Montessori Academy | Toddler eNews

"Never give more to the mind than to the hand" –Maria Montessori

Greetings Toddler 1 Families!

It has been a great start to the school year here in the Toddler Environment. The children are adjusting beautifully to the classroom routine, and are beginning to normalize. We wanted to share with you a little information about the process of normalization, from a lecture by noted Montessorian Dr. Rita Shaefer Zener:

Normalization appears through the repetition of a three step cycle. The building of character and the formation of personality that we call normalization come about when children follow this cycle of work.

(1) Preparation for an activity which involves gathering together the material necessary to do the activity. The movement and the thought involved in the preparation serves to call the attention of the mind to begin to focus on the activity.

(2) An activity which so engrosses the child that he reaches a deep level of concentration. This step is what all educator and parents recognize as important for education.

(3) Rest, which is characterized by a general feeling of satisfaction and well-being. It is thought that at this point some inner formation or integration of the person takes place.

In our Montessori groups, we see this third step as the time a child is putting away the materials, perhaps talking with friends, and is exhibiting a aura of satisfaction with himself and the world. We recognize this cycle as the normal work cycle in a Montessori environment.

Also, we wanted to share with you the main points of our PIM, for those parents who requested it and also for those who may have missed the meeting:

-Who is your Toddler?

                Constantly moving

                Touches or tastes everything.

                Watches everything that happens.

                Concentrates for very short periods of time.

                Needs to have an ordered environment with everything in its place.

                Wants to know the names of everything

                Talks constantly.

                Wants to do things by themselves.

                Imitates other people.

                In the process of learning that they are separate beings.

                Language skills are exploding.

Maria Montessori said “So the logic of the natural development is seen: first the child prepares his instruments, hands and feet, then he gets strength by exercise, next he looks at what other people are doing and sets to work in imitation, fitting himself for life and freedom. (Pg.54 Education for a New World)

So let’s look at the work in the Toddler Room.

-Curriculum for the Toddler Program

Gross Motor takes up a large portion of our room due to its importance for this age group:

     •        Movement

     •        Balance

     •        Coordination

     •        Connection to the world

     •        Inside and outside

     •        Walks around the campus

     •        Independence

     •        Objects to carry

     •        Line to walk for balance

     •        Sense of order

Practical Life

Preparing snack

·         slicing carrots, cucumbers, bagels, bananas

·         spreading hummus, cream cheese, sunflower seed butter

·         mixing and measuring flour for breads and muffins

·         using tongs to put raisins and crackers into bowls

Table Manners – children are learning to:

·         set the table

·         sit properly and wait for their food

·         ask nicely for more

·         dip veggies into dip

·         use a spoon, knife and fork

·         clean up a spill/mess

·         pour water into cups

After snack children;

·         clean their dish/utensils/cup

·         clean up the place they were sitting

·         wipe their face/hands

Care of the self:

Toddlers are learning to

     •        dress themselves

     •        take clothes off and put them on

     •        take off and put on their shoes

     •        put their shoes and clothes away

     •        use the bathroom

     •        wash their hands

     •        blow their nose

     •        Go to the bathroom

Language

Children increase their linguistic skills through many activities in the classroom:

·         Matching and ordering

·         Object Identification

·         Object Classification

·         Reading Books

·         Singing (rhythm and rhyme in music develop language)

Sensorial

The children are using their senses to learn about our world, which happens in all areas of the room. They are refining their hand/eye coordination and fine motor control. Specific sensorial lessons are:

·         Sorting by attributes using vision or touch (This is also Math)

·         Imbucare work (to place apart, or to move from one location to another)

·         Infilare work (to insert)

Art and Music

The work in this area includes:

·         Painting

·         Coloring

·         Cutting

·         Gluing

·         Drawing with chalk

·         Singing songs and using instruments during circle time

What we are working on right now.

·         Choosing our own work

·         Maintaining a peaceful classroom

·         Putting work back on the shelves

·         Staying with a work from the beginning to the end. This is called a work cycle

·         Classroom rules

o   Be safe

o   Be kind

o   Be gentle

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