Most
Montessori schools hold periodic parent-teacher conferences, under one name or
another. Each conference is a short, personal dialogue between parents and
classroom staff, aimed at improving the performance of the children, or working
out a plan to incorporate the home environment into the Montessori method. Neither
you nor your children are on trial, and the meeting should not be thought of as
any sort of mark against your kids. The idea is to keep you informed and in the
loop.
You’re On The Same Team
Before you even head
out the door for your first parent-teacher conference, remind yourself that you
and the classroom staff are both interested in the best outcome for your
children. Before you become defensive, take a moment to hear out the instructor
and consider what they are trying to say. Having a united front between the
parents and teachers provides children with an example that education is an
enjoyable part of life.
Communicate and Inquire
The student guide, as
teachers may be referred to, is going to spend around 15 minutes or so with
each parent. During that time, the goal is to communicate to you any strategies
being looked at to assist your child, and you have the opportunity to ask any
questions you may have in a formalized setting. Keep in mind that your
children are the focus of the meeting, and prepare yourself accordingly.
The Montessori Environment
If the meeting is
held inside your child’s classroom, the teacher probably had to bring in a
piece or two of adult-sized furniture. You will notice that most of the
room is designed around the perspective of a child. The idea of meeting
in a child-centered classroom is to allow parents to experience the way the
room is designed around the children’s activities rather being built to adult
scale with a few child-sized items. Feel free to ask about any of the items in
the class, and how they can be used to teach various lessons.
Your Child’s Strengths and Challenges
The Montessori method
is a total life-skills approach to education. During your conference, the
teacher will talk with you about the perceived strengths your child has
exhibited, and discuss challenges that may need to be addressed. The subject of
the conversation may include many different topics, including your child’s
behavior, dietary concerns, areas of special achievement, and more. This is a
good time to share insights, and ask pertinent questions.
Parent-teacher
conferences help you establish a direct involvement in your children’s
education. They are a good time to talk about any worries or joyous occasions
related to Montessori method. The idea is to keep parents and teachers on the
same page, and lay the groundwork for future educational strategies. To schedule an introductory meeting and get a better understanding of the Montessori method as a whole, contact the Montessori School of Pleasanton today.
Even young children associate
Thanksgiving with Pilgrims and Native Americans. However, are there ways to
present the Thanksgiving story in a way that's culturally sensitive, accurate
and age-appropriate? The good thing to know about this is that it is possible,
and by taking these ideas into account when discussing Thanksgiving with your
child, he or she will be more likely to have a better understanding of what the
day is about. Among other things that your
child will learn, he or she will:
Learn a
greater respect for those who differ from them
Appreciate
the value of offering help to and accepting help from others
Have a
greater understanding of the idea of giving thanks
Read
Some Books About Thanksgiving
Two helpful, age-appropriate
books for preschoolers are "The Story of Thanksgiving" by Nancy J.
Skarmeas and "The First Thanksgiving" by Lou Rogers. Both of these
books are age-appropriate and have colorful illustrations that help make
everything come to life. After reading the books, take
some time to talk to your child about what he or she learned. Depending on your
child's age and curiosity level, you might want to think about discussing why
we use the term Native Americans, why the Pilgrims came, and how the local
tribes might have helped them find food.
Make
a Fun Treat
Preschoolers will appreciate learning about how Squanto taught the Pilgrims to plant corn, especially when
taught using an edible example. To do this:
Put some
chocolate pudding into small cups with crumbled graham crackers on top to
represent dirt
Place a
piece of candy corn into the cups to represent corn seed, with a goldfish
cracker or Swedish fish to stand in for the fish used as compost
Cover the
candy corn and fish with the "dirt", then serve
Discuss
Thanksgiving Foods
A preschooler should be able
to name the foods they like the most on Thanksgiving. As they name the foods
they like, help them learn to categorize them.
