Tag Archives: Preschool

Sunshine, Summertime, and Social Skills?

By: Alex Chiu

Let’s face it. Summertime is when we all take a little break. Whether it’s a vacation from work, time off from school, or a slight easing up on the usual daily routines, summer often finds us relaxing in one way or another at some point. And that’s a good thing! With our wound up, stressed out lives, we DO need to take a breather and enjoy the ‘dog days’ of summer while we can.

However, it’s important to remember that even in the summer, we must never allow ourselves, or our children, to take a break from basic human kindness, respect, and compassion. Actually, summer is a great time to focus even more on acts of kindness since it is for many a season that makes us naturally happier! As people are out and about, walking in parks, eating in the outdoor seating of restaurants, etc., we have a chance to connect with others even more. Let’s show our children how to make that connection positive, and how we can use this summer season to spread some joy.

Children in Montessori classrooms learn all about “Grace and Courtesy”— common, decent, kind interactions with others. They greet their teachers and friends with a kind word, handshake, and eye contact to start the day. They take care in how they move about the classroom so as to not disturb someone’s work on a table or rug. They learn the tried and true ‘Ps and Qs’ of saying, “Excuse me”, “Please”, and “Thank you”. They also learn conflict resolution and the art of making a genuine apology. It’s a part of the curriculum that’s as important as the academic subjects children learn. So, just as parents worry about ‘summer slump’ for their children in regards to math or reading, be sure to address your child’s social skills as part of your family’s summer lessons.

Here are just a few ideas of how to attend to your family’s own Grace and Courtesy skills this summer:

  • Greet people with a smile. As you walk through your neighborhood, greet others with a smile and extend a hello. Teach your children that while we must be safe regarding strangers, there is no harm in sharing a brief, kind greeting in passing when they are with a trusted adult.
  • Encourage your children to speak with community members. When visiting the library, encourage your child to ask the librarian where to find a certain type of book to practice exchanging conversation with others. If you see a police officer at a crosswalk, model for your child a “thank you for your service to our community” greeting and then have your child emulate that the next time you see a first responder.
  • Bring a sweet treat to your volunteer firefighters or first responders. Have your children decorate cards and bake cookies (or if it’s too hot to bake, stop by the local ice cream shop for a gallon of ice cream) to share with these hard-working community members.
  • Make a phone call to a far-away family member. Practice before you call! In this digital age, more and more children are learning to text and NOT learning the art of conversation. Keep this fine art alive by making a monthly call to someone special! Teach your children how to ask questions that elicit a response from the person on the other end of the line. And teach them to listen! Both are important skills in being gracious and kind.
  • Write a letter. Similar to phone calls, many of us have strayed from the tradition of letter writing. Still, most of us smile at the sight of a card or letter that’s not a bill in our mailbox! Share that feeling with someone you know who needs a little pick me up. Encourage your children to share a funny story, personal anecdote, or information about a family outing that the other person might like to learn about in the letter. And remind them to include some questions for their recipient in order to prompt him or her to write back! Then wait for a reply to come in the mail! Speaking of mail, why not greet your mail carrier with a cold drink on a hot day? Just another opportunity to perform an act of kindness and learn how to interact with a community member.
  • Maintain the expectation of kindness and respect in your own home. It’s easy for children to get too comfortable with parents, siblings, and other close friends and family members. However, EVERYONE deserves our respect and kindness, so make sure you model this for your children and maintain the expectation that they mind their ‘Ps and Qs’ with you, too! Even when there’s a disagreement, keep the Montessori spirit of Grace and Courtesy at the forefront of your interactions. It’s okay to disagree or to feel sad or angry, but the way we act when we feel this way is in our control and makes a difference in how others see us and how we find our place in the world.

While these words and actions are small and brief, they can have a positive impact on how your child interacts with others and grows in his or her capacity to be a kind, compassionate, contributing member of our world. So go on—enjoy the sunshine of the summer with a smile, and keep those social skills sharp!

