How to Keep and Preserve your Child’s Artwork

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Every piece of art your child creates is worth preserving. But when your little Picasso is creating more art than your fridge can handle, it might be time to get creative when keeping and saving their timeless masterpieces.

Here are some fun and innovative ideas on how to keep, enjoy, and preserve your child’s artwork for many years to come.

No. 1 – Have a Filing System

In order to curate and preserve your child’s artwork, you should first have a filing system in place. Choose a storage container where you can keep all of your child’s artwork and separate it by using the following categories:

  • Use for Crafting Projects
  • Frame and Hang
  • Save for Later Use
  • Mail to Loved Ones

You can add your own categories depending on what you plan to do with your child’s artwork. But the important thing is having a system in place to deal with the onslaught of colorful rainbows and smiling stick-men your child joyfully brings you every day.

No. 2 – Download Keepy

Take your child’s artwork into the digital world by downloading Keepy – an awesome app that allows you to upload pictures of your child’s art which you can then save, share, and print until your heart is content. This will also help you de-clutter your current collection.

No. 3 – Make a Mini-Gallery

One of the best ways to celebrate your child’s talents is by creating their very own art gallery in your home. You can start by picking a specific wall, painting it with magnetic paint, and then hang up your child’s favorite pieces. You can then rotate the art once a month so you’re always keeping it fresh and interesting.

No. 4 – Use it for Wrapping Paper

As long as you don’t mind parting with some physical copies of your child’s artwork, you can use it to wrap presents on special occasions and holidays. Not only will you save some money on wrapping paper, but it will make your gifts even more unique and thoughtful than before.

No. 5 – Start an Annual Tradition

If you want to keep as much of your child’s artwork as possible while also documenting their progress as they grow up – you can make an annual tradition of sorting, filing, and comparing their work at the end of each year.

Get some three-ring binders and label each one with a different year. Then, you and your child can sit down to go through their artwork, comparing them to previous years and preserving the best ones in labeled page protectors.

Getting Creative

Saving your child’s artwork can be a bonding experience for the whole family while also teaching them important lessons in organization, preservation, and creativity. And by turning their doodles and drawings into lifelong memories, you are helping to give them the confidence and skills they need to succeed later in life.

At the Montessori Children’s Center in Fremont, California, we encourage creativity throughout our curriculum and specifically use hands-on learning techniques that allow children to explore on their own.  We treat each child as an individual and can help you come up with a plan for working to preserve all your child’s work, including their artwork.  Contact us today and schedule a tour of our school.

Tools used to Assess your Montessori Student

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In traditional public schools, testing is the required norm. Some classes test the children every week, and all kids must take standardized assessment tests periodically to determine their progress. Everything is different in a Montessori classroom. While each child is being continuously monitored and assessed, the methods used are far more subtle, and often subjective, focusing on the skills of the individual child rather than trying to fit the child into age-specific standardization.

Standardized Tests

Some Montessori schools use standardized testing as well as other methods. This practice is more common in public Montessori schools, or privately operated schools which transition children into public education as they get older. Some of the data collected in these tests can be used to improve the Montessori system, but individual progress carries more weight than standardized questions.

Daily Assessment

Assessment takes place continuously in the Montessori classroom. Guides observe the activities of children and offer assistance or suggest other methods as children require it. Teachers also speak with children regularly, allowing the guide and student to look at the individual’s progress and plan future activities accordingly. Where a public school teacher may know that the class is on page 247 of a textbook, the Montessori guide knows that your child is learning to master a particular concept or skill. The key is that the children in the class are working at their own paces, and they are not all on the same page.

Self-Paced Learning

Montessori learning encourages the children’s natural inquisitiveness. Because the kids are allowed to learn at their own paces, each student may move about the Montessori classroom and various activity centers as they learn new skills. Since this follows a more natural pattern of learning, many children are able to absorb subject material faster.

All Children are Special

Maria Montessori believed that all children are special. Each one has unique talents and is able to grasp different concepts more quickly than others. In the Montessori classroom, this allows gifted children and challenged learners to work together in the classroom, advancing at their own pace, without becoming separated from their peer group. In addition to allowing individual advancement within the classroom, this also allows interaction between children, benefiting those who are having more trouble and creating a sense of self-worth for the children as a group.

Montessori schools teach the same kind of information, in approximately the same age-groups, as traditional schools. But the methods used to do that are much different, focusing more on personal achievement, hands-on learning, and social responsibility. Both methods attempt to provide children with a well-rounded education, but the approaches used by each are like comparing apples to oranges.  Schedule a visit at the Montessori School of Flagstaff Westside Campus today to learn more about the tools we use to assess students.