Is it a
type of meat? Explain how Native Americans and Pilgrims hunted for some
meats because there were no stores.
Are
certain foods fruits or vegetables? Tie this in with your earlier
corn-related activity and explain that early Americans grew certain foods
that we buy now.
Discuss
certain Thanksgiving favorites that people like now that wouldn't have
been present at the first Thanksgiving meal. This can be a good way to
discuss the importance of traditions.
Taking time to discuss Native
Americans and Pilgrims is a great way to help your child appreciate the
significance of the holiday. At Montessori Children's House, we teach students about every holiday using hands-on and interactive learning techniques. We enjoy teaching our students through history and encourage them to learn more about holidays through their families own unique traditions. Contact ustoday to see our hands-on teaching approach firsthand.
Childhood
prodigies are extremely rare, but the only way to discover one is to give them
access to instruments. Instead of pushing your child to be one, consider the
benefits of having access to musical instruments, and allow natural talents to
emerge on their own. There are other purposes for instruments at early ages,
and using
instruments should begin as early as possible.
Early Music Appreciation
For many infants,
music is the equivalent of auditory bright colors. When a baby hears musical
notes that they like, they may become more active, expressive, or even vocal in
their own babyish way. Obviously, you cannot expect an infant to play a symphony,
but allowing him to touch an instrument and associate that instrument with
sound is an important way to encourage his enthusiasm. The goal is not so much
to learn how to play the instrument at that age as to give the child a tangible
association between music they hear and the instruments which make it happen.
Just as children must learn to associate a face with a voice, they are also
learning to identify sounds with specific objects.
Brain Development and Music
Few people realize
the relationship
between music and mathematics, even though the two are very closely
entwined. Musical compositions rely on several types of mathematical functions,
including timing, spatial concepts, and repetitive patterns which are easily
detectable. Even a toy xylophone makes it easy for a young child to discover
that identical patterns will produce different results based on the force and
timing used to produce the sounds. A young child does not even need to be able
to count to form an understanding of how these facets interact.
Learning Musical Concepts
Teaching a child to perceive
the underlying concepts of music can begin as soon as the child is able to
manipulate an instrument, regardless of their level of motor control. Pitch,
timing, and rhythm are all concepts that can be learned, though probably not
mastered, before children have learned to talk. Discovering the sounds
associated with various instruments is a simple and entertaining game parents
can enjoy with their preschooler - no talent required.
Introducing Musical Instruments
It is not necessary
to start out with complicated instruments. Even simple bells are a great way to
explore tones and help children grasp the link between size and sound, and then
they can discover what sounds to expect from different types of instruments. A
simple instrument such as a set of drumsticks will allow children to discover a
wealth of information about patterns,
music, and their own ability to manipulate one to create the other. The process can be
very empowering.
Access to musical
instruments is an excellent way to both discover natural talent and to assist
development of the brain and fine motor skills. Giving a preschooler access to
musical instruments is equivalent to giving them a headstart on many
developmental skills, and should begin as early as possible. The Montessori Method encourages children to explore and learn at their own pace, including diving deeper into areas that interest them, such as music. Incorporating music from a young age can have a positive and lasting effect on students. Give us a call and set up a tour of the Montessori School of Flagstaff Sunnyside Campus today to see how our teachers encourage students to learn through hands-on, interactive learning.
There is no doubt know that
the Bay Area is a fun place, but may not have realized how many options are
there for preschoolers. This area is filled with attractions that will arouse
even the littlest ones' natural curiosity. Taking your preschooler to visit one
or more of these attractions is a great way to give them something to do this
fall and help them learn something new in the process.
Children's Discovery Museum
There is a wealth of fun for
your child to experience here, with over 28,000 square feet of space. The
exhibits are a mixture of both traveling and permanent options, and the
museum's website even lists related activities that you and your child are
likely to want to do at home. This museum introduces children to the subject of
the exhibits through experiments, manipulation, exploration, and touch. Just a
few of the highlights include a fire engine kids can play inside,
block-building, and experiments featuring bubbles and water.
