I brought the logs out. They giggled heavily and were quick to grab them and start seeing what they could do with them. One child started standing on his and others followed suit by lining theirs up next to his and from there they took turns balancing across from one to the next. This reminds me of how simple things bring out hours of creativity and fun. Children don't need "flashing" toys they just need the opportunity to be hands on with a little nature.
"Nature inspires creativity in a child by demanding visualization and the full use of the senses." Richard Louv - Last Child in the Woods
April 30, 2010
Once again this week we have been busy working outdoors. All of your children were very helpful in transplanting our radish sprouts into a larger pot. We were in need of more soil for our new pot so we took our wheel barrow from our playground to the back of the school by the green house. One child pushed it all the way there! A couple others helped me push the full load back. The children enjoyed scooping the soil from the wheel barrow into the pot. We just had one mishap when a child's spade was a little to heavy and they reached down with the other hand to help, which ended up being a little too much help and the soil went into the face of the child standing across from them. They both thought this was quite funny and had a good belly laugh over the matter.
We made a fruit salad this week with watermelon and pineapple. We first talked about the watermelon and how its very heavy and green on the outside, but when you cut it open it's red. With the pineapple we talked about it being pokey and brown on the outside but then again as the watermelon it was a different color on the inside. The children were eager helpers when it came to carving into both of these juicy fruits and to be the taste testers. Sticky smiling faces were the result of this delicious activity!
April 23, 2010
The art area of our classroom has been very active this week. We have been experimenting with different types of art projects. We took paper outside and rubbed crayons over it while it was lying on the concrete and we also put leaves under the paper to rub over. This produced lovely designs! Another day I took a large piece of plain white paper and covered our art table, then I put several strips of various colors of paint down the paper, and we used our paint scrapers to mix the colors and create different patterns across the paper. This turned out to be such a masterpiece that we framed it and hung it over our art table.
This week we've also enjoyed watching the seeds we planted start to sprout. Our radishes are about ready to be transplanted in a bigger area. Our beans are poking their heads out and we are still waiting for the cucumbers and lavender to make their first appearance. The children have been very helpful in keeping our plants' soil nice and watered!
Maria Montessori said, "The first essential for the child's development is concentration. The child who concentrates is immensely happy." Reflecting on this quote I have to note that the most exciting news I can share this week is how peaceful and independent your children are working in their classroom! Table scrubbing when there is a mess to be cleaned and even when there isn't, mopping up a spill, food preparation, puzzles, nesting cups, thick and thin cylinders, and rice spooning into a funnel are a few of the activities that your children have been enjoying growing their concentration with. Peacefulness truly equals happiness!
April 16, 2010
The beautiful weather on Thursday allowed us the pleasure of moving part of our classroom outdoors. It was so nice to open the door and let the children flow in and out of the classroom as they so chose. There is something about being outdoors that not only encourages gross motor activity but also encourages concentration. Several of the children would work for several minutes, then go run around for a bit, only to come back and concentrate for another period of time. While I was sitting and observing the flow of the children in and outdoors I was quite startled when one of our friends who moments earlier had been working very intently at filling a large bottle with water using a pitcher, dumped a full pitcher of cold water down my back! She must have needed a new challenge with pouring and I got to be her challenge!
This week it became very obvious to me that the children really know each other as being in a community and that they very genuinely care for each other. There were multiple times throughout the week that I witnessed a child walking up and trying to comfort another child if they were upset. A little pat on the back, hug, or even a "What's wrong" were ways that compassion was shown. Are older friends have been helping our younger friends by holding their hands when we walk in the hall, helping them clean up if they need a little reminder, and serving the younger children when we are sitting for snack. Its easy to think that children really aren't aware of one another or that they are mostly self centered at this age but if you observe in our classroom it is a testimony to quite the opposite! Children are a great reminder of the importance of showing care and compassion to those around us.
"Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree." ~Marian Wright Edelman
April 9, 2010
In spite of the on and off rain this week, we still enjoyed time outdoors. We found a variety of flowers "popping" up all around campus. Worms were also "popping" out of the ground all over the playground and on our sidewalks. The children really enjoyed collecting them in buckets and putting them in our flower bed.
