Tag Archives: benefits of Montessori

More Than Just a Bake Sale

By Alex Chiu

When is a bake sale more than just a bake sale? When we look at the learning opportunities behind these special fundraisers, we discover that children get more out of them than we might realize! Let’s take a peek behind the scenes of the bake sales hosted by The Montessori Children’s Academy and uncover the ways bake sales can help our children learn to look beyond the sweets with some very sweet and lasting results.

1. Children learn empathy. First, it’s important to be aware that with one exception (the Kindergarten bake sale), the proceeds from MCA bake sales go to charity. This month’s sales will support The Valerie Fund, MCA’s chosen charity for this school year. The students at all three MCA campuses have spent the past several months learning about this organization and how The Valerie Fund helps families whose children are suffering from childhood cancers or other blood diseases. They have come to realize some of the challenges these children and families face, and have learned about the things that this organization does to assist them. The children learn empathy for others, and are introduced to other people’s experiences and struggles. In addition, children are encouraged to see the bake sale as an opportunity to do something kind not only for the individuals associated with the chosen charity. They are inspired to consider who they might like to share a special bake sale treat with as a random act of kindness. Perhaps the local librarian? The crossing guard? A sibling? They might decide that someone they know could use a special ‘pick me up’ and share a treat with that individual as a very sweet gesture.

2. Children learn to plan and organize an event. MCA bake sales are planned and organized together with the children. While the teachers must coordinate the dates for the sales, the children are very involved in other aspects of the preparation. Students are responsible for listing the things that are needed to run the sales, including basic items like tables to display the sale items, decorations and tablecloths to make the sale attractive, money for making change, baskets to hold the baked goods, to name a few. They also create the posters which hang in the school hallways to promote the sales.

3. Children learn appreciation. Our Kindergarteners take the lead on a spring bake sale, which not only raises money for a charity of their choice, but also helps to support their end of the year events. The proceeds are divided between a charity that the students research and vote on, a special memento left on the school grounds representing the graduating Kindergarteners (e.g., wind chimes, a carved stone, etc.), and their special Kindergarten-year celebration. In this way, the Kindergarteners learn that in addition to their charitable contribution, there is work, time, and money involved in being afforded these special year-end activities, and they come to appreciate them even more.

4. Children practice interpersonal communication. Alongside parent helpers, MCA students work at the bake sale tables. They greet their customers and are encouraged to explain the purpose of the sale. They might describe the information they have learned about the charity that will benefit from the sale or share details about the various items being sold. In general, they have the opportunity to practice general grace and courtesy with their interactions.

5. Children use math skills! In addition to developing communication skills, the children who work at the bake sales practice their math skills while taking money for purchases and making change as needed. In their classrooms, the children work on identifying coins and learning the quantities within the different coins. Children who help their parents prepare the baked items at home also have the opportunity to practice math skills as they measure out ingredients for their recipes. And for those who opt to purchase pre-made goods, those children can work together with their parents to determine how many of each item is in the package and how many packages they will need to be able to provide a dozen bags of treats for their sale.

6. Children can express their creativity. When preparing bake sale items or packaging them, consider having your child create labels or decorate stickers to put on each bag. While not necessary, this is just another way to involve children in the process.

7. Children make connections across their learning. When schools work together with families to bridge the learning that takes place both at school and at home, children can see the connections of what they are learning across all areas of their lives. Learning doesn’t just happen at school. Things parents teach at home aren’t just meant for when the children are with their families. Bake sales are just another opportunity where these connections can be made in a very delicious and satisfying way!

So next time that information sheet about an upcoming bake sale comes home, consider the learning opportunities it can offer, and then let the baking and more than baking begin!

Artful Opportunities

By Alex Chiu

Winter is an especially opportune time to delve into the wonderful world of art with children. Time spent outdoors is sometimes more limited than in warmer seasons, and families often look for creative activities to do together at home. While Maria Montessori did not create specific Montessori materials for art activities as she did with the materials she developed for other areas in the curriculum, there are many Montessori-inspired ways to bring art into your child’s life.

