SWIMS September Newsletter

The Art of Early Childhood  – News from the Bluebirds, Ladybugs and Turquoise Classes

September’s curriculum introduces Health & Safety including the Food Rainbow, How the Earth Got Its Shape, Living/Non-living, Protoctista (neither plant nor animal), Invertebrates and Intro to Authors. The first year students are in awe of the hundreds of choices each day, the second year students are enjoying their own social development and the third year students are exploring their new role as the leaders of the classroom. Peeking into a class in progress you will see a full range of activities, from children learning to pour water to those working on 2nd grade level math. There will be some science and some art, some geography and some history, some reading and some penmanship going on at any time. A student might water the plants, feed the class pet, or make a snack for themself and a friend. These are the beginnings of Grace and Courtesy, the lessons that teach social skills and how to care for oneself, the environment and others.

Take a look at the Small Hands catalog that came home recently and consider equipping your kitchen with a small pitcher and glasses so your child can get themself a drink, a carpet sweeper for cleaning up crumbs, or a child-safe knife for slicing fruits and vegetables for the family dinner salad. One family reported that once there was a child-sized table and chair in the kitchen, a small pitcher of milk in the refrigerator and a small container for cereal in a cupboard the child could reach, the parents could sleep in while their child made themself breakfast!

We refer to the student activities as “work” to give respect to what the child is accomplishing through these exercises and to give a positive connotation to the term. We want to provide just the right environment and just the right activities to allow each student to find what they need to get lost in their work. Classroom rules are based on respect. “Inside voices” means speaking at a level that only those nearby can hear. “Careful feet” means walking across the room, being mindful of the work of others. “Careful hands” means carrying things with two hands and placing them softly on the table or shelf. These ground rules in a room with soft background music, classical art, plants, pets and respect for the interests of every child creates a peaceful classroom – a hallmark of Montessori schools.

By now your early childhood student can put away belongings, serve themself a snack, clean the dining space, wash the dishes, choose a material on which they have had a lesson, complete it to the best of their ability and put it back on the shelf, ready for the next person. The series of steps involved in making a choice, preparing the work space, handing the equipment carefully, completing the activity and replacing all the materials is called “The Work Cycle.” The work cycle builds responsibility, independence and mastery of many of the executive function skills that ensure a child’s success – memory, planning, self-control, time management, resilience, emotional control, focus, organization, defining goals and stress tolerance.