The education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing him for school, but for life. -Maria Montessori

For many, the holiday season is a time for giving. Perhaps more than ever, it is so important for our children to understand that giving does not have to be a materialistic gift. Simple and heartfelt words of love and friendship will last much longer than most anything that can be bought from a shelf. It can be an amazing and powerful gift to our children if, in all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we take time to slow down and model being grateful.

This week, we asked each child to share what they are thankful for. While their messages will make you smile and warm your heart, there is beauty in their simplicity.

• Olive- my family, friends, teachers, Thanksgiving, and the Earth
• Katie- my cat, my Mama and Daddy, my dog and Sofia
• Ethan- playing outside with my brother and my dog, my family, and running in the snow
• Ava- my Mom, Dad, brother and sisters
• Otto- leaves and jumping into a leaf pile, and my baby, my Mommy and Daddy – fruit snacks, too!
• William- Halloween and Mommy, Cooper, and my cat, too
• Olson- my parents, my school, grapes and skyscrapers
• Ivy- Magna tiles, Mom, Dad, my dog, and vanilla with cherry ice cream
• Arsalan- my family, my Grandma and Grandpa, my teachers and police officers
• Emma- my sister, and my Mom and Dad because they make me breakfast
• Eliot- my lovely school and teachers, my friends, my parents, and my baby sister and brothers
• Hayes- my Mom and my Dad and the whole city – also my brothers because I like to play with them
• Rayna- my family
• Cameron-my Mommy’s kisses and ice cream from Daddy, the beach, and playing Roblox with my brother
• Aira- toys, my Mommy and Daddy, my dog, Saltines and dessert, and flowers in the summer
• Divya- my cousins because they do make-up for me, my dollies, my family because they love me so much, and my neighbor
• Matteo-my six dogs, my parents, Didi and Woowoo, also for my microscope so I can be a scientist
• Luke- my Mom and my Dad and my dog and all my family, and for chocolate ice cream with sprinkles
• Anaya-Christmas and Halloween and all the holidays, and for my Mom and Daddy, my sister and my friends
• Eliana- my family and for happy birthdays
• Oscar- Halloween and Christmas, because I love them! Also, for my Mama and Dad because I like to do puzzles with them

We are grateful for all of you and for the relationships we have built with your children.

Wishing you all a peaceful week. Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! Enjoy listening to ‘Shoo Turkey’ which has been a recent classroom favorite.

Christine & Fatima

On Tuesday, the entire Primary level gathered in the gymnasium for a Diwali celebration. Diwali is a five-day festival that is observed around the world, and its rituals vary by region. Diwali represents new beginnings and the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. It is the triumph of righteousness, knowledge in place of ignorance. Homes are brightly illuminated with diyas (candles) and oil lamps, and people decorate their homes with rangoli. People also often wear new fine clothes and jewelry and celebrate with family and friends.

Ms. Paromita and Ms. Hema, along with several parents from our community – including some of our very own students’ Moms -were dressed in traditional Indian attire and provided our children with a wonderful opportunity to experience the beauty of Indian culture. A few students from lower and upper elementary read a book about Diwali.  Our children were mesmerized by the sights and sounds! Ms. Paromita danced to Indian music in her gorgeous attire, and the gymnasium was decorated with beautiful and meaningful items related to Diwali.  The children were able to taste traditional Indian food and decorate diyas to take home. We are so grateful to all who shared their culture!

Earlier in the week, we celebrated Ms. Tima’s birthday. She was delighted to receive so many wishes, flowers, and cards. Hayes’ Mom even baked a delicious coffee cake, which we shared as a group, as Ms. Tima blew out a candle and made a wish. We had a lovely week in the classroom.

Wishing everyone a week filled with peace and love. -Christine & Fatima

The children were thrilled to return this week to kick off a brand-new month. Every day upon arrival, the children come inside to see who the “Helping Hand” is for the day. The “Helping Hand” is the child who will ring the chime to let the class know that it is time to “clean up their work and join us at the Circle.” This helper is also responsible for the calendar, and they are the “line leader” for the day.  

This week, Emma’s mom joined us to read The Gruffalo, captivating everyone. Plus, Katie’s mom recorded a reading of Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble, which the children have loved listening to on the Yoto player.

