Children
are active learners. Montessori principles encourage children to participate in
both outdoor and indoor activities as part of the hands-on approach to
learning. The use of herb garden adventures inspires children to learn about
nature and the natural world around them. From outdoor garden plots to small
containers within the classroom, children love to play in the dirt. Highly
trained Montessori instructors aid children’s natural curiosity by providing
the right tools to learn about the natural world. Starting from a simple seed
to watch the tiny sprouts, each step in the natural process is a chance to
learn. Starting with Seeds Seeds
are the best way to inspire children to learn about the growing process. The
germination of seeds can be done in a variety of ways to help children view the
emergence of a plant.
Begin by placing seeds on a wet folded paper towel or
cotton ball.
Gently place the seeds and water source into a plastic
bag.
Remember to place the seeds outward for optimal
viewing.
Keep seeds moist but remember not to overwater.
Depending on the amount of sun the seed bags can be
taped to the window to provide maximum exposure.
In
combination with the plastic bag process, seeds can be placed into planting
flats or small pots to ensure proper growth. The simple process can inspire
children to learn about the importance of the sun, water and soil to herb
plants. Each step allows children to pursue the activities further with more
opportunities to learn. The prepared learning environment may have books and
other activities relating to the care of plants. Care and Maintenance Along
with growing the seeds, incorporating care and maintenance of the plants can be
part of the learning experience.
Children can track the progress of plant growth.
Measuring the height of plants allows students to view how plants are
growing each day or week.
If transplanting the herbs outdoors, allow the children
a chance to track insects in the plant beds. Keeping a record of insects
gives children a chance to explore different species within the area.
The importance of worms is part of the herb garden
planting process. Worms help move the soil which increases air and water.
Children can learn the importance of keeping the soil
free from debris to allow for maximum plant growth.
The
ongoing teachable moments of herb garden adventures can only be enhanced by the
children’s natural desire to learn. Each step in the care and maintenance
process of the herb plants is a hands-on learning experience. Allowing the
children to learn through the use of their senses, aids in the development of
cognitive skills, physical growth, social interaction and critical thinking. Extension of the Herb Garden Adventures By
introducing herb gardening into the classroom curriculum, children will want to
continue to learn about plants and the natural world. The idea a small seed
produces a tasty herb, vegetable, fruit or a towering tree will peak children’s
curiosity to continuing learning. The introduction of composting and the care
of the environment can be part of the extended curriculum. The Montessori
instructors will observe each child’s interests to help build upon their natural
desire to learn about a specific area pertaining to the herb garden adventures.
As
a parent, if you would like more information on how gardening helps children
learn, please contact the Montessori School of Pleasanton for a tour. Our staff will be more than happy to answer
all your questions on how your child can benefit from our children's primary program.
Children
have always been intrigued by farms, especially the baby animals and the
delicious food that can be grown. Watching vegetables erupt from seeds and
fruits arrive from blossoms on trees are amazing events and teach many types of
lessons. There
is a wide variety of wonderful activities that can provide the farm experience
and give a taste of real life, and they are always welcomed by the students.
Here are some that you can use and which will hopefully encourage many more creative
ideas. A Real Animal
If
you can’t have a living animal on the school property for lack of space, you
can have the students “adopt” specific animals and have a continuing project of
bringing in pictures and articles from home that they find in magazines and
newspapers. You can then discuss those with the class and ask appropriate
questions.
Imitate an Animal
Children
can gallop and make appropriate animal noises as the teacher calls out “stop”
and “go”.
Planting Seeds (Science Project)
By
planting a variety of vegetable seeds, children cannot only observe the growth,
but they will also see how there are different rates of sprouting. For example,
beans and corn are the fastest to sprout, a tomato is third, and watermelon
would take the longest.
Pairing Up
Cut
out pictures of animals and also have miniature plastic or other material
versions of them that the children can pair up.
Cards and Counters
Have
cards of an animal with numbers on them and have the students use corn kernels
or other markers to put that amount on the card.
Where Do the Animals Belong
Cut
out all kinds of animals and locations and have the students then put the
animals into the appropriate farm, zoo or ocean.
Practice Addition
Cut
out many frogs and lily pads. Put numbers on the different pads. Then have the
students put the correct number of frogs on each pad.
