It's been a while since I sat down and wrote to you. . . time flies when you're having fun right? This certainly rings true for the classroom. We've had new students join who are just beginning their Casa adventure and third year students who are preparing for the next phase and lots going on in the middle. I wish that I could capture all of the exciting moments that are happening each day and hope that your homebooks are giving you a little glimpse into just what goes on at school. Here are some photos from the past few months to give you all a little better idea of just how busy we are. Right now we are practicing for the Spring concert and Ms.Mahoney has started doing Kindermusik on Fridays with the children. They are delighted by this and I think she feels the same!
Addie watching as Brody practices moving the ball around on the balance board.
Muhammed learning the difference between a lake and an island.
Olina showing a very proud smile after mastering the letter 'j'. Cursive writing books have been a hot commodity lately and are being worked on everyday in the classroom!
Abby working on stamp game addition. Math in the classroom has been progressing for everyone and its exciting to see all of the different activities that are going on.
Sophia's sister, Petra, joined our class in April! The cuteness factor in the classroom has definitely gone up!
From tadpole to frog. I did this lesson 5 times in a row at the request of the children. "Miss Kate, again, again!!"
Perseverance, patience and a little guidance helped Chloe and Sophia complete the 100 board. A few mistakes but this is an activity that they are sure to do again.
Locks and Keys for another of our new friends, Quinn!
Abby correcting her work all by herself after completing the Addition Strip Board!
We all really enjoyed spending the afternoon at the Culture Fair. The juniors and seniors put on quite the show for us and it was truly amazing to see all of their hard work up and on display.
We sometimes get a little help from our older friends. Maddie came to visit from junior one day and ended up spending the whole afternoon working with Sophia and the Moveable Alphabet.
We get a little help from our friends! Sophia took special time at lunch to give Addie a lesson on washing her placemat.
Jonathan is strengthening his hands with a little sponge squeezing!!
We were so fortunate to have Chloe's mom introduce us to the zither, or lap harp. The music this instrument makes is soothing and delightful. All classroom's in the school now have their very own and it's sweet sound can be heard all throughout the day.
Part of the Montessori philosophy is care of the environment. Addie is having a lesson on folding laundry, which the Casa's often do for the whole school!
Emma and Violet are working on the map of South America. While going about my own work, I often walk by activities such a this and casually give the children the name of one of the countries. Little moments for learning like this present themselves all the time.
As you can see there is never a dull moment! Over the next few weeks I will be working on report cards and final home book entries. As always, please feel free to comment on the blog or pop into the school for a visit. I love to chat about the classroom!
It may be a snow day and we may be 'stuck' at home but that doesn't mean you have to be bored! Here are some great ways to keep your child busy, engaged and learning!
1) Make some play-doh and strengthen those little hands! We whip it up at school in no time. Here is my simple recipe.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of salt
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons of cream of tartar
1 cup of flour
1 tablespoon of oil
Food coloring
Directions:
Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a pan.
Mix the water with the food coloring.
Add the water/color-mix to the other ingredients, stir well.
Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes, while constantly stiring.
When the mixture becomes “doughy”, remove from heat and start kneading. (the dough will be hot, so mind your hands)
When desired texture is achieved, the playdough is finished, enjoy!
2) Pick a colour, say red, and have your child hunt around the house for items that colour.
3) Pick a number, say 4. Ask your child to go and get 4 of something, say books. Then repeat with either the same number or a new number!! *younger children will need help with this and may only be able to collect items as high as 3, possibly 5. You also don't need to use number cards, like in the picture.
4) Play 'I Spy' using the Phonetic Alphabet. Say a sound to your child, say 'a' and have them look for an item around the house that starts with 'a'. Maybe and apple! Here's a video of the correct way to say the phonetic sounds of the alphabet.
5) Relax! See this day as a gift rather than a hassle. Enjoy the extra time with your child and just relax. Snuggle, read stories, have a conversation, observe them while they play, bake some cookies, have a nap, watch your favourite movie. Just be together and embrace a day away from busy schedules. You deserve it!
I'm warm at home getting ready to work on homebooks! If you have yet to return yours to school please do so by Friday.
It's John Hancock's birthday, recognized as National Handwriting day. In order to honour this special man and day, Montessorium, has started a new campaign called Saving Cursive. Check out their campaign here: www.savingcursive.com
Here are a few tips for encouraging proper handwriting at home.