With the return of the chilly weather we made soup for our cooking project this week. The children shared in mixing up the dough for the noodles, rolling it out, and then using a pizza cutter we cut the dough into long strips to make our noodles. The children were very helpful in chopping our carrots to add to our soup too. When snack time arrived, all the children devoured the soup that they were so helpful in making!
My most favorite time this week was when we practiced being silent during our group time. Every so often I light a candle or put some flowers in the middle of our circle to focus on while being quiet (no worries I am right by the candle). Before I light the candle I let them smell it and then I talk about how when I light the candle the flame is hot and it is not for our hands to touch. The last thing I mention to the children is how we are just going to look at the flame and be as quiet as we can. We had our longest moment of silence of the year. A whole 30 seconds! The children had a calm gaze in this moment and it was very precious. Practicing these times of silence are so important for the children to teach them that being still and quiet is good. I know I need this reminder myself.
"See how nature-trees, flowers, grass-grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls." Mother Teresa
March 26, 2010
Food preparation for our snacks and our cooking projects are such an important activity to your children that they are now requesting them all on their own!
One morning this week on our daily trip down to the kitchen, we walked into the cooler and oranges were spotted on one of the shelves. One of our 20 month old friends pointed and said "make juice." Of course we brought oranges back and squeezed orange juice. On another morning at carline when I opened a the door to get a friend out she requested to make pancakes and so we made Banana pancakes. The children were also very open to trying new tastes this week so we creamed together Avocado with cream cheese and ranch then we spread it onto tortillas. To add some crunch we chopped up cauliflower and celery and sprinkled it on and then rolled it up to make veggie roll ups. The children were quite fond of this mix of tastes!
This week I really enjoyed observing your children joyfully working independently or collaboratively with friends all around the classroom! There were children washing dishes, painting, sponge squeezing, working with puzzles and other manipulatives, doing spreading work with sunbutter and crackers, and many other activities. The adults in the room were able to sit and enjoy the expressions of satisfacrion they all had as they were able to get what interested them all by themselves, work with it, even put it back when they were done, and then move on to their next desire with out the help of an adult. Children naturally desire to do things for themselves which is why we so frequently hear "I do it" or, if they don't have the language yet, we see a meltdown when we adults try to interfere with what they are trying to do. As your child's guide this is my most proud moment when I see the children working/exploring as if I didn't exist.
"No one can be free unless he is independent: therefore, the first, active manifestations of the child's individual liberty must be so guided that through this activity he may arrive at independence." Maria Montessori
March 19, 2010
"The little birds fly over
And oh, how sweet they sing!
To tell the happy children
That once again 'tis spring.
The gay green grass comes creeping
So soft beneath their feet;
The frogs begin to ripple
A music clear and sweet." Spring by Celia Thaxter
The lovely weather that we have had has provided us with some much needed exploration time outdoors this week! On our nature walks we have ventured to our flower garden where we could see the tops of crocus', hyacinths, and daffodils peeking out. We turned over several rocks and found a centipede, potato bug, and some worms. The worms were moving quite slowly, probably still trying to warm up from the cold winter, so we were able to really look at him closely. I picked one up and handed him to the children who wanted to hold him. We talked about how he felt cold and slimy. One the children was so fond of seeing a worm up close that he gave him a little "kiss"!
The last stop on our 45 minute walk was the green house. We were able to see the different types of flowers that had been started, it looked as though there was some type of lettuce growing, and their was a pile of compost that was ready to be used as fertilizer. The children are all aware of the compost bucket in our classroom so when they heard the word compost they all looked around like "where". So in a simple way that some of them would understand, we talked about how our compost comes out here and we mix in leaves and dirt so we can use it as food for plants.
Our walk was 45 minutes! The children lead the way unrushed and free to explore. We followed and when they stopped to notice something we all stopped. I am so grateful for all the exploration that our beautiful campus provides! I hope you all enjoyed outdoor time this week as families too.
