Play dough has become a staple in the art area of our classroom. We have observed this material to be soothing for many children. There are many fun tools to use with play dough to refine fine motor skills, including rolling pins and cookie cutters. This week, we introduced the children to using their hands to make balls with play dough. We added white play dough to the art area with a bowl of assorted materials to make tiny “snow people”. The children are strengthening their

A large part of a young child’s learning is social and emotional. They spend a great deal of time trying to understand how they are feeling, why they are feeling that way, and how to handle the feelings. They are learning to build friendships and be a part of a community where they are responsible for their actions and their choices. We talk and model for the children how to treat each other and also how to recognize how a friend is feeling. Recently, Debbie read a story c

Every Monday at the end of our work morning, our class gathers together for a peace circle. Throughout the year, we learn how to be peaceful within ourselves, with others, and with nature. Teaching peace to young children is the cornerstone of the Montessori curriculum and it is one that can easily be taught in the home as well. How might a parent promote and teach peace to their children? There are many ways to do so! Here are a few suggestions: 1. Be a good role model: Chil

Recently, survey taking has captured the interest of many children in the classroom. A great learning experience for both the survey taker and the child who is asked questions for the survey. One survey topic was “how many people are in your family?”. It was interesting to observe children stopping to think and count out loud all the members of their family. Very few knew the number right off the top of their head! The survey taker had to practice grace and courtesy while pol

Over the past weeks the children have been exploring new works in the Practical Life area of the classroom. Activities like zippering vests or buttoning a dressing frame can assist a child to master these tasks. Montessori had other reasons for presenting these life skills in the classroom however. Two and three year olds are particularly motivated to learn how to do these tasks independently. After watching adults help with tasks like dressing and cleaning your child is eage

Before identifying letters by name or by sound, the children are taught to isolate sounds, or phonemes, without the letter symbol. One of the ways this skill is taught is with a game called “I Spy”. This game consists of a box of 5 objects. The children practice this game with a teacher, with a friend, or even on their own. The objects each have a different beginning sound. The teacher will name the objects, then say “I spy with my little eye something that begins with a

“One, two, three, four, five,” the child said as she moved her game piece along the squares of a game board. “Your turn!” she exclaimed to a friend. The other child excitedly rolled the dice and they proceeded to play the traditional children’s counting game, Snakes and Ladders. The game has been a very popular math work this week. The children are not only enhancing their counting skills with this activity, they are also practicing patience and taking turns. Snakes and