Tag Archives: Preschool

Celebrating Montessori Education Week at MCA!

By Alex Chiu

       
A sampling of MCA student projects on display at local libraries for Montessori Education Week

We at The Montessori Children’s Academy celebrate Montessori education each and every day, but for one week out of the year, we join together with schools from around the world to take part in extra special celebrations during a designated Montessori Education Week. This international commemoration of the life and work of Dr. Maria Montessori provides us with additional time to reflect on what makes Montessori education so special and to acknowledge the amazing aspects of this educational philosophy, which we see play out daily in our schools. While Dr. Montessori may have humbly stated that “It is not true that I invented what is called the Montessori Method… I have studied the child; I have taken what the child has given me and expressed it, and that is what is called the Montessori Method”, we must respectfully add that her observations of children and the development of her Montessori materials and philosophy have indeed created a remarkable educational path for children to follow.

For example, we observe how the multi-age classrooms allow children to work and grow together across abilities, levels, and ages, just as family members of varying ages work and grow together at home. We witness the process of discovery, challenge, repetition, determination, and satisfaction as students work on and come to master a spectrum of skills using the unique Montessori materials. We revel in the caring and empathy we see develop within our students as they work together and participate in various charitable endeavors to help those who need help. We take pride in the continuous growth and ongoing successes we see in our students, families, and staff, as we all know that learning never stops, especially when learning is so joyful! As Dr. Montessori herself said, “One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child.” We see the joy in Montessori learning every day in our children’s eyes!

Our Montessori Education Week festivities this year included student presentations of Montessori materials, public library displays of student-created projects, individual classroom lessons on Dr. Montessori’s life and legacy, studies about Italy (Dr. Montessori’s home country and the birthplace of the Montessori Method), and extensions of peace activities, including our annual ‘lighting a candle for peace’ tradition. As our students engage in these experiences, they bolster both their intellectual and interpersonal skills. Students continuously build upon their prior learning, finding new nuances to each subject studied, gaining new strengths, and uncovering new ideas. “Development is a series of rebirths,” said Dr. Montessori, and we delight in watching our students evolve and advance personally and academically as they progress and make discoveries in their Montessori classrooms every day.

Although Montessori Education Week has come to a close, our celebration of Montessori continues on among our vibrant MCA community! We are proud to uphold the incredible traditions of Dr. Maria Montessori and welcome all to come learn more about her enduring philosophy and to see what makes our Montessori schools so special!

“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.” ~Maria Montessori

 

Growing Up with a Grateful Heart

 

By Alex Chiu

Your spouse passes a dish from the dinner table to your son. You bring a tissue to your daughter when she is sniffling while watching TV. Your mother brings your child a birthday gift. As parents, our almost kneejerk response when any of these things occur is to immediately prompt our child with “What do you say?” Sometimes we do this even before the child has had a chance to process that someone has done something kind for him or her. But what do we really accomplish with that prompting? Generally, children will give the required “thank you” response you are seeking, but is there a real sense of gratitude behind those words?

To nurture a true grateful heart, we must make gratitude a daily practice with our children. It’s important for them to understand that there is so much we can be grateful for—big and small— and recognizing this at an early age helps children grow up with gratitude as a matter of course. Why is this important? Research indicates that having a sense of gratitude can help people reduce feelings of sadness, stress, and loneliness. In his article “7 Surprising Health Benefits of Gratitude”, author Jamie Ducharme outlines how gratitude can help people become more patient, reduce overeating, combat depression, improve relationships, improve sleep, and generally make you feel happier (Time Health, November 2017). And Ann Morin has her own list of seven benefits (seven must be a lucky number!), adding that gratitude can lessen aggression, improve empathy and self-esteem, and promote better physical and psychological health (“7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude That Will Motivate You to Give Thanks Year-Round”, Forbes, November 2014).

So how can parents help their children (and themselves) learn the practice of gratitude? Let’s count some very simple ways to express gratitude at least four times throughout the day:

1. First thing in the morning: Begin the day by sharing one thing you’re grateful for that morning. Warm water to wash your hands, the sun shining, fuzzy pajamas, breakfast—model a sentence of gratitude and invite your child to think of what he or she is grateful for that morning.
2. On the way to school: Comment about one thing you see that makes you feel grateful. Recently, for me, it was having all green lights on the drive to school! But it could be anything—a car that functions, the beauty of the changing leaves, a favorite song that comes on the radio. A simple recognition of “I’m so grateful that song came on—it really brightened my mood!” is a great way to share your gratitude with your child.
3. At home after school: Express your gratitude to your child when he or she is helpful, kind, or considerate to you or any other family member. But be specific and add on to the usual “Thank you”. If your child remembers to put toys away before coming to the dinner table, you might extend your gratitude by saying “Thank you for remembering to clean up—that really helps me and shows me that you’re responsible and that you care about taking care of your toys and our house!” Invite your child to think about who has done something since coming home from school that he or she would like to thank.
4. At bedtime: Have your child share one thing about the day that he or she is truly grateful for—it could have been time spent with friends, learning a new skill or concept at school, the yummy dinner you made, snuggling with the dog, anything!

