The Montessori Blog

How we Teach Handwriting

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 11:00:01 GMT

Handwriting or penmanship; no matter what you call it, it was likely an important part of your early education. Pressured by time and content constraints, many schools have abandoned explicit handwriting instruction. This is resulting in a generation of children who do not know how to write in cursive, and who sometimes even struggle to form legible printed letters.

A number of scientific studies point to the importance of handwriting, including this one which concluded that handwriting (as opposed to typing or tracing) guides preliterate children toward developing reading skills.

Interested in learning more about the scientific evidence that supports the importance of teaching handwriting as a skill? Check out this article that highlights five of the important reasons we should not allow direct instruction in this area to go by the wayside. Not only does learning handwriting early help children develop skills needed for reading, evidence suggests it makes children better writers, spellers, and leads them towards future success in academics. Higher brain density and gray matter volume have been connected to high-quality handwriting, suggesting that frequent practice may aid in neural processing. Studies also conclude that it is critical for teachers to model the correct way to form letters, but also to utilize direct instruction.

In Montessori schools, handwriting is a critical component of children’s learning. As with so many other skills, our curriculum takes a spiraling approach, indirectly preparing children prior to direct instruction. Very young children develop the muscles necessary for a pincer grasp while they manipulate materials such as the knobbed cylinders, a Montessori favorite!

There are two other important materials in the primary classroom that facilitate handwriting readiness: the metal insets and the sandpaper letters.

The metal insets are wooden trays that hold a series of stencil-like shapes. Removable shapes are blue with a pink background. Some shapes have straight-lined sides while others are curved. Children trace the shapes with a pencil, giving their hands a chance to practice creating a variety of lines. Increasingly challenging activities encourage children to create different patterns with colored pencils while staying inside the original traced lines. At first glance, this may appear to be a fun art activity (which it certainly is!) but its main intention is to prepare children for their upcoming work in handwriting.

Montessori sandpaper letters take the work a step further. Twenty-six wooden tiles are adorned with gritty, sand-textured letters of the alphabet. Children are given lessons on how to trace these letters with their fingers and say the sound. (As a side note, Montessori children are taught the sound of each letter in conjunction with its name, which makes much more sense for reading preparation.) Perhaps you have observed this in a Montessori classroom; if you have not, we highly suggest coming in to watch the magic of this work in person.

Interestingly, children who attend Montessori schools are typically able to write even before they have begun to read. Once they do begin reading, these previously developed skills allow them to seamlessly work on the various components of literacy development simultaneously.

Once children enter the elementary years in a Montessori school, they are required to write throughout the day. Typically, children work throughout the three-hour work period in the morning on a largely independent basis, unless they are receiving a direct, small-group lesson from the guide. During this independent work they record parts of what they do in notebooks. For example, if a child uses a card material to learn about the internal body functions of a fish (how they perform the tasks of respiration, circulation, movement, and so on), they will record at least part of this work in their notebook. For example: “Circulation. Fish have two chambers in their hearts.” This writing continues throughout the day and is directly connected to other content children are learning.

Some classrooms include direct handwriting practice even in the elementary years. This is typically something for children to copy in their notebooks, such as a poem or a paragraph about something they recently had a lesson on.

One final and very important reason to teach handwriting: when children learn how to form beautiful letters early on, they are better able to focus on a myriad of other things. For example, when writing a story, they can actually think about their story ideas instead of belaboring over how to write a ‘q’.

Interested in learning more? As mentioned earlier, we encourage you to come visit the school and observe in one of our classrooms. Doing so is common practice in Montessori schools, is unobtrusive to the children, and can provide excellent insight for those who are looking to learn more about this unique educational approach.

Read Your Way Through the Holidays

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:00:02 GMT

The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Jesse Reisch

https://www.amazon.com/Shortest-Day-Celebrating-Winter-Solstice/dp/0147512840/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540394880&sr=8-1&keywords=shortest+day

December 21 marks the Winter Solstice: the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The Shortest Day is a story that will appeal to a wide range of ages. Young children will relate to the children in the story who long to play outside after dinner as they did in the summer months. Older children will love learning about the scientific and historical aspects of this special day. Everyone will appreciate discovering how the solstice is celebrated in different cultures!

My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz

https://www.amazon.com/My-First-Kwanzaa-Holiday/dp/1250050464/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Written for young children, this book helps explain the traditions and the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. A great choice for preschool or younger elementary-aged children!

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Kwanzaa by Carolyn B. Otto

https://www.amazon.com/Holidays-Around-World-Celebrate-Kwanzaa/dp/1426328494/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540396402&sr=1-1&keywords=celebrate+kwanzaa

This National Geographic book contains lots of photos and helpful information. Readers will learn about the important symbols and traditions of Kwanzaa along with the seven principles of the holiday. A special section for parents gives additional information. Readers at the elementary level would best appreciate this book.

The Night of Las Posadas by Tommy dePaola

https://www.amazon.com/Night-Posadas-Picture-Puffin-Books/dp/0698119010/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540396752&sr=8-1&keywords=the+night+of+las+posadas

Tommy dePaola’s books have won children’s hearts for decades, and The Night of Las Posadas is no exception. Based on a tradition celebrated in Latin America and among some Latinx communities in the United States, readers unfamiliar with las posadas will learn about this reenactment. The story is filled with magic and wonder, as two strangers fill in for villagers who have come down with the flu.

Dream Snow by Eric Carle

https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Snow-Eric-Carle/dp/0399235795/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1540398291&sr=8-1

An old farmer who looks an awful lot like Santa Claus has a barn full of animals that he loves. One early winter afternoon he falls asleep in his chair and dreams about snow covering them (this part of the book has fun flaps to lift!). When the farmer awakes, he rushes outside to find that it has snowed, and he is just in time to decorate a tree and lay out gifts for the animals.

The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Drummer-Ezra-Jack-Keats/dp/0140567437/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540398364&sr=8-1&keywords=the+little+drummer+boy+ezra+jack+keats

The classic Christmas song is accompanied by beautiful illustrations. The story of the little drummer boy is a nice break from consumerism to remind us all what true gift giving is really all about.

The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco

https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Dancing-Goats-Aladdin-Picture/dp/0689838573/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540398560&sr=8-1&keywords=trees+of+the+dancing+goats

Trisha and her family are Jewish, and she loves everything about how they celebrate Hanukkah. When she stops by her neighbor’s house expecting them to be preparing for Christmas she makes a surprising discovery. The neighbors are all sick in bed with scarlet fever. Trisha and her family get to work delivering Christmas to them.

Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Hanukkah: With Lights, Latkes, and Dreidels by Deborah Heiligman

https://www.amazon.com/Holidays-Around-World-Celebrate-Hanukkah/dp/1426324766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540398683&sr=8-1&keywords=celebrate+hanukkah

This is another great selection from the National Geographic Holidays Around the World collection. Filled with photographs and fascinating factual information, older children will appreciate learning about the Jewish traditions of Hanukkah.

Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernes-Davenport

https://www.amazon.com/Shant%C3%A9-Keys-New-Years-Peas-ebook/dp/B00JRMXXT2/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540399212&sr=8-1-fkmr3&keywords=santa+keys+and+the+new+years+peas

Shante is excited to prepare for New Year’s Eve but realizes that her family has forgotten to buy the black-eyed peas they all love. She heads to the neighbor’s hosue to borrow some and soon finds herself learning about the many New Year’s traditions in her neighborhood.

Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin

https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-New-Year-Read-Child/dp/0375866051/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1540397736&sr=8-1

A beautiful book geared toward 3-6 year olds, Lin tells the story of a family preparing for the Chinese lunar new year. Readers will learn about rituals like cleaning the house and hanging special poems, food that is eaten, and other ways people celebrate, including a fun dragon parade page!

Cooking With Our Kids

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:00:01 GMT

The holidays are around the corner and children love to help out in the kitchen. Though they may be prone to extra messes, letting them help has many benefits:

Promote healthy eating habits - Children are likely to eat more fruits and vegetables if they help to make their food at home. Preparing ingredients together is a great time to talk about why our bodies need certain vitamins and how we can get those from the food we eat.
Increase their likelihood of trying new foods - When children make a meal themselves, the pride they feel in their accomplishment and the interaction they have with the food often takes away apprehensions they might have had about trying it otherwise.
Teach children where their food comes from - Whether you grow your own food, visit your local farmer’s market, or head to the grocery store, the kitchen is the perfect place to talk to children about where their food comes from.
Give them practical life skills - Someday your child will have to prepare their food. Why not start learning now? Doing so lays the foundation for confidence in the kitchen, and independence as an adult.
Cooking teaches reading and math - While the youngest children might enjoy counting while adding ingredients, older children can read recipes and work with fractions and time.
Children gain a sense of contribution - When a child helps cook a meal, they have done something important to help their family community. This is just another way to promote confidence and independence.

Things to Keep in Mind

Emphasize safety. Talk to your children about what is off-limits - whether you’d like them to stay away from hot stoves or sharp knives - make sure they know what you expect and remind them often.

Make it fun! Make meals that are full of color. Make silly faces on your pizzas. Dance around the kitchen. Cooking should be a fun experiences for everyone in the family.