 

 

 

MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL NJ

Preschool Profiles: MCA’s 2½ – 3½ Program

To ring in the new year at The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA), we welcomed five new families to our 2½ – 3½ class at our Morristown campus. Despite their tender age, our seasoned MCA students gently welcomed these new friends, showing them around the classroom and modeling the manners and classroom guidelines that they have been learning and practicing since September.

The 2½ – 3½ Program at MCA is designed for curious toddlers. Their classroom provides a miniature version of a full 3-6 Montessori prepared environment. The tables, chairs, and shelves are scaled down for use by younger children and are just the right size for the students that use them! The majority of the lessons presented to students in this classroom focus on the Practical Life and Sensorial curriculum areas, which Dr. Montessori considered to be the foundation for all of the traditional, academic subject areas.

This post will give you a peek into one of MCA’s 2½ – 3½ classrooms. To enter the 2½ class, students must be 30 months old by September or January, depending upon campus availability. This program is available at all three of MCA’s campuses, in Chatham, Morristown, and Short Hills.

A Day in the Life of a 2½-Year-Old at MCA

Structure of the day

As in a typical Montessori primary classroom, the school day is organized around the “work cycle”. A work cycle is characterized by children using classroom materials independently and/or receiving individual or small group lessons from a teacher. The work cycle is completed after the children have had ample time to explore the environment and work meaningfully with the materials. When all materials are put away on the shelves, the work cycle ends, and it is usually followed by free playtime on the playground. The work cycle in the 2½ – 3½ classroom is shorter than that in the 3-6-year-old classroom. Typically, the 2½-year-olds work for 1 to 1½ hours, depending on their abilities and the larger school schedule.

Materials used

During the work cycle in a 2½ – 3½ Montessori classroom, you will observe children working with traditional Montessori materials and participating in many developmentally appropriate activities. In the Practical Life area of the classroom, you might find children learning how to button, zip, and snap by using the Montessori Dressing Boards. Or, they might be practicing setting a table or preparing themselves snack. In the Sensorial area, children are busy using the Montessori Knobbed Cylinders, Sound Cylinders, and Color Tablets, just to give a few examples.

Basic Montessori Mathematics and Language materials, like Spindle Boxes and Sandpaper Letters and Numbers, are also a staple of the 2½ classroom. As children master the materials available in the Practical Life and Sensorial areas, they progress into exploration of the more traditional academic subject areas. New materials are added as skills are gained, and the work changes and grows with the students.

Skills learned

Important non-academic skills are gleaned through the children’s work in the 2½ – 3½ Montessori classroom. Toddlers exposed to this unique environment gain skills in the following areas of early childhood development:

  • Care of the Self: Through Practical Life lessons like hand washing and the Dressing Boards, our smallest students gain the skills they need to conduct important everyday activities independently. Lessons that involve self-care are wonderful confidence boosters.
  • Fine and Gross Motor Development: Motor development is a consistent, yet subconscious, focus of the lessons in the 2½ program. Children use their gross motor skills as they learn to control their movement both inside the classroom and out on the playground. They develop fine motor skills as they use their small muscles in every Practical Life exercise, from transferring items using spoons or tongs to practicing pouring wet or dry contents from one pitcher to another.
  • Socialization: Most children in the 2½ program are first-time students. Therefore, they are learning for the first time how to appropriately interact with peers, teachers, and the environment. In MCA’s 2½ – 3½ classrooms, there is an emphasis placed on everyday manners, taking turns, and caring for the classroom materials.
  • Speech and Language: Closely tied to social development, our younger students gain confidence in expressing themselves verbally through interactions with their peers and their teachers. Grace and Courtesy lessons help the children practice new language while at the same time engaging in positive social interactions.

                     

The “Big 3”: FAQs from Parents of 2½-Year-Olds

Is my 2½-year-old ready for school?

This is the most common question that our teachers receive from prospective parents, but it isn’t one that they can easily answer. “Readiness” can mean different things to different people. However, one of MCA’s seasoned 2½ teachers notes that most children really are ready to enter her classroom at the age of 2½. She has found over the years that children are ready and excited to learn important skills like sharing with others, cleaning up after oneself, and exploring their interests in a child-safe environment. Ultimately, it is the parents’ intuition and knowledge of their children that best makes this decision.

