August 15th Blog

Hello P1 Families and Welcome to the beginning of the school year!  

As we begin our year, many of you have questions about what happens in the classroom and what your children do during the day. To help answer some of these questions, here is a brief introduction to the workings of a Montessori classroom.

There are different areas of a typical Montessori classroom: Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, Geography/ Cultural and Science.  In addition to these core areas, we have Art, Peace, Movement and, in P1, Spanish. All of these areas have a wealth of materials that are designed to develop concentration, coordination, independence and a sense of order as well as academics, emotional awareness and problem solving skills.

Practical Life is just that: an area that builds practical life skills that are used every day. Lessons range from skills such as folding or hanging clothes, sweeping a small area of the floor, cleaning spills and washing dishes. Children also learn basic care of the classroom tasks such as how to carry materials using both hands (coordination), moving through the classroom without spilling or dropping work (concentration), completing a task (independence), then returning the material to the proper location in the classroom so it is always in the same place (order).

Sensorial activities are designed to develop the 5 senses. Children practice carrying and sequencing materials which builds gross and fine motor skills, concentration and coordination and develops a sense of order. Many of the Sensorial materials have a series of 10 pieces, helping children understand the physical concepts of numbers without overt counting or an introduction to numbers.

Math activities cover a huge range of skills to help children understand order, sequencing, number recognition, skip counting concepts, addition and subtraction. Montessori materials focus on introducing concrete, physical concepts first. These materials are meant to be picked up, carried, touched and felt to aid in understanding quantities. The second step in the Montessori math process is to introduce the symbol (which is more abstract). Then the two concepts of quantity and symbol are paired to achieve complete understanding.

Language consists of reading and writing skills. Reading activities are based on phonetics, meaning the sound a letter makes (not the name of the letter) is introduced first. We play games like I Spy to train children’s ears to hear the first sound in a word (“d” in “dog”). From there, children learn to recognize ending and middle sounds, develop rhyming skills, and sequence pictures to learn concepts of ‘first, then, last” as part of storytelling. Students are also introduced to the written symbols that go with the letters, practice sound sorting activities that pair an object with the corresponding beginning symbol ( “mop” begins with “mmmmm” and the letter “m” makes the “mmmmm” sound) and begin to build words with the moveable alphabet.  

Writing activities actually begin with Practical Life and Sensorial activities where children use a three finger grasp to lift, carry and transfer a variety of materials. All these activities have been practiced using a left to right motion to help train the child’s eye and hand for writing!  When they are ready to hold a pencil, they begin simple writing activities such as tracing shapes, tracing their name and, eventually, tracing letters and numbers. The next step is to begin writing single letters and numbers independently and build up to words, then simple sentences.

In P1, students begin learning basic Spanish skills by listening to Ms. Diana using basic, simple, repetitive language (Good morning, how are you, my name is, etc.)  Concepts of daily activities such as wash your hands, eat snack or lunch, drink water are heard every day in the context of the classroom to help students function effectively in Spanish. Students have the opportunity to  practice vocabulary, syllables, colors, numbers, counting and reading using specific Spanish materials but also learn to say the names of common everyday objects in both English and Spanish by utilizing all the materials in the classroom.

The Science and Geography/Cultural areas introduce concepts of our world and the people, plants, animals and places within it. Students learn to differentiate between vertebrates and invertebrates as well as placing animals into classifications of mammal, reptile, fish, amphibian, bird or insect. Each continent of the world is touched upon to help students understand that our world is filled with many different people, animals and plants.

The Peace area is designed to help children understand their own feelings and give voice to them. Once they are able to identify their own emotions, they can begin to understand that others have those same feelings. Identifying and talking about feelings helps children learn to manage their emotions, and this, in turn, leads to problem solving skills.

Here are some pictures of the different areas of the Montessori classroom and some of the children working during the first week of school.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yokuSjCGYuYIxt22Tn8bu7qWryoUFLSt?usp=sharing

Each month, the blog will cover a different aspect of Montessori education and how the children are growing and learning within our classroom. Blogs are posted twice each month (on the 15th and the 30th) with lots of pictures showing the students working with materials, teachers and friends.  We hope you enjoy them!