March 12, 2010
Due to conferences, we will not have talking points this week.
March 5, 2010
Marie is on vacation this week. Check back next week to read her updated talking points.
February 26, 2010
Music is incorporated into our classroom every day. We play a variety of music during our morning work time, we sing at group time, and we have a several instruments available for the children to explore around our room. Their is something about certain types of music that can be calming to children and also other types that can make them incredibly joyful. This week as a special for the whole school The Choral-Aires from West Senior High blessed us with a performance of four songs. All of your children were quite swept away by this beautiful experience! Many of them didn't move the whole twenty minutes that we sat in the gym!
This week for our cooking project we made grilled vegetable and cheese quesadillas. There was broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots then we topped the veggies with cheese and cooked them on our skillet. The children devoured them! We served salsa on top of the quesadillas and one of our friends really enjoyed this mix of flavors so much that he picked up the bowl of salsa and drank the rest! I love exploring new flavors with your children! They really do enjoy a variety of foods if they are offered to them and when we adults eat with them they are even more likely to try new foods.
"Did you ever stop to taste a carrot? Not just eat it, but taste it? You can't taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie." ~Astrid Alauda
February 19, 2010
We brought the snow indoors this week in our classroom! I pulled our water table out of the closet and brought in several scoops of snow with our shovel. (The children were looking at me with their eyes full of curiosity as I brought the snow in.) I added a polar bear, a penguin, a walrus, and a sea lion to give an artic feel. The children enjoyed talking about the different animals but found more pleasure in eating the snow. We talked about the snow being crunchy, cold, and tasty.
My plan is to use our water table as a sensory activity and to rotate weekly what is in it. Water, rice, sand, shaving cream, and other materials that will provide the children with an opportunity to feel and explore different textures will fill this table. Yes, there will be what we adults see as a mess, but the expression the children have on their faces as they engage in these sensory experiences reveals that they are being filled internally in a way that only they know the significant importance of this experience.
"The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge." Maria Montessori
February 12, 2010
I have been reminded this week to take the time to enjoy every day items that are small and simple. The children have been especially interested in open and close items such as a parmesan cheese shaker, a travel size cosmetic container, a small tin, a container that when opened has several other small compartments to open, and several others. Watching them work at manipulating the small latches or lids on these items reminds me that these things that I do without thought are real work for their small hands.
I placed on the shelf this week a basket which contained a small porcelain walrus, a pair of sunglasses, a placemat made of seashells, a small brass bell, a porcelain chameleon sitting on a log, and a large prism shaped like a diamond with a smaller matching one. At first several of the children would look my as if to say "Are you going to stop me from touching this?" When they realized that this was for them to explore it became a popular choice by all of them! They each were drawn to a different item that they would study and then bring to me to talk about. I'm sure that by the way they cared for and studied the items, that they will remember these as being special to them.
I encourage you to take time to allow your child to explore items that are viewed typically as "not for toddlers". They will surprise you on the care and special attention that they pay to the things that intrigue them.
" Our aim is not only to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core." Maria Montessori
February 5, 2010
This week in our classroom we enjoyed tasting many new foods. There were two birthdays this week so we mixed up a batch of Banana Cinnamon Muffins to celebrate these special days. Our cooking project was pizza but we added a twist by spreading black bean dip (made by our school chef Kristina) on the crust, then putting on the sauce and sprinkling on the cheese. The combination of flavors must have been pleasing to all our friends because it was all gobbled up!
Pineapple and Grapefruit were the fruits we chose to explore this week. The Grapefruit was a hit with the children! The funny faces the children made by sucking the sour juice from the fruit was quite funny to us adults. Before we carved into the Pineapple we took turns feeling how "pokey" and heavy it was. The children exuded patience while I struggled slicing up the Pineapple (is there a right way???). As we were eating our bites of Pineapple one of our friends acknowledged how juicy and sweet it was!
