Category Archives: Montessori Education

Preschool Center Ideas You Can Use at Home

Posted on by

Children are born with a natural curiosity to learn and explore their individual surroundings. Preschool-aged children thrive in a consistent, well-prepared environment. Promoting accepted behavior helps your child understand limits and consequences. Setting up your home environment to mimic your child’s preschool center will inspire growth and learning.

Ideas for Your Preschool Center for Home Use

The next time you visit your child’s preschool center, check out the different aspects of the room. Use the ones that best fit into your home environment.

  1. Child-Sized Environment

Creating areas specifically designed for your preschooler will help promote learning. Child-sized furniture allows your preschooler to engage in the environment without difficulty. Moving around the room without hindrance develops a sense of independence.

  • Low shelves for books, activities, clothing, shoes, etc
  • Child-sized table and chairs
  • Step stools to reach bathroom sink
  • Clothes hung at a lower level in the closet
  1. Promote Self Learning

Use baskets, small tubs, and trays to store activities and other learning materials. Your preschooler can set the item on the table for further exploration. After playing, placing the items back in the basket promotes responsibility. When making up the baskets, keep items together for specific areas of learning.

For example, a math activity could include placing small objects on corresponding color cards to match the number sequence. Preschoolers with advanced levels of learning could place small items on colored cards representing basic math.

A sensory activity should focus on one or two of your preschooler’s five senses. Simply providing your preschooler with measuring cups, scoops, and different colored beans provide a chance for optimal sensory engagement.

  1. Books

Place books on low shelves directly related to your child’s interest. Allowing your child to find books of interest helps in the learning process. When your preschooler shows interest in a subject in another curriculum area, books can be a foundation for continuous learning. As your preschooler develops other interests or curiosities, add different books.

  1. Incorporate Nature

Upon entering the preschool center, you may notice the emphasis on nature. Developing your preschooler’s understanding about the natural world promotes continuous learning opportunities. Provide your preschooler with items directly from nature.

  1. Creative Environment

Incorporate art into your preschooler’s home activities. Engaging in art promotes creativity with open-ended possibilities. Enhancing vital fine motor skills, art will strengthen finger and wrist muscles needed for learning to write and other activities in the future. Setting up a box of recycled or inexpensive items for art creation will encourage creativity, vocabulary, and language and physical skills.

Implementing small changes in your home will enhance your preschooler’s natural curiosity for exploration. Using the preschool center as a basic guideline will help you provide a consistent learning environment. If you have questions about setting up a home environment, contact the Montessori School of Flagstaff Westside Campus.  We invite current and prospective families to tour our school and visit our classrooms to see the Montessori Method in action.

Five Montessori Books to Read this Fall

Posted on by

Fall is always a good time to start putting a reading list together, especially when you have kids that are learning using the popular Montessori method. Books are a great way for kids to get prepared for autumn and help open the door to other learning experiences. You’ll want to read these books with your children this fall.

Winter is Coming by Tony Johnson

One of the most fun things about fall for younger kids is learning how fall relates to winter. In this cute tale, a little girl visits her favorite place in the woods where she observes the changing leaves, chipmunks and squirrels gathering nuts, and other signs of fall. As she observes these fall events, she notices the gradual change to winter, creating a good starting point to discuss seasonal changes with your child.

In November by Cynthia Rylant

There is so much that goes on in nature and our lives in November that this book makes a perfect way to open up discussion of all of these. The season is starting to shift from fall to winter a lot more quickly, and it’s easy to observe animals starting to prepare. Individuals are getting together to celebrate the blessings in their lives with loved ones. The beautiful illustrations in this book are a great way to highlight all these things.

A Leaf Can Be… by Laura Purdie Salas

Kids love seeing fall leaves, but one thing your child may not have thought a lot about is that leaves have a life cycle. This book uses beautiful illustrations to show how leaves change and evolve throughout the seasons. Your child will have a better appreciation for the colorful leaves depicted everywhere during fall.

Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller

A little girl named Sophie has an unusual best friend – Bernice, a squash. As it gets closer to winter, Sophie starts to notice some changes in her friend. Cute illustrations and a humorous take tell the tale of how both friends get through this time of transition.

Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C. Snead

A bear wants to tell a story before he hibernates for the winter. However, he quickly finds that his forest friends are busy making winter preparations of their own. The illustrations help follow the bear on his quest as he learns more about what his friends are doing.

These books are a great way to help your child learn more about fall. Colorful illustrations and fun stories help bring everything to life even for the youngest kids. They’ll be all ready for fall after reading these stories!  At Montessori Children’s Center, we encourage parents to read with their children at home.  Older students are also invited to join, as the Montessori method encourages students to work together.  To see what books our students are reading this fall, visit us today!

Behavior Strategies for your Elementary Student

Posted on by

Maria Montessori is famously quoted as saying, “The undisciplined child enters into discipline by working in the company of others: not by being told he is naughty.” This statement sums up the process of using positive behavior strategies in the classroom. Understanding that children learn from what they are taught, as well as what they experience with their own senses, is crucial to quickly diffusing situations and maintaining order in the classroom. Misbehavior is a symptom of an underlying discomfort or emotional state, and the goal of the parent or educator is to define the problem without allowing the class to be disrupted.

Ask Three Before Me

Teachers are very busy, but some students have difficulty waiting patiently for assistance. The multi-aged environment of a Montessori classroom encourages students to work together to solve problems, and a rule which requires students to seek help from other students a minimum of three times before approaching the teacher is useful in several ways. It promotes social interaction, for example, but is also a source of accomplishment for the student who provides assistance, and allows the teacher to focus on their immediate tasks.

Classroom Design

The classroom layout itself is a type of behavior strategy intended to promote activity for a wide range of student needs. Everything is in its place, and there is space enough for everyone. In order to provide students with freedom of movement, the Montessori classroom combines elements ranging from group areas and activities to single-student activities and open spaces where students can have more room. The idea is to allow students to investigate things at their own pace and work separately or independently according to the immediate needs and projects.

Set the Tone

Children want to feel like part of the picture, and they are easily affected by tone of voice and how things are said. Avoid being accusatory, for example, but make it clear that classroom rules must be obeyed. In the same vein, it is not helpful to address children in a condescending tone. When you are speaking with a child, ask questions which elicit an informative answer rather than rote yes or no responses. Communication is central to social interaction, and Montessori relies on interaction to provide a complete learning environment.

Build Emotional Capital

Encouraging children to be positive creates a positive return. Children want to be noticed in a positive way, and doing so gives the child a sense of accomplishment. When you help children feel good about themselves, they are less likely to act out in ways that help them feel bad about their actions.

The behavior strategies will be slightly different for every classroom. Teachers may experiment with several approaches before they find the one which works best for a given situation and how individual students react. As with other aspects of Montessori education, the lessons learned through classroom behavior strategies will help them become more responsible and interested.

The Montessori School of Fremont in Fremont, California encourages and supports teachers and parents as they try different behavior strategies to find the best one that works for their child.  Montessori education believes in positive reinforcement and allowing children to explore on their own and at their own pace.  To learn more about behavior strategies used at our school, schedule a tour today.

Volunteering in your Child’s Classroom

Posted on by

Parental involvement should be considered a crucial part of childhood development and education. Aside from the benefits discussed below, volunteering in your child’s classroom will help your child build self esteem, and it will give you a direct view of how your child’s spends their school time. Especially in the Montessori classroom, parent involvement is part of the process, contributing to a well-rounded learning environment and promoting social interaction.

Benefits of Volunteering

Your presence in the classroom is beneficial to your child, your instructor, and to yourself. It builds a working relationship between yourself and the teachers, allows more interaction between yourself and your child, and gives you the satisfaction of playing a larger part in your child’s developmental years. As a member of Montessori advisory committees, you are able to have a say in how and what your child will be taught and some influence over classroom-specific decisions.