Cow from a Milk Jug
Make
a cow by painting a one gallon milk carton white. Then add black spots. The lid
becomes the nose by adding two nostrils. Glue on some googly eyes and cardstock
ears to complete the project.
Farm Field Trip
The most exciting would be a trip to a working
farm, especially one that teaches educational classes. You might find one where
the students can hand milk a cow and also observe how much faster a machine can
do that chore. Perhaps they could learn about chickens, their habitats, how
they lay eggs, and how the eggs are gathered.
Contact the Montessori School in Newark today to learn more about our program and our Newark Montessori Daycare.
Rainbows
are a simple way introduce colors to children. The natural occurrence can
inspire children to learn about rainbows, colors and the world around them.
Children love to learn. Each question represents a chance to expand your
child's knowledge base. As parents, introducing colors into the conversation
helps your child learn a whole new vocabulary. At Montessori, instructors use
rainbow activities to inspire continuous learning beyond the basic colors. Introduction of Colors The
introduction of colors is implemented throughout the classroom. Rainbow
activities are often a focus for children to learn about the basic colors.
Instructors use the basic colors to discuss the world around them. For example,
red is for a firetruck. The basics help younger children learn the correct
vocabulary for the colors. Colorful objects are placed in different areas to
inspire conversation and exploration.
Color swatches can be placed in a basket for children
to explore.
Adding food coloring for each color of the rainbow to
plastic containers filled with water and a variety of objects.
Free play boxes representing each color may be set
throughout the classroom. By examining the color matching objects,
children begin to understand colors surround them every day.
The
representation of colors in the classroom is done in a variety of ways. As
students continue to explore the world of colors, other activities are added to
continue the natural learning process. Benefits of Rainbow Activities Along
with learning colors, younger children will in numerous other ways from rainbow
inspired activities. Examples include: Fine Motor Skills
Large colorful beads can be put on shoe laces or
placing smaller beads on matching colors of pipe cleaners will increase
fine motor skills. The development of muscles in the wrist and hands will
help in other future activities including handwriting skills.
Color Development
Mixing watercolors with the use of plastic eye droppers
to learn how each basic color can create new colors. The simple task of
mixing colors help with creative, psychological and social development.
Sharing the details of new color mixture developments with fellow students
helps with critical communication skills.
Sequencing
Placing color swatches into sequence identical to the
colors of the rainbow. The sequencing activities help children with
scientific inquiry skills and promote literacy.
Sensory Activities
Sensory tubs filled with bright colored rice allow
children to learn different textures through exploration. As other
children join at a sensory tub, the development of social and emotional
skills occurs. Children learn to share and work together to form new types
of color mixtures. As the children discover, communication skills are
being fine-tuned.
Critical Thinking Skills
Large rainbow patterned squares are placed on the floor
in sequence. Children are given a variety of cut-outs in the form of color
foods or other objects to match the with correct square. The activity
requires critical thinking skills to be correctly completed. Critical
thinking skills have long term benefits. Children learn to internalize the
process to match colors. The activity can inspire questions and further
research about specific colors or objects.
The
simplest rainbow inspired activity will benefit the child cognitively,
physically, emotional and socially. Montessori instructors carefully analyze
each student’s progress to help guide children to further exploration in a
specific learning activity.
If
you would like to learn how Montessori-inspired rainbow activities can benefit
your child, feel free to contact the school for a tour. The knowledgeable
instructors and staff at the Montessori Children's House will be more than
happy to answer all your questions, including any about our daycare with potty training.
Math is a subject that many
students struggle with, yet the concepts are all around us. Recently, many innovative
teachers have realized that Lego bricks make the perfect way not only to teach
kids math, but also to show them how math is a part of our everyday lives. Here
are five math concepts, ideas that many kids struggle with, which you can use
Legos to illustrate on a kid-friendly level.
Fractions: The different colors and sizes of
Lego bricks enable you to create a visual representation to show kids how
fractions add up to make a whole, and as their skills progress, how they
can add them to make other fractions. For instance, if you call a 2-by-8
brick a "whole," then a 1-by-1 makes 1/16, a 1-by-2 makes 1/8, a
2-by-2 makes 1/4, and so on. Use contrasting colors to demonstrate the
concept at a glance.
Square Numbers: Lego bricks offer a perfect way
to demonstrate square numbers. Just have your child make a square where
the number of pegs down each side is the number they are squaring. Then
ask them to count the total number of pegs in the square.
