Recently, some of the senior kindergartners have taken a moment in their busy morning to walk downstairs to read to our youngest classroom, the Seedlings. This is one way we are able to connect our oldest and youngest students here at Pine Grove. In a Montessori school, a multi-age classroom offers many benefits. Older children act as a model for younger children who are so willing to follow the big kids. Teaching fellow classmates also allows the older student to show master

Recently, we placed extension cards in the Sensorial area to encourage the children to extend their learning with some of the most basic Montessori materials: The Pink Cubes, Brown Prisms, and Red Rods. Most of the class has seen these materials in past years if they are returning student to Pine Grove. The extension cards challenge older students to make new patterns and designs using the Sensorial materials, often combining materials together. One of the most popular extens

Extensions are a great way to breathe new life into Montessori materials that the children have mastered. Recently, two six year-old children who have mastered identifying the Geometric Solids from the Sensorial area extended their study by going on a “Geometric Solid scavenger hunt” around our classroom. They discovered that the colored globe from the geography area matched the sphere, that the Brown Prisms matched the rectangular prism, and the Colored Cylinders matched the

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

“Play fosters belonging and encourages cooperation.” - Unknown Each Wednesday afternoon the kindergarten class participates in classic children’s games. The focus of this activity is to teach cooperation and listening skills, as well as build friendships and promote teamwork amongst the children. This past week, we played Mother, May I?. None of the children had played this game before and were excited to learn how to play. Simple and fun, the game consists of one person play

One child, a senior kindergartner, chooses a reading work, The Command Cards. He invites a younger child, four years old, to do the work with him. She accepts and they set up a work mat together and place the work on the mat. The five-year old chooses a card and reads aloud the command written on it: clap your hands. The four-year old happily obliges, giggling as she claps a few times. They proceed to go through most of the cards together, the older child practicing reading s

August and September can often feel like a blur as families and teachers alike prepare for another school year. Children may be experiencing feelings of anxiety and uncertainty about new classrooms, teachers and friends. How can we help our youngest students through these first few weeks of school? Here are five tips for families looking to help their children feel more confident and prepared upon returning to school in the fall. 1. Encourage Independence: Allow your child am

Our classroom pet, Dory, passed away this past week. She was a sweet, little fish that the children loved feeding, observing, and making pictures for to decorate the area around her bowl (so she wouldn’t feel bored, according to the kids). The loss provided us with the opportunity to have a talk about life cycles and process our feelings about saying goodbye to a pet. Many kids shared that they felt sad that Dory died; others expressed confusion and curiosity as to why it hap

Recently, the kindergarten class celebrated Earth Day. In preparation for the event we have talked about having peace with nature and ways that we can take care of our earth. The children had several activities to choose from during work time: making earth colored bird feeders, earth shaped ornaments, and nature journals. All the materials we used were recycled materials, most found around our school! The children had a fun and productive work time doing each station’s activi