A major part of the Montessori Philosophy is to develop the whole child so that means we intentionally do activities that offer the children opportunities to use all their senses. Its amazing how the children surprise us with what they'll try and what they can do when given the opportunity to develop and use all of themselves!
‘The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge. Our apparatus for educating the senses offers the child a key to guide his explorations of the world...'
Dr Maria Montessori, (1988), The Absorbent Mind
January 29, 2010
The cold blustery days this week have kept us from going outdoors so we have spent time exploring the rest of the building here at The Children's House. The gym is a great destination for our toddlers to run and throw balls and get all that pent up energy out. Our walk to the gym gives us language opportunities when we stop to talk about the various pieces of beautiful art that decorate the walls along the hallways. We are also given the opportunity to meet other friends that share this wonderful building with us.
Another stop of ours has been in the Lower Elementary class of Jill Borre. Our friends are always ready to greet us at the door and then walk us over to their classroom pet, Darwin the Guinea Pig. All of the children are quite fascinated by Darwin. He bustles around letting each one give him a gentle pat. Another classroom we visit is Erin Harrelson's infant room. Here we get the joy of standing in front of a fish tank that is taller than the toddlers and long enough that six of them can stand side by side and look in. Erin has been very generous in letting us feed her fish on some of these visits.
There are many places to explore inside when the weather won't let us go out. I am so grateful we have a beautiful campus inside and out!
"Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit." Frank Borman
January 22, 2010
Grace and courtesy was especially abundant in our classroom this week. During our cooking project (delicious smoothies) the children waited patiently until it was their turn to scoop yogurt into the food processor and when their turn was finished they would pass the spoon to the next friend. It was a beautiful moment when one of our eightteen month olds saw one of our fifteen month old friends accidently spill a pitcher of water on the floor and he quickly went and got a towel to help clean up the spill.
Another example of the kindness the children are showing to eachother is when someone has a drippy nose quite often another child will bring them a tissue or try to wipe it for them. One of the many wonderful aspects of the Montessori classroom is having these grace and courtesy lessons wrapped into all parts of our day just by treating other with kindness.
"I truly believe that kindness matters and if we can strengthen the trait of compassion that humans show to one another, animals, and their environment it would rule out many of the problems and challenges we face in the world today and for our children's future." Maria Montessori
January 15, 2010
"Water is lifes mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water." Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reading this quote about water reminds me of our week in our classroom. The children are very capitivated by all water activities. Mopping, learning to pour water from a small pitcher to a cup, carrying a small pitcher across the room "so slowly" so it won't spill, easel washing, table washing, pouring water in a funnel, dish washing, vegetable washing, and washing hands are some of the activities available for the children to receive lessons on and then have a turn to exlplore with. There are several steps in these lessons so the children are learning to wait patiently as I give the lesson and then they are building their concentration as they need to use slow precise movements while they practice doing these activities themselves.
Of course, along with these water activities, is learning to notice when we spill so that we know the importance in going to get a towel to clean up after ourselves to ensure that our friends don't slip. I love observing the hardwork of the children with these activities. When they are finally sucessful in carrying a pitcher full of water without spilling to there destination and then pouring the water without spilling into the containe,r the look of accomplishment on their faces in their own hardwork is priceless!
January 8, 2010
Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful break with your families as I did with mine. As break was coming to a close, I was ready for routine to set in again.
Courtney Kane, one of our classroom team, has decided to continue on with college and needed her mornings free to do so. She will still be with us in the afternoons and through until the end of the day. If you see Courtney, please wish her well in her studies. To fill Courtney's role, I would like to welcome Maureen Montgomery as our new morning assistant to our classroom. Maureen had quite a lot of experience subbing throughout the building during the first half of the year. She has been a true pleasure to get to know. It is nice to have a smiling face the children are familiar with and a woman who is absolutely lovely to watch interact. Please introduce yourselves to Maureen when you come in.
This week has been a very peaceful week in our classroom. All of the returning children settled right back into the routine and their time of exploration and discovery. Our new friends also have settled in nicely and are enjoying the new challenging work that is available to them in our classroom.