Thank you!

Ms. Melissa, Ms. Diana and Ms. Kini

P1 Blog for May

This month, we learned about insects!  These fascinating creatures are truly important to our world as they pollinate plants and help break down waste matter.  Insects have three body parts, six jointed legs and two antennae.  Some insects have wings, but not all.  Students made great observations about the insects they saw in the Outdoor Classroom and on the playground during recess.

We also revisited the continent of Africa.  This diverse continent has a huge variety of animals that we enjoyed learning about.  Ms. Kini read  Mama Panta’s Pancakes, a story from Kenya about sharing.  Students practiced walking while balancing a basket on their heads to help understand how some people in Kenya carry items, such as groceries.  We also learned how to count to 10 in Swahili (one of the languages spoken in Tanzania) as we listened to  We All Went On Safari.  Students also had the opportunity to make Masai collars from paper plates.

Here are some pictures of May work in P1.

May Photos

Friday, May 14th was Field Day!  Coach Bob set up a series of fun activities for all the Primary students to enjoy.  We had fun splashing in a pool, running sponge relay races and going through an obstacle course.  After all the fun was done, we enjoyed popsicles in the Outdoor Classroom.

Here are some pictures of all the fun and activities that morning!

Field Day Fun

During the summer months, families often ask for suggestions that they can do to keep learning a part of their child’s daily routine.  Reading is always one of the best things to do.  Read to your child, have them read to you as best as they can.  We also like to encourage children to help out around the house with chores like making their bed, unloading the dishwasher, folding laundry or dusting or sweeping.  These activities not only give your child a sense of responsibility, but help them understand that families work together to keep their house and yard clean.

Here is a list of further activities you can do with your children during the summer.

Summer Activities for Ages 3-5

We would like to thank all of you for your support and kindness this year!  We could not have done it without you!

Have a wonderful summer and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Ms. Melissa, Ms. Diana and Ms. Kini

April was a busy month as we learned about the rainforests of the world.  We took a closer look at the Amazon Rainforest in South America by learning about the different layers of the rainforest and the animals that live in them.  We also took a look at some of the items we use everyday that originated in the rainforest such as bananas, cocoa, vanilla, pineapple, rubber, rice, oranges, bamboo, different types of woods and medicines.

We also spent some time learning about birds.  These feathered animals are vertebrates, breathe with lungs, and lay eggs.  We had some interesting lessons on birds that do not fly, such as penguins, ostriches and emus.

We also discovered flowers growing in the school garden and the Outdoor Classroom and did some planting with Ms. Gayle.  Students were able to take their flowers home in a biodegradable ice cream cone that can be planted in a garden.

At the end of the month, Ms. Kini did a wonderful presentation for all the students on different aspects of South America.  She brought in items from Peru and Brazil and showed the location of these countries on the map.  She read 2 stories about children and families from Brazil, shared a Carnival Mask making project and taught the children some Samba dancing.

Please enjoy these photos of our month in P1!

Photos of April work in P1

This month all the Primary classrooms completed a service project.  We collected supplies for  The Lullaby Connection, a nonprofit organization here in Henderson that provides diapers, clothing and other items for at risk infants.  So many items were donated during the first week of our service project that we needed to drop them off, then continue for another week!   Thank you for all your generosity and support!

Photos of Donations for the Lullaby Connection

May is right around the corner and with it, our last month of school!  We will be learning about insects and how they are important to our world.  We will also be revisiting the continent of Africa (our class represented Africa on International Children’s Day back in October).  We do have some important dates to remember for May:

Friday, May 14 – Field Day from 9:00 – 10:00.  Students will need to bring a swimsuit and towel for this fun filled morning with Coach Bob.

Tuesday, May 18 – Kindergarten Moving Up Ceremony at 1:00

Friday, May 21 – Last Day of School

P1 Blog for April 15

One of our goals in Montessori education is to help children understand the natural world around them.  We do this in a variety of ways including plant and animal studies throughout the year, gardening in the courtyard and Outdoor Classroom, literature and experiments in class, and simply spending time outside.  These activities build connections to nature.

