Author Archives: Alex Chiu

Outdoor Learning Opportunities

While we all remain safely inside our homes, you may have noticed some significant and beautiful changes happening outdoors. This year, the grass seems greener, the flowering trees fuller, the skies bluer, and the sun brighter. It could be that we have a greater appreciation for these springtime changes given current circumstances, or it could be, as some hypothesize, due to a decrease in pollution as people stay home. Whatever the reason, the outdoors is more welcoming than ever this spring.

We’ve all heard that fresh air is good for us, that the vitamin D that we get from exposure to the sun is important, and that both can boost our immunity in general. Most definitely being outdoors on a sunny spring day can lift our spirits. So, as we continue with our physical distancing and alternative learning, why not integrate learning outdoors into a daily routine? Parents can move some of their children’s school activities to the deck, the driveway, or the backyard. Montessori learning is experiential, and incorporating learning with time spent outside is another great way to promote meaningful, sensorial, and fun at-home learning endeavors.

Without too much effort, you might create your own ‘outdoor classroom’ at home. A blanket spread out on the grass and a book (or audiobook) makes for a lovely afternoon reading experience. Bring along a few furry (stuffed animal) friends for a read-aloud picnic and book club party! Sidewalk chalk on the driveway or front walkway might be a fun way to share uplifting messages to passersby while practicing writing at the same time. Older children might do some journal writing while sitting on the front step.

You might find that many outdoor learning opportunities naturally lend themselves to cross-curricular lessons. Combine science with language by having children dictate or write descriptions of their observations of birds, trees, flowers, or backyard visitors. Invoke an art lesson, as well, by providing your child with a sketchbook and some colored pencils or watercolors to then illustrate some of those same observations.

Certain activities are best suited for outside, such as science experiments, especially if they involve water or potentially messy materials, as cleanup is much easier! Go outside and record the daily temperature, or watch which way shadows are cast at different times throughout the day. Show your child which direction is north and see if he or she can estimate the time by where the shadows fall.

You might generate new interest in math lessons involving counting, addition, subtraction, or other functions by having your child use natural objects such as leaves, rocks, or sticks. Tally how many times a squirrel passes by or how many cars drive past the house. Simply being outside invokes the use of senses, so opportunities for Sensorial lessons abound. Sort items by categories such as rough/smooth or heavy/light, or by color or shape or size. Listen to the surrounding sounds and identify or chart them. How many are made by living things (birds, people) vs. non-living things (cars, doors slamming), and then discuss how would you categorize the sound of the wind?

Also remember to offer time for simple, unstructured free-play outside. With an adult nearby but not involved, children can create entire worlds for themselves using their imaginations and their surroundings. Many ‘old fashioned’ games, as well as outdoor lessons, require very few materials or supplies. By allowing your child to take in the sights, sounds, scents, and textures in nature, you’re sure to see learning unfold naturally.

Maintaining a Montessori Mindset through COVID-19

Quilt by Rita Cupano of The Cherry Hat

We have updated an older post originally geared at helping parents ‘maintain a Montessori mindset in the summer’. Many of the same ideas hold true during this very strange and unsettling pandemic where families must adapt to home learning while schools are closed. It is our hope that your family may find some helpful hints and techniques to try at home as you work to find the best balance for family home life while integrating school activities. Fortunately, we have always maintained that Montessori is more than ‘school’ and is really more a way of life! We continue to wish everyone well and will remain a support in the best way that we can.

To help maintain a ‘Montessori mindset” throughout this ‘new normal’, there are a few things that parents can do. A good place to start is by following the example of Montessori teachers who take great care in preparing their classroom environments, upholding expectations for everyone in the classroom community, and following the children’s lead as their interests and needs come into focus. With a little planning, you can create a bridge between what your child has been doing in his or her Montessori school environment and your own home during these days of home learning.

First: Prepare your environment.

Keep an assortment of activities available for your child to use during the ‘down times’ of the day when chores are finished and activities are not planned. Items should be placed where the children can reach them, and a child-sized work area should be established. This allows your child to make decisions about what to do with his or her free time and to be able to do things independently, without mom, dad, or a caregiver having to participate at all times. To help you begin, think about the places where you and your child spend the most time.