Our outdoor time this week has been very joyful! A few of the children who before break were not quite sure of this "cold white stuff" are now thoroughly enjoying maneuvering around our paths on the playground. Sledding has also been very popular with all the children. It is very precious to see one of the older children hold on so caringly to one of their younger friends as they go for a ride in the sled.
One last note we have had two families from our classroom have babies this week. Please help me welcome Emmet Falconer, Isla's little brother (their parents Dan and Meridith Falconer). Riley is also a new big sister so please help me welcome the twin boys of the Collins' family (their parents Bart and Jacquie Collins).
"Life has loveliness to sell, all beautiful and splendid things, blue waves whitened on a cliff, soaring fire that sways and sings, and children's faces looking up, holding wonder like a cup." Sara Teasdale
December 18, 2009
After digging out from all of the snow from last week the children were all eager to be back at school! Our classroom was full of energy and we were grateful to be able to get out and play in the snow! We dug out our climber and, with the snow that came off, we made a wonderful snow mountain that the children enjoyed climbing up and sliding down. We shoveled paths along the fence and through the playground so that we could move about with out getting stuck (as the snow was up to the children's waists). We even borrowed a sled from our Elementary friends to pile onto and take a ride down the hill. All this winter activity was the cause of much laughter and joy!
We have been practicing our songs for the Holiday Sing- a -Long and the children are really getting to know them. Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer are the two favorites. We also had some children dancing to a CD that a parent made of Holiday songs. There is something about children dancing that is incrediblly heart warming! I think its because they are able to move about without any inhibition.
As a group activity this week we made ornaments. The children helped mix the dough, roll it out, and press the cookie cutters into the dough. A few of them were quite stricken by the horrible taste of the dough as it consisted of flour, A LOT of salt, and water. I think they were expecting it to be cookie dough. After we baked the ornaments the children painted them and hopefully they made it home to all of you.
This time of year is always a time of reflection for me. It is hard to believe that the New Year is right around the corner! It is bitter sweet for our classroom as we have six children graduating up to Primary but lucky for us we have four new friends joining us when we get back from break. I am so very grateful to be involved with all of your children and all of you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be apart of your lives. I wish you all joy during this beautiful season!
"Holiday gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."
-- Oren Arnold
December 4, 2009
The snow is here! The first snow of the year is always so exciting to the children (and to some of us). During carline this week all of the children, as I would get them out of the car, would look up into the sky trying to figure out what exactly was this cold, wet, white stuff falling all over everything. For many of the children this is the first year that they will be walking out in the snow. Not to mention going through the process of learning to put on all the attire that comes with winter and then trying to maneuver around in it without tipping over. When they do tip over they have quite the struggle trying to get back up. There is A LOT of gross motor activity that comes along with this time of year!
During our outdoor time in the morning we talk about the snow making a crunchy sound when we walk in it or being cold and crunchy when we take a bite out of it. We also talked about how to make a snowman. I showed them how you start with a little snowball but as you roll it, it gets bigger and bigger. Then we took our snow balls and stacked them to make our snowman. The children thought that this was quite peculiar and decided it would be more fun to knock him down!
I hope you all enjoy outdoor time with your children! I also encourage you to watch how well your children start to dress themselves for outdoors over the next few weeks.
" Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there really is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." -John Ruskin
November 20, 2009
I hope you all have had an opportunity to enjoy this past few weeks of sunny weather! We have been enjoying our outdoor time at school with an variety of different exploration activities. Digging for worms in our wood chips and holding them "so gently" while they squirm in our hands has provided a lot of laughter to your children.
We also peeled apart milkweed pods to discover the fuzzy little seeds that we can toss in the air and watch the wind carry them away. I do believe this was a bigger hit than bubbles! We took a walk to explore the various gardens on our campus and took the time to stop and turn over rocks to see what might live under there. To our delight we found worms, centipedes, and earwigs. The children were captivated by these little bugs and watched intently as they crawled around.