Area and Perimeter: Like with square numbers, Lego
bricks give kids a visual representation of a concept, a way to count out
the answer, and -- as their math skills improve -- a demonstration of how
the formulas for perimeter and area actually work. Using the base pieces,
create squares, rectangles, and nonconforming shapes with the Legos, and
ask your child to find the perimeter and area. You can also do it in
reverse, and ask your child to create a shape that has a specific
perimeter, area, or both.
Multiplication and Times Tables: Lego bricks make a perfect way to
demonstrate multiplication in a way that kids understand better than just
rote memorization. If you're teaching the two times table, for instance,
make a rectangle with two rows of three or four pegs. Explain that "2
x 4" is the same as two rows of four pegs, and ask your child to
count the pegs to find the answer. Then add a 1-by-2 brick to quickly add
one peg to each row, and ask again. Repeat with each number, and then
repeat the entire process with each times table.
The Mean or Arithmetic Average: Lego brick towers make a great
way to demonstrate the concept of the mean, or arithmetic average. Give
your child several towers of Lego bricks: for instance, a tower of four
bricks, a tower of three, and a tower of five. To find the average, have
your child combine all of the bricks into one tower, and then split them
equally into the same number of towers they started with. In this case,
there are 12 total bricks, to make three towers of four bricks each --
demonstrating that the mean is four.
Tips for Lego Lessons
With Lego math, expect that
not all of the lesson will be focused study. This is okay because the entire
purpose of using Legos to do math is to make it fun. Have a plan for what
concepts you want to teach, but allow time for free play initially. Then you
can transition more naturally into the lesson at hand.
Kids learn best when their
imagination is given free rein, their curiosity about the world is encouraged,
and concepts are taught in ways that relate to real life. If this sounds like
the kind of education you want for your child, you will love the Montessori
approach. Contact our Mission Valley Kindergarten to schedule a tour of our school.
When kids stop taking their
daily naps, quiet time activities are the perfect replacement for them to get
needed down time. They are great solutions for your child when you can't get
them to lay down for a rest. Activities should be simple and not involve a lot
of energy. Life often finds us getting
caught up in hustling about from one activity to another as we try to maximize
the amount of activities we can get out of each day. This constant movement can
have a negative impact on your child. Montessori preschool teachers find it
important to implement "quiet time" into their day with children. It
provides the kids a time to just "be" and slow down. Your preschool child needs
time to stop and just gather his or hers thoughts and look at what they are
experiencing. They need a time to just sit rest and quietly observe and explore
their world. When a preschool age child is given a balance between activities
and quiet time it helps them feel more relaxed throughout their day. With the
relaxed feeling comes an opportunity for being able to learn better. It will
improve your child's ability to understand information easier when it is
presented to them.
Silence Game
The Silence Game is a
favorite in the Montessori classroom setting to help your child relax and receive
some quiet, down time from his or her learning time. It takes practice as
preschool aged children have relatively short attention spans. They will find
it hard to stay still for more than 30 seconds. They can learn with practice to
relax, absorb and appreciate what is around them. To play the game, choose a
time when children are calm and tell them you are going to play a game. Let
them know it is the Silence Game and it means they have to keep their bodies
still and their voices quiet: no talking. They have to listen very carefully
for their name and when they hear it; walk quietly to the person who calls
their name. You will notice how quietly
the children walk towards the person. If some of the kids are having trouble
staying quiet, make sure you call the names of a few quiet ones as this is
sure to get their attention. You will soon see how aware the kids become when they
find out the game is going to be played; as well as, how quiet the environment around
them becomes.
Activity Bags
Grab a stack of bags and
fill them with different types of activities. Three ring pencil pouches are the
best to see what is in each bag and gives your child a chance to pick one that
holds a particular interest for them. Place a piece of card stock in each to
give it some stability. Ideas to put inside the bags:
Fun designs can be made with
pipe cleaners.
A magnifying glass with a
variety of small objects to look at and discover.
Cookie cutters can become
great stencils when included with crayons.
Aluminum foil can make
great reflective art when combined with markers.
Montessori schools use
these types of activities to encourage your child to relax which enables them
to learn. If you are looking for quality afterschool care in Milpitas for your
child, contact Daystar Montessori today. Our mission is to encourage your
child's development by giving them an awareness of their environment and
independent thought. See how we can help your child grow and become a
self-directed learner.
