The love of one’s environment is the secret of social evolution.—-Maria Montessori

One of the first lessons given in the beginning of the year is how to carry, unroll and roll a work mat or rug.  Retrieving a mat, picking it up carefully, finding the ideal space to work and rolling it out provides an opportunity to practice gross motor skills and body awareness.  Everything that gets placed on the mat thereafter becomes the responsibility and privilege of the child working on that mat.  It also helps to organize one’s materials.

Montessori work mats, delineate a work space as the child’s own and sets an intention to “work”.   Each child knows that their lesson is exclusive to them unless they invite someone to join them to work together on their mat.   The children also know they have the responsibility to put their materials away when they are finished.  By doing so and then rolling up their mat, they are sending a signal that this particular work session has ended.

Our floors have been a sea of rugs! Your children are skillfully maneuvering themselves throughout the environment, careful not to disturb a friend’s work. We continue to be amazed at their growing control and respect for both friends and the environment.

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love!

Michelle & Lizette

The first essential for the child’s development is concentration. The child who concentrates is immensely happy.—Maria Montessori

The foundation of a Montessori classroom is the Practical Life area.  This area provides a bridge between a child’s home life and school life.  As parents, we often hear children say repeatedly, “I can do it myself.”  How right they are! Practical Life is teaching daily living skills while helping children to develop focus, concentration, independence, coordination, a sense of order, and developing hand strength. The lessons are comprised of equipment or tools they may have seen before. We use glassware, tweezers, spoons of all shapes and sizes, tongs, eyedroppers, and so much more. Practical Life lessons are divided into two main areas of development: care of self and care of the environment.

In many Montessori classrooms, it is the first area the children will see when they enter.  In the beginning of the year, many of the lessons will utilize larger materials until the children begin to strengthen their fine motor skills. The materials are changed at the beginning of each month to maintain the child’s interest. Each material is an indirect preparation for reading and writing as they are sequenced,  left to right and top to bottom. It is in this area that the children first learn to initiate and complete a work cycle independently.

Typically, our younger friends will spend much of their time in Practical Life. However, there is not a day that goes by that each child does not spend some time here. Sshhh, the children don’t know about any of this, they just think it is a fun area to spend time in.

Enjoy the week!

Michelle & Lizette

We are hard at work becoming entomologists.  This is always a favorite unit of study for the children.  An entomologist is a scientist who studies insects. We began our unit by reporting on what we already know about insects, what they are and what they can do.

This week as a class, we discovered that insects are slimy, little, gross, soft, and hard. Insects can crawl, sting, bite, eat, fly, walk upside down, and jump. We learned that insects lay eggs, have antennae, three main body parts, a head, thorax and abdomen, eyes, and six legs. Insects are also cold blooded, have an exoskeleton, and many have wings. We found out why a spider is not an insect. Ask your child to see if he or she knows.

In a few weeks, we will welcome caterpillars into our classroom.  It is so exciting to observe each step of the fascinating life cycle of the Painted Lady Butterfly. We will also be going on an insect walk around the school grounds, to put our newfound entomology skills to use!

Have a wonderful week!

Michelle & Lizette