The children explore letters and beginning sounds in the Montessori classroom in a variety of ways. Letter lessons, beginning sound boxes and “I Spy” are a typical part of the curriculum. A key component of each work is to make it multi-sensory. The work pictured below began as a writing work with the laminated letter cards, a dry erase marker and eraser. The children practiced tracing the letters with the marker. When children were not using the work as much, it was then mod

At the one person work station, a variety of classroom plants can be found each day. The plants have many smooth leaves. The children take turns using an eyedropper to put a few drops of water on a cotton pad and gently wipe each side of each individual leaf. The children examine the leaves and search for ones that have not been cleaned. When all the leaves have been cleaned, they let Luda know and she hunts for a plant in the classroom, or even in the school that needs some

We had special visitors in our classroom recently. The fathers of the Pre-Primary class had the opportunity to visit our classroom for a morning and find out what the children do each day. Not only did we have fathers, we had some grandmothers and grandfathers visit as well! The children taught them how to sit at circle while Debbie showed a work. She showed the cube of the trinomial (puzzle cube) one day and letter tracing with a dry erase marker the other day. Then the

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

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 of the key principles of Montessori is independence. The children are working on doing things for themselves throughout the day. This involves dressing and undressing, bathrooming, being responsible for things in their cubbies, and being responsible for the works in the classroom. Serving themselves snack is a multi-step exercise in independence. They begin by going to the snack table and checking to see if there is a snack necklace available. If there is a necklace,

Certain works appear in the classroom that mesmerize the children. One such work is rock painting in the language area. Before the children are shown how to use the work, they find a basket of rocks, a paintbrush and a little bowl on a tray on the shelf. They explore the rocks and dust the dry paintbrush over the entire work. Some of the second year children recognize the work and ask to get water for the little bowl. The work was finally demonstrated at circle and it ha

The beginning of the school year is full of information, directions, schedules and excitement for the children (and parents!). The children have adjusted to the daily routine and have discovered preferred works in the classroom. They have learned to invite classmates to join them for two person works. On the playground, they dig holes as deep as they can, race around the play structure and swing. They delight in getting to play with children from other classrooms and visi

As our final months of school roll around, kids feel a surge in energy and the excitement of what comes with warmer weather. Spring brings end of year events, outdoor activities, whispers of summer vacation and summer camp. The longer days and milder temperatures typically allow us to embrace the abundance of energy that appears at this time of year. The children are older and socialize more; this is the time of year for checking their boundaries with adults and peers alik

As milder weather rolls in, opportunity arises for longer time periods of outdoor play. One morning, the Pre-Primary class played on the playground until 9, then headed inside for circle and work time. The extra time pushed back the regular schedule, but the difference it made was palpable. The children sat calmly at circle, so focused and ready to participate. The presentation was the introduction to Africa as a new area of study in geography. They quietly listened to a