Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Entry Items for the Start of School – Part 1

A great deal of time, thought and effort goes into making the first day of a new school year a success and a big part of that is making sure the Montessori environment is organized and beautiful and that there are ample items on the shelves for the children to work with. I always make sure that each child has a name tag above their cubby or locker to give them a sense of belonging and to give them their own place to hang their coat and lunch bag when they arrive for their first day of school. It brings a smile to my face when I see how delighted the children are to have their own personal space. It is such a simple, yet impactful way to help each child feel like they truly belong to their new Montessori classroom community. It is also nice to include the child’s photo with their name tag to personalize their space even further. And for the younger children who aren’t yet able to recognize their written name, they take great delight in seeing their photo and knowing which cubby belongs to them.

Another important aspect is ensuring that there are a variety of “Entry Items” on the shelves. Some Montessori classrooms begin the year with a gradual entry routine, however, in the school where I am currently teaching, the children attend full time right from Day 1 (9:00 to 1:00) which can be very challenging for the younger children. I have found the key to success is ensuring the shelves are enriched with an assortment of entry items to spark and maintain the interest of each child in the group.

Entry items are manipulatives (non-Montessori) that are already familiar to most preschoolers, such as puzzles, blocks, elastic band board, etc. and I do like to keep them as natural looking as possible. Entry items do not require a specific presentation, aside from the basics of how to carry the activity to a table or mat and tidy it up upon completion. Even though these are not traditional Montessori materials, they should still be displayed in a Montessori manner----each item should be placed in a basket or on a tray and placed neatly on the “open” shelves.

I will provide further details about entry items for the start of school in my next blog, and how they are introduced on the first day.

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

My Montessori School

By Bree Van Nes

At school I am busy with my work and when I play,
It’s my special place where I feel big and I learn more every day.
I learn my numbers, learn my sounds,
I help my friends when they feel down,
Math and Science, Geography too,
Exploring with my senses, mixing colors, using glue,
Adding and subtracting with materials galore,
Working with a friend, doing a puzzle on the floor,
Sharing, caring, kindness too
That’s the way we act at Buena Vista school

I love that everything is just my size,
And I can do things by myself,
When I need a drink of water, I use the jug upon the shelf,
If I spill I know what to do, I clean it up with the cloth that is blue,
I tidy up my very own work and tuck my chair in too,
I know that the color purple is made from mixing red and blue

My school is a place where I learn as I play
All about the earth and how many hours in a day,
I like to sing the continent song,
I know it’s o.k. if I do something wrong,
None of us are perfect and mistakes help me grow,
I’m learning how to tie my shoes and how to make a bow

I learn the importance of being kind,
To wait my turn when I’m standing in line
To wash my hands before I eat
To eat my fruit & veggies before I eat my treat

I learn about the planets, and the parts of a flower too,
I put my work back on the shelf and the lid back on the glue
I sing, I dance, I write my name
I even play the ‘knock knock game’

I’ve learned about a snail and a worm.
I’m practicing how to take my turn.
I help my friends when they’re in need,
I learn the importance of doing a kind deed
I sound out words from left to right,
I use my words & never fight.

My school is a peaceful place, my teachers love me so,
Caring, sharing, laughing, learning-- a place where I can grow!

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Start of School: Welcome Note to Parents

The beginning of the school year can be an emotional time for teachers, parents and children. For some, the feeling is pure excitement, however, for others the opposite is true and they are consumed by fear, anxiety and uncertainty. It is our role as educators to reassure parents and children and to help them feel safe and secure. Before school begins, I always send a note to all of the families welcoming them to the school and providing them with a little information on what to expect. The note is always very well received and appreciated and I have included a sample below.

Sample Welcome Note to Parents

We would like to welcome back all of our returning children and families and extend a warm welcome to all of our new children and families. September is always a time of excitement, yet with that comes anxiety and nervousness for many children. We will do our best to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible and to ensure that each child feels loved, respected and safe. A Montessori learning environment is like no other … our main objective at (Montessori school name) is to provide a carefully planned, stimulating environment which will help children to develop within themselves the foundational habits, attitudes, skills and ideas essential for a lifetime of creative thinking and learning. Respect and courtesy in our Montessori school is the foundation for everything we do and each child will soon learn the following important skills:

• how to put their work away where they found it
• how to tidy up after themselves
• the importance of helping a friend in need
• the importance of respecting the materials, the teachers and each other
• how to tuck in their chair when they leave the table
• how to walk in the classroom
• how to be self directed and find their own ‘work’ and most importantly,
• how to be independent!

