There is so much focus in Montessori on fine motor skills, I think at times we can overlook the importance of gross motor skills, the development and coordination of those large, gross motor muscles and movements.

In our toddler environment gross motor movements include free movement around the room, lifting and pouring, practical life activities like mirror washing or table scrubbing, sweeping and dusting, as well as climbing, balancing on the beam, spinning in the bilibo seat, rocking in our moose, and on our well loved boat.

Maria Montessori knew how integral movement is to intellectual development. Mental development must be connected with movement and be dependent on it. “Movement helps the development of the mind, and this finds renewed expression in further movement and activity.”

Children need freedom of movement too. We have observed that sometimes our toddlers just need to get outside and exert their energy, to run until they can’t run anymore. To laugh and to chase each other. To be free and just let it all out. To us this free time, this physical exertion is just as important as good nutrition, or a good book. We are thankful for a campus that fulfills the children’s needs in this area. From beautiful environments, to a huge and well equipped gym and from a beautiful natural playground to a large soccer field.

Running, skipping, dancing, hopping, or climbing a tree – using all those gross motor skills are just as important as taking a tray off the shelves and working at a table. Life skills, risk taking, fun, physical exertion, problem solving, critical thinking can all come from gross motor play. Gross motor work also lays the foundation for the use of fine motor skills.

A big Congratulations to the Smith family in their new beautiful addition. Cheyenne was born on Monday May 27th 2019 at 2:57 pm. She is 8lbs and 9oz!

Upcoming Events:

Field day – June 4th

Bridge Crossing ceremony – June 6th

On Monday morning the children arrived to the environment and found a new sound, the sweet sound of peeping little chicks starting the hatching process. Children were curious and expectant! We were thrilled they were able to observe the external pipping process. This starts when the inner membrane has been pierced and the embryo starts tapping the eggshell repeatedly with its egg tooth, a sharp and strong structure that can temporarily be found on the top of the beak of the embryo. Repeatedly tapping the eggshell in the same spot causes the shell to weaken and eventually break. Pipping demands great effort!  

While cutting, the embryo turns around inside the egg, using its wing for direction and legs as the driving force. Once it  has cut a 3/4th circle in shell of the blunt end of the egg, the embryo tries to push itself out of the egg by forcefully stretching its legs and finally becoming free. The newly hatched chicks looked very wet, tired, and vulnerable. A while after hatching, their down feathers dried and they became fluffy and more active.

The children were amazed and super happy to see the baby chicks! They petted them very carefully and showed great love and respect for them! Now the chicks have been moved to a prepared environment,  the farm where they will grow and be taken care of appropriately.  

A huge thanks to the Heggland family for all their hard work and support during this process! What a great experience this was for our toddlers!

 

“The things he sees are not just remembered; they form a part of his soul”

– Dr. Maria Montessori 

 

Check out this video of one of  the baby chicks hatching in our classroom!

Fostering an appreciation for nature is a cornerstone of Montessori teachings. Dr. Maria Montessori was a strong advocate of integrating nature into the daily learning plan of all students. She believed that “there must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony, and the beauty in nature.”

After days of observing patiently, our very hungry caterpillars fulfilled their metamorphosis process and became beautiful painted lady butterflies! Children were in awe to see them stretching their wings when they emerged from their chrysalis. They also had the opportunity to observe them very closely while the butterflies used their tongues to drink the nectar from a juicy clementine.

One by one, the butterflies were released into our Zen Garden and we got to see them flying away! Your little ones were very excited to see the butterflies standing on their fingers or clothes. There was so much giggling and excitement! It was a great experience for all of us!

On another note, some of the popular works this week were the matching pegs and rings work, encouraging creativity while fostering fine motor skills and shape and color recognition; water transfer by operating a dropper; our new addition into the movement area – a walking beam; and our fun sensory bin using colorful cooked spaghetti! Oh how they loved the tactile and visual experience! Some of them also turned it into a gustatory experience! 🙂

Older children also enjoyed three period lessons using our giant insects. This week we introduced the praying mantis, the ant, and the grasshopper.