Montessori classrooms usually have an inviting Art area with shelves that contain activities where children can focus on one skill at a time, and then gradually move on to other activities that require combining several skills. For example, you might find cutting work on the Art shelf. Children choose strips of paper that they may cut any way they wish, or they might select a strip of paper which has lines (curvy, straight, horizontal, zig zag) where they practice cutting in different ways and at different skill levels. Another work might focus on gluing. Children learn the proper way to squeeze and apply glue to adhere smaller pieces of paper in a variety of shapes and colors (maybe even those which were part of the previously mentioned cutting work) to a larger piece of paper. Here they learn about paper collage, what to do if you squeeze too much glue, and especially about cleaning up thoroughly so there’s not a sticky table left behind after they are done! Color mixing is another favorite art work. You might find children mixing two different paint colors at an easel to discover the surprise of creating a whole new color, or using eye droppers filled with different colors of water to drop onto a coffee filter for the same purpose in a different medium.

These are but a few of the many activities children explore in the Art area of their classrooms. And while each has its own unique purpose of learning a specific skill, they all share the common purpose of helping children learn to follow multiple steps in preparing, performing, and cleaning up their work. In addition, the activities found in the Art area also aid in the development of hand-eye coordination, concentration, and organization. In this way, the art activities promote skill development the children will need in all other areas of the classroom from Language to Math and more.

In addition, many teachers find a way to connect and enhance their curriculum, especially their Cultural studies, with special art activities. For example, when studying Asia, children may have the opportunity to try using a stylus to write symbols in the same manner used by Chinese calligraphers. Or if there is a theme related to Native Americans, the children might have an opportunity to make their own pinch pots with clay or practice threading small beads onto string or wire. Classes often study famous authors and artists, and teachers may supplement art materials so that children can create their own masterpieces in the style of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” with oil paints and swirling motions, Picasso’s cubist portraits with their own faces as the subjects of their work, or illustrate their own stories with tissue paper designs modeled after an Eric Carle book.

The options for art are endless, and these ideas are easily transferred to doing art in your own homes as well. But before you begin, remember that as with all Montessori lessons, it’s all about the preparation and the process. Be sure to have supplies for whatever art activity you engage in complete and ready for use before you begin. Also, consider investing in some better quality art supplies, including paper, scissors, paintbrushes, etc. Artist-quality colored pencils often last longer than the cheaper varieties which easily break and cause frustration. Introduce your child to the materials with enthusiasm, let them know you support their creativity, and then let their inner artists emerge.

It is equally important to have the necessary clean-up supplies on hand and provide instruction on what is expected for the clean-up (keeping in mind what is age appropriate) when they are done. Your children will see the connection with doing art activities at home with what they do at school, as they set up a workspace, have the required materials to do the work, participate in the work, and then clean up the workspace. Keep these same expectations for home art activities, and be impressed by how well your children complete each step!

Here are just a few fun and inspirational art activities you might like to try at home:

• Disappearing Artwork: If you’re hesitant about the mess that is sometimes involved with art, this might be a good one to begin with! Provide your children with a small lap-size chalkboard (often sold at Dollar Stores). Then, using a paintbrush dipped in water, your children can create their masterpieces and watch as they magically disappear before their eyes!
• Recycled Sculptures: Using items that you might normally throw into your recycling bin, allow your child access to tape, paper towel rolls, used dryer sheets, tissue boxes, paper scraps, cereal containers, and more to create their own unique sculptures. They could build cities, robots, doghouses, or anything else their imaginations may think of, as the possibilities are endless.
• Impressive Impressionism: Put a small amount of different colors of paint into the spaces of an empty egg carton. Instead of a paintbrush, have your child use cotton swabs to make a masterpiece of dots in the style of Monet or another Impressionist. Consider using 5×7-sized paper so the work isn’t too overwhelming.
• Collage Creations: Find a use for old buttons, ribbon, or wrapping paper remnants, or even stale cereal, inexpensive lentils, or dried beans by letting your child create a one-of-a-kind collage. You could even allow your child to experiment with which type of glue works better for different types of material. Offer a glue stick and also regular school glue to have your child compare which is more successful for his or her project.
• Observational Drawing: Provide your child with a small notebook and some high quality colored pencils, and then invite him or her to look out the window and focus on one object to draw. Or let your child pick an item from nature—a seashell, pinecone, twig, or leaf, perhaps—and encourage some time observing the object carefully and using the pencils to illustrate what your child sees.
• Crazy Crayons: Together with your child, remove the paper casing from several different colored crayons. Show your child that the color can be made using the tip, the flat top, or even the side of the crayon. Let your child experiment with the different effects each method creates. This is also a good activity for expressing emotions. Your child can use the crayon lightly, frantically, smoothly, strongly, and see that each different way of pressing the crayon on the paper can reflect a different ‘emotion’ of the crayon, and the artist too.