In the Kitchen

You might consider designating a shelf in your kitchen to hold activities such as:

An art box with child-safe scissors, scrap paper, colored pencils, leaves, ribbons, buttons, glue sticks, and a tablemat encourages children to create imaginative collages.
Small pitchers and a collection of cups provide opportunities for practice with pouring dry ingredients (like beans and rice) or liquids.
A large, deep tray or dish filled with sand or salt along with seashells, a small rake, and pretty stones invites your child to design ever-changing paths in his or her own miniature Zen garden.

In the Family Room

A basket of books in a cozy corner with pillows and good lighting invites children to spend some time each day in the company of good books.
Recycled items in a basket become building materials where children construct rockets, sculptures, or skyscrapers. Save tissue boxes, oatmeal containers, paper towel tubes, empty water bottles, and other ‘trash’ items for inventive uses
A collection of objects (marbles, coins, cotton balls) and number cards offer practice in matching quantities to the numbers.

Also, rotating puzzles, matching cards, counting activities, and favorite toys every few weeks keeps things interesting and fresh, as children choose which activities they would like to do.

In the Backyard

Don’t forget to prepare things in a space outside, too!

On warmer days, a bucket with fresh water alongside sponges and paintbrushes might inspire your child to wash the deck or outdoor furniture.
A tray with bubble-making supplies and unusual bubble blowers such as funnels, rope tied into a circle, and a slotted spoon put a new twist on an old favorite activity.
A container garden with a watering can and weeding gloves helps your child take responsibility for the care of plants. Consider herbs that smell good and that may be used in cooking!
A butterfly net and bug viewer might be kept together for children to investigate how animals behave in your backyard.

It may take a little time and creativity to collect household items to use for the activities, but this preparation of your home environment is worth the effort. And it needn’t be expensive. You can easily use items you already have available around the house. After you have your prepared environment, show your children what activities are available, where they may do their work, and what to do when they are finished using the materials, just like their teachers do at school. Then, let them enjoy the freedom to choose their work and play!

Second: Uphold your expectations that your children are contributing members of daily family life.

In a Montessori classroom, children learn to respect themselves, others, and the environment. They know that everyone has responsibilities and that the classroom community relies on everyone contributing and doing his or her job. Parents are fully aware that just because everyone is now together at home all day every day doesn’t mean that families are on a ‘vacation’ from the usual day-to-day responsibilities of cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc. So, while your children are at home, be sure to include them in these necessary daily chores. They will be happy to show off the Practical Life skills that they have been developing thus far this school year! Have your children help with age-appropriate tasks such as:

Setting the table
Sorting laundry
Sweeping the front walkway
Assisting with mealtime food preparation
Scrubbing the back deck with sponges and soapy water

Not only does upholding your expectations allow them to practice their skills, but it also confirms that your children (and the work that they do) are important. That is a very motivating feeling! Patience on the part of the parent is essential for helping your child to grow in his or her mastery of these skills, so give your children time to complete their work to the best of their ability, which will result in a great sense of accomplishment (and in all likelihood, a much more willing little household helper!).

Finally: Challenge yourself to “follow the child”.

In Montessori classrooms, teachers learn to ‘follow the child’, and now is an opportune time for parents to try to do the same.

But first, what does it mean to “follow the child”? At its essence, it means to observe your child and to open the doors that your child is knocking on with his or her questions, interests, and behaviors. As your child chooses activities around the house, you might pay attention to which ones he or she chooses over and over again and which ones are left to collect dust. The toys and games being used most often are certainly drawing your child’s attention, and you can try to uncover just what it is about these things that intrigue your child. Maybe he or she is drawn to everything decorated with bugs and dinosaurs. Well, there’s the door waiting to be opened—take some virtual field trips online and look at museums specializing in your child’s interests or search online for YouTube videos of experiments, book read-alouds, or other resources where together you can discover more of what your child is keen on learning about. Or maybe you observe that the most repeated activities are those where your child feels most challenged or most relaxed, and that is what keeps him or her coming back again and again. Stand back as your child works and plays. What do you notice?

Equally important are those children’s items around the house that are collecting dust. Is your child-size easel always clean and bare? Maybe your child doesn’t know what to do with it. Perhaps a fresh supply of watercolors or different sizes of paper or brushes might inspire a new or renewed interest in art. Again, an online tour of a gallery or online art activities might open a new door to artistic expression for your child. By quietly observing your child, you can get some great insights into his or her interests, as well as his or her needs.

