Wednesday, March 12, 2014

SV Montessori Birthday Celebrations, Practical Life Teachings, Writing and Montessori toys

1.     Children Birthday Celebrations
·        Children love sharing the story of their life. Their special story is brought to life in a Montessori classroom, with the help of their parents.
Our teachers use some form of a sun, the written months, and a globe to help show the passage of time and the growth of the child from birth in this birthday celebration.

In preparation of this celebration, the parents of the birthday child are asked to make a poster with their child. Montessori Schools of Silicon Valley uses a special chart that Montessori child parents can pick up from the teacher in advance. The Montessori child holds the earth and begins their journey around the sun, marking each year with a brief story. This birthday celebration is very special and it is recommended that parents attend their child’s special circle. The poster is so sweet and allows the child to reflect on their favorite things and what they want to be when they grow up. It is a keeper!  We wonder who the scientist, zookeeper, and teacher will be.
A celebration is usually followed by a special snack. All the above can be discussed with the lead teacher in-charge.

2.     Practical Life Example
·        Practical Life Exercises are a very important component to a Montessori program.  Each of the exercises helps a child to develop her coordination so that she can later work with more academic materials. These activities help a child to gradually lengthen the time she spends concentrating and focusing. No higher learning can happen without focus and attention. Children love Practical Life because they can imitate the work of the adult. Children want to extend this work into their own homes. Allow your children to help fold laundry, organize their rooms, and dry dishes.  It will pay off in the future!
·        It has been said that babbling is to oral language development as scribbling is to written language development.

3.     Writing
·        There are so many factors which need to be in place before a child spontaneously writes words.  Scribbling is the initial stage in learning how to make the Shapes of letters.  Children's scribbles soon turn into lines and curves representing suns and people.  Invented letters and stories will emerge from their drawings.

In Montessori Education the children have access to curriculum which helps them on this long road to writing.  Besides developing control and concentration with the Practical Life Exercises, the three fundamental Materials which lead to writing and reading in the four to six year old children are the Sandpaper Letters, The Moveable Alphabet, and the Metal Insets.
4.     Holiday Toys
·        The holidays are a good time to share one of our favorite Montessori catalogs.
For Small Hands (forsmallhands.com) supplies homes and classrooms with well-made,child centered tools and toys. Setting up your home environment with your children in mind gives them opportunity fornot only independence, but as a means to contribute to family life. Let them help in the kitchen by peeling and chopping vegetables with some handy tools from For Small Hands.Delight young children with real tools that let them handle real tasks "all by myself!" Small Hands provides hard-to-find, child-size items allow them to pour their own juice or rake leaves by your side, purposeful "work" that supports self-confidence and independence. From a pitcher to fit small hands to open-ended games, toys, and crafts that call on spatial, motor, or problem-solving skills, they make sure every item provides an enriching opportunity.”