Give your kids tools that will work for them. Make sure they are comfortable in for little hands to hold, but make sure they get to use the real thing. Click here [ https://www.forsmallhands.com/kitchen ] for one good resource to find such tools.

Recipes to Get You Started!

French Bread Pizzas

Link http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/french-bread-pizzas/

Picture https://www.flickr.com/photos/pioneerwoman/9405475934/

Ree Drummond over at the Pioneer Woman is always full of great ideas. You may want to do some of the chopping and ingredient cooking ahead of time unless you have older children. Even the littlest ones would enjoy assembling their own pizzas with whatever toppings they like.

Nutella and Raspberry Sandwiches

Link https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/nutella-raspberry-sandwich-recipe

Picture http://cdn-image.myrecipes.com/sites/default/files/image/recipes/rs/2009/nutella-raspberry-sandwiches-rs-x.jpg

It doesn’t get much simpler (or more delicious!) than this. Children as young as three often practice spreading butters in their Montessori classrooms, so they may surprise you with their skills!

Pinto Bean and Cheese Tacos

Link https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pinto-bean-and-cheese-taco-recipe

Picture https://cdn-image.realsimple.com/sites/default/files/styles/rs_horizontal_image_4/public/pinto-bean-taco.jpg?itok=uhq6uHOq

Not only is this recipe easy to make, but it’s a great quick dinner option for busy weeknights. Feel free to substitute the beans for whatever your favorite protein is, and add in fun extras like guacamole!

Earth Cookies

Link http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a52657/earth-day-cookies-recipe/

Picture http://del.h-cdn.co/assets/17/16/1600x800/landscape-1492653550-delish-earth-day-cookies-001.jpg

While these may not be the healthiest recipe on our list, they were far too cute to leave out.

Cookie Cutter Fruit Salad

Link https://witandwhistle.com/2011/07/05/cookie-cutter-fruit-salad/

Picture https://s3.amazonaws.com/spoonuniversi-wpengine/spoonuniversi/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/watermelon-patriotic-star-salad-670x670.jpg

Consider this recipe an inspiration. You could use so many different fruits and veggies in an unlimited number of shapes. The final product could be a fruit salad, or you could make kababs, put them on pancakes, the possibilities are endless…

Salad in a Jar

Link https://www.hellowonderful.co/post/COOKING-WITH-KIDS--SALAD-IN-A-JAR

Picture https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e2/31/f7/e231f7afd22cb22dec9cf73681481f7c.jpg

Looking for ways to teach your kids to make their own lunches AND eat more vegetables? Look no further…

Waldorf Chicken Boats

Link http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/kids-can-make-waldorf-chicken-boats-3363922

Picture http://food.fnr.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/food/fullset/2015/11/20/5/FNK_Kids-Can-Make-Waldorf-Chicken-Boats_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.616.462.suffix/1448278926390.jpeg

For those of you looking for something a little fancy (and fun!), check out these Waldorf Chicken Boats. If you cook the chicken ahead of time and stand by to assist in measuring, children can make this recipe almost entirely on their own.

Happy cooking!

Montessori Basics: How Math Progresses Through the Levels

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:00:04 GMT

You know your four year old loves their classroom and their work. You know their teachers are guiding them to learn early math skills. But what, exactly, does that look like? And how does it change as they get older? Montessori math materials are nothing short of amazing. While they look quite different than what we used growing up (pencil and paper?) there are intentional reasons for these methods. Read on to learn more...

The Basics

Much of the Montessori curriculum is based on giving children exposure to concrete materials first, then giving them incremental opportunities to work to more abstract concepts. This is no different when it comes to math.

What do we mean by concrete? The children are able to hold a material in their hands. The materials are symbolic or representative of something else (a number, perhaps), and that symbolism changes over time until children are ready to let go of the materials and find solutions on paper or even in their heads. This idea of mastering a skill without the assistance of materials is what we refer to as abstraction.

What Does Primary (Early Childhood) Math Look Like?

At the primary level math starts out simple, but you may be surprised at how much preschoolers are capable of.

Even before a child is able to count, they experience the skill using materials like the number rods, a series of blue and red colored wooden rods that are arranged in a stair-like pattern. Children learn how to count using a variety of materials. The spindle box is an early material with which children place the correct amount of wooden spindles in compartments labeled 1-9. Sandpaper numbers (just like their letter counterparts!) teach children how to correctly form each number to develop readiness for writing them on paper.

When a child is ready to learn about basic operations, there are plenty of materials to support them. Montessori math uses the golden bead material; first to build numbers into the thousands. For example a single golden bead represents 1, a group of 10 beads are strung together in a straight line for 10, and 100 beads are affixed into a flat square. The thousand cube is as large as 1,000 of the original single ‘1’ bead. Once a child is able to build a visual representation of a number, the beads are used to teach basic operations. Young children are able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers into the thousands using this material. They first learn with static problems - that is, with no exchanges - and then move on to more complex, dynamic problems. They quickly learn that ten 1s is equal to one 10, and they do this by holding those numbers in their hands.

Montessori recognizes the importance of memorizing basic facts. While when we were young we may have used flashcards to drill these facts into our heads, the Montessori approach begins by showing children why we manipulate numbers in different ways. Young children appreciate the repetitive nature of the materials, which gives them plenty of opportunities to practice (and memorize!) these facts. The addition and subtraction strip boards show a child visually what is happening when we add numbers. The same goes for the multiplication and division bead boards (which use small beads placed in divots on a wooden board to create an array).

A Period of Overlap

Somewhere between kindergarten and the first year of lower elementary, children are taught to use new math materials depending upon their individual readiness. The stamp game is a classic example.

The stamp game material is a sectioned box with small colored tiles sorted inside. There are labeled green, ‘one’ tiles, blue ‘ten’ tiles, red ‘hundred’ tiles, and green ‘thousand’ tiles. Instead of holding a large cube that actually shows the relative size of one thousand as they did with the golden beads, they are now representing series of tiles that are all the same size, but are differentiated only by their color and number label. Like the golden beads, the stamp game material is used to teach all four operations, with children adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing into the thousands. Some children begin this work in their primary classroom and continue when they reach elementary, while others begin once they enter their lower elementary classroom.

It may be interesting to note that there are some Montessori materials that children spiral back to, over and over again, from ages 3 to 12! The bead chains are a colorful, quintessential Montessori material. In the primary classroom, children use them to learn how to count, and perhaps how to skip count. In a lower elementary classroom they are used for skip counting and to help memorize multiplication facts. In upper elementary children use them to solidify concepts like squaring and cubing, although they were indirectly preparing for that work for years previously.

What Does Elementary Math Look Like?

Remember the green, blue, and red tiles of the stamp game? Montessori refers to those as the hierarchical colors, and they are used to teach children about number series. They first appear in the stamp game, but they continue to follow the child through lower elementary and into upper elementary until they have a firm grasp on the idea of the simple family of numbers (ones, tens, hundreds), the thousand family (thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands), and so on.

After a child masters operations with the stamp game, they move on to use a material called the bead frame, which can teach addition, subtraction, and multiplication. It looks a bit like an abacus, but with ten beads on each rod in the hierarchical colors. After a child masters the bead frame, they are typically ready to add and subtract into the thousands (and beyond!) using just pencil and paper.

To learn larger multiplication problems, children use a material called the checkerboard. They begin small, but eventually work their way up to problems that have three or four digit multipliers. For long division, children use a material that goes by different names at different schools: the racks and tubes, aka the test tube material. Once children master the checkerboard and racks and tubes, they are able to multiply and divide large numbers without materials.

During the elementary years fact memorization continues. In early lower elementary, many children continue to use the strip boards and bead boards of their primary years, but eventually move on to using finger boards and tables in which they place numbered tiles. Children notice the patterns numbers make, giving them more tools to memorize their facts.

There’s More!

Of course, math isn’t just about operations. Montessori students learn about geometry and fractions from an early age.

Did you know that primary children learn the names of geometric solids? They can easily identify not just cubes and spheres, but square based pyramids, rectangular prisms, ellipsoids, and more. As they move into elementary they learn about range of concepts, including studies of angles, triangles, polygons, and so much more. A third grader can easily identify a right-angled, isosceles triangle.

When it comes to fractions, first graders start out simple with an impressionist lesson involving an apple and a definition of fractions that includes how they must always be fairly divided (the connections between fractions and division are impressed early on). They next move on to using fraction insets, which look a lot like the metal insets they used for handwriting preparation in their primary classrooms. Before you know it, many third graders are learning to multiply and divide fractions.

Still Curious?

The best way to really understand Montessori math is to see the materials in action. Schedule a visit to watch children using them in the classroom, or attend a parent education session. Contact us for more details!

Check out the stamp game in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogTWJATIJD0

A Cultural Approach on October 31st

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:00:01 GMT

At NSMS, our elementary students spend the weeks leading up to October 31 ^st researching a person of interest. In Lower Elementary, the children present Mystery History. In Upper Elementary, the students present Dead and Famous.