How To Play a Part

The first step to volunteering your time in the classroom is to make contact with the teacher and school administration. Ask them where assistance is needed and set aside the time to be there and do your part. Special occasions and school events, for example, are always looking for parent volunteers to help things go smoothly and provide a satisfactory experience for everyone. If you want to have a more pronounced role, ask about joining a parent advisory committee and become active in making school and classroom decisions which will affect your children’s education.

Parent-Child Relationships

Parent volunteers enjoy the benefits of spending more time with their children. This helps builds stronger family bonds and instills a sense of community participation in the children. It shows your children that you are interested in their success and has a positive influence on how children perceive the educational process. This, in turn, builds confidence in the children and gives them an accomplishment-oriented purpose in the classroom.

Parent-Teacher Interaction

Parent volunteers are able to establish a bond with the staff of the school. This creates additional channels for communication and displays to the children that their parents and teachers are all working together. Such involvement also reduces classroom disruptions and often has a positive effect on how children interact with each other.

Enrolling your child in a Montessori school is the first step in giving them a powerful tool for learning. To make that tool even more successful, volunteering your time in school functions, special events, and classroom activities will not only provide more learning potential for the children, it will build adult and student bonds that reinforce the importance social interactions.

At the Montessori School of Fremont, we invite parents and guardians to volunteer in our classroom.  Here, they have an opportunity to not only see their child learning, but also observe how other children thrive in the Montessori learning environment.  To see how you can play an active role in your child’s education by volunteering in the classroom, contact us today.

Transitioning from a Daycare to a Montessori School

Posted on by

Childhood is full of transitions, but one of the ones that is simultaneously the most anticipated and the most dreaded is starting a new school. This transition can be especially challenging when switching from daycare to a Montessori school because your child has to not only adjust to a new teacher and setting, but also a new set of expectations.

Fortunately, there are ways to make the transition a little easier on your child, and therefore on yourself. Here are a few ways to smooth things over.

Familiarize Your Child with Montessori-Type Expectations

Since the Montessori method is based around independent play and education, your child’s new classroom is bound to feel very different than daycare. One of the main differences is the independence expected of children in the Montessori environment.

You can help your child prepare by encouraging greater independence at home. Here are a few easy ways to incorporate independence into your child’s daily routine and help prepare him or her for the expectations of a Montessori classroom:

  • Get dressed, brush hair and teeth, get ready for the day
  • Help cook in the kitchen, serve food
  • Organize and clean up toys
  • Help with chores such as sweeping, unloading the dishwasher, and sorting and folding laundry
  • Encourage self-guided play, art, and reading (even if just looking at pictures)

Expect Some Challenges

Once your child starts at the new school, you’ll undergo a transition yourself: Instead of trying to prepare your child for their new Montessori school, you’ll have to be there to offer support. Kids under pressure from a demanding transition respond in a variety of ways. Depending on age, your child might:

  • Need extra sleep
  • Get upset more easily or throw tantrums
  • Struggle with drop-offs
  • Act needy or clingy

During this period, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open as much as possible with your child as well as with his or her teachers.

Support the Montessori Method at Home

You can help to ease the transition by continuing to support Montessori ideas at home, not only while your child is settling in to the new classroom, but afterward as well. Here are a few of the ways you can incorporate the same principles into your child’s home life.

  • Set up a “work space” at home. A table and chairs, tucked into the corner of your child’s bedroom or playroom, makes a great Montessori work space for home. Stock storage shelves nearby with art supplies and manipulatives.
  • Continue fostering independence. Look for opportunities at home to teach new skills and encouraging continued independence.
  • Follow the child. Allow time with your child where he or she chooses the activity, mirroring the Montessori theme of following the child.

The best way to prepare for a transition to a Montessori program is to understand what the Montessori method entails. If you have questions about the Montessori environment or how to prepare your child for the transition, please contact us today for a tour of our school.  The staff and teachers at the Montessori School of Flagstaff Westside campus work with parents, guardians, and students to ensure the child is prepared and excited for their new journey into Montessori education.