We’ve spoken a lot about Hawaii, inspired by a friend’s beautiful Sharing Bag photos of his family trip there. 

In the afternoon, we’ve been reading Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson series. This week, we started book number 6. I have never seen a group of children more excited to gather each day, so eager to find out what will happen next!

The kindergarten students each sewed their own finger puppets, of which they were all so proud. 

We’ve been making the most of the unseasonably warm weather, making it a point to get outdoors as soon as possible. The children love to hunt for acorns and leaves. This week, a group of us was surprised and excited to get a peek at a low-flying red-tailed hawk!

I’ll include a link to a song that has been a favorite all month: Stephanie Leavell’s Bitty Bat –  I’m sure the children would love to share it with you at home!

Looking forward to the week ahead, Christine & Fatima

What the hand does, the mind remembers. —Maria Montessori

Every Montessori classroom has a Sensorial area, and it is filled with materials that help the child study their environment through their five senses. Maria Montessori believed that sensorial experiences begin at birth for every child, and by refining these skills, they begin to understand their surroundings. The sensorial materials allow the child to acquire concise information and classify things around them. They use their senses not only to create their own experiences and knowledge but also to help them figure out different impressions each sense receives. The child is, therefore, a natural “sensorial explorer.”

Each material in this area has a built-in control of error so that after an initial lesson, little teacher direction is needed. This control of error helps a child determine what needs to happen to complete the lesson successfully. The children can distinguish, categorize, and relate new information to what they already know. Each sensorial material isolates one specific quality, such as color, weight, shape, texture, size, sound, or smell. These materials emphasize this particular quality by eliminating or minimizing other differences. Many of the sensorial materials are also the basis of future mathematical concepts the children will learn.

Heartfelt thanks to all the parents who helped in some way this week. The children have loved having our Guest Readers join us on Mondays. They have also been enjoying our new Yoto player and listening to Hayes’ Mom read The Little Engine That Could.

Emma’s Mom brought pumpkins and a huge variety of shapes for the children to choose from, along with mallets for them to use to hammer the shapes into the pumpkins. Many of the children took turns helping us to scoop the pulp and seeds. We enjoyed our fun jack-o-lanterns all week!

The kindergarten students went on a field trip to New Pond Farm in Redding, where they learned about chickens, wool, goats, and cows. They even had the opportunity to brush a cow, meet a calf, and practice milking a “cow”.  Later in the week, they worked together to prepare vegetables and made a “veggie skeleton”.

The whole class enjoyed visiting the playground to choose their very own pumpkins – and wow, did they also love the amazing, festive snack that Eliot’s family created for snack on Halloween. Thank you all for making it a fun week for our class.

Wishing you all a peaceful week, Christine & Fatima

When a child works, he does not do so to attain some further goal.  His objective in working is the work itself. –Maria Montessori

One of Maria Montessori’s most noted quotes is, “Play is the child’s work.”  We’re sure you have heard your child talk about their work at school by now. Dr. Montessori preferred the word work rather than the word play to describe the learning process children are constantly undergoing. Work conveys the amount of effort that children put into their physical, social, emotional, and academic growth. As adults, we have a very different definition of work.

Children are driven by a strong, unconscious internal growth process to seek out experiences that will meet their needs. Our role as Montessori teachers is to provide a well-prepared environment that encourages children to be independent and learn at their own pace. The children are free to choose their work and to use it repeatedly. So, while they are ‘working’, each child also builds independence, coordination, self-discipline, and concentration.

The children were thrilled to work as a team to make applesauce together. We discussed our five senses, and noticed how the applesauce’s delicious aroma filled our classroom. We were all very surprised to realize that the skin from one apple was even longer (taller) than some of our classmates!

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather, Christine & Fatima

When we introduce new concepts or materials to the children, we often do so using a three-period lesson. This is an important tenet of Montessori education, and it helps to move the child from basic understanding of a concept to mastery.

Period One is the introduction stage. In this stage we are isolating new vocabulary to the children. For example, if we are introducing the color tablets, we say, “This is blue.”  Repeating that statement and allowing the child to manipulate the blue color tablet are crucial during this stage.

