There are pumpkins everywhere in our class! Having pumpkins in the classroom provides so many opportunities for the children to observe and introduce basic science and mathematical concepts.

In Practical Life, we have pumpkin spooning, pouring, pumpkin hammering and even pumpkin scrubbing.  In Science, we learned about the parts of a pumpkin and the pumpkin life cycle.  We compared pumpkins to categorize them as small, medium and large.  We counted the lines/ridges on pumpkins and learned why some pumpkins have more and some have less.

In Math, we were faced with the very difficult question of how do you measure the circumference of a pumpkin? Ask your child and see if they can tell you.  We worked with pumpkin patterns and learned fun facts about pumpkins.

Last but not least, we baked delicious pumpkin muffins. They were a big hit at snack. Baking with 19 children should never be underestimated!!!!   We are so grateful for Kim Smith’s patience and for being so well prepared to help all of the children be a part of this activity.

Please Note– Change To Our Specials Schedule

Beginning on October 30th, our 1st and 2nd year students will now have gym every “B” day. 

 

The chill to the air, the first fire in the fireplace, the smell of pumpkin spice. It’s finally fall!

     This week your children experienced Autumn, not just as a date on the calendar, but as an opportunity to use our sense of smell to really savor the season. The smells of pumpkin, leaves, and spices brought smiles and evoked particular memories.

Maria Montessori believed there is a sensitive period for developing the senses. Although the senses are an integral part of our lives, children during the early years, have the greatest potential to develop and retrieve them. It is precisely this idea that demonstrates the purpose of Sensorial materials in the Montessori classroom. The Sensorial materials are powerful tools, which allow children to become aware of their unconscious impressions and bring these impressions into conscious awareness. Additionally, they enable your children to create a basis of order in their mind allowing for intelligent exploration of their environment.

Montessori encourages children to indulge fully in Sensorial intake. This is one of the most natural and integral ways in which people learn and develop their senses.

PLEASE NOTE-Change to Our Special Schedule
Beginning Oct. 30, our 1st and 2nd year students will now have gym every ‘D’ Day.
Continue reading “Mrs. Carroll’s Class: Crisp Fall Scents!”

All it takes is one seed to grow a pumpkin. And from that one seed…a whole lot of learning ensues.
Your children enjoyed exploring the life cycle of a pumpkin this week. They measured the circumference and diameter of various pumpkins, graded pumpkins by size, counted with pumpkins seeds, sorted and matched pumpkins, hammered tees into a sugar pumpkin, and used labels to identify the various parts of a pumpkin.
We will conclude our study by baking the meat of a pumpkin into a delicious treat and then returning the skin back to the earth where we will observe it’s decomposition and await it’s new beginnings in the spring.

This week we began our journey into the world of prominent artists, such as Van Gogh, Degas and Matisse, and their masterpieces.  Through Picture Matching activities, children will learn to distinguish different works of art from one another as well as to identify the artist who created them.  We discussed how art helps people express themselves, and that we are all artists too!  Art is a way for children to communicate their feelings. It is through art that children develop their fine motor skills. In the Montessori environment, we provide open-ended art activities that help children explore and use their creativity.  A favorite activity in our class is for children to share with friends on Circle the beautiful pictures they have created and to tell us the story they are conveying to others through their artwork.

We welcomed the beginning of Diwali this week as well.  Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Lights, signifying the triumph of good over evil.  After learning about the significance of the holiday, we had a wonderful time making our own small, votive candle holders.

Montessori classrooms explore other cultures from around the world in order to discover the similarities and differences in our shared humanity. Not only is cultural diversity a central tenant, but where those cultures came from through the study of ancient cultures and peoples are, as well. The celebration of diversity assures that a child’s understanding of the world and culture will flourish as he or she matures.

 

 

The Montessori math materials always begin with concrete, simple materials and lessons. When the child is ready, they are introduced to more complex and abstract concepts. We teach the process first because the goal is to develop a true understanding of mathematical concepts and not simply memorization. The materials are sequenced in a way that each success a child experiences is a building block for the next concept to be introduced.

Maria Montessori believed that all children have a ‘mathematical mind” and an internal drive to understand the environment around them. We know that the Montessori math materials are exact and precise and allow the child to have positive experiences in math, right from the beginning. Here’s the real secret behind the success of the Montessori math materials though, the children really and truly enjoy them.

“Children display a universal love of mathematics, which is par excellence the science of precision, order, and intelligence.”

~ Dr. Maria Montessori

“The need to define and “find” oneself…the need to understand one’s place in the world…the need to make sense out of cosmic reality of the universe.”(NAMTA)

Within our geography area, through sensory experiences and the use of the geography materials, children learn about both their physical world which includes land and water formations and the political world which includes the globe, maps, continents, flags and cultural customs. In geography, as with the Sensorial material, the child is given a vision of the whole first. Then he is prepared to study narrower divisions, moving from general to the particular. The child is vitally interested in the concrete, in language, and in people. He wants to understand, therefore we present him with something through which he can reach a desirable state of understanding. We have begun the year enjoying our studies of the physical world comparing a sphere to the shape of a globe, building land forms using play dough,and filling land form relief maps with water. We look forward to our year long study of the political world and the many materials and lessons that await us!

Please remember to access Myfwm.org and sign up for your Parent/Teacher Conference.  We look forward to sharing your child’s many accomplishments.

We enjoyed exploring our outdoor surroundings last week during our nature walk.  We used our senses to see chipmunks, butterflies and bees, as well as to hear birds singing, smell blooming flowers and touch the rough bark of a tree.  It was exciting to see the beautiful fall foliage and name the various colors of the changing leaves.

In our Geography area, our class has also blasted into space, as we have begun exploring our Solar System!  Friends are learning the order and names of the planets as well as other celestial bodies. We have had a great time discussing gravity and pretending to be astronauts as we do our slow “space walk.”  Please take a moment to look up at the clear night sky with your child and discuss what you see!

There are two main parts to the study of Geography in a Montessori classroom: Physical & Political (or Cultural). We begin with the big picture, our galaxy and Solar System, and eventually get to the details of a community, home, family, and ourselves. A major aim of the Montessori works is to introduce children to the fact that we are a small part of this giant universe and within that universe, we must co-exist with many others things in life.

Our class will be taking a field trip to Castle Hill Farm in Newtown on October 25th.  We will be departing at 9:15am and returning to school by 11:30am.  If you would like to volunteer to drive and be a chaperone, please contact our Class Parents: Lisa Jackson or Jennifer Nirenberg.  Thank you!

Our class enjoyed all the different areas of work involving apples. We enjoyed slicing apples, measuring and mixing ingredients for apple crisp last week.  Eating the delicious creation was even more fun!  Children are having a wonderful time slicing and serving apples to one another as well.  This lesson not only provides experience with food preparation, but also enhances their sense of Grace and Courtesy in the classroom as they share the fruits of their labor with friends. Grace and Courtesy lessons give children the vocabulary, actions, and steps needed for them to build awareness and responsiveness of the other children around them.