The children have an opportunity to borrow books from the Rowley Public Library, and most of their research takes place in the classroom so that teachers can guide their note-taking. On October 31 ^st , families are invited to school to hear the children’s presentations. The children are welcome to dress in character. Often, the elementary children ask if they can give their presentations to the youngest students in Children’s House. This is always a very exciting time!

Although we refrain from celebrating Halloween at our school, we know many of our families mark the night with trick-or-treating. So we’re sharing some tips to make the experience educational and developmentally appropriate.

Practice Grace & Courtesy

It’s not often that we march up to multiple houses and request treats. As such, we want to be thoughtful about how we introduce the practice of trick-or-treating to our children, uphold our family values, and model showing manners while having fun.

Young children will likely benefit from some demonstration before they jump into the experience. Role-playing with a family member, friend, or neighbor can set children up for success before they are in the awkward situation of standing before a stranger uncertain about what to do (or not do).

With older children, it’s also helpful to collaboratively review expectations such as walking on people’s sidewalks, how to politely respond or engage when someone comes to the door, and saying thank you. In addition, this is an excellent time to review road safety around crossing the street and checking for cars.

Remember Developmental Appropriateness

Our young children are still distinguishing between what is real and what isn’t. As such, Halloween can be an exciting and yet sometimes disorienting time. If fears do arise, acknowledge your child’s feelings, let them know it’s okay to feel scared, and make sure they feel heard and supported. The last thing we want to do is minimize our children’s fears.

However your family chooses to celebrate the season, remember we have an opportunity to model respect and thoughtfulness while still having fun.

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

Materials Spotlight: The Color Tablets

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:00:02 GMT

Young children are constantly absorbing information about the world around them! Some of it is very concrete, while some is abstract.

Color as an Abstraction

Think about the color red. Red as a quality does not exist in nature. Red can be represented in physical things, but you can’t bring “red” to another person. We can find a red apple, a red street sign, a red flower, but we can’t find just red. Red is an abstraction.

In Montessori environments, we are mindful of how we introduce young children to these kinds of abstractions. We try to represent the intangible quality in a physical form and to isolate it so that children can really focus on the quality and the language connected to that attribute. Every variable is held constant except for the one characteristic to experience and explore. We do this to give children the clearest, most precise images we can.

These materials that we use to introduce the abstract concept of color are called the color tablets because each color is represented on a tablet. The tablet with red looks exactly like every other tablet in our color box, except for its color. Each tablet has the same size, weight, and shape. The only variation is the color. This materialized abstraction allows us to put “red” in the child’s hands to experience and explore. The Montessori color tablets are organized into three boxes.

First Color Tablet Box

The first color tablet box is composed of three pairs of color tablets: red, blue, and yellow. These primary colors represent the extremes of color. With this first box we awaken children’s sensory awareness by introducing how to pair the matching color tablets. There are two of each variable and children find the mates. Cognitively it is easier for children to notice sameness than difference.

In this first stage, we also demonstrate how to handle the material and how to experience the sense. If a child can’t distinguish the extremes of the set, we get important information about their sensorial perception. Sometimes the child isn’t successful at this first stage because they aren’t yet comprehending the concept of sameness. Thus we must be very careful to let children know how we are pairing the items by finding the matching the tablet that looks exactly like the one we have selected first. This isn’t just random pairing, but rather is based upon a specific perception. Often children don’t spend too long with this first box of color tablets, although some young children will be drawn to the simple beauty of the three primary colors.

Second Color Tablet Box

With color box two, the focus is still on finding similarities, however, there are more variables. For example, color box two has primary colors and secondary colors, as well as brown, grey, black, and white. This adds more variables for children to search through to find the match and thus requires them to use a finer level of discrimination. When we add more variables, the differences between them become smaller and not as extreme. This challenges children’s exactness and precision.

Third Color Tablet Box

The third box of color tablets is divided into seven or eight compartments each with a gradation of one color from dark to light. Children begin using this box when they have been successful pairing with more variables because grading by shade requires a higher level of discriminating difference. Children’s attention has to be focused on a slight unit of difference. Is the blue just lighter than the last shade of blue? This is cognitively much harder!

Just these three steps are not enough to ensure the maximum amount of depth of experience with the materials. Thus, we extend work with the color boxes by offering language and memory games.

Language Extensions

After children have some experience with the material and we observe that they are successful in consistently pairing two colors together, we offer children language to accompany the abstraction. Language fixes the sensorial quality in their minds and aids memory and recall. We don’t want to give language to images that are not clear, because that confuses children. When children are successful pairing colors, we offer the names of the colors. Then when children are successful in grading the shades of a color, we offer the comparative terms (darker than, lighter than) and superlative expressions (darkest red, lightest red).

Memory Games

Memory games help children discover sensorial qualities in the world around them. In the first memory game, children put one set of the paired color tablets in one location and the second set in random order somewhere else in the room. The trick is to have the second location be just far enough away so as to allow enough time for children to retain a memory of the color. To play the game, children place a “memory marker” next to one of the color tablets lined up in the first location. They then hold that color, such as “red”, in mind and walk to the second location. There they find the red tablet and bring it back to place it by its mate. Children then move the memory marker to another color tablet and continue.

When children are successful with this, they can try a harder variation of this game in which they use a tray to place the second set of color tablets in scattered locations around the room. When children go to find the matching color tablet, they must retain the impression in their memory for a longer time and not be distracted by the other things they see as they walk around the room.

Children can also play a game of matching each color tablet to a material in the classroom. For this game, children use the memory marker to indicate which color tablet they are using. They then study the color tablet, leave it on the rug or table, and then search the environment for an object that has the same exact shade of the color. When they find the object, they bring it back and place it next to the selected color tablet.

Keys to the World

If we think about the world of color, we realize there are an infinite number of colors, shades, etc. We don’t give children every color of the world. We give the keys: the primary colors, then the secondary colors, then black and white, and a few other colors. Every other color is made from those keys!

The color tablets are one of the more lovely and inviting materials we use in the Children’s House or primary classrooms. Come visit our school and see how young children internalize these kinds of abstract concepts and, in the process, develop a refined sensorial ability!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

Our Montessori Bookshelf: Captivating Chemistry

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:00:01 GMT

In Montessori classrooms, elementary students are able to study every fascinating thing under the sun (and beyond!). Montessori children are exploring the world, not the inside of a textbook.

That being said, there is structure to the Montessori learning environments as we provide the room for young people to explore threads and interconnections as they consume everything they can about the universe. In this quest to understand the physical world (past and present), children find themselves in the realms of astronomy, physics, meteorology, geology, and chemistry.

We thought we’d share some of our favorite books that support children’s fascination with the chemical world. While most of these books are most appropriate for elementary ages and up, younger children might also enjoy a few of them.

Chemistry for Curious Kids: An Illustrated Introduction to Atoms, Elements, Chemical Reactions, and More!

By Lynn Huggins-Cooper, Illustrated by Alex Foster

This is a helpful reference book for children who are just starting their foray into chemistry, as well as those who are further along in their understanding. Although the book is organized into chapters–States of Matter, Chemical Building Blocks, The Chemistry of Life, the Periodic Table, In the Lab, and Chemicals All Around Us–it’s quite easy to flip to different pages and peruse what draws your interest. The pages are chock-full of beautiful, colorful illustrations that draw attention to key concepts and the easy-to-access texts makes even dense information understandable.

Every Day, Chemistry

By Julia Sooy, Illustrated by Bonnie Pang

This picture book takes us on a little journey through a child’s day and how chemistry is part of just about everything we do. Younger children will enjoy this book’s engaging illustrations, while also taking in foundational information that will inform their elementary years. Older children can benefit from the big picture context of how chemistry doesn’t just happen in a laboratory, and is rather an essential aspect of life. The last few pages of the book provide some easy to access explanations about the difference between chemical reactions and physical changes.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Elements: The Powers, Uses, and Histories of Every Atom in the Universe

By Lisa Congdon

After some introductory pages, this book dives into a visually appealing investigation into each element on the periodic table. The simple yet powerful illustrations accompany fascinating descriptions for hydrogen through fermium. Accentuated with little standout tidbits–like the element category, year discovered, who discovered by, and fun facts–the information is clear and easy-to-read and includes amazing historical details. Young researchers will love this book!

The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Chemistry for Kids: Homemade Science Experiments and Activities Inspired by Awesome Chemists, Past and Present

By Liz Lee Heinecke

More than just a random collection of science experiments, this book offers a thoughtful expedition through time, highlighting 25 chemists from ancient history through today. Moving in historical order, each overview of a chemist is accompanied by a lush illustration and fascinating facts, as well as a step-by-step way to have a hands-on experience with the concept or their work. This book is a must have for kids who both love history and science!

The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Chemistry

By Jane Wertheim

This reference book is jam-packed with information and illustrations. For those who want to keep digging into the details, the bottom of each page references which pages to go to for more details about a term or concept. This higher-level reference book will definitely appeal to visual learners and provides excellent review or jumping off points for further research.