Does my child have to be toilet trained to start in the 2½ class?

Your child does not have to be toilet trained to start in the 2½ – 3½ class. Toilet training is a component of the 2½ program in that teachers support the home-based efforts of their classroom parents during the school day.

How do we get into a school routine if this is our first school experience?

Preparing for preschool is crucial, especially for the members of the 2 ½ – 3 ½ class. MCA teachers have found that adjusting home routines like bedtimes and mealtimes in the weeks ahead of the school year is an important first step. The 2½ – 3½ Program also involves a “Phase In” period designed to alleviate separation anxiety and help your child gradually adjust to life in a classroom setting.

“Preschool is Empowering”

Shahrooz Aziminia, the 2½-3 ½ class’s Head Teacher at MCA in Morristown, described the importance of joining a preschool class. “Children want independence,” she said. Children are naturally curious and should have a guide to safely and correctly model both the use of classroom materials and interpersonal interactions. A Montessori classroom provides a safe, prepared environment, and a Montessori-trained Head Teacher provides the proper balance of supervision necessary to allow children to satisfy their inner curiosities. This satisfaction of curiosity, the freedom to learn by doing, is the essence of the Montessori Method.

In a Montessori environment, and in the 2½ – 3½ classroom in particular, children are able to take charge of daily activities. Children learn to serve themselves snack, to put on their coats, and to choose the work they would like to do and put it away. Parents are always amazed to see how much their children can and want to do. The Montessori classroom offers the very activities that inspire independence and empower children to continue to explore their unique capabilities. This setting promotes children’s success as independent, motivated learners and provides significant benefits to Montessori students in the increasingly academic environments that follow.

 

The Montessori Children's Academy

Sing for Peace!: International Day of Peace Celebration 2016

September 21st may not be a date you recognize, but around the world and in our Montessori community, we look forward to celebrating the International Day of Peace on this day.  Established by the United Nations in 1981, the International Day of Peace began as a way to promote a time for people worldwide to “honour a cessation of hostilities…and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace” ().

The Montessori Children's Academy

The UN’s theme for the International Day of Peace this year is “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace”.  Youth from around the world have been invited to share via YouTube their video messages of peace with ideas related to this year’s theme.  Solutions related to ending poverty and helping the environment are evident in the concerns of today’s youth.  The videos can be viewed on the United Nations Peace Day 2016 YouTube Channel, and they include brief messages from young people representing many different nations.

To do our part to celebrate this special occasion, The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA) plans to take part in a variety of activities leading up to September 21st.  Each class will choose its own special way to celebrate.  Some will be reading books about peace, making peacemaker necklaces, or learning how to say ‘peace’ in different languages, while others will recite peace poems or decorate symbols of peace.  Then, on the big day, we will all participate in a worldwide event called Sing Peace Around the World.  The goal of the project organizers is to have the song “Light a Candle for Peace” sung continuously over a 24 hour time period all around the globe.  The singing will begin in New Zealand and end in Hawaii 24 hours later.  Our designated time to sing “Light a Candle for Peace” in Chatham, Morristown, and Short Hills is 9:30AM.  Please consider joining the endeavor–wherever you are at that time, take out the lyrics and sing along!  To date, nearly 90,000 children from around the world are registered to participate in this event, including all of our MCA students.  We hope the sounds of children singing for peace will echo across every land on every continent, and that it will reach into the hearts of all people in every corner of the world.