Montessori Kindergarten: What Children Learn

Posted on by

The Montessori learning model stands out because of the unique and innovative approaches it takes when educating young minds. It is based on many years worth of research into all of the different aspects of a child’s development including: cognitive, emotional, neurological, physical, and more.

The goal behind Montessori educational programs is to provide a well-rounded learning experience that fits children of all ages and backgrounds. Here’s what children will learn in a Montessori kindergarten classroom.

Academic Intelligence

Unlike the traditional learning model found in public classrooms, Montessori programs focus on more than just gaining academic knowledge. However, Montessori programs understand so-called “book smarts” are extremely important to a child’s overall development. As academics are such a vital part of the Montessori learning experience, Montessori schools have taken great care to design curriculum that is both fun and educational.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is greatly underrated in our society, and that’s why the Montessori kindergarten program has developed new and exciting ways to enhance each students’ ability to process their thoughts and emotions in healthy and productive ways.

Much of our emotional intelligence is learned through simply knowing how to be self-sufficient and trusting our own judgments while still valuing the advice and guidance of others. Montessori schools will encourage their students to be independent and free thinkers alongside their teacher who will be there to guide them each step of the way.

Social Intelligence

Knowing how to start, grow, and maintain interpersonal relationships can be a deciding factor in our quality of life. That’s why Montessori kindergarten programs put special emphasis on teaching children how to relate to others.

Montessori educators believe it’s important to start this socialization process early so it becomes part of student as they continue to learn, grow, and develop throughout life. Every Montessori classroom is a place where differences and diversity are celebrated rather than just tolerated.

Critical Thinking

What does it mean to be a critical thinker? That’s a question we want every Montessori student to answer for themselves. Learning how to think critically is a process that must start early on to lay its foundations for the rest of their lives.

Critical thinking skills are what will allow students to stand out from the crowd later in life. It also gives students the tools they need to become expert problem solvers in all areas of their development, not just academically.

Key Takeaway

The Montessori kindergarten program works to provide children with a solid start in life by exposing them to a wide variety of skills, values, experiences, and academics. Not only that, each student is encouraged to work at their own pace and think for themselves. This natural and inclusive approach to education can make a huge difference in a child’s development – one that can continue to serve them all the way through to adulthood. Contact Montessori Children’s Center today to learn about our programs, including our Montessori kindergarten program. We invite prospective parents and teachers in to tour our classrooms and meet with our teachers.

The Montessori Environment: What is your Role as an Adult?

Posted on by

In the classroom and at home, the adults in a child’s life play a vital role in education. The Montessori environment positions adults as a guide for children to draw upon for information, guidance, and resources that promote learning. Their role is not to force the child to conform to preconceived ideas, but to provide necessary materials and help the child discover methods or activities that nurture learning and development.

Practice, Consistency, and Motivation

The role of the adult can be summed up using the 3 key components of the adult-child relationship. Far from being an authoritarian role, it is more supportive than dictatorial. The components are simple ones:

  • Practice – Give the child ample opportunity to experiment with ideas and practice skills. Think of this as allowing children to review and reaffirm past lessons rather than rushing them from one milestone to the next.
  • Consistency – Establish and stick to a consistent plan. This does not mean that a rigorous schedule is necessary – it means that the there needs to be regularity in the learning environment.
  • Motivation – This is arguably the most important part of Montessori learning. Children who receive encouragement and support are more enthusiastic about learning and experiencing new things. Motivation builds self-confidence, and that promotes moving forward.

Planning and Support

For the child, a seamless environment is preferable to a chaotic one. Adults, whether they are parents or teachers, need to provide the planning necessary for smooth transitions throughout the day, week, and the years to come. This includes having the materials available for course studies, and providing the encouragement and support which merges one lesson or activity into the next. Give children the freedom to move from one activity to the next by making sure the choices are available to them when they are ready.