1) Teach your child proper pencil grip: A tripod or quadrapod grip is an acceptable way to hold a pencil. Palming is not. ALWAYS CORRECT YOUR CHILD'S GRIP! Giving your children small broken crayons and chalk naturally calls upon the child to use a proper grip. Fact: The maps, cylinder blocks and puzzles found in a Montessori classroom have knobs to develop the child's tripod grip from a very young age. Keep this is mind when buying puzzles for your child.
2) Allow your child to work with crayons, chalk and pencils as much as possible: These writing tools give feedback to the child in terms of pressure needed when writing. Markers give feedback no matter how much pressure is applied. Try to save markers for special occasions only.
3) Before showing your child how to write with a pencil use a chalkboard: This lets the child make as many mistakes as they need too. Repetition should be encouraged and a chalkboard easily allows for this.
4) Think about the importance of developing your child's hand and fine motor skills, rather than setting a goal, such as trying to write their name: Being able to write their name is important but in the beginning it is certainly not the end all be all. In the Montessori classroom children work to develop the hand in preparation for handwriting right from day one. The directress doesn't show a child how to write a letters or numbers until he or she sees that the child is both physically and emotionally ready to write. Here are some of the activities that we present and observe the child doing in order to determine readiness.
The knobs on the Cylinder Block force the child to use a tripod grip.
Using tongs helps to strengthen the muscles in the hand.
Using crayons teaches the child about pressure; how much or how little to apply.
The Metal Insets work in a series of lessons to teach the child control.
And about economy of space!
Tack Punching gives the child the opportunity to increase concentration and hand control.
Tracing the Sandpaper Letters reaches three senses: touch, sight and sound
Wet-Dry-Try gives three opportunities for repetition of a letter or number.
Once the child practices on a blank chalkboard they can move to one with lines.
After lots of work on the chalkboard a child can move to using a pencil and paper!
This is merely a glimpse into the many activities found in a Montessori classroom that encourage development of the hand and work to prepare the child for handwriting. It is important to note that we NEVER give the child letters or numbers to trace. This does not benefit the child. It is just simply more important to be patient and allow the child's muscle motor memory to develop. Be a model for your child and show them how letters and numbers are formed. Be patient and remember that it is about the process, not the product. Wet-Dry-Try is easy to set up at home. If you'd like a demonstration in this come on into the classroom and I'll give you your very own lesson!
In a world of ups and downs and much of what lies ahead unknown, I tend to relish in the moments that just seem to have some greater purpose to them. For the child who has so much to learn and so much unknown it always amazes me how intuitive they are. I guess its because its all they have to go on at times. This intuition kicked in pretty strong on Thursday in the environment, although I didn't realize it until that evening. All day the children were attracted to everything in the classroom that had to do with Africa. The map of Africa was done in the afternoon, every book we have on Africa was read (even one that was tucked way back on a shelf was found) and the geography folder of Africa was out and being explored by the children. We even used two of our books to learn some swahili words. I really didn't think much of this other than the fact that I needed to fuel the children's interest in this beautiful continent. When I got home I saw on the news that Nelson Mandela had passed away. Hit with sad thoughts I couldn't help but think that the children had somehow known that the world had lost a wonderful man. I've never spoke of him to the children but were their little spirits being filled with this man's greatness? Did they know that not only was the whole continent of Africa grieving this loss, but the whole world was saddened by this? I like to think that the children were, in their own way, celebrating the wonderful changes Nelson Mandela made in the world. They were showing respect for his homeland as a thank-you for the respect he showed them. Some people may just see this as a coincidence, but for me its confirmation that there is a greatness to be found everywhere. We just have to be looking!
I love handwriting almost as much as I love Montessori! It's something that I believe to be an essential skill. But, if you happen to pay attention to any sort of media I'm sure you've heard the latest from the traditional education system. They are now arguing that cursive handwriting is no longer an essential skill due to the age of the computer and the digital world, therefore it should be removed from the school curriculum. Many experts in the field have come forward to say that this is a big mistake. The research done shows that handwriting speaks to different areas of the brain and children that can cursive write typically score better on tests and have better communication skills. Sadly many schools have decided to ignore the experts and school boards across North America have already removed cursive writing from the curriculum. I personally don't think we need experts to tell us that cursive handwriting in an important skill to learn but considering the career path I've chosen I say this about a lot of things. However, I never find myself shaking my head at Montessori and over a hundred years ago, Maria, could see that cursive handwriting was something that was a critical part of development in the child. She suggested that cursive be taught to children before printing based on countless hours observing children. She noticed that when colouring a young child formed circles first, rather than straight lines. Therefore cursive would be easier for a child to learn because it followed the child's natural development. Cursive is also much more efficient for writing. It is faster and allows for our thoughts to flow naturally. Print requires a stop and go motion and therefore can slow us down. Not good when writing a test. I also think that cursive gives us our own identity. If you came home from work and family member has left a note for you in the kitchen I bet that you can identify who wrote it based solely on their style of handwriting. Our handwriting becomes something that is so distinct we are able to use our signature to sign essential documents like a birth certificate, passport or marriage license. It belongs only to you and identifies who you are. I'm quite certain that if print is the only form of penmanship in our future this creative part of our identity would be lost. This is not to say that print doesn't have its place in language as well, it's just that cursive is beautiful. It speaks to the reader on a more personal level. Aside from all the benefits gained from learning how to write in cursive, I think that it is a beautiful art form that should not be lost. Thankfully there are Montessorians who happen to agree and will continue to fight the everlasting educational debate on handwriting and continue to support Maria Montessori and work to keep her genius philosophy alive.