Following the child doesn’t mean that you can’t also offer suggestions for activities you might like to do together during this time. And if you have a special interest, share it with your children. Astronomy? Gaze at the nighttime sky and try to identify different constellations. Read the myths behind their names and visit an online planetarium to learn even more. These experiences nurture your children’s natural curiosity and provide them with ways to extend their learning beyond books and into the ‘real world’.

Other ideas for following your child’s interests and expanding your child’s home learning experiences include:

Exploring the outdoors–look for animal tracks, build fairy houses, and learn what types of trees and plants are growing in your backyard.
Going on virtual trips. There are many famous historical sites and museums rich in culture, art, and nature that are offering online tours for free!
Looking at maps and planning routes for any travel adventures you might like to go on the future.
Inviting your children to brainstorm what charitable acts they could do to help others. Even though we are to practice ‘social distancing’, this could be a great time to plan for things to do in the future or creatively brainstorm what can be done while being physically distant from others. What about videotaping your child reading stories and emailing those video links to family, friends, or neighbors to stay in touch?

Together you can choose do-able options from this list. Then let your child outline a plan and put it into action. But remember to stand back and observe your children’s efforts—you will be amazed by what they think and at what they can do when you trust yourself to follow their lead!

With a little preparation, patience, and a “Montessori mindset”, you can provide your child with fulfilling activities that reinforce the skills he or she has gained in the actual classroom. Hopefully, this and the guidance of our teachers and staff can assist you in navigating through the home learning experience until everyone can return to school. At that time, we’ll look forward to hearing about everyone’s home adventures!

What We Love About Montessori

Evidenced by the red and pink hearts, candy, and flowers displayed in stores everywhere, February is a special month. Not only do we acknowledge Valentine’s Day on February 14^th with little exhibits of love and kindness for those around us, but we also celebrate Montessori Education Week February 24^th – February 28^th and pay tribute to Dr. Maria Montessori with gratitude for the incredible philosophy of education she shared with us over 100 years ago.

Mrs. Adamo, Mrs. Fasolas, and Mrs. McShane, three of our MCA Head Teachers, recently asked the students in their classes what they love most about their Montessori classrooms and what they think is important about school. What follows are some of the quotes and written
responses shared by the children.

“I love math.”

“I love Golden Bead Addition.”

“I love the Stamp Game.”

“I love all the friends, Math, and Language.”

“I love my friends.”

“I love the maps in Culture, Math, and the
teachers.”

“I love the calendar and the material.”

“I love Music class.”

“I love Circle time.”

“I love working with the Language material.”

“I love the teacher, the hamster, and the
library.”

“I love using the Moveable Alphabet to make words.”

“I love reading in the library area.”

“I love the Red Rods Maze.”

“I love all the Practical Life work.”

“I love Food Prep in Practical Life.”

“I love eating lunch with my friends.”

“I love free play in the gym.”

“I love playing with my friends on the playground.”

“I love chillin’ in the Peace area.”

“I love working with my friends.”

“I love helping the younger children.”

“I love EVERYTHING!”

2020 Goals: A look at how to approach goal setting with your children

How many of you started out 2020 by making a New Year’s Resolution? And be honest… how many of you by now have already discarded all hope of following through on that resolution? After holidays filled with excess (excessive eating, socializing, shopping, and more!), lots of people have grand notions of reigning it all in on New Year’s Day. Losing 25 pounds in a month. Exercising seven days a week. Burning the credit cards (well, maybe not quite that drastic, but you get the picture). We want a fresh start. We aim big. But by aiming too high, we can easily fall flat.

However, that doesn’t have to happen if we make our resolutions a little more realistic and manageable. Lose ten pounds by the start of spring. Add one new exercise routine to your schedule each week for eight weeks. Limit shopping expenditures by a certain amount each month. In order to start fresh, change our behavior, and stick to our goals, we can turn to countless resources to help us along the way—weight loss programs, smoking cessation techniques, fitness centers, and of course, our friends and family. We can read books, search the internet, or ask our friends who’ve reached goals we aspire to for advice, and then set forth on our path towards reaching the goals we’ve set. If we think about it, having a realistic goal feels good. It motivates us to move in a positive direction, gives us focus, and allows us to celebrate our accomplishments.

