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