At Riverforest we've never even blinked an eye when the question of keeping cursive in the school system came into the forefront. For us it's a no brainer and that is why in September our whole school switched to using a handwriting program called "Handwriting Without Tears". This is a program that I had been familiar with for a few years but in an effort to enhance the Montessori materials I wanted to find out if it was something we could incorporate into our classrooms. I took my first Handwriting Without Tears workshop in March of this year. I made my way to Toronto and entered a big room filled with occupational therapists, teachers and a few parents who either home schooled or wanted to do this program at home because their own child was struggling with writing and the school system just wasn't providing proper instruction. I was immediately shocked to find out that 80% of occupational therapy requests from schools were for handwriting and that teaching the mechanics of handwriting was no longer taught in teachers college so therefore teachers were no longer teaching it to their students. I was the only Montessori Directress there and I had no intention of revealing myself until I got a feel for the crowd. The misconception of what Montessori is can sometimes leave others with a negative impression so my experience talking to other teachers hasn't always been positive. Unfortunate really because I like to think our main goal is the same; to do what is best for the child. So with my shoulders a little tense I sat anxiously awaiting to hear what the speaker had to say about child development and handwriting. I knew that this could be a place where I was either shaking my head and saying why are others so far behind Montessori and her philosophy or I could be seeing it as an excellent opportunity to increase my knowledge and skills. By the afternoon of the first day the latter happened. The OT that was presenting made it clear that Handwriting Without Tears followed state wide standards (it's an American program) so their program did start with print. And arguably they had some very valid reasons for teaching print to children first. Not enough to convince me that I should start teaching print first, but she did have my attention because I like hearing both sides of the coin. She went on to say that as OT's (the program is designed by an OT) they really believed that cursive was an essential skill and that it can be taught to young children. She said, "after all we didn't stop teaching math once the calculator was invented!". I wanted to slam my fist on the table right then and there and say "here! here!". I of course didn't but I continued to perk up and relax my shoulders when girl from the crowd mentioned that she was raised in Europe where cursive is taught first. Reason number two for an excited fist slam! Then someone else mentioned Montessori and how cursive is taught first. She asked why? Well the OT didn't happen to know so feeling confident I revealed myself and explained why Montessori did things the way she did. It was still a me against them situation but I hopefully got a few people thinking outside of the box! After two more workshops I am now one test away from holding the title of certified handwriting specialist. Just like I had never imagined in a million years that I would move to Owen Sound, I never thought this would be something I would put on my resume. But I am proud to and also proud to say that the staff at Riverforest also feel so passionate about keeping cursive writing a part of our school all of the teachers have taken a course through Handwriting Without Tears. It has a lot of similarities to Montessori so we've found it easy to incorporate into our classroom. The children love it and as we approach the end of the first semester we are seeing daily triumphs from the children who are so proud of their work and this really is what its all about. Having happy, confident kids who feel empowered because they have a found a way to express themselves. Here are just a few examples of that!
Feel free to come and see me if you're wondering about the Handwriting Without Tears materials and how we've incorporated them into our classrooms. And please don't just take my word for it! Hear what others have to say on the topic: "How Handwriting Trains the Brain" is just one of the many articles circulating that support keeping cursive writing alive!
P.S. My next post will focus on the HWT materials, Montessori materials, the development of the child's hand and what you can do to support your child at home.
October was a busy and fulfilling month both in and out of the classroom for me. I got to watch two of my closest friends celebrate love and family at their weddings and the celebrating travelled into a marvellous Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family and friends.There was much to be thankful for at school as well. We had some spectacular Fall weather which allowed for lots of time outside enjoying the colourful leaves. The girls enjoyed hunting for pinecones and leaves one afternoon on a walk around our neighbourhood. After drying our goods out we turned our treasures into Thanksgiving turkeys!