Our last stop on our walk was at the Green House where the Elementary program Della Terra takes place. Michele Worden, the teacher of Della Terra, welcomed us in and gave us a tour. She showed us the compost pile (which had quite the pungent odor), a few Dahlia bulbs that have sprouted, and an array of vegetable plants that they are tending to. I am grateful for the many learning opportunities that our outdoor time provides to our children. I am also grateful that during these times I am reminded to stop, look, and to take awe in all that nature inspires.
I wanted to take a moment to also thank all of you for taking time to come and meet with me for Conferences. I truly enjoy the time I get to share with your children and I want to continue to provide the best learning environment I can for them. Having communication continually with all of you enables me to bridge the gap between school and home.
Lastly thank you to all of you who purchased new books for our classroom at Horizon Book Day this past Saturday. The children noticed these books in our classroom right away and were quick to ask them to be read to them!
November 6, 2009
Marie is away this week but come back next week for more happenings in the toddler classroom!
October 30, 2009
If I could describe this week in one word it would be concentration. Our classroom was busy with children imersed in work! There was a couple of children who became very fond of sifting flour. One of them sat and sifted flour for 40 minutes! We may not ever know what he was learning during that time but he was concentrating! After he was finished we had quite a coat of flour on the floor and table! Without me prompting him he walked over to our towel shelf, got a towel, came back and started cleaning up. Another child saw that there was quite a bit of clean up work to do and joined in with a broom. The two of them cleaned with brooms, towels, scrubbers, and a mop for 20 minutes! The look on their faces when they were finished was such a vibrant look of satisfaction from hard work well done and completed.
Besides the flour sifting and clean up some of the other activities that children were concentrating on were our hand washing activity (the old style of a bowl and a pitcher of water with bar soap), the martreska doll, and the cylinder number box. The children show a variety of levels of concentration in our room but what a treasure to witness a child so engulfed in work that they are oblivious to anything else around them. This is what our mornings are about and why it is so important to offer this uninterrupted block of time for the children to work.
"The more the capacity to concentrate is developed, the more often the profound tranquility in work is achieved, then the clearer will be the manifestation of discipline within the child." Maria Montessori
October 23, 2009
This week in our classroom we had a lot of practice with food preparation. We enjoyed using our hand juicer to make orange juice. The children have had lessons in spooning rice puff cereal and spreading hummus on whole grain crackers. These food preparation works are requested by the children throughout the morning work cycle if they get hungry before our group snack.
Our cooking project this week was making egg salad and spreading it on toast at snack. The children were great helpers cutting up the celery, peeling the eggs, and then helping with the clean up. The children were such enthusiastic helpers that the celery (that took us 20 minutes to chop) got poured into the compost by one of the children thinking that we were finished and knew that when we are done eating that the leftover food goes in the compost. Food preparation allows for other lessons such as table washing, sweeping, mopping, dish washing, and grace and courtesy. It also provides the opportunity to taste new foods. Being participants in this real life activity of food preparation fills the children with gratification that they help provide for themselves and for the others in the classroom.
"Sometimes very small children in a proper environment develop a skill and exactness in their work that can only surprise us." ~ Maria Montessori
October 16, 2009
Although it is hard to believe that we are through our sixth week of school already it is evident in the children in our classroom. The routine has set in, some materials/works have been mastered, and the children are joining in on singing during our group time. Our group time follows our morning work cycle and lasts about fifteen minutes. During group we start with a clean up song that leads into a song with big movement to get our wiggles out. We then sit for a Hello song and then roll right into various songs with hand and body motions. Two of the children's favorites songs are "Trot old Joe" and "Zoom Zoom Driving in the Car". During this week all the children were singing along, doing the motions, or both. The giggles and all out belly laughs during our group time refuel me for the rest of the day! Before we go wash our hands for snack we put on a CD with various music from all over the world and bring out instruments, scarves, or shakers to dance around with. The children delight in making a joyful noise!
"So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning." Aaron Copland
October 9, 2009
Preparing an environment that is intriguing and peaceful fosters the love to learn through exploration. We are called Guides at the Children's House because we guide the children into learning but they teach themselves.