This is just a tiny sampling of the many types of art adventures you could have at home. Whatever you choose to explore, remember that in addition to learning a variety of skills, art can be an incredibly useful outlet for expressing emotions and a way to simply do something that makes your child feel joy.

Also, keep in mind that for most children, art is about the process, not the product. To them, the manipulating of materials and taking the time for exploring them in a variety of ways is the focus. Try to keep activities very open-ended and don’t be discouraged if once the activity is completed, your child simply wants to throw the artwork away! The work has served its purpose for your child—the process of doing and creating. Be careful to keep this in mind, rather than thinking about an ‘end product’ or expecting their creations to look a certain way. You can secretly collect the artwork from the trash to save for yourself without your child even knowing, if you really want to!

Resources for this article include:
https://www.montessoriservices.com/ideas-insights/art-in-the-montessori-environment
https://theartofeducation.edu/content/uploads/2014/12/Montessori-Art-Overview.pdf

Peace

By Alex Chiu

“Peace is every step,” wrote Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, author, and peace activist. In his many books, he offers suggestions for how we can find peace in any and every moment, especially the most hectic ones! This sage one would probably love spending time in a Montessori classroom where he could see that peace, indeed, is in every step the children take at school. Within everything a child does in the Montessori environment, there is an underlying lesson which helps to build the foundation of living mindfully, joyfully, and peacefully with ‘every step’.

This peace education begins on the very first day of school when teachers introduce lessons on Grace and Courtesy. They model the use of simple words and actions that demonstrate respect and regard for self, others, and the environment. Children learn the polite way to greet people. They are shown how to carefully walk around the work rugs of their classmates and how to move throughout the classroom slowly and with care. Vocabulary for interrupting someone or asking for something is provided and practiced. All of this early groundwork sets the stage for a classroom community whose members can work together and enjoy one another, while at the same time promoting a peaceful, safe, warm environment in which the children can learn and grow.

After these early Grace and Courtesy lessons, the children begin their exploration of the Montessori materials, making their way to the Language, Math, Cultural, Practical Life, and Sensorial areas. All of these areas of the classroom are filled with enticing ‘work’ for the children to do, leading them to wonderful academic discoveries. But mastermind that she was, Dr. Montessori incorporated ‘secret’ lessons into the materials she developed. In addition to teaching an academic skill, each activity is also a lesson in mindfulness and part of Montessori’s goal of education being a vehicle for peace in the world.

When using any of the Montessori materials, children must navigate through several steps. These include setting up a work space (either at a table or on a floor work rug), retrieving the material from the shelf, performing the tasks required to complete the work, returning the work to the shelf when finished, and then cleaning up the work area. The children’s movements must be planned, precise, and peaceful in each step. As they traverse throughout the classroom, they must negotiate the other people and furniture in the environment. When attending to their work, they have been shown how to use the material purposefully and carefully. The children understand that the care of the materials benefits the whole class, and they want to make sure things are taken care of for themselves and for everyone in their classroom. The beauty of the materials captures their attention and inspires their interest and careful consideration. Children take their time as they work. They aren’t rushed to complete one thing in order to move on to another. Instead, they are in charge of their work time which is safeguarded in an uninterrupted work cycle which facilitates their investigation of the materials and allows them to explore without being hurried along to the next activity. They enjoy the work that they do!

Many Montessori classrooms also include a special Peace Table where children might be found raking sand in a Zen garden, observing seasonal items from nature such as seashells or pinecones, or balancing a collection of smooth stones. Even the youngest Montessorians engage in these peace activities either at a Peace Table or in their other lessons chosen from across the curriculum. As shown in the lovely photograph above, some of the children in one of our MCA 2 ½ – 3 ½ classrooms took time to create beautiful ‘nature mandalas’ using a collection of items from nature in combination with pretty glass seashells and stones. Providing children with such opportunities allows them to observe nature, to make a connection with the materials, to mindfully take time to create a pretty display, to sit peacefully, and to take delight in the work that they completed.

Peace, indeed, is every step in the Montessori way. We take heart in knowing that Montessori education continues to promote peace in the development of our children, and we remain hopeful that the children will live out these lessons of peace as they grow and move about in our world. We wish everyone a joyful, peaceful 2019!