We also had a blast celebrating Halloween and learning all about pumpkins. The girls are still talking about how 'spooky' the seniors haunted house was!
With November upon us we are ready for new adventures. Everyone is embracing the colder weather and finding fun in piles of leaves. The rakes are busy all lunch hour and the children are coming inside covered in leaves from head to toe. This was a great introduction to our fun recesses for our new student, Muhammad. He came into the class today beaming from ear to ear exclaiming, "I got to jump! I got to jump!" The girls have done an amazing job welcoming him into our classroom. Please do the same if you happen to see him or his mom at the school.
Miss Kate
P.S. I hope that everyone saw the newsletter. . . The observation sheet is hanging up just inside the exterior door of our classroom with pencils sitting just above. I've extended the observations for an extra week. . . the handwriting talk will take place this Friday morning in the daycare room from 8:45-9:15. If parents have time to stay afterwords I will show a short video from the 'Aid to Life' series.
With a whole month of school under our belt, it is easy see that we have slipped into a routine. The children now know how to line up. They can enter the boot room and get themselves undressed and ready to start their day. Choosing work is happening with ease and friendships are being solidified. We are spending less time on group lessons and more time becoming independent or working in small groups. Establishing a classroom routine and a set of expectations is essential to the functioning of our class. Without the expectations and tone being set by me right from the beginning, I wouldn't be able to create my own routine when it comes to teaching and accomplishing the goals I have for the children and the classroom. Having set the tone for the room, I can avoid chaos, create an independent environment and get to a point that Maria Montessori calls normalization. Once this normalization is reached, I will be able to step back even more and let the children be children, stepping in only when guidance is needed. This doesn't mean that my presence isn't felt, that lessons stop happening or that the children don't need me. OUR CHILDREN ALWAYS NEED US! We just don't want them to be dependent on us. We need to help, rather that hinder. This is essentially why Maria Montessori called educators following her philosophy a directress and not a teacher. She wanted us to guide the child's interests and facilitate their individual personalities and needs. In my mind she was a genius with a lot of common sense! Enjoy this video by Trevor Eissler. He thought she was a genius too.
I'll also leave you with an article by Maren Schmidt about routines.
Why Establish Routines?
Establishing routines with our children is an effective and powerful way to set boundaries. Setting limits helps our children feel safe, and allows them the freedom to focus on skill building and learning. Our routines, though, may have unintended consequences. If we spend the morning reminding, organizing and coercing our children in order to get out the door for school, what has our routine really taught our children?
Establishing good routines allows us to avoid power struggles and conflict within our family, replacing those issues with feelings of safely, trust and cooperation. Learning important life skills and self-confidence become part of the package as our children learn to be responsible for their own behavior and exhibit competence and independence in their day-to-day activities.
Once a routine is established is seems to have a life of its own. Routines can keep us from always asking for help. If we have a mealtime routine, the table gets set, food gets on the table, dishes get into the dishwasher, food gets put away, pots get washed, and the kitchen is tidied--without us saying a word.
The first task in establishing a routine is visualizing what you want, when you want it, who is going to help you, and how you are going to feel when the routine gets established. I worked for many months to establish a snack time routine in my preschool classroom, implementing a new step in the process every week or so until the children did most everything without any adult interaction.
The key was that I had to have a plan and implement it task by task. First I showed two of my five-year-old students how to put snack out on the serving table at 9:00 am. They were responsible for the time and getting snack on the table and ready to go. If they were late the other students gave them feedback. If children came to me wondering why snack was late, I directed them to snack patrol. I showed two other children how to make sure all the dishes were in the dishwasher and how to turn it on at 11:00 am. Each child was responsible for putting their own cup and plate in the dishwasher, and if a child forgot, he or she was reminded by the dishwasher brigade. Another two children were shown how to clean up the floor and put the tablecloth and serving dishes away. To an outside observer the process looked effortless, but it took planning and time to implement the plan, which included me not jumping in to fix a situation.
Everything from house cleaning, meal preparation, bedtime and any other task-oriented event can benefit from an established routine. My two daughters and I used to clean our house together with a "power hour" going from room to room with each person knowing the routine of pick up, make up, suck up, and dust up--pick up the floor, make up the beds, vacuum and dust. Twenty years later all we have to say to each other is "power hour" and we're on our way.
Visualize your ideal scenario, plan each step, implement each step carefully with plenty of time for skills to be learned... and have fun, establishing routines that allow all your family to feel like each member belongs and contributes to the good of your family. The benefits last a lifetime.
