Spreading our Wings!

Spring has sprung and what better way to celebrate it than to observe the creatures in our natural habitat that exude the marvelous characteristics of the season: butterflies! We have admired quite a few out on the playground this year as they dance their way around the various flowering bushes. Inside the classrooms, the children have been learning about the 4 stages of the Butterfly’s Life Cycle in the Science area of the classroom: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult.

Eggs are laid on plants by the adult female butterfly. The job of the caterpillar that emerges is to eat and eat and eat. Once the caterpillar is full grown, it becomes a chrysalis. Although it doesn’t look like much is happening on the outside, inside rapid change is occurring like the formation of the legs, wings, eyes and other parts of the adult butterfly. Then, suddenly, the process unfolds in the classroom before the children’s very eyes and with much delight they observe the adult butterfly emerge with all of its splendid colors! In a culminating ceremony, the butterflies are released on the playground so that the process can begin again.

As we near the end of the school year, we can’t help but see the parallels of this “metamorphosis” with the wonderful children here at Westmont. Hungry for knowledge and building skills throughout the year, they have been nourished by their rich experiences and thriving friendships. They have grown bigger and more confident right before our very eyes and are ready to spread their wings!

The Calm After the Storm: 7 Things to Remember in the Face of Challenging Behavior

Sometimes children get very upset and cry. Sometimes they have a tantrum. Sometimes we are left wondering how to respond.

Our goal in the classroom is to create a community that is based on mutual respect and cooperation where each member feels like a contributing member of the community—one that is valued and honored for his/her individual uniqueness. In reviewing the various ways to instill methods of positive discipline in the face of upset or “misbehavior”, the acronym R.E.S.P.E.C.T. aptly calls to mind the pillars of an environment that fosters self-discipline and harmony as its ultimate goal.

For a more in-depth look at how to follow some of the principles above at home, read about “Creating Emotional Safety…” on the American Montessori Society parent resource site here

An Ode to Music and Movement (and Miss Monica here at Westmont!)

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” –Plato

In its simplest form: music is beautiful to experience, it makes you feel good and it is actually good for you.  We can each close our eyes and “feel” music as it transports us in that moment into the mood of the song… but how is it “good for you”? Simply put—music makes your brain work harder and therefor grow stronger.

Music can help enhance a multitude of skills and abilities that children can use in other areas (including academic subjects). Neuroscience research shows us that musical training supports:

• Language development and emergent literacy: music physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language; it promotes active listening and develops familiarity with print materials.
• Social and emotional development: music supports language competence which is at the root of social competence; music brings us together and fosters a learning community.
• Cognition & General Knowledge: music supports larger growth of neural activity; it improves spatial-temporal skills in children over time; these skills come into play in solving multistep problems we encounter in architecture, engineering, math, art, gaming, and especially working with computers. Music forges connections in the brain, integrating mind, body and emotions.[i]
• Physical & Motor development: music and movement support body awareness and motor skills.
• Approaches to learning: both music and movement allow for expression of self and affords children a way to identify (and celebrate) their uniqueness.

But that’s not all!

 “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”
                                                                                                                             –Victor Hugo

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[i] Music Together “Bringing Harmony Home” booklet            

3 Reasons to Celebrate Art!

“Imagination does not become great until a person, given the courage and strength, uses it to create.”

—Dr. Maria Montessori

The Montessori educational practices are founded on the premise that learning occurs when children interact with their environment. Exploration and discovery are at the heart of each curriculum area in the Montessori classroom, where children are encouraged to experience, create and discover—which in essence helps them to construct the very person that they are becoming.

Art is essential in the environment of the child and also plays a special role in the classroom. Art is one of the many ways that children can express themselves. Art helps children to communicate their feelings, develop their fine motor skills and of course, explore and use their creativity.

Usually, as with most things in the Montessori classroom, art is integrated with another area of study for the children. For instance, after planting and watching a seed grow, the art area might feature materials to inspire a watercolor or pastel rendition of a plant, leaf rubbings, or sculptures. The classroom may embark on a study of renowned artists whose landscapes and natural sceneries inspire the artistic process. And it is through this process that children derive satisfaction, confidence and inner joy.