Each child will feel empowered at (Montessori school name) and learn how great it feels to do things on their own! Each Montessori teacher is here to nurture, support and guide them each and every day and are committed to making your child’s Montessori preschool experience productive, stimulating and fun! We are honored that you have chosen our school and we are confident that this will be a wonderful year for everyone involved!

NOTE: We will collecting your email addresses very soon as we would like to send a newsletter via email at the end of each month to keep you posted as to themes, medical issues, new friends that have joined the Montessori program and also just to provide you with further insight into the Montessori Method and our program in general. We will do our best to keep you well informed of what is going on and if you don’t have email, we will also have hard copies of each newsletter available in the classroom. We are looking forward to getting to know each child and working with each family to make this year a successful one! If at any time you have questions or concerns, please feel free to make an appointment with us afterschool so that we can discuss things in detail.

A Poem for Parents: Nothing

When children come home at the end of the day,

The question they’re asked as they scurry to play is,

“What did you do at school today?”

And the answer they give

makes you sigh with dismay.

“Nothing, I did nothing today!”

Perhaps nothing means

that I played with blocks, counted to ten, or sorted some rocks.

Maybe I painted or learned to tie my shoe

Or learned what happens when you mix red and blue

Maybe I learned to tuck in my chair and put my work away

Or maybe I learned to be kind to a friend while I was playing outside today,

Maybe my scissors followed a line and I learned to write my name.

Maybe I learned some sounds or numbers or learned to play a new game,

Maybe I made a craft or sang a song from beginning to end,

Or maybe I learned to play with a special, brand new friend.

When you’re in preschool

And your heart has wings,

“Nothing” can mean so many, many things.

(Author Unknown)

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

A Montessori Poem

By Bree Van Nes

A Montessori class is like no other,
Calm and peaceful, neutral in color
Amazing materials to challenge the mind,
And countless opportunities to grow and to shine,

A harmonious tone, where grace and courtesy are seen,
Children helping, children learning, exploring why leaves are green,
A joyous community where independence abounds,
Learning through the senses, sandpaper letters to learn the sounds,

Learning about the continents, working with landforms too,
Learning the parts of an insect, persevering to tie your shoe,
Pushing in your chair, rolling up your mat,
Using the Moveable Alphabet to spell the word, ‘c-a-t’

An environment where children work at their own pace,
Discovering, exploring, no pressure to win the race,
A philosophy that helps children be all they can be,
Guiding their learning by following their lead,

Intrinsically motivated,
Independent too,
The power of the absorbent mind
Soaking up knowledge through and through

Maria Montessori is one of a kind,
An acute observer, an intelligent mind
She believed in following the child’s lead,
And giving children the tools to help those in need

A Montessori class is like no other
And a teacher I’m proud to be
A role model, a facilitator, a nurturer, a friend,
Guiding them on a journey that I hope will never end

I feel so proud, so honored and blessed
To help each child achieve their best
To instill in them a love for life,
A passion for learning and a zest for life

Thank-you Dr. Montessori for inspiring me each and every day. I feel like I am on a constant journey and each day the children have something more to teach me. I can’t even put into words how much I love being a Montessori teacher - I wake up every morning excited to start my day and honored to be able to experience learning through the eyes of a child!

With thanks,

Bree Van Nes

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Celebrating Maria Montessori’s Birthday in the Montessori Classroom

Maria Montessori was born one hundred and forty years ago on August 31. As Montessori teachers, we owe much to this dynamic and innovative woman. To honor Maria Montessori, celebrate Montessori’s birthday with your students – they will enjoy learning about her life and will take pride in activities inspired by her.

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Here are some ideas for activities to celebrate Maria Montessori’s birthday:

• Use Montessori’s birthday as an opportunity to foster school spirit and appreciation. Have a discussion with your students about how going to a Montessori school can be a unique experience. Have each student write about their favorite aspect of going to a Montessori school (you can record this information for younger students) through stories or poems and display them in your Montessori school or highlight some of their impressions in your school newsletter.
• Do a “walk around the sun” for Maria Montessori. Light a candle to represent the sun (or use a battery-operated light if an open flame is not an option) and have your students sit around it in a circle. Have students take turns walking around the sun while holding a globe (each trip represents one year). You can either do enough trips around the sun to represent how old Maria Montessori lived or the total one hundred forty years since she was born.
• With your students, explore the Montessori math materials (such as bead chains, etc.) while using the number 140.
• In honor of Maria Montessori’s altruistic spirit, your Montessori students may enjoy organizing a service opportunity. Older students and younger students can collaborate to help with tasks on campus, or students may choose an off-campus volunteer opportunity at a hospital, shelter, or other organization with need.
• Create a timeline that shows Maria Montessori’s life with corresponding historical world events.
• Students can write historical fiction from the perspective of Maria Montessori or one of her first students.
• Become internet pen pals with students at another Montessori school and share facts about Maria Montessori.

