Montessori Academy | Toddler eNews

Greetings Toddler 1 Families!

We would like to take this opportunity to share some information with you about one of the areas of the Toddler Environment – the Sensorial Area. Also, we would like to share with you some ideas of activities to incorporate with your child at home in order to reinforce the Montessori experience your child receives at school.

What is the purpose of the Sensorial area of the classroom?
Sensorial Materials allow the child to gain an increasingly more accurate idea of his or her environment. The materials in the Sensorial curriculum have as their direct aims the refinement of the child’s ability to observe, compare, differentiate, reason, make decisions, solve problems, and appreciate the world. The Sensorial curriculum is very orderly and assists the child in ordering and classifying information while helping the child develop a sense of inner order.
Tracy Moor, AMS accredited Montessori Educator

Activities for Home
During our conferences over the past few weeks, we had several parents ask how they could reinforce at home what their child was learning here at Montessori Academy. We are delighted to have such involved and proactive parents! Here are a few ideas for you all.

“When dealing with children, there is greater need for observing than of probing.” –Maria Montessori

If you are having difficulty getting your child to pick up his or her belongings, play independently, or take care of his or her own needs with minimal assistance, we suggest that you step back and observe the environment of your home and your own interactions with your child. Many times small changes can make a big difference in household routines. Can your child reach the sink by herself to wash her hands? Are his clothes easy to access independently? Are her toys organized in a way that makes it easy for her to put them away? Observation is the first key to discovering what your child needs to be successfully independent. Once you have observed your child, you can now move items around to make it easier for him or her to be independent.

“These words reveal the child’s inner needs; ‘Help me do it alone.’” – Maria Montessori

Children between the ages of 2 and 3 years old take great pride in their own accomplishments. Now is the time to introduce household jobs. Your child will enjoy being a contributing member of the family. Here are some examples of appropriate jobs for your toddler:
•    Folding towels or napkins
•    Sweeping the floor
•    Wiping the dinner table
•    Hand washing dishes
•    Feeding the family pet (pouring dog or cat food is great practice for future water pouring)
•    Putting away the child’s own toys
•    Putting dirty laundry in the hamper
•    Assisting in picking up sticks and/or small yard debris
This list is by no means complete…feel free to come up with some ideas as a family!

“Only through freedom and environmental experience is it practically possible for human development to occur.” –Maria Montessori

If you find yourself having to use the word “no” a great deal, or having to redirect your child, the first place to identify possible change is within the environment. If the child’s environment is prepared carefully, then he or she will be able to interact with it fully in a safe and appropriate manner.

As always, it is a delight to teach your children. We are always available to you if you have any questions.

Very best,
Mrs. Maitlen and Ms. Small

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