It may take some time for this habit to take hold, but if you take the initiative in sharing what you are grateful for on a regular basis, your children will very likely follow suit. And then the entire family can reap the many more than seven benefits of a grateful heart!

For a list of fun gratitude activities for the whole family, including how to make a ‘gratitude box’, some gratitude prompts, gratitude games, and even gratitude apps you can download, check out: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/gratitude-exercises/

More information and resources on gratitude, including those used as references in this article include:
http://time.com/5026174/health-benefits-of-gratitude/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/11/23/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-gratitude-that-will-motivate-you-to-give-thanks-year-round/#13d897b9183c
https://tinybuddha.com/

And some lovely children’s books with a gratitude theme you might enjoy:
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Jake Swamp
Splatt Says Thank You by Rob Scotton
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

Preparing for Parent/Teacher Conferences

By Alex Chiu

With Parent/Teacher Conferences coming up very soon, we thought we would repost this article from last fall to help parents prepare for these special school meetings.

By the month of November, students are well into their school routines. They have learned the classroom rules and guidelines, refreshed their memories after a summer off from school, likely made some new friends, and are deep into their new learning. This is why November is often the time of year when schools will schedule their Parent/Teacher Conferences. It’s a perfect time for teachers to connect with parents to share their observations about their students, and it’s the opportune time for parents to glean some insights into how their children are performing in school both academically and socially.

Prior to conference season, teachers take a great deal of time to prepare for their upcoming meetings with parents. They may work with the students individually for the most up-to-date assessments of certain skills, they will take more time observing the children as they interact with peers in the classroom and on the playground, and they will collect any important and pertinent information for students, which depending on the child and the school, may include support services reports, samples of student work, or additional notes.

Montessori teachers have an edge in preparing for Parent/Teacher Conferences because a large part of their training specifically focuses on observation in the classroom. Montessori teachers learn and practice the art of observing how their students work and interact, using their observations to drive which lessons to present to which children, which materials to rotate, and which parts of the environment to adjust to meet the children’s needs. Therefore, parents of Montessori students can be assured that at their conferences, they will learn quite a bit about how their children function at school and what they might be able to do at home to bridge the school to home learning.

For parents with children in school for the first time, we’ve gathered some information to help you prepare for your first Parent/Teacher Conference. For ‘veteran’ parents, these reminders may help you get the most out of your conferences this year.

At your conference, you can expect to learn about your child’s:
1. Recent academic progress.
2. Behavioral development as observed by the teacher since September.
3. Social interactions and development in the classroom.
4. Strengths and challenges within the classroom.

During the conference, you can help your child’s teacher learn more about your child by:
1. Describing your child’s attitude towards school.
2. Sharing anything that currently may be impacting your child’s academic or social progress (e.g., family illness, move to a new home, other family changes or potential stressors).
3. Discussing what you see as your child’s strengths and challenges.
4. Providing information about any special interests/activities your child has outside of school, so as to help your child’s teacher get to know a little more about your child.

What parents can do to prepare for and help facilitate a smooth conference:
1. Bring a list of questions you may have or topics you would like to discuss, keeping in mind the time allotted for your conference. Prioritize your list.
2. Ask your child if there is anything he or she would like to discuss with the teacher and share his or her comments with the teacher.
3. Come prepared to listen and take notes.
4. Ask to see samples of your child’s work or which Montessori materials he or she has been using.
5. Ask what you can do at home to help your child with academic, social, and emotional development. Inquire if the teacher has any community references that may be helpful to your family.
6. Be respectful of the time. If you have more questions than time allows for, do ask for a follow-up meeting at a later date. Communication with your child’s teacher can and should continue beyond the conference as needed.

Parent/Teacher Conferences are a wonderful opportunity to learn about what a typical day at school is like for your child, develop stronger connections with your child’s teacher, and gain insights into your child’s development. By participating in these conferences, you are showing your child that you are interested in what happens at school. You also are modeling the importance of open communication, and you are building the bridge between home and school to promote your child’s success as a student. Happy conferencing!

Celebrating the International Day of Peace

By Alex Chiu

Once again, The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA) will be joining with people worldwide to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21st. “Peace Day”, as it is sometimes referred to, began in 1981 when the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to have “a day devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples”. In 2001, the organization officially chose September 21st as its fixed date for the celebration of Peace Day, and the tradition continues on today.

Each year, the UN chooses a theme for the celebration, and this year’s theme is “The Right to Peace”. In our homes, in our schools, in our communities, and in our world, we hope everyone aspires to peaceful living. However, we know that peace isn’t always or easily achieved. Still, peace is something that we can all work towards with effort, practice, and guidance. Learning how to be peaceful is central to what we hope to pass on to the children we serve at MCA not just on September 21st, but every day.