Resources:

• Maria Montessori: A Biography (Radcliffe Biography Series), by Rita Kramer
• Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, by E. M. Standing

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Summer Preparations: Snack Time

Summer is the perfect time to unwind and to reflect upon the past school year. I love revisiting my observation records and trying to figure out how I can improve upon the current classroom set-up and how I can enrich the various curriculum areas.

With September just around the corner, my mind is flooded with all the things that need to be done. Not a moment goes by that I’m not thinking about my students and analyzing what worked well and what may require changes or adjustments. I have been thinking a lot about how I may challenge some of the returning Montessori students and how I’m going to best support the new students. I have already spent countless hours organizing the storage room, painting materials, making repairs, searching for treasures in local thrift stores and creating new reading material.

In past years, I have found that fitting in group snack prior to lunch time can be a challenge. It seemed to be such a disturbance to the children’s work cycle and I always found it difficult to resettle them. To be consistent with the Montessori Method and the importance of promoting independence, I decided this year to change the routine slightly and create a space conducive for the children to choose their own snack as well as decide for themselves when they wish to eat their snack. I have prepared a lovely little snack table complete with a dainty tablecloth, four snack mats, a beautiful bamboo plant, a small table broom & dustpan, and a nearby shelf that houses the cutlery, plates, cups, a pitcher of water and sponges for washing their snack mats so they are clean for the next friend.

I am so excited to see how the new snack routine is received and to find out whether a more intimate snack setting will help the children bond as a Montessori community! I will keep you posted.

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Introducing a New Blog Series on the Montessori 3-6 Environment

NAMC is very pleased to begin a new, ongoing series for our web blog titled, Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year. This new series will provide our readers with valuable information about the Montessori 3-6 environment – looking at a year in the life of a Montessori preschool child, both through the eyes of the child and the teacher.

We welcome the new contributions of long-time NAMC tutor and Montessori teacher, Bree Van Nes. Many of you may already know Bree as your tutor. Bree’s lifelong passion for teaching Montessori 3-6 inspires those who are acquainted with her, and we are delighted that Bree is joining NAMC tutor and elementary teacher Michelle Irinyi and NAMC alumni Elissa Pugh as a contributor to our blog.

Our hope is that you will find Bree’s personal insights and reflections of her Montessori teaching experience a valuable learning tool, and an inspiration for your own Montessori journey.

An Introductory Note from Bree Van Nes

My name is Bree Van Nes and I have been a part of the North American Montessori Center (NAMC) since its inception. I was involved in creating the very first diploma program curriculum in the mid-1990's and along with my involvement in the expansion of the program offerings, I continue to tutor and support NAMC students all over the world. I am very excited about this opportunity to stay in touch with our NAMC alumni and other Montessorians through this blog series on my Montessori teaching experiences.

I love what I do and feel so privileged to work with Montessorians worldwide who share my passion for children and my love for Montessori! I have three wonderful children, ages 10, 8 and 3 and I have been teaching in a Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten environment for the past 18 years.

For me, the Montessori Method isn’t just a philosophy -- it is a way of life that I have embraced both at home as well as in the classroom. I wake up each morning excited to get to school and inspired to learn something new from the children. I find it so rewarding to work with children in an environment where they are free to learn, discover, grow and thrive -- it is such a gift and one that keeps giving day after day!

For the past year, I have been documenting some of my most precious experiences and observations and would like to share them through this NAMC blog series. You will notice that many of the entries refer to a student named Jordan, who began his Montessori journey last year at age 3 and will soon be starting his second year in the Montessori 3-6 classroom. It has been so rewarding to follow Jordan’s progression, celebrate his discoveries and see him grow and change throughout the year.

I hope that sharing my continuing practice and education in the Montessori classroom will help you with your own personal Montessori experience. It is my wish that you enjoy reading the blog series as much as I am enjoying writing them.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Ramadan: Activity Ideas for the Montessori Classroom

This year Ramadan begins at sunset on August 11th (on the Gregorian calendar) and ends on the 9th of September. Ramadan is a holy month of fasting and contemplation for Muslims around the world. Many fast and increase prayer and contemplation during daylight hours, ending the day with a prayer and a light meal called the iftar. One of the many benefits of the fasting is to remind Muslims of those who are less fortunate.