Children benefit from goal setting, too. Having goals teaches children about planning, perseverance, and positive behavior. It gives them a sense of control and responsibility for their actions and over their learning. Believe it or not, Montessori students, perhaps without knowing it, set and achieve goals almost daily. Many students enter their classrooms knowing exactly what work they want to do that day. Then, they go to the shelf, collect the work, perform the tasks, and voilà! They’ve achieved their goal! Or, a Montessori student might have been inspired by an older student using a certain material in a more advanced way in October, and then spends time observing to learn how it’s done, until one day in the spring, he or she tries it him or herself. Check—another goal met!

Goals can provide inspiration for trying new things or doing things in new ways. And like adults, children do best in their goal setting with some guidance to help them set attainable goals, develop a plan to achieve them, and support and cheer them along the way. Here are just a few ideas for setting goals with your children this year:

1. Explain what goals are. Merriam-Webster defines the word goal as “the end toward which effort is directed”. By this definition, our goals need to answer the questions “What effort do I want to make?” and “Why?” Equally important is considering the answer to the question “By what date (or in what timeframe) do I want to achieve my goal?” Especially for younger children, shorter-term goals may be best in starting to learn the skill of goal setting.

2. Share your own experiences in setting and achieving goals with your child. Having an example to follow is a great tool. Equally important is sharing any obstacles you faced along the way in reaching or falling short of your own goals. Knowing that there may be bumps in the road teaches your child that there will be challenges, but there are ways to work through those challenges with some planning ahead and support from others. Be sure that you share some simple, daily goals you might have. Note, it’s best if your examples show your child a specific goal that includes a timeframe you had for completing it. For example, you might share with your child that your goal for the day is to shovel the snow before the postal worker is due to arrive. A longer-term goal might be to read one chapter of a new book before bedtime every night until the book is finished. Or, maybe you aspire to learn how to make icing flowers for a birthday cake before Grandma’s 80^th birthday in March. These examples of small, simple goals are just as important as sharing a larger goal you may have achieved, such as saving money over a period of time to take a special trip or learning a new skill. Both types of goals illustrate how goals are really part of our daily lives and motivate us to get things done!

3. Encourage your child to brainstorm possible goals. During the brainstorming, some of the ideas your child comes up with might be ‘out there’ and outrageous like “I want to fly to the moon!” Allow those to be shared (you never know—your child may aspire to be an astronaut and achieve that goal of flying to the moon in the future!). However, if there are absolutely no realistic goals on the list at the end of the brainstorming session, remind your child about some of your simpler, daily goals and some goals that your child may have already achieved unwittingly (like learning how to ride a two-wheeler or mastering cursive writing). Ask your child, “What is something you’d like to achieve or overcome?” See if they can verbalize some of their aspirations in terms of friendships, strengthening a certain skill, sports participation, or learning something new. And remember, the goal is the child’s goal for him or herself and not your goal for your child (you can have those, too, but for this exercise, we’re teaching children to set and work towards goals for themselves!).

Have your child consider the list and add to it with something reasonable and specific that might be a better option. You might provide some help in determining if the goal is something that your child does have control of, too. For example, a high school student whose goal is to ‘get into Harvard’ can certainly work very hard towards that goal, but ultimately, it’s the college admissions officer who determines whether the student gets in and the fate of the result lies not with the student but with the school. Instead, keep the goal within the framework of what the child can do and control, such as learning to play a song on the ukulele or trying to be less shy and more outgoing at birthday parties.

4. Write down the goal! This could be a fun art project. Write down the goal on poster board and have your child decorate it in any way she or he would like. Then keep the written goal up in a place your child will see it as a reminder of what she or he hopes to achieve. The poster could also be used as a tool for tracking progress (as you’ll see below in number 6)!

5. Make a plan. Some of your children, particularly Kindergartners and Elementary students, may have ‘work plans’ at school. These are used by students and teachers to organize the work children do in school and keep them on track with their progress through different materials and subjects. Similarly, a personal goal can be set up like these school work plans. Knowing what you want to achieve, setting a target date for achieving it, and then filling in the steps needed to work towards the goal are all part of the plan. This all doesn’t have to be written down, but these are important things to discuss with your child. Breaking a goal into smaller steps is helpful. Reaching each step in itself is an accomplishment that helps spur a child on to following through on whatever larger goal she or he has set.