This last week I brought out a few new materials for the children. It has been amazing to watch the toddlers teach themselves through exploring the materials and then using trial and error to figure them out. A few of the popular works in our room right now are the nesting octagons, mopping, easel washing, the martreska doll, and our box with open and close items (purses with zippers, clasps, etc.) It can be a challenge to sit back and watch a child work without jumping in and doing it for them! It is so important for them to have just enough help to be successful but at the same time not giving to much help that they loose out on the opportunity to make a discovery themselves. I love that part of my job description is to observe these moments of discovery.
Thank you for sharing your children with me.
"The environment itself will teach the child, if every error he makes is manifest to him, without the intervention of a parent or teacher, who should remain a quiet observer of all that happens." Maria Montessori
October 2, 2009
This week in our classroom we welcomed a new student! His name is Rookie the Dwarf Hamster. The children have been enjoying looking through the glass into his home. He has a wheel that he enjoys running around on. The children are very amused when he gets going really fast. Just in case you hear your children talk about Rookie, now you now know who he is.
Although the weather at the beginning of the week was rainy we took advantage of the sunshine on Wednesday and Thursday! During our morning work time we took our learning outdoors. We enjoyed long walks through the beautiful flower gardens (stopping to turn over rocks to find worms), finding our way on in the labyrinth, raking in the Zen garden, and ending with a look inside the green house. On our walks I stop when the children stop to look at something so we can talk about what we are seeing and hearing. I will also stop the group at times to point out something interesting. I know our days of nice weather for the year are numbered so we will continue to explore the outdoors when the opportunity arises.
"Nature still informs our years - lifts us, carries us."
Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods
September 25, 2009
This week in our classroom, we enjoyed making quesadillas on Wednesday and banana muffins on Thursday. The children were excellent helpers with smashing the bananas and mixing the ingredients together for our banana muffin batter. They also enjoyed laying out the tortillas and sprinkling cheese on them to make our quesadillas.
Our baking activities in the classroom provide opportunities to learn new vocabulary and how following a sequence of steps results in creating a finished product. The children enjoyed seeing the cheese melt as we would take a peek inside the tortillas every few seconds and in scooping the muffin batter into the muffin tins.
Our group snack time provided the opportunity to again mention the steps it took us to create our delicious morsels. I believe our snack on these days tasted better to the children than previously because they were an important part of the process.
"Our aim is not only to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core." ~Maria Montessori
September 18, 2009
"Education is not something which the teacher does. It is a natural process which develops spontaneously." This quote from Maria Montessori has been lived out in your child's toddler classroom this week.
The children have been enjoying presentations of the materials that are available to them. Some of the materials have a couple of simple words as a presentation and other activities are a sequence of ten to fifteen steps. The classroom is full of joy when a child works hard with a material and succeeds on their own in completing it! One of our youngest children let out a very deep belly laugh after she, on her own, succeeded in fitting a wooden coin into the slot (which is just slightly bigger) on top of a wooden box. I may have presented the material but she, without my hand on hers, concentrated on how to manipulate the wooden coin just enough to make it go in. I had the pleasure to observe another child working very hard at washing the classroom easel. At one point, he sat back and looked where he had scrubbed and then looked where there was still chalk and grinned at how clean he was making the easel. These are just two of the many examples of purposeful work that your children are doing here at school.
Warmly,
Marie
September 11, 2009
Our toddler room has been full of activity this week! The children are adjusting well to the class routine and are making friends with each other.
Any work that has water has been very popular. Sponge squeezing, pouring water in the funnel, watering the plants, and dish washing are a few activities that have been presented to the children. These activities provide language opportunities, gross motor, and fine motor skills, not to mention the children find A LOT of joy in the fact that the sink and faucet are just their size. Watching the concentration of the children's faces as they carry a glass pitcher full of water so carefully is an example of this quote by Maria Montessori, "Sometimes very small children in a proper environment develop a skill and exactness in their work that can only surprise us."
Warmly,
Marie
);)