Brainstorm with your Montessori students for ways that your Montessori class can provide community service with this in mind. Your students may spend a morning at a soup kitchen or hold a school-wide canned food drive. Perhaps students can collect spare change in jars and send it to a local food bank or cook an appreciation meal for the fire station that services your school.

Older Montessori students may enjoy discussions and research about the connections between poverty, food quality, politics, food deserts, and other related issues.

Ramadan provides many learning opportunities, including cooking and exploring food with your students. Of course, you can not ask your students to fast during daylight hours, but you can learn more about cultural dishes associated with different regions of the world when learning about those cultures. A suhor dish (light meal served before dawn during Ramadan) could be a delicious rice pudding with dates shown in the recipe below. Some students may have had a different version of rice pudding and be interested in comparing the two versions. Dates are special to Ramadan because it is believed that The Prophet Muhammed (also spelled Mohammed or Muhammad) ate them as well. The second dish below, a sweet side of spiced pears and pomegranate, introduces your students to some new flavors.

Here are the recipes to try with your Montessori classroom:

Rice Pudding with Dates (from allrecipes.com)

(6 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 15 dates, pitted and chopped

Directions

Place the rice into a food processor or blender, and process until coarse, but not pureed. Transfer to a saucepan, and stir in the milk, sugar and dates. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the dates are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Spiced Pears and Pomegranate (from allrecipes.com)

(4 servings)

Ingredients

• 3 pears - peeled, cored and cut into wedges
• 1 pomegranate, skin and light-colored membrane removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds (optional)
• 4 sprigs fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions

Place the sliced pears and pomegranate seeds into a bowl. Toss with lemon juice to coat. Combine the brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small cup or bowl, then mix into the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to blend the flavors. Serve in individual dishes, and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped almonds and a sprig of mint.

Ramadan is another opportunity to learn and promote understanding in the Montessori classroom. Help your students enjoy this chance to learn about their world!

The NAMC lower elementary and upper elementary manuals for Cultural Geography provide cultural learning in imaginative and interactive activities.

Related NAMC blogs:

• Ramadan in the Montessori Classroom
• Montessori Classrooms Celebrate Holidays Around the World

Links:

• Teachers First Ramadan Resources
• Let's Celebrate Ramadan!
• Celebrating Ramadan
• Ramadan (Islam)
• Suhor, Iftar and Eid-Al Fitr

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Elementary: Five Great Lessons Part 4 – Cosmic Education

A wider, loftier life is (humankind’s) than ever before, and children have to be prepared for it, so the fundamental principle in education is correlation of all subjects, and their centralization in the cosmic plan. ~ Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

Montessori Cosmic Education and the Five Great Lessons

If the Five Great Lessons can be said to be the heart of Montessori elementary education, then cosmic education can be described as the soul.

One of the most important underlying principles of Montessori programs is cosmic education, an overall Montessori approach to education that involves helping children develop an awareness that everything in the universe is connected and interdependent and forms a harmonious whole and that they themselves are part of and contribute to that whole.

Cosmic education speaks specifically to the “how” and “why” of delivering education. Maria Montessori believed that children are the peacemakers of the future, and that education was the way in which children could be raised as citizens of the world who would find ways to live in social, cultural, and environmental harmony. The interrelatedness of humans and all species is at the forefront of all Montessori teaching in the elementary curriculum. This is particularly apparent when the Montessori teacher presents the Five Great Lessons, a series of five imaginative stories told at the beginning of each year, starting in Year 1 of lower elementary, to give students an overall impression of the grand topics of the universe, the earth, and life on earth.

Designed to arouse awe, excitement, and curiosity in students, the Montessori Five Great Lessons aim at engaging students at a time when they are particularly open to topics that appeal to their imaginations and inspire them to investigate further. The Great Lessons are designed to draw Montessori students into exploring the subjects of the curriculum, such as language arts, geography, the sciences, history, and mathematics. For example, in the First Great Lesson, the Montessori student hearing the story of how the universe began might be inspired to turn to physical geography to explore the formation of the solar system and to delve into physical science to explore what makes up matter.

