Infant News
12/16/2009
Infant
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3/24/2009
Infant
Movement Opportunities in the Infant Program
Learning Motor Skills in a Carefully Designed Environment
The GMS infant program environment is set up to maximize the infant's gross and fine motor opportunities. Infants have a sensitive period for movement. They are born with an innate desire to move and master control of their bodies; it requires no instruction from caregivers.
The GMS infant environment includes climbing structures, low gym mats and pillows, a pull up bar, and shelves to allow the infants to pull up and stand when they are ready. Our outdoor environment includes a low sand box for climbing in and out of , a tunnel for climbing through, and a low bridge for climbing over.
We also include many fine motor activities for the infants who are ready for them. Objects for grasping, holding, and shaking are placed near a non-mobile infant, while posting, nesting, and stacking work is available on the shelves for the mobile infants to choose.
Infants’ natural movements are never restricted by placing them in containers such as bouncy seats, swings, or walkers. They are never put into a position they cannot get into and out of themselves. Infants roll onto their stomachs when they are ready to be on their stomachs, and infants crawl onto the climber by their initiative alone.
By providing developmentally appropriate movement opportunities and maintaining a safe environment that does restrict the exploration of the infants in the classroom, motor development is allowed to unfold naturally and at the infants’ own pace.
Maria Montessori wrote: When mental development is under discussion, there are many who say, 'How does movement come into it? We are talking about the mind.' And when we think of intellectual activity, we always imagine people sitting still, motionless. But mental development must be connected with movement and be dependent on it. It is vital that educational theory and practice should be informed by that idea.
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Congratulations to Andrew McLardy, dad of Andi in Claudia and Zahara's class for qualifying for the 2010 PGA Tour! Andrew finished tied for 23rd at the PGA Tour Q-School event in West Palm Beach, Florida on Monday. We wish Andrew good luck on the PGA Tour!
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