Women in Chemistry

By Mary Wissinger, Illustrated by Danielle Pioli

We want our children to ask questions about this world, and this book encourages just that! A girl’s question, “What is the world made of?” takes us along a path of inquiry that artfully weaves in women’s contributions to chemistry, foundational information about matter to ribosomes, and ultimately the power of curiosity. This book not only serves as an excellent introduction to chemistry, but also way to center female scientists!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

Honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 11:00:02 GMT

Hopefully, we have all been hearing and sharing more Land Acknowledgements, which recognize and honor the Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live. Acknowledging the land we occupy is by itself a small gesture. Yet this first step of showing respect and support can become more meaningful when coupled with informed action, authentic relationships, and work toward reconciliation.

To help ourselves and our children become more aware, informed, and accountable, we can start by sharing stories about the present-day life and culture of Native Peoples, celebrating indigenous activism, and learning about the history of the people whose land we live on.

All too often our children have unconsciously absorbed harmful stereotypes about Indigenous Peoples or that Native Americans only existed in our country’s past. Thus, we need to be very intentional about providing current, accurate, and respectful information on Indigenous Peoples’ Day and throughout the year.

Show Representation

Mainstream culture often presents native peoples as fierce, war-like, and to be feared, or sometimes in a more romanticized way. Children absorb these kinds of stereotypes through sports mascots, books, movies, and even place names. Non-native authors sometimes also unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or conflate different tribes’ cultures and histories.

Countering these messages takes conscious work.

An easy way to begin is by infusing our home and school libraries with books that show native people living in our current time period. Young children cannot distinguish between the past and the present and showing Native Peoples in current day settings disrupts the false narrative that Native Americans are a “people of the past.” One of the best sources we’ve found is Rebekah Gienapp’s list of indigenous children’s books.

In addition to reading stories and sharing books with more accurate representation, we can also incorporate books, art, and music created by American Indians. If you’d like some sources to help begin this journey, check out:

Native American Musicians We Should Know

Embracing Contemporary Native American Art as Contemporary Art

Why Study Native American Literature

Project 562: A multi-year national photography project dedicated to photographing over 562 federally recognized Tribes, urban Native communities, Tribes fighting for federal recognition, and Indigenous role models

Meet Indigenous Speakers and Learn How They’re Keeping Their Languages Alive

Through their own words, music, performance, and advocacy, Native American and Indigenous artists share important insights into their hopes, fears, traditions, and stories. In the process of taking in more respectful representation, our young people can offer more acceptance and experience more genuine appreciation.

Focus on Your Community

We can also accompany our children on a journey of learning about the original people who lived on the land we now occupy. This investigation is most suitable for children as they enter their elementary years, as it means digging into some history. In this process, we can help our children appreciate how there are multitudes of Native American nations and that each has their own language, culture, history, and traditions. As we learn about the Native Peoples of our place, we can then be more specific as we talk about native culture. For example, “This book is about the Mohican people.”

An amazing interactive resource that can help children also appreciate geography through a cultural lens is the Native Land Digital map: https://native-land.ca/ . Because the map does not show political boundaries, children can visually discover some of the fluidity of native territories and languages. The site also provides links to local Native American nations for more information.

Celebrate Activism

As we learn more about and honor our Native Peoples, it’s important that we and our children are also aware of indigenous struggles and victories. We can start by introducing one of the many movements for native rights . We can also find local events that feature Native Peoples and then ideally support those events that give back to the Indigenous community.

As we learn with our children, we can also explore ideas for making reparations. The Land You Live On: An Education Guide by Native Land recommends first honoring a nation by taking the time to learn how to pronounce a nation’s name correctly. Three options listed in The Land You Live On are:

Respectfully ask someone from the nation.
Check the nation’s website for a phonetic pronunciation on their “About” page, an audio recording of their name, or videos that include people saying the nation’s name.
Call the nation after hours and listen to their voicemail recording.

The Native Land Education Guide also encourages thoughtful reflection in order to make Land Acknowledgements more meaningful. Helpful questions provided include:

Why is this acknowledgment happening?
How does this acknowledgment relate to the event or work you are doing?
What is the history of this territory? What are the impacts of colonialism here?
What is your relationship to this territory?
How did you come to be here?
What intentions do you have to disrupt and dismantle colonialism beyond this territory acknowledgment?

On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, let’s commit to having a greater consciousness and disrupting false narratives throughout the year. In this process, we can help our young people feel more empowered to provide support and take action!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

The Power of Three

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:00:01 GMT

In Montessori, the number three shows up a lot! We have the three-hour work cycle, three-year age spans, the three-period lesson, and the three-stage learning cycle. While there is considerable spiritual significance to the number three throughout human history, in a Montessori context, the importance of these threes is grounded in scientific observation of human development, characteristics and needs during different stages of growth, and how our brains synthesize information.

Three-Period Lesson

The three-period lesson model came from Édouard Séguin (1812-1880), a physician and educator known for his work with children with disabilities. Séguin used the three-period lesson to help children make an association between an object and its corresponding term.

The three-period lesson captivates young children and rouses interest. Dr. Maria Montessori began to use three-period lessons to help young children connect language to the perception of an idea, and ultimately create a permanent acquisition in their memory. There are three discrete stages to this approach.

The First Period: Naming

This first stage of the lesson is when we introduce vocabulary and help children make the connection between their experience and the language. In this first stage, we want to isolate both children’s impressions and the matching word.

At the infant and toddler level, we start with real objects or small replicas. With young children, we have about four objects in a basket. We pick up one object and name it. We then allow a child to have a turn feeling the object and having their own sensorial experience of the item. In the process, the child brings together the name and their sensorial experience. We continue this with each object, saying the name multiple times. For example, “This is the _____. You can feel the _____. You can place the ____ here.”

We also use a similar process for introducing vocabulary through language cards which have a picture of one isolated object on the card.

As children get a little older, we start introducing language for more abstract concepts. For example, if we are introducing tactile experiences, we offer children two different tablets that are identical except for one feature: one has rough sandpaper on it and the other has smooth paper. We feel the rough tablet and say: “It is rough.” Then the child feels the rough tablet. We repeat the same process for the smooth tablet.

The Second Period: Recognizing

This is the longest part of the lesson because we want children to have many experiences with the object or quality and its name. We rearrange the objects or cards and then ask children to place them in different locations or to point to a particular one. We might ask, “Which is rough?” Or say, “Place the _____ on my hand. Place the ______ here.”

We approach this second stage in a playful, game-like way although the goal is to cement the concept in children’s memory. If children make a mistake, we do not correct. Instead, we merely reinforce the correct vocabulary: “You handed me the picture of the cheetah.”

The Third Period: Remembering or Recall

We ask children aged three and older to recall the name that corresponds to the object by isolating the object or image and asking for its name: “What is this?" If children aren’t able to remember, we just try the three-period lesson again on another day.

We don’t use this third stage with children younger than age three because they might not yet be ready to produce the sound. Plus, this request for recall isn’t a great idea to use with children when they are in their oppositional stage (around age two)!

The Elementary Years

Elementary-aged children engage with new material in a similar, yet more sophisticated way. The learning process echoes the three-period lesson but isn’t exactly the same.

The first period involves a presentation by the adult, which can include the great stories, impressionistic charts, materials, experiments, and demonstrations. The focus is on introducing specific concepts, activating student interest, and providing a big-picture view before going into specific details. Rather than being vocabulary-based as with younger children, these lessons are intended to introduce elementary students to the wonder of the universe. In this first period, the adult gives only what is absolutely necessary for the lesson, so the students can move into their own exploration.

The second period is the longest part of the learning activity and is an exploratory phase of learning when students freely choose follow-up work. We want to see how far children can go with what they have learned, so the second period offers repetition with variation and encourages extension and elaboration of original concepts. Once they have done extensive work, students have reached the third period.

During the third period, the adults are discreetly and indirectly assessing children’s learning. Through conversation and observation, adults can see if the students can recognize the concept and perhaps apply it to a new or novel situation. Unlike with younger children, there is no expectation for students to perform or produce evidence of their learning. The onus is on the adult to observe and gather data that will help direct future lessons and even re-presentations.

In Adolescence

A similar learning cycle also exists in the Montessori adolescent community as a way to support learning, development, and self-creation for teens.

Similar to what happens in the elementary, this first stage is a lesson or experience offered by an adult. It is an invitation to work and contribute to community needs by addressing a specific, concrete issue. In the first stage, adults can also elicit student input by asking adolescents for options and choices about the work they want to do and how they want to do that work.

During the second stage, students engaged in freely chosen work that is activated by interest or a recognition of a need in the community. The adults are there for guidance as adolescents work with skills and ideas and begin to consolidate them. This stage can include research, experimentation, inquiry, data collection, discussions to enhance collective understanding, physical and practical work to accomplish a task, and consultation with experts. Throughout the second stage, the adults are looking for what draws students into the task, what keeps them working, and what drives contribution to produce, think, and question.

In the third stage, adolescents can offer what they learned by giving back to their community. Unlike in the elementary years when the adults are discretely observing for understanding, now there is an expectation that adolescents can produce a product at the end of their work. This sharing of knowledge and understanding is both a consolidation of concepts and skills, and a way to acknowledge that the work exists within the context of community. Products of the third stage can include a demonstration, publication, or implementation.

