November 2011
38 posts
November 28
This morning, your children remembered their routines: from putting their jackets, lunches, and materials away, as well the outdoor safety rules. Eitan brought in many play dough tools to share with his friends. One was even a new fine motor material—a mini pasta maker (which if you have ever used, you would realize the complexity of this cooking tool)! One child took down the puzzles, but...
November 23
This morning during Work Time, your children explored with the Montessori materials (the knobbed cylinders and the brown stairs) as well as using letters and ink stamps for the first time. Some children noticed the way the letters m and w were similar. They also watched their hands turn green from the ink. Using letter stamps helps to strengthen their fine motor skills and coordination. Others...
November 22
During Work Time this morning, we created a challenge for some of the children. Two knobbed cylinders were placed next to each other. The children removed the pieces (of course, they then were mixed up) and needed to find the corresponding blocks to place them in. We did this as well with two of the wooden puzzles that are similar in design. The children continued their exploration with magnetism...
November 21
During our morning Work Time, your children used tempera paint and sponge stampers to create their Thanksgiving Day cards. The sponge stampers have shapes either of people or items that children could be thankful for: mommy, daddy, a house or apartment building, trees, leaves, apples, and a star. Eitan brought in a bag of dreidels to show his friends. This turned into a sharing lesson as well as...
November 18
During Work Time today, your children chose to continue working with the letter aleph. It was wonderful to observe Eitan and Mika helping each other find the letter among all the Hebrew letters on the magnetic tray. We also continued our art exploration using cranberries and paint. With this project, each child’s work varied depending upon their choice of color, amount of cranberries, and...
November 17
During Work Time this morning, some of your children had the opportunity to create art by using cranberries and tempera paint. They first decided how many cranberries they wanted to roll, then what color or colors to use, and lastly they needed to use both hands to roll or shake the tray these items were placed in. The children watched the cranberries create lateral designs as well as the colors...
November 16
Before the rain came down, your children used their backyard place space. There was a new see-saw, a soccer ball, three tricycles, and a boat. The see-saw was a lesson for your children in balancing as well as being kind to make room for each others’ hands (if three children chose to go on). They played soccer, though remembering not to use their hands was challenging. The boat was wonderful...
November 15
Today during our morning Work Time, the most popular table activity was the watercolors. This task utilizes fine motor building and helps with concentration (as you can see from the children working with the material). The connectors (also a fine motor enhancement) were used today to make vehicles. One child made a crane, even demonstrating to a peer the way it worked.
Before going on our walk,...
November 14
I observed this morning, your children reminding each other to put up their attendance pictures. They really seem to enjoy this responsibility as well as figuring out where they want to place their pictures on the chart. Frequently, the conversation is: “I am next to ___,” or I may ask a child,”Whose picture is next to or underneath yours?” Sometimes, they can be even...
November 11
During our Work Time this morning, your children drew pictures for their friend Asher. These were stapled together to create a special Happy Birthday Book. Asher decorated his birthday crown and was also happy to have Emma and Lelo help him with the stickers and the coloring. Thank you for sharing, Asher! The children had the opportunity to visit the connector table to make shapes. I observed...
November 10
This morning’s Work Time included fine motor skill activities as well as our favorite Montessori materials. At one table, your children worked with clay (not play dough), pasta wheels, and used pictures as visual aides to craft their own vehicles. Clay is a wonderful material to use to help strengthen the muscles needed for fine motor work. The clay needs to be kneaded, rolled, and really...
November 9
This morning during Work Time, your children spent time with the Montessori materials, specifically the three sets of knobbed cylinders and the brown stairs. Each time a child works with these materials, there is continuous growth and discovery. They also bring their imaginations and curiosity to their work. The wooden pegs and numbers became a shared task since I displayed the material in a...
November 8
We have been busy trying to finish our Shabbat place mats during Work Time. I gave a presentation to a small group of children with a Montessori material today that was familiar to them, but a little different! We added another block of knobbed cylinders; we now have three out of the set of four on our shelves. The cylinders vary in height and/or diameter and help develop visual perception as well...
November 7
This morning during work time, some of the children added wheels, windows, shark teeth, or wings to their painted vehicles from Friday. They looked at the vehicle chart examining what they would need to complete their box. After gluing on the appropriate items, the last step was to play with their vehicles! Work Time also included painting at our easel, working with the knobbed cylinders and...
November 4
This morning during Work Time, your children started to make their Shabbat place mats. Merav worked with them as they selected pictures that symbolize Shabbat: challah, candlesticks, and grape juice. Your children also began their vehicles! Before painting, we examined pictures of various vehicles and your child described what he/she wanted to create. I then asked the color they wanted to use. I...
November 3
Your children had a busy work time this morning. We had one table set up for a collaborative tempera mural using sponge stamps shaped as a tree, car, truck, airplane, boat, and a person walking. Another table had a fine motor skill activity—lacing buttons. At the art easel was blue and red paint to explore and mix. The children also worked with Montessori materials: the brown stairs, the...
November 2
Your children were busy during work time with our transportation lacing cards, the art easel, using scissors to cut paper, sharing books about transportation (thank you Eitan!), making vehicles with connectors, and working with the wooden shape pieces to build figures. At the easel the children used blue and yellow to make green. They also remembered who did not have a turn yesterday and saw that...
November 1
Today your children used the art easel for the first time. This was an opportunity for them to practice their waiting skills, push up their sleeves, paint, hand the art smock to the next child, and then independently wash their hands. Two primary colors were used: yellow and red. Some of your children noticed a new color that emerged from mixing red and yellow. I also heard a child comment on...
October 31
Today I introduced a new Montessori sensorial material, the broad stairs. These are ten wooden prisms that range in size to help develop visual and muscular perception of dimension. Your children also worked with the sound of the letter “S.” They discovered in a bag a variety of items and pictures such as a snake, soap, sand, and the sun.
On our walk today your children were so happy...
