9/15 Blog
Developing Independence at School and at Home
One of our goals in Montessori education is to develop the skill of independence in our children. This is an ongoing process that is revisited and reinforced throughout the school year.
How do we do this and how can you follow through at home?
In the beginning of the year, we teach our students that each job in the classroom has a specific place or “home”. Every job is carried to a special work space. This space might be a table in the classroom or a cloth lesson mat on the floor. Tables and mats help define a work space and students receive lessons on how to keep all their work on their mat or table. Students also learn that some jobs are better suited to the floor (the Pink Tower or Brown Stairs in Sensorial, the 100 Board in Math, the Moveable Alphabet in Language, etc. ) and others work better when done at a table (pouring with water, writing jobs, painting, cutting with scissors, etc.).
Once an activity and work space have been selected, students may work with any job they have had a lesson on, then return that job to its specific place in the classroom. The expectation is to encourage students to do a variety of activities on their own. Not only do students learn to take care of the classroom, but they develop decision making skills and independence.
Students spend much of the first few weeks of school getting oriented in the classroom, learning how to maneuver in the Montessori environment and how to ask for lessons on jobs they are curious about. The materials and space in the classroom are designed to allow students to move freely and put activities away successfully. Materials are light and small so that children can carry them without dropping them and have a small number of pieces so that they do not get overwhelmed with the process of cleaning up.
As teachers, we keep our expectations of our students realistic. Spills happen. Cleaning up a spill does not mean making the table or floor spotless, but by giving the children the tools they need and lessons on how to use them, children learn how to take care of their environment to the best of their abilities. Taking care of their environment gives children a sense of responsibility and ownership.
How can some of these practices happen at home?
A child’s play area can be organized by using small tubs for toys such as legos, blocks, action figures, etc. A small rug, blanket or towel can be used on the floor to define the play space for these toys. This makes cleaning up significantly easier for the children since the toys are in one area (the rug, blanket or towel) instead of the entire room. Encourage your child to use one kind of toy (blocks) at a time, then clean it up when they are finished. Give your child an appropriate amount of time to clean up their toys before moving them on to another activity (dinner, bedtime, etc.).
Set up a low drawer in the kitchen that your child can open and close independently. Store a small amount of snacks in the drawer that your child can open successfully when they would like a snack instead of always relying on an adult to prepare something for them. Keep a small, child size broom and dustpan close to the floor that they can use to clean up any dry spills. Sponges or dish cloths can also be kept in low places for your child to use to clean up any wet spills. Show them how to use the snack drawer, how to throw trash away appropriately and how to use the broom, dustpan, sponge and dishcloth.
Here is a link to an article about other ways to develop independence at home:
Developing Independence at home
In addition to working on developing independence in our classroom, our students have been busy building a variety of academic skills. Here are some photos of some activities and jobs going on in our classroom.
P1 Photos for 9/15 Blog
Our students have been learning new songs and poems this month. Here are a few we have been learning.
Away Up High in the Apple Tree
Away up high in the apple tree
Two red apples smiled at me
I shook that tree as hard as I could
And down they came
And, mmmmm, were they good!
5 Little Apples
Five little apples in the grocery store
One rolled away and then there were four
Four little apples growing on a tree
One fell off and then there were three
Three little apples wondering what to do
One got pressed for cider and then there were two
Two little apples ripening in the sun
One got picked and then there was one
One little apple looking for a bunch
I took that one and ate it with my lunch!
Diez Manzanitas
Uno, dos,tres manzanas,
Cuatro,cinco,seis manzanas,
Siete,ocho,nueve manzanas,
Y una mas son diez,
Diez, diez,diez manzanitas, tengo yo.
Parent Teacher Conferences are coming! A Sign Up Genius email will be sent out on September 22. Please sign up for a Virtual meeting to hear how your child is doing.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us through email or Procare.
Thank you!
Ms. Melissa, Ms. Diana and Ms. Kini