While these three stages take on slightly different forms from infancy through adolescence, the goal is the same: to effectively support young people as they integrate their learning. Come visit our school to see the power three!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

The Absorbent Mind

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 11:00:01 GMT

Unlike other species that are born with a predetermined set of behaviors, human babies are born with a set of potentials. When a child is born, we have no idea if they will be a master musician or a creative chef. It’s pretty amazing when we think about it! Children are constantly creating the skills they need to become contributing adults.

Dr. Maria Montessori observed children from a scientific lens and over time she concluded that this kind of creative work could only happen with a mind that was different from the conscious adult mind. She realized that children’s minds operate in a fundamentally different way. In The Absorbent Mind , Dr. Montessori states:

“The child has other powers than ours, and the creation he achieves is no small one; it is everything. Not only does he create his language, but he shapes the organs that enable him to frame the words. He has to make the physical basis of every moment, all the elements of our intellect, everything the human being is blessed with. This wonderful work is not the product of conscious intention.”

Well before brain scans, Dr. Montessori discovered so much about how children’s brains function and she termed this special mental functioning, the absorbent mind. Her book, The Absorbent Mind , was one of the last books she compiled.

The words Dr. Montessori used to describe the child’s absorbent mind were chosen deliberately. The word absorbent implies “taking in” and integrating into the whole. What is absorbed becomes a part of what is doing the absorbing. Children take in their experiences and impressions which become part of the structure and content of their brains.

“Impressions do not merely enter his mind; they form it. They incarnate themselves in him. The child creates his own ‘mental muscles,’ using for this what he finds in the world about him. We have named this type of mentality, The Absorbent Mind.”

The absorbent mind is a superpower of children from birth to around age six.

Because children under six are absorbing everything in their environment, our actions need to reflect what we expect. If we want children to sit at the table to eat, we need to sit at the table to eat. If we want children to talk with quiet, calm voices, we need to talk with quiet, calm voices. If we want children to carry one item at a time, using both hands, we need to do so, too. The key is to model this behavior at all times. Children are absorbing indiscriminately. We may not think they are looking, but they are taking it all in!

We can share an example of this from a Montessori classroom. Once upon a time, a tall toddler teacher would always squat down in front of the low shelves to select a material to show a child. After squatting down, she would pick up the item she wanted to show. Although all the toddlers were at the right height to easily take the item, the teacher noticed that they would walk to a shelf, squat down, and then pick up the material. Even though this movement was much more difficult for the toddlers, they had unconsciously absorbed the steps the teacher had demonstrated: walk to the shelf, squat down, and pick up what you want.

So in our Montessori environments, we are very careful with how we move and what we do. When the adults want a snack, we follow the same procedure as the children. We wash our hands, use a plate, and sit at the snack table. Doing what we expect the children to do also gives us a wonderful opportunity to see how the process can be improved. By having snack and cleaning up after ourselves, we can experience the process. Are the dustpans easy to access and in a place that makes sense? Do the spray bottles work well for spraying and wiping the table? What parts of the process feel cumbersome? What flows well?

We can also look at our school and home environments from our children’s perspective. Sometimes it helps to even kneel or sit on the floor and look at a room from a child’s height. What do they see? What stands out from their vantage point? Is the space welcoming and beautiful? What attracts attention?

Our young children’s brains are hardwired to effortlessly absorb what is around them. Because our children are full of potential, we want to provide them with the best! Let’s start by taking a look at ourselves and our children’s surroundings. As we think about our children’s absorbent minds, we can work to provide them with clear, consistent images as we move through our days.

If you would like to learn more, please schedule a tour . We love to share how we support children as they are discovering what is possible!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/how-to-apply

Moving Away from “How Was Your Day?”

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:00:02 GMT

When we pick up our children from school, it can be so tempting to ask, “How was your day?” Often the responses are pretty lackluster.

As adults, we can likely relate. If a partner or friend asks about our day, our responses may be along the lines of fine, good, tiring, okay. Sometimes we just don’t feel like rehashing the day!

For children, there can also be an element of not always having the language to explain what they did or experienced. In Montessori environments, this can be even more challenging. How can a young child describe the sensorial experience of carrying each block of the pink tower to a rug and creating a geometric tower of cubes based on the decimal system? Or convey their emerging conversation with a friend during community lunch? Or relate their delight in discovering that ten 10s create a hundred square?

As children get a little older, they are also starting to grapple with figuring out their relationships with peers, which involves so many social nuances. Younger elementary-aged children are still seeing these relationships in black and white. So their descriptions of the day may be pretty two-dimensional: someone was mean or nice, the day was good or bad (usually based on an interaction with a friend), etc.

It can be hard for children to talk about their experiences at school. However, if we shift our approach, we can often get more insight into our children’s experiences.

Ideally, we focus on connection first. When we see our children at the end of the school day, we can greet them in a way that conveys how happy we are to see them. They may be tired, need to fall apart a little, have a snack, or just have a little time for rejuvenation. Allow a little loving space. Each child has a different way they feel fueled, loved, seen, and held. That first moment isn’t an ideal time to ask about the day because our children are transitioning into being back in our care. Plus, there is a lot going on during that transition!

Later, when our children have settled into being with us or at home, and hopefully have had a snack or a little time to decompress, we have a chance to connect about the day. However, a word of caution: questions like, “How was your day?” or “What did you do today?” are so open-ended, they can also feel overwhelming to children.

Instead, when we focus on starting a conversation rather than digging for information, our children are more likely to open up. They also need to feel that we are completely present for their responses, which means putting down our phones, not focusing on getting everyone into or out of the car, or not being involved in something like preparing dinner. It helps when we can show with our body language that we are really listening.

In those times when you are ready to explore a conversation, we recommend trying some other kinds of questions. Here are 40 of our favorites. The first five work best for younger children.

What made you feel happy today?
Who did you play with today? What did you do together?
Who did you sit with at snack/lunch today?
What made you feel sad today?
What was your favorite activity today?
Did everyone have someone to play with today? Who played together?
Who brought the best food in their lunch today? What was it?
What was your favorite thing in your lunch box?
What games did you play at recess?
What is the most popular activity at recess? Is it something you like to do? Why or why not?
Did someone get in trouble at school today? What did they do?
What did you notice today that other people probably didn’t see or pay attention to?
What is something you did today that you’d love to do every day?
How did someone fill your bucket today? Whose bucket did you fill?
What made you feel worried today?
What made your teacher smile? Did anything make your teacher frown?
What were you grateful for today?
If one of your classmates could be the teacher for a day, who would you want it to be? Why?
What is your class or teacher’s most important rule?
Who do you want to make friends with but haven’t yet? Why?
What did you learn about a friend today?
If aliens came to school and beamed up three kids, who do you wish they would take? Why?
What did you do today that was helpful?
When did you feel most proud of yourself today?
What rule was the hardest to follow today?
Which person in your class is your exact opposite?
Who is the friendliest person in your class? What do they do to be friendly?
What did you do today that was creative?
Did your teacher read to the class today? If so, what was the story or book about?
What was the high point of your day? What was the low point?
Was anyone in your class absent today? Do you know why they weren’t there?
What is something you heard that surprised you?
What is something that challenged you?
What is something that you were super good at today?
What compliments did you get (or give) today?
How were you brave today?
If you could change one thing about your day, what would it be?
How was your day different than yesterday?
What superpower would have come in handy today?
What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

After a snack, over dinner, on an afternoon walk, or before bed, try starting conversations with these kinds of questions. Notice that most of them can’t be answered with one word.

In addition, we can also provide our own responses, which provides a model for our children and gives them some scaffolding as they are thinking about how to answer. For example, “At lunch today I sat with someone who just started working with me. We talked a lot about going hiking and I shared some of my favorite hikes.” Or “When I was about your age, we loved playing capture the flag. One of my favorite memories of this game was when…” Sharing parts of our day or some of our own school memories not only shows that we are interested in conversation, but it also gives our children a guide for how to begin.

Let us know how it goes to first connect and later start conversations with open-ended questions. If you have any conversation starters that you and your children especially love, please share them! You can also download this printable of our favorite 40 questions to keep handy for those opportune moments.

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/childrens-house

Family Challenge: Support Young Lunch Packers!

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:00:00 GMT

At the start of this new school year, we’ve been thinking about how to offer ideas for integrating Montessori learning at home. With this in mind, we'd like to present you with a family challenge. You can think of this challenge as your homework. Even though we don’t really assign homework in Montessori, we do like to collaborate to help children develop their skills and confidence!

Children in Montessori settings do a lot of food preparation. Food preparation is a big part of their practical life experience at school and a big part of becoming functionally independent in the world. So, our challenge is this: Rather than taking on the sole responsibility of preparing lunches for our children, let's make a commitment to move toward helping our children become their own lunch packers!

Seems Daunting?

Maybe you already have a quick and easy routine for packing lunches. Or maybe it feels a little bit like a drag you stumble through every day. Regardless, preparing lunch is a part of our daily lives. Many of us try to fine-tune lunch packing to make it as efficient and painless as possible. The thought of including our children in that process may at first seem completely overwhelming and impossible.