Of course, peace education and awareness is not something MCA recognizes only for one day or by singing just one song.  It is an important component of the Montessori curriculum and an integral part of each and every day in all of our schools.  Everything you find in a Montessori classroom has an intentional meaning and an underlying lesson and goal.  For example, the manner in which Montessori classrooms are prepared aim to promote the development of self-discipline.  The Montessori materials are designed to provide students with challenges that spark their critical thinking.  There are countless opportunities in Montessori classrooms for creative problem solving.  Montessori students are exposed to Cultural Studies, where they learn about people, places, and traditions from around the world, gaining a global awareness and appreciation for similarities and differences among people in all nations.  The focus on ‘grace and courtesy’, as well as the modeling of respect by the adults in the classroom, helps children to, in turn, learn to exhibit grace, courtesy, and respect.  These are all intentional features which are carefully woven into the fabric of Montessori education.  Dr. Montessori developed her method of education to teach not only academic subjects, but also to instill important values in children.  Montessori education is intended to help students learn how to work cooperatively and in harmony, to discover how to solve problems peacefully, and to find ways to promote peace in their interactions with others throughout their lives.

As Dr. Montessori said, “The child is capable of developing and giving us tangible proof of the possibility of a better humanity.  He has shown us the true process of construction of the human being.  We have seen children totally change as they acquire a love for things and as their sense of order, discipline, and self-control develops within them…. The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind” (Education and Peace).  Maria Montessori knew the importance of education for the greater good of the world, and she insisted on providing children with many opportunities to learn and internalize their roles as peacemakers through educational experiences, which encompassed not only academics, but the development of responsibility and character as well.  As she is well known to have stated, “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war.”  Dr. Montessori was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and her advocacy for peace has made a lasting impression.  We are proud to uphold her legacy for spreading peace throughout the world.

Below are the lyrics to “Light a Candle for Peace”.

The Montessori Children's Academy

Please feel free to share the song with others, and help us to promote peace in our schools, our neighborhoods, our towns, our nation, and all around the world.  We wish everyone a meaningful International Day of Peace!

Light a Candle for Peace
by Shelley Murley

Light a candle for peace
Light a candle for love
Light a candle that shines all the way around the world
Light a candle for me
Light a candle for you
That our wish for world peace
Will one day come true!
(repeat)

Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world

Light a candle for peace
Light a candle for love
Light a candle that shines all the way around the world
Light a candle for me
Light a candle for you
That our wish for world peace
Will one day come true!

Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world
Sing peace around the world

For more information about Montessori peace education and other peace initiatives, as well as to find children’s books about peace, check out the resources listed below, some of which were used as references in this article:

Duckworth, C. (2008). Maria Montessori’s contribution to peace education. In Encyclopedia of Peace Education. http://www.tc.edu/centers/epe/
Montessori, Maria. (1992; first published 1949). Education and Peace (The Clio Montessori Series). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Wolf, Aline D. (1996). Nurturing the Spirit: In Non-Sectarian Classrooms. Santa Rosa: Parent Child Press, Inc.
www.childpeacebooks.org
www.singpeacearoundtheworld.com
www.un.org/en/events/peaceday
What is Montessori, Montessori classroom, Montessori preschools

The Prepared Environment

Be prepared!  This is the motto for scouting organizations worldwide.  Maria Montessori would have a said “Si Preparato!” in her native Italian tongue.  And this is the message that Dr. Montessori shared with educators as she created her Casa di Bambini for the children she first taught.  Providing a carefully prepared environment, in addition to well-prepared teachers, is the tradition Montessori schools uphold today and remains one of the essential elements that makes this method of education successful for the millions of Montessori students worldwide.

Dr. Montessori believed that the school environment best served children if it was welcoming and felt like a home.  Casa di Bambini literally translates to ‘house for children’, and her school was designed with the needs of the children at the forefront.  In his biography of Dr. Montessori, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, E. M. Standing tells us that “…realizing the peculiarly absorbent nature of the child’s mind, she has prepared for him a special environment; and, then, placing the child within it, has given him the freedom to live in it, absorbing what he finds there” (p.265).  The environment provides the framework that allows the children’s curiosity, confidence, and spontaneous learning to unfold.  It is central to Montessori education, and the environment is the first thing which makes an impact not only on Montessori students, but on visitors to Montessori schools, as well.