Preparation and Guidance

Many of the responsibilities of the adult take place behind the scenes. Planning and preparation are invisible guidelines in the classroom which allow smooth transitioning and freedom to move about the classroom. As a guide, your encouragement and participation are as important as the preparation. This includes discussing how the child is progressing, offering suggestions on how to solve problems, and maintaining a comfortable atmosphere.

Emotional and Intellectual Interaction

In order for a child to excel, they need to be comfortable, both emotionally and intellectually. It is more practical to help a child understand their feelings than to simply dictate why they should react a certain way. This helps put emotional reactions and intellectual understandings on par and gives the child a framework to build on. An adult is needed to help the child understand their feelings and pursue their understandings rather than dictating how one should behave and what they must learn.

Montessori education recognizes that adults play a key role in a child’s education.  At the Montessori School of Flagstaff Westside Campus, our teachers work with parents and guardians, assisting them with the continuation of Montessori learning outside of school.  If you are looking for more ways to get involved with your child’s education, contact us today to learn ways to play an active role in your child’s daily learning.

Top Factors to Consider when Choosing a Montessori School

Posted on by

Choosing a Montessori school for your child is a huge decision. One that will impact your family for many years to come. That’s why it’s vital to know what to look for in a Montessori educational program, and the type of schooling you want in your child’s future.

Is a Montessori School Right for You?

It’s very important to understand – not all Montessori schools are created equal, and they do not all adhere to one curriculum. Moreover, just because a certain school is a good fit for one student does not necessarily mean it will benefit your child in the same way.

Here’s some of the top factors you should consider when choosing a Montessori school:

No. 1 – The Credentials

Many Montessori schools will choose to join a professional organization to reflect the credentials of their teachers and programs. The American Montessori Society, or AMS, is probably the most common, but it’s important to know which credentials and licenses are held by the school you are interested in and if it is a fully accredited program.

These qualifications are what protects the students’ health, safety and educational opportunities. Without the proper credentials, you might want to look other options.

No. 2 – The Classroom

The classroom is the heart of your child’s educational experiences. When visiting a Montessori school, visit the classrooms and look for a variety of learning materials, as well as lots of space for group and individual activities.

A major difference between a Montessori school and a traditional classroom is the teaching approach. Montessori classrooms should encourage hands-on learning rather than simply reading and repeating information.

No. 3 – The Teachers

We all remember our favorite teacher, right? That’s because teachers have a huge impact on our lives and the good ones really tend to stick out. Therefore, you’ll want to meet with the teachers before deciding on a school and ask them about their qualifications and what approach they take when teaching children new skills.

No. 4 – The Students

One of the most exciting parts about a Montessori education is the support system your child is given access to from day one. Most classrooms will include children who are within 3 years of each other. The older children can help the younger children, but every student is encouraged to be a self-directed learner and leader.

No. 5 – After-School Activities

Extra-curricular activities can help boost a child’s confidence, teach them new skills and improve their social interaction with others. So while every Montessori school is different, if after-school activities and clubs are important to you – look for a program that offers these type of groups.

The Montessori Difference

If you’re considering a Montessori program for your child’s educational needs, consider the factors listed above before enrolling them in a school. For more information on how a Montessori education can benefit your child, contact the Montessori School of Fremont today!  We welcome parents and students to visit our classrooms and meet with our teachers to better understand the Montessori difference.

Helping your Kindergartner get Organized for the First Day of School

Posted on by

The first day of kindergarten is something every parent and child looks forward to, but let’s face it – it can also be a little scary. The key to having a successful start in Kindergarten is in the preparation. Getting your child ready and organized for their first day will allow them to feel confident in starting their educational pursuits.

Here’s some helpful ways you can prepare your child for their first of school:

Explain the Schedule

Simply talking to your child about what they should expect while attending school will ease their mind. Explain how the day will start at a certain time and end at a certain time.

Share Your Experience

We all remember those first day jitters when starting a new school. That’s because every single one of us went through it at one time or another. Make sure your child knows it’s perfectly normal to feel a little nervous before the big day!

