First the education of the senses, then the education of the intellect—Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori believed there is a sensitive period for a child’s development of their senses. Although the senses are an integral part of our lives, children have the greatest potential to develop and retrieve them during their early years. It is precisely this idea that demonstrates the purpose of Sensorial materials in the Montessori classroom. The Sensorial materials are powerful tools that 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 minds, allowing for the intelligent exploration of their environment.

This week we began to discuss the five senses. We discussed how we use different body parts to learn about things in our environment. For example, our noses are for smelling, ears are for listening, eyes are for seeing, hands are for touching, and our tongues are for tasting. We learned that sometimes, we use more than one sense at a time. We also talked about people who do not have the ability to use all five senses, such as those who are blind or deaf.

In the afternoon, the older children had the opportunity to engage all five senses as we popped popcorn using an air popper. We closed our eyes and listened to the sound of the kernels being poured into the popper, then the sound as they began to pop, we enjoyed the aroma as the kernels heated and what an exciting sight to see all the fluffy white popcorn – and of course we enjoyed the delicious tasty treat. We even tried tasting some with salt, as we discussed our taste buds.

Our 4 and 5-year-olds were also invited to visit Lower Elementary, where they set up tables to share their research projects with us. Our students learned about famous athletes, Texas, Albert Einstein, and a variety of different animals, among other things! It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved!

Wishing your families a wonderful spring break with a perfect balance of fun and relaxation.

You can find magic wherever you look. So sit back and relax, all you need is a book.  

—–Dr. Seuss

Read Across America is a national event celebrated on March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. This initiative was created by the National Education Association and implemented to encourage a love of reading in children. At FWM, we also turn that day into Pajama Day, and the children bring their favorite book to share. We read Green Eggs and Ham, and the children were treated to their own green eggs and ham sandwiches! Once again, huge thanks to Eliot’s family for preparing the amazing snacks. The eggs were dyed green using spinach, and most of the children thoroughly enjoyed this fun snack.

An online article from nationaldaycalendar.com has some beautiful ideas on how to motivate children to read wherever they are.

• Keep books everywhere you spend time. Put them in the car, in every room of the house, and tuck them in backpacks and purses. Make them easily accessible.
• Visit the library often. Knowing how to use the library and learning the benefits of a library fosters a love of reading as well as genuine respect for the services libraries provide.
• Get caught reading. Children imitate what they see the adults around them do. Whether they see you read a magazine, newspaper, or novel, let them know reading is the cool thing to do.
• Read to your children. No matter their age, reading aloud strengthens their vocabulary and language skills. It also opens up opportunities for discussion.
• Have your children read to you, too. You never know what you might learn!

Reading is an integral part of each school day. We hope to pass on our passion for literature to your children.

Happy Reading!

Christine & Fatima