Why is this important?

Gardening allows children to gain understanding of where our food comes from and what plants need in order to live and grow.  Learning about trees and plants also helps children understand that these plants give us fresh air to breathe and provide homes and food for animals.  Spending time outside, exploring, playing and learning gives children a connection to the world they live in and as well as a respect for nature. 

Playing in nature builds confidence.  Indoor play tends to be very structured, but there are infinite creative ways to interact with outdoor environments.  Letting children choose how they play outside not only gives them power over their own actions, but  allows them to design their own activities which promotes creativity and imagination.  Nature provides stimulation for the senses with so many things to see, hear, smell and touch. Nature also provides the opportunity for movement.  Walking, riding a bike, hiking or running across a field of grass are all great ways to get exercise.  This can not only help to increase focus in children, it decreases stress.

What are some ways you can build a love of nature with your child? 

Hiking

Gardening

Camping

Spend time at parks

Enjoying time in your backyard

Here is a link to an article about the importance of connecting children with nature.

Why Connect with Nature?

Here are some pictures of the P1 students enjoying nature in the garden, the Outdoor classroom, at recess and at P.E. with Coach Bob.

April 15 Blog Photos

This month we are also doing a service project by donating supplies to The Lullaby Connection, an organization that provides essential items to underprivileged babies here in our community.  If you would like to donate items, The Lullaby Connection has requested new baby clothes (onesies are great), diapers sizes 1-3 and baby hygiene items such as baby wash, baby shampoo, hand sanitizer and baby wipes.  We will be collecting donations until the end of the day on Friday April 23, then delivering the supplies to The Lullaby Connection.  

Thank you for your support!

Ms. Melissa, Ms. Diana and Ms. Kini

This month was very exciting as we learned about dinosaurs!  Students learned how to recognize the difference between herbivores and carnivores by studying a model of a dinosaur.  Most herbivores (plant eaters) walked on 4 feet and had small heads and small mouths.  Many had long necks to reach the leaves that grew on tall trees.  Most carnivores (meat eaters) walked or ran on two feet, had claws for grasping prey and large heads with large mouths full of sharp teeth!  During Art class, Ms. Angela showed us how to make models of dinosaurs, too.

We also learned about the differences between reptiles and amphibians.  While these two types of animals share many similarities such as being cold-blooded, laying eggs and having bones, amphibians are different from reptiles because they lay their eggs in water.  All amphibians start their lives in water and breathe with gills.  As they grow, they develop lungs to breathe with but can also breathe through their skin!  Examples of amphibians are frogs, toads, newts and salamanders.

In March, we also learned about the continent of Asia.  Ms. Melissa shared some of her experiences while living and teaching in Japan.  We learned how to use chopsticks in Practical Life, explored a puzzle that showed one of the writing systems used in Japan call ‘hirigana’ and learned a few words in Japanese such as ‘tomodachi’ (friend), konnichiwa (hello) and sayonara (goodbye).  Ms. Kini shared some of her Filipino heritage with us.  She brought in the flag of the Philippines and we learned that there are over 7,000 islands that make up this nation.  Students were fascinated as she demonstrated Tinikling, a traditional dance using bamboo poles. The children had the opportunity to try the dance and we even took the bamboo poles out to the playground to practice during recess.

We also had fun during Dr. Seuss Day!  Students dressed as their favorite characters from books written by Dr. Seuss, enjoyed reading and rhyming activities, made bookmarks and even did a goldfish graphing job to go with the story “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”.

Here are some photos of our work this month.

P1 Blog Photos for March 31

We would also like to thank all of our families for your generosity and thoughtfulness during Teacher Appreciation Week!  We enjoyed every minute of it!

April is almost here and we will be learning about recycling, Rainforests of the world, birds, flowers and the continent of South America.  Spring Break begins on Monday, March 29 and school resumes on Tuesday, April 6. We hope you have a wonderful, safe and relaxing week!

Thank you!

Ms. Melissa, Ms. Diana and Ms. Kini