And like that, October is gone, and we continue having fun here at the Toddler level!

Last week we celebrated the fall harvest with our annual wagon ride and visit to our very own “Fraser Farm” located in our Zen garden, which was transformed into a beautiful pumpkin patch for our toddlers to explore.

First, the children were invited to ride in wagons all around the school, knowing that they needed to keep their eyes open for the pumpkins. Once we arrived at our Fraser Farm, the children were ecstatic to run around and pick their own pumpkins. There were giggles and so much excitement! Children explored different sizes of pumpkins and worked hard to carry them around. We all had a great time! When the time came, every toddler got into their wagon, carrying their chosen pumpkin, and we went for another ride around the school, arriving at our classroom ready to celebrate by sharing some yummy pumpkin treats and apple cider.

A big shout out to our wonderful Middle School students who happily offered to pull the wagons for us. Also, a big THANK YOU to our wonderful class parents and to all of you who helped with wagons, donations, and volunteering. We are so thankful to be part of a community that cares!

On another note, painting on the easel was a new addition to our art shelf this week. There are three main objectives of this exercise. First, the development of hand-eye coordination. Dipping the paintbrush in and out of the paint pot requires a steady hand and a keen eye, working simultaneously. Second, small motor control. Holding the paintbrush and whooshing it across the paper in the direction you want it to go is hard work when you’re small. Think of all the pre-writing skills they are learning just by holding the brush! Third, and I have to say, my favorite goal is creative independence! There are no rules when it comes to painting. There is no predetermined product, just a process. The children can plan their own painting from start to finish without any interference from adult rules or directions. The only thing they must remember is to paint only on the paper. Their sense of satisfaction, after they finish their masterpiece is just incredible to witness!

In the practical life area, we introduced the exercise of water transferring using a dropper. It was a challenging exercise, but the children were so proud of themselves when they were able to make the dropper work and hear the sound of the water touching the silver bowl. It’s common to hear some children say to themselves, “Squeeze, open,” as they work hard to coordinate their hand movements.

Lastly, the children enjoyed watching the school Halloween parade and exploring yellow dragon fruit for our food-tasting lesson, which it’s actually much tastier and yummier than the regular red dragon fruit, in case you want to add it to your grocery list!

Enjoy the pictures and your children’s favorite fingerplay these days,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Maria Montessori believed that the initial six years of a child’s life are crucial for their language development; from birth, a child must receive appropriate stimulation. This is also widely recognized by many language specialists when referring to learning foreign languages.

Research shows that learning a second language boosts problem-solving, critical-thinking, and listening skills, in addition to improving memory, concentration, and the ability to multitask. Children proficient in other languages also show signs of enhanced creativity and mental flexibility.

In our environment, children are exposed to Spanish multiple times a day. From songs to books to direct conversations, Spanish is always part of our routines.

This week, children were introduced to the following commands: caminar (walk), parar (stop), brincar (jump), bailar (dance), correr (run), comer (eat), and dormir (sleep). They are also already familiar with phrases such as Buenos dias (good morning), Ven aca, por favor: (Come here, please), Agua (water), lavate las manos (wash your hands), and Vamos (Let’s go) to name a few.

The children’s favorite book this week seemed to be Palabras by Kidsbooks. Children were encouraged to look at the pictures and repeat different vocabulary words in Spanish during story time. It was a well-requested book!

On another note, this week’s most popular work seemed to be hammering golf tees into a pumpkin using a mallet! There is so much hand-and-eye coordination needed for this work! We enjoy watching your children challenge themselves and sharpen their skills every day!

Lastly, we explored spaghetti squash for food tasting, and as a Sensorial extension, children were able to examine the pulp for another squash in our sensory bin! The children also tasted its toasted seeds. Yum!

Reminder: If you haven’t done so yet, please remember to sign up for our upcoming parent-teacher conferences next Thursday, October 25th, using this link.

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Dr. Maria Montessori introduced Practical Life exercises to provide children with opportunities to perform simple tasks that they have already observed at home. Practical Life exercises enable children to care for themselves, take care of the environment, and develop respect for others.

Care of the environment activities encourage the child to interact with the environment, exhibiting respect and love. These activities help the child form a connection with their environment and find a personal responsibility towards it.

This week, we introduced one of the most beloved activities in our Montessori environments: flower arrangement. Second-year students were thrilled to observe the work, and they were ready to continue sharpening their hand skills. Our first-year students were super eager to get their hands on it. This is a beautiful activity that offers so much to your child’s development. Through this exercise, children develop a sense of beauty and the mental task of sequencing; they learn to exercise the judgment of size and capacity in matching flowers to vases and in pouring water, as well as manual dexterity as they need to fetch water and use different tools. This activity also indirectly prepares your child for botany studies in our Primary program and offers a great opportunity to work on independence and concentration. Your children love it! We can’t thank you enough for your weekly flower donations!

Another practical life lesson we introduced this week in the area of self-care was putting on a jacket. Children received a lesson using what we called the “fliparoo” trick. Children have been practicing this skill over and over. Please see the video below on the lesson, and please support your child at home to practice this skill.

On another note, as we started our pumpkin unit this week, children had the opportunity to explore the outside and inside of a pumpkin! Skin, pulp, strands, and seeds were new vocabulary words used to describe the parts of a pumpkin. We also talked about its texture, size, and color. Smooth, rough, and mushy were adjectives we repeated over and over, as well as naming the color orange. Pumpkin was also our food-tasting item this week, but as most of the children didn’t find it really tasty, we decided to find another way to introduce this fruit, so we baked pumpkin muffins with the children, and oh boy, what a difference! Children enjoyed it so much that they kept asking for more and more.

Lastly, we celebrated another birthday this week! It’s such a joy seeing the children growing healthy and loved!

Enjoy the pictures!

Mrs. Hood and Ms. Mollie

Reminder: Parent-teacher conferences are coming up. To maximize our 20 minutes together, we would greatly appreciate you emailing your questions to us prior to it. Please take some time to think about your questions and send them to ahood@fraserwoods.com by Friday, October 20th.