Randall Museum
This museum is very popular
with preschoolers and their parents because of the number of hands-on
opportunities it offers. Some of the subjects your child will learn about
include natural history, science, and arts and crafts. Arts and crafts
workshops are offered for several age groups, with preschool classes of
particular interest. Some of the other highlights include a scale caboose
model, exhibits related to California wildlife, and an earthquake refugee shack
replica.
Habitot Children's Museum
This children's museum is of
particular interest to parents of preschoolers because of its scaled-down size
exhibits. These exhibits are designed with the youngest children, including
infants and toddlers, in mind. Some of the highlights include:
A Wind
Tunnel, providing an authentic experience with wind
Little
Town Grocery & Cafe, where kids can mimic grocery shopping
Waterworks
exhibit featuring a water table, river ramp, and pumping station
One of the things that
attracts many families to this museum is its selection of exhibits designed for
preschool children. The exhibits are designed to encourage natural exploration,
be as hands-on as possible, and also encourage learning about cause and effect.
Highlights include a planetarium, a gravity wall, and a place to design
raceways. Exciting workshops will keep your little one wanting to come back.
All of these attractions are
some of the best places for preschoolers in the Bay Area. You can be sure they
will arouse your child's curiosity and spark their imagination. At Montessori Children's House, we teach the Montessori Method through hands-on learning. We encourage parents to take their children to interactive and exploratory museums to further foster the Montessori Method outside of school. To learn about the hands-on activities we incorporate into our curriculum on a daily basis, schedule a tour today.
As a parent, it is up to you
to teach your children. While they will learn plenty at school, they need to
learn at home as well. This means more than working with your children on their
math, spelling, and reading. You should also be teaching your child about
nature. There are plenty of benefits of your elementary student learning about nature and the outdoor world around them. Learning About Nature
Helps Your Children Appreciate the World Most kids are curious. When
they see a bug or a caterpillar on the sidewalk, they squat down to get a
closer look. When you take your elementary student outdoors and teach them
about nature, they will realize that when they interact with nature, they are a
part of it. Over time, their love and respect for nature will grow. When your
children grow up, they will want to protect the world around them. Learning About Nature
Encourages Scientific Study When your children study nature, they will be curious. They will want to explore the world and learn
more about it. This is the foundation that your child will need later on when
they are in an advanced scientific study class. When your elementary student
starts studying nature early, it will benefit their education later on. Nature Study Gets the
Kids Outdoors In today's technological
world, it can be difficult to get your children to put down their electronics
and go outdoors. When you teach your children about nature, it is the perfect
opportunity for this to happen. Your children will put down the video games and
go outdoors. Not only is this good for their mind, it is also good for their
bodies. Nature is an Easy
Science When you teach your children
about science, you won't need any special equipment or books. Everything that
you need is right outside your door. Your children will learn by observing
different animals, insects, and plants. This is one of the easiest sciences to
teach. Studying Nature Will
Make Your Child Want To Learn When your elementary student
studies nature, they will want to learn more. For example, if you are taking a
nature hike and your children spot animal tracks, they will want to find out
what type of animal created the tracks. Nature is full of mysteries that your
children will investigate and solve. When your children solve the many
mysteries in nature, it will make them want to learn more. This is a great way
to instill a love of learning in your children at a very early age. This love of learning can help them through their entire lives. A child who loves to
learn will grow up to be a successful adult.
Teaching your elementary
student about nature is just as important as teaching them to read and write.
You want your children to grow up to love and respect the planet. You also want
them to understand science and find the fun in solving scientific mysteries in
nature. Montessori education at the Montessori School of Pleasanton is meant to teach your elementary student as a whole, incorporating nature into daily lesson plans. Contact us today to schedule a tour for you and your elementary student to learn more about the Montessori method.