The Five Great Lessons lay a foundation for Montessori students to further explore connections between each person’s actions and behavior and the well-being of the universe. This is the Montessori educator’s primary purpose in preparing, telling and illustrating the Five Great Lessons, and it is with careful attention that this foundation leads to success. Beyond the Five Great Lessons, Montessori educators expose their young students to the wonders of nature whenever possible and across all subjects, so that students gain an even deeper understanding of the natural world, and our place in it.

Montessori upper elementary students are increasingly drawn into the curriculum by their desire to explore the part they might play in the greater world and to understand the responsibility this insight brings. The big questions, such as: “Who/What am I?” “Why am I here?” “What is my role/place in the world/universe?” are the questions of cosmic education, and these questions are of particular interest to students at this stage. The answers are best discovered experientially by the students, across all subjects.

NAMC is proud to offer the elementary teaching manual, The Five Great Lessons/Cosmic Education and Peace: a comprehensive curriculum manual for Montessori elementary teachers.

NAMC offers instruction in The Five Great Lessons in the Lower Elementary 6-9 curriculum as designed by Maria Montessori. With utmost respect for the diversity of our international student body, NAMC in no way requires that the Five Great Lessons be taught, and leaves the decision to the discretion of our students.

Recommended reading:

• To Educate the Human Potential, Maria Montessori. Clio Montessori Series. ISBN 1-85109-094-0

Related NAMC blogs:

• Introducing and Exploring The Five Great Lessons in Montessori Elementary
• Montessori Philosophy - The Second Plane of Development: Ages 6-12
• Montessori Elementary: The Five Great Lessons Part 1 – Purpose
• Montessori Elementary: The Five Great Lessons Part 2 – When to Tell the Stories
• Montessori Elementary: The Five Great Lessons Part 3 - Preparation
• Montessori and Imagination: the Second Plane of Development

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Elementary: The Five Great Lessons Part 3 - Preparation

…by offering the child the story of the universe, we give him something a thousand times more infinite and mysterious to reconstruct with this imagination, a drama no fable can reveal. ~ Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

In keeping with age-old, oral storytelling traditions, the Montessori teacher must know the stories of the Five Great Lessons thoroughly enough to tell them rather than read them. Rehearsing helps the Montessori teacher practice presenting the story smoothly and effectively. Rehearsing also provides valuable information about the amount of time it will take to tell the story.

Additionally, the Montessori teacher needs to prepare for the students’ questions by having a solid foundation in the subject matter of that Great Lesson. To stay up to date with the factual information in each story, the Montessori teacher will need to carry out some new research every year.

During the telling of each Great Lesson, the Montessori teacher uses short demonstrations to dramatically illustrate major events in the story and to give the students a visual memory of that event. Again, preparation is the key in order to incorporate the demonstrations seamlessly into the telling of the story. The goal is to draw the students’ interest to many topics that can be further explored in other areas of the Montessori elementary curriculum, such as the sciences and history.

Encourage questions during each story and rehearse ways to handle questions respectfully without disrupting the flow of the story, then invite questions after the telling of each story. Follow up students’ questions with presentations and activities in other subjects, including research projects and field trips.

Montessori believed that the young elementary student is in a period of critical development. “We are confronted with a considerable development of consciousness that has already taken place, but now that consciousness is thrown outwards with a special direction, intelligence being extroverted, and there is an unusual demand on the part of the child to know the reasons of things.” – Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential. The Montessori Five Great Lessons offer a gateway into further exploration of specific subject matter that, if presented passionately, beautifully and thoroughly, will live in your Montessori students forever.

The final article of this series will explore the meaning of the Five Great Lessons within Montessori’s concept of Cosmic Education.

NAMC is proud to offer the elementary teaching manual, The Five Great Lessons/Cosmic Education and Peace: a comprehensive curriculum manual for Montessori elementary teachers.

NAMC offers instruction in The Five Great Lessons in the Lower Elementary 6-9 curriculum as designed by Maria Montessori. With utmost respect for the diversity of our international student body, NAMC in no way requires that the Five Great Lessons be taught, and leaves the decision to the discretion of our students.

Recommended reading:

• To Educate the Human Potential, Maria Montessori. Clio Montessori Series. ISBN 1-85109-094-0

Related NAMC blogs:

• Montessori Elementary: The Five Great Lessons Part 1 – Purpose
• Montessori Elementary: The Five Great Lessons Part 2 – When to Tell the Stories
• Montessori Elementary: Five Great Lessons Part 4 – Cosmic Education
• Montessori Philosophy – The Second Plane of Development: Ages 6-12
• Introducing and Exploring The Five Great Lessons in Montessori Elementary
• Montessori and Imagination: the Second Plane of Development

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/