Montessori education, at its core, incorporates peace education across all areas of the curriculum. From the very beginning of her research and educational practice, Dr. Montessori sought ways to educate the ‘whole child’. Every aspect of Montessori’s work was geared toward helping children in order to help the world because she believed that children were the ‘promise of the future.’ Most of us would agree with that sentiment today, and thankfully, we have Dr. Montessori’s guidance and time honored traditions to know how we can work best with children to facilitate a more peaceful world. Montessori’s educational methods and the materials she so carefully constructed aimed at providing children with ways to develop important skills and to work through challenges. The Montessori philosophy incorporates the essential ingredients needed to foster not only discovery and learning, but also peace within the child, peace within the classroom community, and ultimately, peace in the world. From Montessori’s teachings and example, we know the importance of preparing an environment for children where they learn about order, self-discipline, grace and courtesy, respect, kindness, empathy, problem solving, character, and global awareness, in addition to their academic lessons. This type of learning, this way of addressing the ‘whole child’, certainly is a path to peace.

And so we celebrate both the International Day of Peace as well as the values of Montessori education this September 21st! As is tradition, everyone at all three MCA campuses will participate in singing “Light a Candle for Peace” at 9:30AM. Should you like to mark this special day in a very simple way, you might consider taking a moment of silence at 12:00 Noon to join in the efforts of the organization Pathways to Peace to create a “Peace Wave” along with millions of others around the world to honor and inspire the work we all are called upon to do in order to be peacemakers.

As Dr. Maria Montessori said “Times have changed, and science has made great progress, and so has our work; but our principles have only been confirmed, and along with them our conviction that mankind can hope for a solution to its problems, among which the most urgent are those of peace and unity, only by turning its attention and energies to the discovery of the child and to the development of the great potentialities of the human personality in the course of its formation” (The Discovery of the Child).

May we all work together to create a world where everyone everywhere is able to enjoy and exercise their ‘right to peace’. And may we all help our children learn how to carry on this important mission. Wishing you all a happy Peace Day!

For more information about the International Day of Peace and other peace initiatives, check out these websites:

http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/
www.singpeacearoundtheworld.com
http.://internationaldayofpeace.org
pathwaystopeace.org

A Matter of Trust


By Alex Chiu

Trust. This is a good word for the beginning of the school year. Parents who have chosen to send their children to a Montessori school have already shown that they have trust in the educational philosophy. Now, as September is upon us, it is time take a deep breath as we send our children off to school and to also trust our children, their teachers, and ourselves.

The start of a new school year is always filled with anticipation, and sometimes anxiety, by students, parents, and school personnel. Everyone is excited for new lunchboxes, new learning, and new growth. But many are equally nervous about a new beginning. For parents of new students, there may hesitation about being away from their children for what may be the first time, or concern about how their children will fare in a new classroom with new faces and new routines. Families with children returning to school also face uncertainties and may feel some apprehension about what the new school year will have in store.

But this is where trust comes in, and especially trust in Montessori. At The Montessori Children’s Academy, parents can trust that their children are in the care of well-trained, dedicated teachers who believe in the Montessori Method and adhere to the principles set forth by Dr. Montessori. The teachers fully appreciate that parents entrust children to their care during the school day. They model respect, patience, kindness, and curiosity, and they work diligently to individualize the learning that takes place in order to follow each child from where he or she is to wherever it is that he or she wishes to go. Of course, everyone in each classroom goes through the ‘normalization period’ where they learn how to work together as a classroom community. The groundwork for the year is laid as the classes talk about classroom guidelines, expectations, and goals. Separation issues may ensue for some, but again, parents are asked to trust that the teachers (and the other children) will work together to make every individual in the class feel safe, secure, and excited to be at school. Parents must trust that even if this takes some time, it happens, and if their help is needed, they will be invited to help in the process!

Montessori parents also can trust that their children will have the opportunity to learn and grow in a nurturing environment that has been specifically designed just for them! The carefully designed materials invite the children to explore how they work, and each material offers many levels of learning. Montessori classrooms are an oasis for children. Everything is just their size, and each item on each shelf is carefully and purposefully placed. The children learn a sense of order as they are shown how to take an item off of the shelf, how to use it, and how to return it so it is ready for the next friend who wants to use it. They learn responsibility and how to care for their environment which they share with their friends and teachers. They learn to take pride in the work they do and in the way in which they do their work. Parents can trust that the levels of learning are many. Additionally, they can trust that children in the Montessori classrooms learn not only important academics but also social skills, leadership skills, and higher-level thinking skills that they will carry on with them wherever they go.

Finally, parents need to take a moment, take a breath, and trust themselves. Especially for parents with first time students, trust that you are sending your child on a wonderful, joyful journey. As children begin their education, and move forward with each subsequent year, they have the whole world opened up to them. Parents can trust that they know their children best. They are their children’s first teachers and have already set a foundation on which their children will build their personalities, experiences, and education. Trust that you are sending your children into the world where they will learn, grow, contribute, share, develop, struggle (yes!), overcome, persevere, question, discover, and so much more. Trust that there is a wonderful school year ahead!