Here are three great reasons to incorporate art into the everyday experience in the classroom and beyond:

(1) Art is beautiful and inspirational: Children can explore something new without a fear of “not doing it right”; each creation opens the door to new possibilities. 

(2) Art is good for you! Art benefits the right brain and the whole brain; it can increase focus and concentration, develop hand-eye coordination, and can encourage different ways of thinking.

(3) Art makes you feel good: Children can explore their feelings and moods through the art they create; the act of creation can engender joy and satisfaction.

Because of the feelings that both art and music** can evoke—joy, inspiration, curiosity, wonder, happiness, awe—they are integral and indispensable to life and work in the classroom and in effect, to human existence.

**see next week’s blog for more on music

#Art #Music in the #Montessori #Classroom #Create #Creativity

The arts: more than play, more than “a play”

The arts provide opportunities for self-expression, help instill pride and cultivate real-life skills.

Whether it is music, drawing, acting, singing, or dance that they choose, the arts provide children with a natural outlet to express themselves and practice and hone their skills, including: critical and creative thinking, hand-eye coordination, motor and social skills. 

Join us tonight, April 29^th, 2016 at 6:30 PM at the Valley View Chapel in Long Valley for a creative interpretation of John Lithgow’s “Marsupial Sue”. This performance is delivered by our Kindergarten class with chorus accompaniment by our second year Early Childhood children and highlights some delightful facts about the subject of our in-depth cultural exploration this year: The Continent of Australia. All are welcome!

For more reasons to help your child choose the arts, read here.

Our Shared World- Earth Day 2016

“We have much to learn by studying nature and taking the time to tease out its secrets.”
David Suzuki

Happy Earth Day! This year at Westmont we are enjoying some outdoor planting with the children, the observation of lady bug chrysalis, making bird feeders and hatching chicks! 

Earth Day reminds us of the beauty of the cultural curriculum in the Montessori classroom which is a window into the universe at large. The same water that we use in our daily lives has been on our planet since its formation. It is the essence of life that has connected all living beings on this planet, as is the air and the soil. We invite children to develop an awareness of how their world came to be and cultivate an appreciation for all the things, big and small, which coexist in it. Learning about our natural resources (land/air/water; sink or float; parts of a plant; how to grow a plant), the seasons (seasons sorting cards), the elements on our planet (magnetic vs. non-magnetic), the flora and fauna (vertebrates vs. invertebrates; extinct vs. non-extinct), the vastness of our world (the solar system; the colored globe; the continent maps) as well as the concept of time (calendar; telling time) –these are all ways we help children to discover our natural world.

By exposing each child to the cultural area of the classroom—Geography, Science, Botany, Zoology, and History—we invite them to explore the universe at large, using their own curiosity and drive. We learn about different cultures and about how we have a shared world. Through this hands-on exploration, children are on a path to discovering the world around them.

Dr. Montessori believed that there is a purpose and an order to the universe—it is a “gift” to mankind to be treasured and protected. Each of us is responsible for protecting the environment upon which we depend for our existence.  Our classrooms are a place where we foster this awareness in children. And thus, they create the beautiful possibilities of a more peaceful world.

Spring into Math

It’s Mathematics Awareness Month, 2016!

Mathematics deals with the study of quantity, shapes and their arrangements. Children learn to recognize quantities and symbols, associate quantities to their respective symbols (numerals) and combine and manipulate them into larger or more complex concepts. Process is taught using hands-on materials and math facts come later.

The children begin their mathematical journey in the Montessori classroom even before they touch any of the math materials. Children start to build mathematical thinking in the other areas of the classroom (Sensorial, Practical Life and Culture) by using concrete materials to prepare the mind for abstract thinking.

Both Montessori and Aristotle believed that “the formation of abstract ideas is accompanied by the gradual elimination of matter.” (Standing, “Montessori: Her Life and Work”, p.165). Eventually as the child matures and begins to think more abstractly, she will rely less and less on the concrete materials, although they will continue to fill the classroom with alluring beauty.

Here are some ways you can engage in math activities at home:

1.      Counting and grouping with natural materials.

2.      Open-ended play with playdough.

3.      Math in the kitchen ideas.

4.      Hands-on Math printables for home.

 #Montessori #Math #Concrete to #Abstract #IloveMath