We recognize the challenge may feel uncomfortable, but bear with us! Not only does helping our children learn how to pack their own lunches help prepare them for important life skills, it also supports their Montessori experience in a pretty significant way. Plus, all too often we see children open up their lunch at school and complain that the food is something they don’t like or want. The side benefit of having children be part of the process is that they have some responsibility and accountability for what they bring. If it's food they helped choose, prepare, and/or pack, they know what they have!

Let’s break down the steps for supporting children as they learn how to prepare their food, pack their lunch, or even just be part of even putting items in their lunch bag or box. Keep in mind that this family “homework” challenge can even start with toddlers!

Shop Together

A wonderful way to enlist children’s involvement is by including them in some part of the shopping experience. Young children can be part of selecting certain food options off the shelf and putting them in the cart. Older children can help make a grocery list, figure out the cost of different items, and keep track of what is needed while in the store. Even a little bit of involvement in picking out lunch food options helps children have a sense of ownership and control.

Choice within Limits

In order to have a balance between wants and needs, it’s worth also weaving in some conversation about balancing different food groups and having plenty of healthy options. Some families have success with collaboratively creating a list of different choices within each food group. Decide as a family what you prioritize then list various options from food groups (e.g. grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and protein). It can help to create a visual guide so even young children can see what their choices are when thinking about what to plan for and purchase.

Accessibility

After coming home from the grocery store, children can be part of putting away the items they will be using to prepare and pack their lunches. Accessibility is key. Having a designated spot for lunch foods helps with the packing process. Low cabinet shelves or even low drawers work well. If possible, also find an easy-to-reach space in the refrigerator for perishable items.

It can help to have clear containers so children can easily see their options. For example, after purchasing grapes, children can help wash them, remove the grapes from their stems, and then place the ready-to-eat grapes in a glass or plastic container to store in the refrigerator. Similarly, carrots can be washed, cut, and stored in water in a see-through container. If this system works for your family, even non-perishable items, like crackers, can be removed from their packaging and placed in a clear storage container with other accessible lunch foods.

Easy to Make & Easy to Eat

Young children tend to love having small portions with lots of variety. So when preparing food, think about how children can help with this step. They might like to help cut a sandwich into mini-sandwiches, peel and section a clementine, or slice some cucumbers. With a variety of different choices, children can try combining foods in different ways. They might like to sample a piece of cheese with their apple slice or see how cream cheese tastes on a cracker. Older children can create their own wraps, roll-ups, or sandwiches or choose some dinner leftovers to put into containers for the next day’s lunch.

When children are part of preparing food, there can be some mess involved. It’s good to allow a little time and space for spills to happen. We can show children how to clean up after themselves, while also remembering that the youngest children won’t necessarily be able to clean it all up themselves. When we collaborate in the process, we are helping our children learn how to do it themselves. Whatever path makes sense for your family, just remember that when children are part of the preparation process, they are more invested in trying and eating a variety of foods.

Plan Ahead

Because mornings can be rushed, it often helps to do a little planning ahead of time. Some families like to use the weekend to map out a lunch menu with their children. This can be posted in an easy-to-reference place in the kitchen. When it’s time to get the foods ready or put them in lunch containers, children can just look at the lunch plan for that day. Some families go as far as collaborating with their children to get as many lunch foods as possible ready over the weekend so that their kids can just put that day’s items into their lunch bag or box each morning. Other families might set up a routine so that children are part of emptying and washing their lunch containers when they get home from school and then can use that time to get their lunch set up for the following day. Children may even like to get their lunch packed the night before, store the whole lunch bag in the refrigerator, and then just grab the lunch and go in the morning.

Your kids are more capable than it may seem! Although the process may feel overwhelming at first, remember that you are helping your child learn valuable life skills and reinforcing their Montessori education. If you’d like to come visit the school to see children’s food preparation in action, schedule a tour . We would love to support you with this Montessori challenge!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/how-to-apply

The Significance of Being on Time

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 11:00:01 GMT

As we start the school year, we want to connect about a really crucial part of Montessori learning environments and how it affects your child, as well as the community as a whole.

First, it helps to remember that we are constantly working to ensure the Montessori learning environment is supporting your child’s development. To do this most effectively, we observe. In our observations, we are looking at what is working for children (and what isn’t).

These observations may lead to some changes. For example, we might adjust the arrangement of the furniture so that there is a better flow of activity in the room. Or we might recognize how an individual child needs a little extra time to watch friends before starting any activity. Sometimes we might realize that, as adults, we are walking around too much and distracting the children, so we slow down and take a few moments to sit calmly.

While much of the Montessori learning environment depends upon observing so we can make modifications to what we do, there is one aspect that is really sacrosanct: the three-hour work cycle.

Three-Hour Work Cycles & the “Flow State”

Dr. Montessori was a scientist and the Montessori method of education was born from her observations of children and how to support their optimum development. She even graphed patterns of activity for individual children and classroom communities. In her scientific study, Dr. Montessori found that children need a block of uninterrupted time in order to go through a rhythm of focus and consolidation. Children two and a half and older need at least three hours to move through these cycles of concentration. Often children’s most growth and meaningful work happens toward the end of a three-hour block of time.

We can think about this in relation to our current-day understanding of what it means to get into a flow state. Sometimes people describe a flow state as “being in the zone.” It’s when we are so immersed in and focused on what we are doing that a sense of time and our surroundings disappear. This concept of flow has been most clearly articulated by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Csikszentmihalyi was a psychologist whose studies of happiness and creativity led to his articulation of flow – a highly focused mental state that is conducive to creativity and productivity. Interestingly enough, when Csikszentmihalyi’s grandchildren started going to a Montessori school, he saw how Montessori learning environments allowed young children to achieve this state of flow.

Why is this significant?

In order to get into their own state of flow, children in our learning communities need a three-hour chunk of time. We have designed our morning arrivals and routines so that children can benefit from an interrupted morning work cycle.

Part of the morning schedule involves children having enough time to greet their peers and go through their routines without being rushed before they enter the classroom environment. When children are ready and in the classroom, the guides can begin focusing on giving lesson presentations and generally supporting children as they start their day.

However, if children routinely arrive late at the beginning of the morning, the adults’ attention needs to be split between greeting those who arrive late and attending to the children who have started their important work of the day.

This is also hard on the children who arrive after their peers have settled into their morning. When children enter a space where everyone is already connected and engaged in work, it is hard for them to connect with classmates and even know where to begin. This is especially challenging for those who really need to establish a social connection at the beginning of their day. It’s a little like awkwardly coming late to a party and finding everyone else in already established social circles!

In addition, late arrivals can be challenging for the community as a whole. The children who were on time and working often find it distracting when friends and classmates arrive. They might even lose focus on what they were leaning because they feel compelled to greet their friends. However, once everyone has arrived, the community is really able to settle. The adults aren’t trying to help children transition into the classroom and friends aren’t getting distracted by who is coming through the door. After arrivals are over, a gentle hum often comes over the room.

A World of Difference

Children need time to transition. Some children are relatively quick, while others take over 15 minutes to get their items put away, shoes changed, and so forth.

It makes a world of difference when our community members arrive on the early side, so that transitions can happen when a guide is able to be present to greet children and so that we can have everyone in the classroom at the start of the day.

We know that mornings can be hard. Believe us, we know. If we were able to just extend the morning if people arrive late, we would! However, children get hungry for lunch, we want to have plenty of time outdoors, and we also need to leave time for children who need to rest. Thus, we rely upon on-time arrivals for the very important three-hour work cycle. Having that uninterrupted block of time is vital to a well-functioning classroom and to individual children’s development.

Thank You!

Thank you so much for being attentive to on-time arrivals, understanding why having the three-hour work cycle is so important, and considering how you can help. If you would like to meet and brainstorm about routines that can support on-time arrivals, we would be honored to get to strategize with you. When we can meet one-on-one with families to support morning routines, we often find some really creative, healthy, win-win options! It can take time to figure out what is most effective for each child and family. It’s a constantly evolving opportunity and we look forward to the collaboration.

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/childrens-house

Culturally Responsive Practices: An Interview

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 11:00:06 GMT

To support our children most effectively, it seems like we, as parents and caregivers, need to make our own cultural lens visible. How do you recommend starting this process?

Making our cultural lens visible is actually the first step for everyone, no matter our background. One of my favorite authors in the education space is Zaretta Hammond who wrote Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. She says that culture is the way the brain makes sense of the world. We all come from a cultural background. We all come from families who told us things about the world.

One of the things my mom did when I was a child was to always tell me that brown was her favorite color. She would call it beautiful, warm brown. As an adult, I realized she was actually purposefully counteracting the messages I was getting from the rest of the world. So that is a piece of cultural messaging from my mom that I really, really appreciate and stand behind as an adult.

On the other hand, my mother would always say “put your knees together and sit like a lady.” As an adult, I can question what sitting has to do with gender and also what sort of expectations are we reinforcing. My thinking brain knows that, but every time I sit down and my knees are spread, my mother’s voice still comes into my head. Sometimes I listen to it and sometimes I don’t, but it is something that is so deeply ingrained in me.

Our cultural lens and cultural background are like that. They are all these tiny things engrained into us: how close we stand to someone, what voice to use in different settings, and how much time to leave until someone else is finished talking. Many of these are harmless or cause mini-misunderstandings. But others can be actively harmful depending upon what your family or society has told you about what makes people intelligent or the characteristics of people of different races and genders.