Talk about the Benefits

Knowledge is power. And as a parent, you of course want your child to grow up feeling powerful and capable in everything they do. Tell your child about the numerous benefits education will offer them – just don’t leave out all of the fun and exciting adventures they will also get to experience as a Montessori student.

Make Friends

If possible, introduce your child to a couple classmates before school starts. Let them play together and get to know each other a little beforehand. Then on their first day, they will already have some friends to make them feel more relaxed and comfortable with all of the changes they are experiencing during this time.

Meet the Teacher

Before their first day, have a short meeting with the teacher so your child will be familiar with them as soon as they get into the classroom. As soon as the teacher greets your child as a friend, they will feel right at home!

Get Involved

One of the scariest parts of starting Kindergarten for children is the fact they will be away from their parents for so long. That’s why it’s so important to reassure your child, explain to them you will always be there when school ends each day.

You can also get involved with activities at the school to help foster the educational community that exists there, as well as become an active participant in your child’s learning process.

Have a Routine

Perhaps the most important part of keeping your child enthusiastic and interested in school is having a solid routine they can always depend on. Start this routine early and it will become a habit for the rest of your child’s life, keeping them on track and focused on the goals ahead.

For more information on how to prepare your child for a life of success, contact the Montessori Children’s Center today!  Our teachers welcome prospective parents and students to visit their classroom and see the positive impact Montessori education can have on a child’s life.

Creating Manipulatives for your Preschooler

Posted on by

Manipulatives are fun for preschoolers to play with, but more importantly, they teach kids a variety of skills, ranging from physical abilities such as fine motor skills, to mental development such as abstract thinking. Unfortunately many manipulatives, such as Magna Tiles and other fun toys for preschoolers, are prohibitively expensive if you’re sticking to a budget. Supplement store-bought manipulative sets with ones you make yourself, perhaps even with your child’s help!

  • Pom pom magnets: All you need is a fridge or another magnetic surface and a set of these colorful, fluffy magnets, and your preschooler can be entertained for hours! To make these inexpensive manipulatives, buy a bag of quarter-sized pom-poms and small magnets to hot glue onto them.
  • Clothespin alphabet: Write a different letter on each of 26 different clothespins, and make a complete set of manipulatives that’s great for teaching fine motor skills. These easy DIY manipulatives used to be a staple in every preschool classroom. Kids can line up the clothespins along the top of an easel, or you can string a clothesline across a wall in their craft corner or playroom.
  • Lacing beads and cards: Preschoolers love lacing just about anything! Luckily these are fairly inexpensive manipulatives to put together yourself. Lacing cards can be made at home with cardboard, scissors, and a hole punch. You can purchase large beads or use almost anything else instead, such as tube-shaped pasta. For laces, you can use old (but clean) shoelaces, ribbon with fray check on each end, or even just colorful yarn with a little tape over each end.
  • Puzzles: Anything can become a puzzle, from a photograph mounted on cardboard, to the back of a cereal box with a cool graphic on it. Just cut out pieces using straight lines, squiggly lines, or even in such a way so that you can work on fractions.
  • Duplo math: Looking for an easy way to introduce your child to math and fractions? Chalk markers can be used to write on duplo blocks, and then wiped off after math practice is over or when your child is ready for a new challenge. Start with whole numbers and encourage your preschooler to build a tower with the blocks in order, or put together two-digit numbers. As your child gets better at math, you can use different-sized duplos to introduce the concept of fractions by writing the corresponding fractions on the side.
  • Paper plate practice clock: You can easily use a paper plate, some cardboard for the hands, and a brad to hold it all together and make your own practice clock. Time’s up!

Don’t let the term “manipulatives” scare you away from making your own, as it’s basically just a fancy name for the toys you see in most preschool classrooms. If you are interested in seeing what a fully stocked math and manipulatives center looks like – and the rest of the classroom too, of course – call Montessori Childrens Center today to set up a tour of our Montessori school.  We enjoy having prospective parents and students visit our classrooms to see the hands-on Montessori method first hand.