Teaching your Child about Being Thankful through fall Crafts

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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is an excellent time to teach little ones the importance of giving thanks and being grateful for what they have in their lives.

Learning how to be grateful, for things both big and small, is a teachable skill that can last children a lifetime. All you need are some scissors, paper, glue and a little bit of creativity to make giving thanks fun for the whole family.

Here are some ideas for fall crafts you can do with your child that will remind them what Thanksgiving is really all about:

No. 1 – A Sharing Plate

The Sharing Plate is a fun project for kids of all ages. Find a blank plate and either paint or draw a poem about gratitude on it. The plate then travels from home to home with your friends and family – reminding everyone to be grateful for every day.

Here’s an example of a sharing plate poem:

“The sharing plate does not have a home, and its adventure never ends. But it never gets lonely because it travels around from friend to friend. The food upon it was made with love and care, so remember to pass this special plate along so everybody can share.”

No. 2 – The Tree of Gratitude

All you need for this craft is some fall-colored construction paper, scissors, and tape. Help your kids draw an outline of a tree, along with some leaves. Then cut the shapes out of the paper and tape it all together.

Then, hang the tree on your wall before having your child write down what they’re most thankful for on each leaf. As the days of fall continue to pass, remind your child to take a leaf off the tree each time they are feeling extra grateful for something and encourage them to share it with the family.

No. 3 – A Giving Thanks Quilt

A Giving Thanks Quilt can be a great annual tradition to hang on your wall and remember all of your fondest memories of the holidays.

But if you don’t have the time or resources to make a cloth quilt, you can make a paper quilt in a fraction of the time. And if you want it to last through the years, you could even get it laminated after it’s finished.

Either way, you’ll want to cut out your quilt pattern and then have your children write what they are thankful for on different squares. Have fun stitching it together as a family, all while teaching everybody the importance of gratitude and appreciation.

Practicing Gratitude

Whether it’s the big things or life’s little pleasures you are feeling grateful for, finding and creating holiday crafts as a family can be fun and educational at the same time. It’s also an excellent bonding opportunity that will give your children memories and lessons that last a lifetime.

At the Montessori School of Fremont, we teach our students about holidays in hands-on and interactive ways.  Showing gratitude during Thanksgiving is an excellent way to teach your children about being thankful and appreciative.  To see the Montessori Method in person, contact us today.

Preschoolers and the Lesson of Friendship

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The preschool years are a perfect time for children to learn about the importance of friendship. Your child will form friendships that could last throughout their childhood and beyond at this time. Helping your child learn about the importance of friendships from such a young age will get them ready to make new friends at school.

Read Books About Friends With Your Child

Preschoolers can take away a lot of information from reading books, making reading a perfect activity to help explain the importance of friendship to your child. After reading these books, take some time for you and your child to discuss how their friends are like those they read about in the stories and how they’re different.

A few books that your child will enjoy include:

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister – A story of a fish with shiny scales who gives one away to a sad friend, then gives away more when he sees the happiness they bring. You’ll be able to introduce your child to the idea of giving to those less fortunate than they are.

Just My Friend and Me by Mercer Mayer – This Little Critter classic shows how the signature character learns it’s okay to play alone after a difficult playdate. Your child will learn a little more about coping with conflicts.

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni – When Blue and Yellow come together after being apart, they turn green and all accept them. This book is a cute lesson in tolerance.

Make Friendship Necklaces

A friendship necklace is a great activity for preschoolers, under adult supervision. In place of beads that could present a choking hazard, you can use pasta dyed to bright colors using a food coloring and vinegar mixture. Thread them on to pieces of string with a knot at one end, tying the ends off to close.

Host a Tea or Lunch

Enjoying a tea or a lunch together is a great way for kids to appreciate the value of friendship. They’ll learn how to share with each other, as well as some other basic manners that will help them when they reach school age. One of the fun things about this type of setting with preschoolers is that they will often play pretend, inviting their stuffed toys or even imaginary friends to the table.

The lesson of friendship is a very important one that your child will benefit from learning as early as possible. These engaging activities will help get your child excited about making new friends as they prepare to start school.  The teachers and staff at Montessori Children’s Center encourage students to be friends with all, embracing the differences that make each child unique and special.  Contact us today to schedule a visit of one of our preschool Montessori classes.

Preschool Center Ideas You Can Use at Home

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.