This is also a good place to have your child consider what the challenges might be in working toward the goal. It might not be easy all the time, but knowing that ahead of time allows your child to prepare for the ‘what ifs’ and the difficult days. Be sure to remind your child that you are there to support him or her along the way. If appropriate, have your child consider who else might serve as a support in working towards the goal—a teacher, grandparent, librarian, or even YouTube tutorial videos? Knowing the resources available can also be part of the plan and pave the way towards success. Some runners training for a marathon use apps on their smartphones that provide training schedules, and they often enlist a running partner to help from becoming sidetracked or discouraged during their months of training leading up to the big day. Help your child think about resources that might help.

6. Celebrate every success along the way! Now, you don’t need to pull out that credit card here (remember the goal of cutting back on purchases?!), but it is important that you and your child acknowledge the successes your child meets on his or her journey towards reaching the goal that has been set. Positive encouragement in simply acknowledging that you’ve seen your child make an effort to work towards his or her goal might be enough! Or, perhaps have your child go back to the poster board with the goal written on it and add new decorations every time he or she has made some progress. This is very different from someone handing out a ‘gold star’. Instead, your child can take a moment to step back and reflect on what she or he has been working at and recognize the positive movement. It becomes an internal reward system of feeling good about what you’ve been doing. Remember those classroom work plans? The celebration is often being able to cross something off of the ‘to do’ list. That in itself is satisfying and rewarding, and it shows that progress has been made. These small celebrations also provide momentum for continuing on towards that end goal.

And once the goal is achieved, your child might celebrate by thinking up the next bigger goal that lies ahead!

For more information on children and goal setting, see these resources which also were used in compiling some of the information for this article:

Borba, Dr. Michele. “How to Teach Kids Goal-Setting and Perseverance”. US News & World Report. December 2017. https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2017-12-26/how-to-teach-kids-goal-setting-and-perseverance.

Cullins, Ashley. “4 Steps for Helping Your Child Set Effective Goals (Plus a Bonus Tip)”. Big Life Journal. December 2019. https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/goal-setting-for-kids.

Evitt, Marie Faust. “7 Tips for Teaching Kids How to Set Goals (And Reach Them!)”. Parents Magazine. https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/style/how-to-teach-kids-perseverance-goal-setting/.

Collaborating with The Country Home: Keeping the spirit of caring and giving alive all throughout the year!

It is always with great anticipation that MCA selects and announces the organization it will support each school year, and we take great pride in making our charitable efforts an ongoing series of events throughout the year rather than limiting them to just the holiday season. This year, we are especially excited about the opportunities that are unfolding for our students, staff, and families as we partner with The Country Home Memory Care. We believe that the connections we are making through the activities we have planned will be long-lasting and make a positive impact not only in the lives of the residents at The Country Home, but also for our MCA community.

About The Country Home
Located in Morris Plains, New Jersey, The Country Home is a 38-bed community which offers personal residential care for senior citizens with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. The Victorian house is surrounded by a white picket fence with a beautiful outside seating area where music can be heard playing. There is a large area for the residents to garden with family members, and on Sundays, they have “Family Day” where everyone gathers together. It is a place where people can feel comfortable and at home while receiving the attention and care that they need. The residents have the opportunity to engage in a variety of daily activities, such as playing games or caring for the cat and dog through pet therapy, and we are adding to their opportunities with our school community efforts this year.

Our Special Connection
Mrs. Jacqueline Pisciotto, one of our MCA Head Teachers, discovered The Country Home when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Mrs. Pisciotto, through her personal experience, has learned a great deal about the needs of Alzheimer’s patients and has come to discover that the Montessori approach not only benefits children, but also benefits those senior citizens with Dementia or Alzheimer’s. As researchers have found in their work with the elderly in recent years, Mrs. Pisciotto observed firsthand that by bringing Montessori ideas and activities into this senior community, the residents could engage in meaningful activities that stimulate and engage their minds and utilize their fine motor skills in the same way that our MCA students benefit from this type of work at their own developmental stages. In discussing this initiative with Dr. Timothy Purnell, current CEO of the American Montessori Society, we learned that AMS has recently highlighted information on the positive connection between Montessori and Alzheimer’s patients, so this is an exciting time to become involved in newly developing research and Montessori expansion across generations.