Some frameworks present this cultural awareness as an iceberg. There is the tip of the iceberg above the water, like the language we speak and the music we listen to. Then there is the part below the surface of the water, which is largely unconscious.

This is the unconscious basis upon which we make decisions. It is the work of a lifetime to uncover those many unconscious factors.

So when we realize those unconscious assumptions that are part of our own cultural lens and cultural background, it allows us to judge situations with more clarity and to allow for different perspectives. For teachers, families, and all humans in the world, we can’t necessarily do this work by ourselves. We can do a lot of reflection by ourselves, but we need a coach or outside view to help us see those unconscious aspects.

You have done a lot to support culturally responsive practices. What led you to this work?

Part of this is based on my identity characteristics. The other is that my journey in Montessori was a little different from what other folks have experienced.

I started as a Montessori child at a school in Metro Detroit that was about 80% Southeast Asian and South Asian, with a smattering of white kids, a smattering of black kids, and some Middle Eastern kids. It was very diverse and I was a minority, but in a different way than has been true for the rest of my life.

As an adult, I took Montessori primary training in France where we had a very international cohort of folks. Then I worked with a woman from Côte D’Ivoire to open a school in Senegal. It wasn’t until I came back and did my elementary training at the Washington Montessori Institute [in Maryland], and heard other people talking about their Montessori experiences, that I realized how different my experience had been.

As a black queer woman within the Montessori space who had a childhood Montessori background where I was both represented and not, it was always sort of immediately obvious to me that children need to feel socially and psychologically safe and see themselves represented in environments, in order to learn and grow.

Although Maria Montessori originally founded this pedagogy in a homogenous society in Italy in the 1900s, I believe that the philosophy itself is meant to be adapted to and reflect the identities of the children, families, and community in which it is seated. So I feel it is really important that we actually do that, which is adult work.

Will you share a little more about how this is adult work?

It is really fascinating that the education world is so focused on children and what children do. Are they doing enough? Are they learning enough? Are they doing the right things?

As Montessorians, we know the prepared environment and prepared adult are the foundation of children’s experience. If something isn’t going right, we first look to the environment and then we look to ourselves. We also need to take an additional step back and look at who we are and what we are bringing into the environment.

When we are talking about making sure classrooms are culturally responsive and reflect the experiences of the children who are in them, it is easy to talk about this as window dressing. Are your books diverse? Is your art diverse? Those things are important. Yet it’s really about having a strengths-based lens, examining our own biases, and understanding that in order for children to grow we need to be really individualized when understanding their strengths and building their abilities.

This is work that adults need to do on themselves. It isn’t about what the children do or how the children learn. It is about the adult figuring out where they are seeing clearly and where they aren’t, what knowledge they have and what knowledge they don’t have.

We need to be okay with being in that growing and learning space, which can be hard because it requires dismantling a lot of unconscious beliefs that everyone holds.

Do you have recommendations for how adults can start some of that work, for ourselves and with our schools?

For adults, this work starts with reaching out and doing research. We, as human beings, tend to be afraid of what we don’t understand. Researchers say that this is biologically programmed into us as a defense mechanism. So part of it is just figuring out what are the facts and learning what is true. There are a lot of organizations that lead folks in this work and help bring information into your environment that actually widens your perspective.

This answer is also different for folks who are and aren’t in the global majority. For folks of the global majority, especially in the United States, often perspectives that are outside of our own are just part of life all the time. It’s not something we can avoid. Whereas if you are white or have other majority identities, you need to actually take steps outside of the world where most of the folks around you share your identities. Find out about considerations that are super present for other folks but not for you.

To partner with schools, be an advocate, but also understand that everyone is on a different part of their journey, including schools. A lot of schools are trying to figure out how to best support all the children in their care, which goes beyond race and includes gender, sexual orientation, different types of families, ability status, and citizenship status. There is a lot of work that needs to be done.

While the onus shouldn’t be on the person or family experiencing discrimination or not getting an equal experience, it is also important to be an advocate for your child. I see a lot of families, especially families who are multilingual, or who are from under-resourced communities, be less vocal when things go wrong. So I would say advocate.

There are folks out there that provide support. There is a great resource from Learning for Justice called Speak Up at School . They have a whole packet with four strategies for how to respond when you see injustice. It also talks about the difference between calling folks in and calling folks out, and when you make a decision to do each.

The other thing I would recommend to families is to spend time with teachers and spend time in the classrooms. Also, know that Montessori is a hard way to teach. It is a lot easier to have all the children doing the same thing at the same time. Teaching in a methodology that focuses on individual work, builds up children’s intrinsic motivations, where every child in the classroom might be working on something different and at different levels and at all kinds of different places, and where we are trying to build children’s ability to interact with a minimal amount of adult support in like a microcosm of society – that is not small work! So Montessorians are often hesitant to include other adults in that practice.

That being said, I believe that Montessorians need to do a better job of explaining to families the why of what is going on and providing deep and thoughtful opportunities for families to engage with their children’s learning and with the co-creation of curriculum.

There are some parts of the Montessori curriculum in which families can have a huge contribution. One example in the primary classroom is practical life. The practical life curriculum is meant to reflect children’s activities in their own homes. So a way families can engage is to offer classroom experiences, like providing small group cooking or showing how to do different activities from home. For example, some cultures use upright mops while some use floor cloths. Sharing some of those activities with the classroom allows both your child’s identity to be reflected and other people’s eyes to be opened and perspectives broadened. So that is one clear opportunity where families can interact to co-create the curriculum.

In elementary, another place for collaboration is the history curriculum where children are learning about how people satisfy their fundamental needs. Families do this in different ways. This is a great opportunity for families to be interviewed, explain ways they do things at home, talk to children about what they celebrate and why, and share their traditions. This helps children learn about different customs.

When it comes to children and their identities and feeling comfortable, unfortunately, it often falls on families to get ahead of that in some environments. For example, family members might come in to read a book about adoption or work with the teacher to coach their child about talking about adoption. We can help children who have started gender transitions to lay the groundwork for that awareness or support children on the autism spectrum who at some point want to explain to friends how their brains work. Families can lean in to help educators grow and to make sure their children have a safe space in school.

Knowing there is work that needs to be done collectively, what resources would you share to help folks along their journey?

That depends on how you learn! For some, reading is the first step. There are book lists out there and some have little workbooks. One wonderful resource is Collectively Renewing Montessori: An Invitation .

For some, watching or listening is the first step. There are podcasts, Instagram reels, and YouTube videos to watch.

For some, conversations are the first step. What I would not do is go up to your nearest person of the global majority or non-binary person, and say, “Hey, can you tell me about your experience?” That is a little tiring for them.

Find places where folks are already having these conversations. There are free groups in many cities and online where folks get together for discussions and to do social justice work. Embedding yourself in those communities widens your lens. There are also actual classes and organizations, like Embracing Equity or Crossroads , that support folks in this work.

Those are first steps, yet this is work that takes a lifetime. There are a lot of facets to it. Talking the talk and walking the walk are different. This isn’t about learning and saying the right things. It is about developing our lens for analysis. We are all continually learning. Have the willingness to do your own work and examination. Continue to reach out with a lens of curiosity and inquiry.

Practical Life in the Classroom

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:00:01 GMT

In our daily lives, we do so much to take maintain our surroundings, as well as care for ourselves and others. As adults, we take these activities for granted. Young children, however, yearn to participate in practical matters.

Everything we do to care for the environment, ourselves, and others make up what can be called "practical life" activities. In a Montessori home or school environment, practical life activities help children learn about cultural norms, while also helping them develop internal motivation, intellect, and body coordination.

Purposes of Practical Life

With this in mind, we can really think about how practical life activities have two purposes: one is external and one is internal. The first purpose is to help children engage in something meaningful and real. For example, washing a table leads to a clean table. The second aim is to help children develop their internal worth and sense of competency.

Practical life activities help children become psychologically and physically independent. By the time 24-year-olds begin life on their own, they should be able to provide for themselves, be responsible for their actions, plan for their future, and perhaps even help support others. The little things we do early in children’s lives set them up for later success.

As children engage in purposeful work, they develop a sense of being an important part of the family or community. By beginning to help take care of their personal needs, they also develop a sense of accomplishment.

In a Montessori environment, children have a place where practical life activities are carefully prepared and presented to support emerging independence. The sink is at children’s height. The faucet is easy to turn on and off. The soap container holds just enough soap to wash hands. Children can perform activities that were perhaps previously done for them.

Practicing Self-Care

The practice of self-care can begin early in children’s lives by approaching tasks with an attitude of collaboration. Even if a baby can’t do an action, they can have a sense of participating. We can invite this participation by saying things like, “I’m going to put on your shirt. Let’s put your arm through the sleeve.” As we allow for more and more collaboration, children’s active participation gradually increases. Opportunities for collaboration can be as simple as offering something in front of a child rather than actually putting it into their hands.