Walking into a classroom at The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA), the first comment from guests touring the school is often to say how beautiful it is.  It is a carefully prepared, beautiful, organized environment filled with an abundance of the highest quality Montessori materials.  The natural wooden shelves display an array of neatly arranged, attractive materials.  The shelves and materials are organized by area of study, including Math, Cultural Subjects, Language, Sensorial, and Practical Life.  The child-sized furniture is carefully placed to promote both independent work spaces, as well as places where children may sit together to work and socialize.  There is a cozy place to read, a well-lit area to create artwork at an easel, and plenty of opportunity for controlled movement throughout the room.

Every component of the Montessori classroom has a purpose.  The unique materials created by Dr. Montessori grow with the children through various stages of development, as the children are ready to proceed.  The classroom and materials are organized carefully and in sequential order, providing another aspect to the children’s development and learning.  Materials of advancing degrees are placed left to right and top to bottom, just as we read text from left to right and top to bottom.  Children are taught from the start where each particular material belongs, and they learn to return each item to its proper place after they are finished using it.  This keeps things predictable for the children, and they know where to go to find what they need very quickly.

The environment and the materials within it provide the children with choices, and they allow the children to experiment and to learn with their special ‘control of error’.  If a child doesn’t carry the material carefully from the shelf to the table or workspace on the floor, it may spill.  There is no punishment involved in that—instead the child learns how to clean it up and put it back in order.  Similarly, Dr. Montessori’s materials are created as ‘self-correcting’.  The child will easily see whether or not he or she has used them in an appropriate fashion, and the child will learn inherently from his or her mistakes.  This is incredibly careful preparation, and it allows children to take on challenges without feeling fear of failure.  Instead, the environment promotes positive risk-taking and fosters innate encouragement for the child to succeed through his or her repeated experiences with the materials.

In addition to the academic materials, careful consideration is taken in placing furniture, decorations, and other components of the classroom.  Montessori classrooms allow children to work at tables or on the floor.  The furniture and shelves are arranged with purpose to allow children to navigate their way around the classroom and to practice “grace and courtesy” and self-control.  Artwork is placed at the children’s eye-level, not the adults, because after all, the classroom is for the children.  Generally, the artwork displayed is that of well-known artists, and it reflects the best examples of a variety of types of art or enhances a current class study of a particular artist.  Living plants not only bring elements of nature into the classroom, but they also provide the children with the opportunity to learn responsibility for their care.  Montessori classrooms usually contain a Peace Table (or Peace Area) where children may sit and meditate over natural objects, forming designs in a sand tray, building a small tower with smooth stones, or looking at symbols of peace, such as a wooden carving of a dove.

This beautiful, carefully prepared environment is an outward, physical example of the beautiful, carefully prepared education Montessori students receive.  Montessori teachers prepare their classrooms with the knowledge that children respond to beauty and order.  Of course, the final element to the prepared environment is the prepared Montessori teacher or guide who has created this place where children can feel at home, feel secure in taking risks, feel challenged, and are excited about learning each and every day.

In her book Education and Peace, Dr. Montessori said, “There is a constant interaction between the individual and the environment.  The use of things shapes man, and man shapes things.  This reciprocal sharing is a manifestation of man’s love for his surroundings.  Harmonious interaction – when it exists, as in the child, represents the normal relationship that should exist between the individual and his surroundings.  And this relationship is one of love.” (p.57)  At the Montessori Children’s Academy, the teachers and children all share in a deep love of learning as they continue their Montessori journey together each day, prepared for a variety of daily adventures in their beautifully, carefully prepared Montessori environment.

Prepping for Preschool

By: Alex Chiu, Hannah Ferris, and Jax Pisciotto

Your child’s first day of school is a major milestone for your family. It is undoubtedly a very exciting time and likely will be marked by new clothes, a new backpack and lunchbox, and many adorable “First Day of School” photos. While the anticipation of a new school year is very exciting, it can also be stressful, for you and your child alike. Many years of experience have provided the staff of The Montessori Children’s Academy (MCA) with special insights into some simple things parents can do to prepare their children, and themselves, for preschool. We hope you find that these tried and true methods will help alleviate any stress that may be surfacing as the new school year approaches and that they will allow your family to truly enjoy the excitement of your child’s first school experience

1. Don’t miss “Meet the TeachersDay”

The first day of school at MCA is a bit different than what one might expect. We call this special day “Meet the Teachers Day”, and it’s coming up very soon! Parents and children come to MCA together to visit their new classrooms and meet their teachers face-to-face.