For food tasting, we enjoyed some delicious mango! Children were amazed at how heavy it was to carry one. They were also shocked to discover that the pulp was yellow and not pink as they thought and they all entirely loved the flavor! Another win for your list!

Exposing children to real animal life in the classroom is of great benefit to them. From touching, observing, and caring for them to understanding the delicacy and uniqueness of all life, the children’s focus sharpens and the sensorial experiences are absorbed by them in incredible ways!

This week we introduced the life cycle of a chicken! From using object models and matching works to watching a very short video of a chicken hatching out of an egg, children started to get curious about the topic of the week. Then we received the gift of 18 gorgeous fertilized eggs and we were supplied with a perfectly sized hatcher to watch the magic happening in front of our eyes! Children have been working intentionally to make sure the eggs are taken care of. They have the opportunity to turn the eggs very gently one time each morning! It’s great to see how careful they all are and the respect they show when handling the eggs! Children love to stand by the hatcher and watch the eggs quietly, hearing the sound, feeling the vibration and the soft heat that it emits. We are all so excited!

To add to the excitement, we were visited by two four month old Ameraucana chickens- their names are Shell and Henrietta! This type of chicken lays beautiful blue eggs. Children were in awe! They had the opportunity to pet them, feed them, and hold them! It was a great experience!

Thank you so much to the Heggland family for making all this happen! Your support to our classroom is incredibly valuable! It was so fun!

On another note, our beautiful hungry caterpillars have already reached the chrysalis stage and children can’t wait to see the butterflies coming out! There is magic all around!

Thanks to all the parents that were able to attend the Parent-Child Morning! It was great to see you having a nice time with your child and getting a closer glimpse of what happens in their Montessori world here at school!

Next week the children who will be moving to the Primary program in the fall will be visiting one of the Primary environments for 20-30 minutes and spending some quality time with our amazing Primary guides and some welcoming peers. A more detailed email about this event will be sent shortly!

For those who celebrate this holiday weekend, please enjoy!

I remember a couple of years ago sitting by a small window and observing the gigantic icicles that covered my view. Suddenly I noticed how, so slowly, water started to drip from the icicles on a sunny morning! I remember so clearly how this sense of joy filled my life! This was the end of my first winter in America and since then I love the hope that spring brings when Earth seems to wake up and become alive again! Warmer and sunnier days, windows opened, greener views, and that crisp in the air are just some of the things that I love from spring! My favorite thing of all is to observe the animals and their incredible ways during this season. Animals that spend the winter in hibernation come out of their dens, while those that traveled to warmer regions return. Many animals give birth in the spring. Winter coats are shed by those that sported them, and some animals may change coloration to blend in with their new surroundings. It’s amazing!

This week, we introduced a very beloved animal to our environment: the caterpillar! For the next two weeks children will have the opportunity to very closely observe the life cycle of painted lady butterflies! By the way, my favorite animal!

Two popular works this week in practical life have been opening and closing a lunchbox and table setting. As full day students have demonstrated interest in setting their own place for lunch, we offered these fun activities for children to practice those necessary skills and learn to carefully treat breakable items. We also added some pretending food and children have been very imaginative! We encourage you to involve your child in setting the table at your home! You will be surprised how well they do it!

Another fun work children seem to like is spooning eggs in our sensorial bin! The prickly grass is something that attracts children and it seems that the tactile experience feels almost therapeutic for some students.

For food tasting we introduced grape tomatoes! Eight out of nine really enjoyed it! Another win!

We can’t wait for all the spring fun that’s coming to our environment during the next couple of weeks! Stay tuned for some fun pictures!

Reminder: Toddler Parent/Child will be on April 11th from 10:30-11:30am in our class.