Period Two is all about association and recognition. It is often a separate lesson. We do not ask the children to remember the vocabulary or recall the concept.  We are simply reinforcing the concept taught in Period One. We use words such as “Show me the blue tablet” or “Can you place the blue tablet on your lap?”

Period Three is the recall stage and the first time we ask the child to remember the concept independently. We ask them, “What is this?” when showing them the blue color tablet. We are careful not to begin Period Three until we know they are ready for success.

Every time a child masters a new concept, it builds the foundation for the next lesson or concept to be taught.

We have been talking, reading, and singing about apples. This week, we tasted and compared three varieties of apples: Macoun (red), golden delicious (yellow), and granny smith (green). We tallied the votes for favorites, and the Macoun apple was the most popular choice! I wonder which was your child’s favorite. Thank you all for supplying the apples!

Wishing your families a peaceful week, Christine & Fatima

The Montessori approach to teaching Geography is unique and comprises two components: physical geography and political geography, also known as Culture. From the beginning of the school year, we weave Geography lessons and terminology into our day as we learn about our physical world. The Geography materials are always fascinating to the children and are a springboard for wonderful discussions.

Early in our school year, we categorized the planet Earth into air, land, and water.  We then sorted what we would find in each of these different components of our world.  Next, we introduced the geometric solid known as a sphere to the children and compared it to the shape of the globe.  We start with a sandpaper globe that helps to distinguish land and water.  The colored globe comes next, and we begin to teach the continent names.  We make a sphere out of play dough and cut it in half to help them visualize the concept of a hemisphere.  Simultaneously, the children are learning about landforms that introduce the concept of lake, island, bay, cape, peninsula, gulf, isthmus, strait, archipelago, and a system of lakes.  These sensory experiences help the children learn about their physical world.

After learning the continent names, we introduce the puzzle maps for each continent, starting with North America in November. We learn that there are many countries in North America.  The older children will trace and paint each of the puzzle maps. We will learn about the animals, people, and climate often associated with each of the continents.  Our goal is to encourage the children to appreciate the beauty and wonder found in the similarities and differences around the world.

As part of our daily circle time routine, we sing a variety of Hello/Good Morning songs. One of our current favorites is a catchy movement song, which the children absolutely love. I’ll share it in case you’d like to listen at home. Maybe they’ll even share some of their dance moves with you!

Wishing your families a wonderful week and a sweet new year to all who celebrate Rosh Hashanah -Shanah Tovah!

Christine & Fatima

As adults, we must remember that we want things done as quickly as possible so they are finished and out of the way. In contrast, the child is interested and content in the doing, not the done.” –Margaret Stephenson, The Art of Montessori in the Home.

Every Friday we send home the blue folders that contain the work the children have completed over the past week. We often receive emails asking why there was so little work inside and what exactly the children are doing.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to accept the idea of focusing on the process, not the product. What exactly does that mean? Many works in the Montessori classroom do not end with a physical product the children will bring home to share with everyone. There is often no way to visually assess what a child is learning. Overall, as a society, we are product-driven and often base our success on this factor. The experience a child has when working with the materials is truly what is most important. However, it can often be unsettling when you hear they did “nothing” day after day.

Research shows children ages three to six learn best through their hands. To truly understand a concept, they need to explore it through touch. This is why so many lessons in the Montessori environment are not based on memorization alone. Most concepts we teach involve tracing, manipulating, and exploring with their hands. Perhaps most importantly, focusing on the process protects the child’s intrinsic motivation to learn and understand. External factors such as recognition, praise, or reward do not influence it. We truly value and encourage the time and experience with the materials.

So, if your child’s folder comes home with little to no work, know that their accomplishments can’t always ‘fit’ in that folder. Maybe after weeks and weeks of trying, they learned how to zipper their coat, or perhaps they can finally carry a work without it dropping. Maybe after observing a lesson day after day, your child tried it independently for the first time. The list of skills each child can accomplish will never be fully represented in the Weekly Folder. So please enjoy the work in there, but know it will never be an accurate portrayal of all the children are learning and accomplishing.

Wishing you all a wonderful week,

Christine & Fatima

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We look forward to seeing you at Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 25. Please sign up for your conference here.