Meet the Teachers Day is followed by a “Phase-In” period that is aimed at helping to alleviate any separation anxiety and provide the children with a smooth transition into their new school environment. Meet the Teachers Day is just one piece of the school orientation that allows the children to acclimate both socially and emotionally to being apart from their parents and begin to take part in all aspects of their classroom community.

2. Take your child shopping for school supplies

Allow your child to get excited about going to school by bringing him or her with you when you go shopping for school supplies. Giving your child the freedom to pick out his or her backpack and lunchbox will also create a sense of ownership of these items, which will inherently point your child in the direction of being responsible for his or her belongings.

3. Begin evening and morning routines before school starts

Many of our teachers at MCA have already begun to re-adjust their internal clocks, which have been set to summer mode for the past two months. During the summer, we often stay up later, knowing that we can sleep in a bit. However, as we approach the start of a new school year, it is helpful to get back into a ‘school day rhythm’.

We know that it’s not always the simplest task to settle your little ones down for bed, especially when the sun is still shining, but it is important to establish a healthy bedtime for the school year. School days at MCA start early, at 8:30 or 8:45AM. If an early bedtime is proving to be tricky, you may consider implementing family “quiet time” in the evenings. This can involve quiet play, or you could engage in the time-honored tradition of reading before bedtime. Have your child pick out 3 or 4 favorite books to settle down with if he or she isn’t quite ready to sleep. As your quiet routine continues in the days leading up to the first day of school, cut back to 2 – 3 books until your child is prepared to settle down a little earlier.

In the morning, try the lure of a favorite breakfast to help rouse your little one while your family’s bodies adjust to school mode. Perhaps even do a practice run, where you and your child have breakfast and leave the house together to drive past the school. This will also allow you to assess how much time it takes to actually get out the door.

4. Differentiate your anxieties about separation from your child’s

Whether this is your first child heading off to preschool or your fourth, it is normal for parents to have some hesitation about leaving their children in the care of others. In order to assist children in making a smooth transition, it is important for parents to display a positive attitude and send children off with a big smile, a brief hug, and the assurance that you are looking forward to sharing stories about each of your days when school and work are done. Your positive attitude helps your child sense that you believe he or she will be able to manage the school day just fine, and that positive attitude just might be contagious!

To help you maintain a smile before you say goodbye, take some time to reflect on the successes your child has exhibited in playgroups or at other times when you were not by his or her side. Be confident that should your child need some extra support, the teachers at MCA will help you both through this transition until everyone is comfortable with a new school routine.

5. Talk about school at home using the names of teachers and classmates

After Meet the Teachers Day, and then throughout the school year, invite your child to share stories about the events of his or her school day. Keep a class list handy to help you both remember the names of new teachers and friends until they become familiar. Ask open-ended questions to encourage your child to share details, and be patient if it takes some time to remember events from the day. You might ask, “What story did you listen to during circle time?”, “Who did you eat snack with today?”, or “What did you do on the playground?” Gradually, you may find that your child will initiate and guide the conversations about school.

6. Take the time to meet other parents

 Chances are you won’t be the only parent who is nervous about leaving your child at school for the first time. Some veteran parents may feel the very same way! We can guarantee that there will be friendly and sympathetic faces willing to lend advice to a first-time preschool parent. Take the first step and introduce yourself to another parent after drop-off, and set up time to meet over coffee to share your experiences. The other parents in your child’s class will be wonderful resources at the beginning of the school year, and in time, you may find that they become good friends as well. Just as your child will be experiencing new things and making new friends during his or her school experience, so will you.

We can’t believe that the summer is almost over, but we are anticipating a wonderful 2016-2017 school year! Our teachers are busy preparing their classrooms, just as your family is preparing for the school year in your own way. Everyone at MCA is excited to welcome you on September 7th. To all of our new and returning MCA families, we look forward to seeing you very soon!