Toddler News
1/22/2008
Toddler
I Do It Myself!
Written by Claudia Lane-Stafford
“I do it myself!” This is the toddler battle cry. Our toddler classroom is set up to foster independence. The child size furniture and low shelves allow the children to move freely around the classroom and choose work that interests them. As they pursue their interests, work with the materials, and learn new skills, the children discover they can solve their own problems. As they discover the power of relying on their own resources, their self-confidence grows.
Even the youngest children are drawn to purposeful work such as preparing their own snack, feeding the classroom pets, and arranging flowers in a small vase. Meaningful and purposeful work is socially important. Children get a feeling of personal worth when they do meaningful, productive work. They learn that they can maintain their environment and be a useful member of society. The independence and self-esteem that children develop, when allowed to do things for themselves, opens the door for them to discover their full potential.
Click here to view more images.
Related Links:
<Back to top
10/21/2007
Toddler
Classroom Environment & Group Lesson
By Kelly Wainscott
During January 2007, I had the opportunity to observe one day in Claudia & Kumiko’s Toddler classroom. Once they returned from outside, the students immediately began working in various areas of the classroom. Some of their work included: food-coloring water that demonstrates color recognition and blending colors, playing a xylophone, obtaining their own diapers in their cubbies for diaper changing, scooping rice from a bowl into smaller bowls, pouring water from a pitcher into a glass, feeding the gerbil (Shippo), which means “tail” in Japanese) corn the student picks off the cob, opening and closing jewelry box drawers, putting on and taking off a pair of zippered shoes, listening and interacting with Middle School study buddies who read books, exercising on the climbing apparatus.
The environment was very calm and relaxing. Instead of arguments and the traditional “grab, take and run” technique, these students used their words saying, “My work,” if a second student started to take their work. The student who wanted the work paused and waited patiently for the first student to finish their work process. At that point, the second student realized it was available and started using the work himself.
The block building area is interesting as well. Students build with blocks that have certain shapes on each side of the block. To attach the blocks together to build, the student must match the same shape on two blocks and connect them. If the shape does not match, the blocks will not attach to one another.
Another observation was the fact that older children demonstrated their work to younger students. The younger student carefully and patiently observed the older student to learn the process. Once the older student was finished with the work, the younger student could easily do the same learned work
During the group, Kumiko performed the entire lesson in Japanese which was understood by the students. Kumiko first rang a bell and all students stood still. They all began singing, “It’s Time to Put Your Work Away…and Come to Group” song at which point they cleaned their work areas and sat outside the mat area calmly.
Kumiko first started the lesson with her Japanese puppet (Ai-chan) who says “Ohayo” – Japanese for “Hello” to all students by calling each of their names individually. They then began with musical instrument work. First, Kumiko demonstrated loud and quietly with the full basket of instruments; she made a loud noise and spoke the Japanese word for loud and all students automatically covered their ears. She then said the Japanese word for quiet and students nodded “yes.”
Each student was given a specific musical instrument. Kumiko identified each instrument as she placed it on the floor mat. Kumiko gave a special instruction on how to play the triangle: she muffled the triangle with one hand as she struck it with the bar in the other hand - the students said, “no;” she then placed her hand where the triangle was not muffled and struck it with the bar in the other hand – the students said, “yes!” They knew the sound of the triangle is brighter when held at the string from its top that does not touch the triangle while playing it. This demonstrated sound recognition, fine motor skills and learning the proper way to play the triangle.
Once all of the children had a musical instrument, each student picked them up and formed a line behind Kumiko. They sang a song and played their instrument. Kumiko then said the Japanese word for “stop” and the students stopped playing and stood still. They began again once Kumiko said the Japanese word “play/start.” The children used great listening skills during this process in addition to learning how to play an instrument.
Once the song was over, all students returned their instruments to the basket and sat down around the mat for the book. Each month, a new book is introduced to the students in Japanese (by Kumiko) and in English (by Claudia). Each day’s group lesson is either performed in English or Japanese. For January, the book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? While Kumiko read the book in Japanese, there was a small stuffed animal that matched each character in the book. Kumiko said their name in Japanese and laid each one on the floor mat. Once the story was read, Kumiko asked a student (in Japanese) to place an animal into the basket. Kumiko sang a song in Japanese, then all students calmly prepared to go outside to exercise.
An example of many of the works that involve multiple stages was feeding crackers to the birds. This work starts with the student placing a cracker into a nut grinder. The child grinds the cracker with a side handle – the cracker falls into the bottom of the glass grinder. Once the cracker is ground, the student takes only the glass part of the grinder (with both hands) and goes outside to pour the ground cracker into the bird-feeding area on the ground. This work involves care for the environment. Additionally, the student has a responsibility which demonstrates that they are am important member of society which builds self-esteem within the student – a very important aspect of the Toddler program. This work also requires careful skill on the part of the student who must carry it outside and back inside without dropping or breaking it; this shows care of objects.
Read more
Related Links:
<Back to top
10/15/2006
Toddler
The Observations of a First Time GMS Parent
By Tom Szott
From the first time parents enroll a child at the Greensboro Montessori School, particularly in the Toddler program, they hear the phrase "practical life skills." Although some may be dubious as to what life skills a toddler can acquire, as first-time parents, we have been impressed and at times amazed at some of the skills that Matthew brings home, as well as what we hear he does in the classroom. While our son has always had an independent personality, for much of the summer he seemed to experience frustration because he could not actually “do” that much. As much as we would like to consider ourselves parents who foster and encourage independence, we now see that what we missed and what Montessori provides is the opportunity, moment by moment and day by day, to practice being independent by trying out these practical life skills.
For instance, let's consider feeding. At home, Matthew was always quick to try out utensils, but Montessori has taken him to a whole new level. We remember being amazed at seeing Matthew’s ability, without even being prompted, to use tongs to get his own snack, sit down at the table by himself (another recently acquired skill), and then when finished to take his GLASS plate to the sink and make his best effort to wash it off.
Social graces are another important area to develop on the road to full-fledged childhood. Matthew learned to wave goodbye relatively early on, but he was often shy with strangers and did not grasp the concept of saying or waving hello. Since starting at GMS, we see him greeting Shirley on the way in, waving or trying to say "hi" when he meets others, and giving plenty of hugs as greetings.
Physical skills are also important in the Montessori philosophy, and we can see Matthew's development here as well. Whether it is the ease with which he now sits in a chair or at a table, or the clapping and thigh-slapping he does in the car when he hears music (or when he just wants to make his own!), we see that the biggest gift GMS is giving our son is an expansion of his experience. While the classroom walls may enclose a small area, and the tools and equipment seem sized sub-miniature, they are providing Matthew and his classmates the opportunity to explore a vast world of skills to help them to survive in and feel positive about the world outside the classroom.
Related Links:
<Back to top
|