Together with Mr. Steven Richter, the Administrator of The Country Home, MCA began exploring ways to apply the Montessori philosophy and incorporate Montessori Materials into the daily activities of the senior citizens at The Country Home. Thus, MCA’s service commitment started, and we are well on our way to making a positive impact on the lives of our new friends at The Country Home.

Bringing Montessori to The Country Home
To support The Country Home’s Dementia/Alzheimer’s care services, MCA students are creating Montessori-inspired materials to share with the residents. Together with their teachers, the students are designing their own Practical Life exercises, art projects, and Sensorial lessons for their new Montessori counterparts. These are then shared with the residents at The Country Home by Mrs. Pisciotto, who demonstrates to the seniors how to use the materials. The materials remain at the center housed on a special “Montessori Cart” which was donated by MCA and assembled by our MCA Elementary students. This cart and the materials are left on the premises for the residents to use as they wish.

Currently, Mrs. Pisciotto and Mrs. Camilla Nichols-Uhler, Director of Montessori Development, have been visiting the residents each week, bringing in different activities for the seniors to explore. To date, they have presented lessons on patterning and stringing beads, matching socks, folding napkins, matching colors, flowers, and leaves, spooning cheerios, and tonging pom poms. The residents also are enjoying using tangram puzzles; one former construction foreman absolutely loves these puzzles! In addition, Mrs. Pisciotto and Mrs. Nichols-Uhler have shared various arts and crafts activities, including making holiday decorations. Mrs. Pisciotto also brought in the birds from her classroom, Tinker Bell and Peter Pan, and they were a huge hit, as many of the residents spent time watching and interacting with them.

During these MCA visits, everyone becomes engaged in various activities which support fine motor control, concentration, and memory. Not only that, but they have fun and make social connections as well! Several residents have started to sing songs and share stories and memories from their lives. Needless to say, the reception from everyone at The Country Home has been nothing but positive, and there have been many requests to please bring in more Montessori work for them to do!

More Student, Staff, and Family Participation Opportunities
Our MCA Kindergarten and Elementary students will have the added opportunity to ‘adopt a grandparent’ to write to and send artwork to throughout the school year. The Elementary students plan to travel to The Country Home to sing for the residents during the winter holidays, and we aim to arrange more visits at other times during the year. In the spring, we also hope to collaborate in some seed raising and planting with the residents in their beautiful garden, and perhaps plan a day when MCA families can visit the home to help in the planting at a “Sunday Planting in the Garden Get-Together”. In addition, MCA staff will have the chance to visit The Country Home as part of their in-service days. There they will work with residents using the materials from the children, read, engage in conversation, and help with any simple tasks that might need to be done at the facility. Our goal is hope to support The Country Home in making their senior residents feel loved, respected, and cherished.

Meaningful Montessori Outreach and Outcomes
Perhaps one of the most exciting things about our partnership with The Country Home is the opportunity for our students and staff to assess firsthand how Montessori impacts the lives of the residents. By collecting personal reflections, stories, photos, and feedback from the residents and staff at The Country Home about their experiences with working with Montessori materials and interacting with our MCA community, we can follow the progress and hopefully confirm our belief that Montessori is beneficial across ages. We believe that Montessori can build a bridge between generations and provide a place where young and old can come together in a spirit of caring, comfort, creativity, and community.

We are so excited to engage in this partnership with The Country Home! Stay tuned for more updates of our activities throughout the year!

If you’d like to read more about the benefits of bringing Montessori into the lives of people with dementia, you might like reading the following articles online:

Camp, Cameron, Antenucci, V., Roberts, A., Fickenscher, T., Erkes, J., and Neal, T. “The Montessori Method Applied to Dementia: An International Perspective.” Montessori Life, Spring 2017. American Montessori Society, https://amshq.org/About-Montessori/Montessori-Articles/All-Articles/The-Montessori-Method-Applied-to-Dementia.

Hunstman, Mark. “Using the Montessori Method for Dementia.” alzheimers.net, https://www.alzheimers.net/montessori-method-dementia/.