December Decision-Making

by Alex Chiu

Although it may feel as though the school year just started (a mere three months ago!), it is already time to consider educational options for the 2019-2020 school year! MCA will be hosting a series of Open Houses for current families to share information about both the Kindergarten and Elementary Programs we offer. Our Open House dates are as follows:

Kindergarten Open Houses:
Short Hills Campus – Tuesday, December 4th from 3:15 – 4:15PM
Morristown Campus – Wednesday, December 5th from 3:15 – 4:15PM
Chatham Campus – Thursday, December 6th from 3:15 – 4:15PM

Elementary Open House:
Short Hills Campus – Thursday, December 13th from 5:30 – 6:30PM

The Kindergarten Year: Completing the Three-Year Cycle
Parents of preschoolers may wonder why their child should continue in Montessori for the Kindergarten year. The Kindergarten year is the third and culminating year in the Montessori three-year cycle. It is what many children aspire to, and once they reach this level, they are proud of their roles as “upperclassmen”.

Here are just some of the benefits of the Montessori Kindergarten year:

1. Full Day Kindergarten. Students participate in their multi-age classroom activities in the morning session. Here they act as mentors and role models while at the same time honing their academic and social skills. The afternoon portion of the Kindergarten day is a time for the Kindergarten peers to come together in a separate environment from the 3-6 classroom. Here they not only continue to expand on their exploration of Montessori materials across the curriculum, but also are introduced to some of the traditional educational materials they might encounter should they move on to a non-Montessori elementary school. This transitional work complements their Montessori curriculum and is still performed at the rate that each child is ready.
2. Kindergarten Specials Classes. In addition to weekly Spanish and Music classes offered to all 3-6 classes, Kindergarten students also participate in Technology, Health, and Physical Education classes. In Technology, students use laptops, iPads, digital cameras, etc. to explore and grow their techno-literacy skills. In their Health and Physical Education classes, students are introduced to healthy habits to carry with them throughout their lives. They learn basic fundamental skills in a variety of sports, with a focus on activity as a fun way of staying fit and living well.
3. Kindergarten Community Connections. MCA Kindergartners are afforded an abundance of enrichment experiences outside of their classrooms. These include special Kindergarten field trips, community service outreach activities, pen pal correspondence with Elementary students and students from around the globe, being special guest readers to younger students, and much more. Students take on greater roles as organizers and leaders of many events throughout the Kindergarten year.
4. Kindergarten Special Events and Graduation. The Kindergarten year includes a variety of special activities geared specifically for our Kindergartners and culminates with a very special graduation celebration honoring the growth the children have made over the course of their three (or more) years in Montessori.

MCA’s Kindergarten Program is an excellent alternative to public or other non-public Kindergarten options. Our full-day Kindergarten provides our students with immeasurable social and emotional benefits in addition to academic rigor. MCA may accept students from other preschool programs to join its Kindergarten classes after a “Kindergarten Interview”, if enrollment space allows. For more information about the benefits of the Kindergarten year, you might enjoy watching this video by the American Montessori Society, Montessori Kindergarten: Empowering & Essential at https://vimeo.com/109029560.

Expanding into MCA’s Elementary and Middle School
MCA’s Elementary Program serves children through the 8th grade and promotes academic excellence, critical thinking, cooperation, and civic responsibility in its students. Our dynamic program focuses on the whole child and is guided by a team of passionate and experienced teachers who attend to the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs of each student. Our Elementary teaching team makes learning meaningful and motivates students in their study of the core subject areas of Language, Math, Science, Social Studies, Geography, and Culture. We also nurture our students’ growth in the areas of Technology, Health, Spanish, Physical Education, Music, Theater, Visual Arts, and Peace Education. In addition, MCA Elementary includes lessons and programs that are unique to our school.

