“The prepared environment” is a concept you will hear often when describing the Montessori classroom. This is an overall idea of making sure that the areas of the room are clearly delineated from each other, and that the “jobs” on the shelf are logically sequenced and address a full range of abilities from the simplest and concrete materials to the more complex and abstract versions.
The materials need to be refreshed and straightened out daily so that the shelves appear visually stimulating and have the effect of “calling out” to the children to pick up the materials and work with them.
As the room is tended to with a disciplined eye of the teachers, the overall effect is to show the students an ordered pattern of behavior of using the materials in the classroom.
Individualized lessons are given very carefully, so that the materials are used in a respectful and careful manner, creating a pathway for the academic aspect of the lesson to be delivered to the child.
This approach helps the child internalize a way of approaching a job in a specific order so that the child can repeat the process successfully.
As a child experiences the job successfully they begin to increase their concentration and coordination.
Ultimately, an engaged student internalizes their own discipline and is drawn to the work around them because they have fostered their ability to approach the jobs with confidence and independence.
Reminders:
Please be sure to sign up for our parent/ teacher conferences scheduled for Thursday, Oct.2nd and Friday, Oct.3rd. If you are unable to make any of the times posted, please let us know and we will arrange an alternate date and time.
The Book Fair is happening the last week of September, (9/29-10/3), please come and browse and maybe find some books to add to your child’s library.
Next Wednesday, 9/23, the Kindergartners will be attending their first field trip to the fire station located down the street from school. Please have your child wear their new, blue FMS shirts. This will be a good way of reinforcing our “safety” theme and give the children a real life example of people who work at keeping our community safe.
Thank you’s:
A big thanks to Police Officer Lynn DeSpain (Zoey’s mom), for visiting our classroom in full uniform, and delivering an easy to understand presentation on safety.
We are also grateful to RJ’s grandmother, Barbara, for her help in the outside classroom green house, and for her continued help in planting seeds in our classroom planter box in the main courtyard.
Delicious snacks and beautiful flowers were provided by Zachery and Phynix and their families, and we are grateful for their contributions.