Some of the hallmarks of MCA’s Montessori Elementary experience include:

1. Independent learning and individual pacing without ‘grade level’ restrictions. Montessori education understands and respects that every child learns at a different pace. Students move through their academic studies with materials that complement their ability and facilitate their growth. They may work independently or in small groups depending on the task at hand, and students learn collaboration with others and take ownership of their learning.
2. Progressive learning in traditional Montessori curriculum areas with cross-curricular and real world application. Our Montessori Elementary environment includes all traditional Montessori curriculum areas complete with physical manipulatives and learning materials. As lessons progress, relationships are drawn among the curriculum areas, and understanding moves from the concrete to the more complex and abstract. Work is scaled up in terms of difficulty. Collaboration between teachers and peers becomes necessary and “intangible” skills like critical thinking are employed to solve problems and complete projects which often are related to real life applications.
3. Peace Education and “Service Learning” projects. Another intangible, but critically important, part of the Montessori curriculum is its incorporation of Peace Education. Students become involved in their communities in very meaningful ways. From participating in reading clubs with senior citizens to planning and organizing fundraisers to support local charities, our Elementary students share their time and talents in the service of others. Our students not only become positively contributing members of their local communities, but they also become more globally conscious citizens as they learn about the needs of those in faraway communities, as well. Opportunities such as these gift children with a sense of civic responsibility, tolerance, and empathy, traits that are not easily obtainable in a standard academic classroom.

MCA’s Elementary Program promotes the growth and development of our future leaders through a wealth of meaningful academic, social, and community experiences. As Dr. Montessori said, “The Absorbent Mind is indeed a marvelous gift to humanity”, and giving your child the opportunity to complete the three-year Early Childhood Cycle with a Montessori Kindergarten year or to continue in Montessori through the elementary years, is a gift that will be carried with them throughout their educational journey.

If you would like more information about MCA’s Kindergarten or Elementary Programs, please speak with your Campus Director, or join us at one of our Open Houses this month!

Creating a Montessori Community

By Alex Chiu

Parents who choose Montessori for their children’s education hopefully find themselves embarking on an educational journey that goes beyond what their children learn within their classroom walls. An equally important aspect to Montessori education is creating a community among the children, parents, teachers, and administrators, and then extending this community to work together within their towns and cities. Just as the children learn the importance of caring for, respecting, and appreciating the people in their classrooms, Montessori schools try to extend this same sense of inclusion to their school parents and families and then branch out to work together with their neighborhood communities in a variety of positive and contributing ways.

At The Montessori Children’s Academy, we ring in the new school year with an informal Welcome Back Coffee where parents can meet one another and congregate at the school for a social gathering. It’s a great time for new parents to meet returning parents and glean some insights into what to expect in the coming days, weeks, and months. They might share helpful hints for smoother drop offs with their children or exchange phone numbers for playdates. It’s simply an opportunity to connect.

On a larger scale, MCA hosts an annual Harvest Family Fun Day at a park near the South Mountain Reservation. This celebration of the season includes a picnic, games, crafts, and other fun activities that all MCA families from across MCA’s three campuses can join in together. Not only does the Harvest Family Fun Day provide families with a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon, it also allows children to see their teachers outside of the classroom and gives parents a chance to interact with teachers and other children and families in a relaxed environment without the demand of weekday schedules.

Additionally, MCA offers parents several Parent Education events throughout the school year. There is a book club for parents each year which focuses on one specially selected book with discussions led by MCA teachers who facilitate open dialogue and field questions from participants. The Parent Education Nights we host throughout the year each focus on different areas and materials of the Montessori classroom so that parents gain a better understanding of what is available to their children in the classroom, as well as learn the purpose of the lessons and the meaning behind the methods. The annual MCA Speaker Series is another evening event for parents, which features some of the most acclaimed professionals in their fields who come to share insights into a variety of educational and parenting topics. Past speakers have included Jonathan Wolff, Trevor Eissler, Carrie Donegan, Madelyn Swift, and Teresa LaSala, to name a few.

And another community-building endeavor is MCA’s annual outreach project. Each year, MCA selects a charity to support through classroom and community awareness about the charity, fundraising events, and meaningful connections with those involved in the organizations. In years past, we have focused our efforts to help Girls on the Run, Paws of War, St. Peter’s Orphanage, and Instituto Nueva Escuela. Last spring, MCA enjoyed a beautiful celebration of its ongoing work to make the world a better place in many ways both big and small, and we have found that our MCA families have come together so wholeheartedly to instill within our children the importance of helping others. Our MCA Lights the Way for a Lifetime of Caring event was truly a celebration of everyone’s combined efforts to not only support a variety of charitable organizations, but also to find joy in participating in such worthy efforts and making it a way of life.

Montessori education works best when we can build connections between school, home, and the greater community. This makes Montessori truly a way of life. And when children are able to move from home to school to the world at large where the values and expectations are aligned, the Montessori community and all of its members grow and flourish and work together even more beautifully.