Caring for Surroundings

In addition to self-care, a Montessori environment provides numerous ways for children to care for their surroundings. In order for children to be successful in this process of caring for their surroundings, we thoughtfully prepare the environment. Child-sized materials give children an opportunity to participate successfully. Their work must be real work, rather than activities to just keep them busy. Plus, the impact on the environment needs to be clear. If the plants need water, then children can water the plants. If the floor is wet, children can mop the floor. If a table is dirty, children can wash the table. Through real and meaningful activities, children develop a strong sense of belonging within a community.

Supporting Practical Life at Home

Parents often ask how to support their children’s practical life work at home. One easy and meaningful strategy is to create routines that help children care for their surroundings. They can clean up toys at the end of the day, set the table for dinner, or put dirty clothes in the laundry basket. The preparation for these kinds of activities isn’t elaborate and merely requires carefully selected items or furniture: a basket in the laundry room for dirty clothes, a special shelf for toys, or a low drawer in the kitchen prepared with items for setting the table.

When thinking about how to create practical life activities, consider the following:

Will the activity help develop independence and coordination of movement?
Can it be done independently?
What skills are needed?
Will this activity allow repetition?
Is it culturally appropriate and necessary?
Is it beautiful?
Is the material child-sized?
Is it logical?
Is it safe?

With these guiding questions in mind, we can create simple yet purposeful ways for our children to learn how to care for themselves, those around them, and their surroundings. In the process, children observe what is essential and then make the activities their own. Plus, as they internalize the procedure, children start to realize how capable they are! They put their whole focus into their work and experience great satisfaction in completing the activity. Meaningful engagement in practical life activities allows children to develop a strong sense of belonging and ultimately flourish into their fullest selves.

During these summer days, take a look at where your children might be able to contribute to the daily rhythms of the household, or even take more ownership of their own routines for self-care. Children will begin to imitate adult actions, which leads to them performing tasks in their own unique ways.

Keep in mind that this process is not completely linear, as some days children need more support than on other days. At this point, we can offer loving assistance while still upholding a sense of their involvement: “I see your clothes are still on the floor. Let’s pick them up together.” We all can use a little help sometimes!

From infants to adolescents, our young people are quite capable and benefit greatly from participating in practical life activities. If you would like some inspiration for how children are involved in caring for themselves, their surroundings and others, please contact us !

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/contact

Supporting Independent Sleep

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 11:00:00 GMT

In Montessori, we talk a lot about independence because we want to help children in their process of becoming capable young people! For our youngest children, this means supporting them in mastery of basic functions such as eating, toileting, and sleeping. Supporting independent skills in these three areas is pretty significant because these are parts of life where children ultimately have complete control over what does or doesn’t happen. So it makes sense for us to avoid setting up obstacles in these areas and instead help children develop skills that will build up their confidence.

Our Language Matters

The language we use is indicative of our goals. For example, when children are learning to use the toilet, we make sure our language reflects that process. We aren’t “training” children like we might train a pet. We are helping them learn life skills so they can be well-functioning humans who understand cultural norms. In fact, we even call what we do “toilet learning” because children are learning how to take care of their bodily needs by using the toilet.

Similarly, when thinking about children and their sleep, we are not “sleep training” like we might crate train a new puppy. Rather, we are supporting children’s natural process of learning how to settle themselves, self-soothe, and eventually fall asleep independently.

Importance of Sleep

With more and more research about the role sleep plays in brain development, growth, and learning, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about how best to promote healthy sleep hygiene. A 2007 study states “that the most fundamental requirements for healthy growth and development in young children include a) loving support and protection by parents/caretakers, b) adequate nutrition, and c) adequate sleep.” A 2020 review of sleep and early brain development details how “sleep plays a critical role in learning and memory, emotional regulation, and related brain structure development.” Establishing healthy sleep practices in the early years is critical for our children’s development. So how can we best do this?

Focus on Four Factors

In order to help our children have trust in us and strengthen a secure attachment, we need to provide safe boundaries. This includes helping them learn what is acceptable and what isn’t in regard to sleep. Just like we hold boundaries for dental hygiene, we can uphold healthy sleep habits, too!

To promote healthy sleep hygiene, we can focus on four factors:

establishing an environment that is conducive to sleep,
maintaining regular routines,
providing suitable associations for the onset of sleep, and
upholding limits while making adjustments throughout childhood.

Sleep Environment

To create a place that is conducive to sleep, it can be helpful to think about our own sleep needs. Are we more likely to fall asleep in a bright, noisy, active environment, or in one that is dark, quiet, and calm? The same applies to our children. A comfortable sleep environment should be dark because sleep hormones are triggered by darkness. Plus, natural and blue-based artificial light stimulates alertness. Black-out blinds or curtains (as well as aluminum foil over the windows in a pinch) help immensely. The designated sleep space, whether a bedroom or other area, should also be calm, quiet, and free of distractions like toys or other interest-provoking items. Finally, it’s best if the room temperature is slightly cooler.

Regular Routines

Our children depend upon us to establish healthy and consistent routines, including times for rest. When children stay up past their nap or bedtime, they can enter into an overtired zone. At this point, they experience a stress response, which leads to the release of adrenaline and cortisol. This influx of chemicals causes a “second wind” and children can become even more energized and awake, despite their intense need for sleep.

To avoid this vicious cycle, it’s important to learn our children’s sleep window, which is the time it is easiest for the brain to switch to sleep. Children actually give us cues as to when they are in a window for sleep. They might begin to have some difficulty listening, lose focus, or become a little more irritable. Some children may rub their eyes, go for a comfort object, or seek contact with a caregiver.

Every child is a little different, but when they start to indicate they are in a sleep window, it is time to wrap up the routine. The process should be very simple, for example, pajamas, toileting, teeth, one story, a hug, and a kiss. It’s better for extensive reading and a long bath to happen before the sleep window because these activities can very easily push children past the window of opportunity and lead to them entering the overtired zone. A predictable, simple pre-sleep routine allows children to unwind and feel secure in knowing that sleep is happening next.

Sleep Onset Associations

When children fall asleep, they form associations with the conditions that are present at the time when they actually drift off. So if we rock our children, read to them, or even snuggle in their bed next to them until they fall asleep, our children learn that they need that condition to be present in order to fall asleep. This also means that as children awake slightly during normal sleep cycles, they look for the same conditions they had when they first fell asleep. If children can’t recreate those on their own, they become dependent upon adult intervention, which can then can lead to more frequent night wakings.

Thus we need our children to go to bed when they are drowsy but still awake, so they can develop appropriate sleep onset associations. We can sing a song, read a book, or rub their back. However, we need to end any of these activities before our children actually fall asleep. We need to leave them while they are heavy-eyed but not yet asleep! Transition objects can help children, too. Some might like a special blanket, doll, or stuffed animal, which they can use to self-soothe as they drift off to sleep.

Limits & Adjustments

Sleep patterns change throughout early childhood and beyond. So while children need us to be consistent, they also need us to understand developmental changes. It can help to use resources like the Sleep Foundation to check on recommended hours of sleep for different developmental stages.

As children get older, they also get more sophisticated in trying to prolong the bedtime routine or keep us engaged when actually we should be stepping out of the process to allow them to fall asleep on their own. Work collaboratively with your child to establish or re-establish the routine (and the limits). Write down the routine and revisit it before bedtime. Stay calm and consistent.

Children are hard-wired to test the boundaries and are just checking to make sure we are going to stay true to the agreement. If you feel like you are going to break down and not be able to uphold the agreement, find someone who can be your backup or reinforcement. If you are doing bedtime alone, find a friend who you can text or call and who will remind you about staying true to what was established.

Above all, make sure you are taking care of yourself! If you are sleep-deprived it is much harder to hold limits or think clearly about the long-term goal of helping children become independent and capable young humans. If you ever want to talk or need support, we are happy to help. We love to share resources and support families!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/contact

Raising Turtles in Our Classrooms

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Did you know that the Blanding’s turtle is a threatened species in Massachusetts? Numbers are rapidly declining due to habitat loss. But there’s a lot we can do to make a difference. At North Shore Montessori School, our students are doing their part to raise awareness – and turtles!

NSMS is among a growing number of schools helping to head-start hatchlings. Together, we’ve partnered with the Parker River Blanding’s Turtles Conservation Project, Parker River Clean Water Association and Mass Wildlife to help protect this threatened species.

But before we explain our program further, let’s talk turtles. In fact, let’s talk Blanding’s turtles.

Blanding’s turtles are named for Dr. William Blanding (1773-1857), a Massachusetts physician and naturalist who studied this turtle species. These semi-aquatic freshwater turtles are declining in numbers due to the loss of vernal pools, marshes and slow-flowing wetlands.

This is where our elementary students come in. As part of their Practical Life and Care of the Environment activities and jobs, the students feed the hatchlings and maintain their tanks. In addition, the students weigh, measure and record their growth.

During the past two school years, our elementary students have raised a total of 10 hatchlings – giving each hatchling an astonishingly high weight gain and growth. Naturalist Mark Irving, who volunteers for the Parker River Blanding’s Turtles Conservation Project, says that NSMS students have given some hatchlings the equivalent of five years’ growth in one school year!

The turtle conservation program fits well with our Montessori curriculum. Dr. Maria Montessori believed that children need to experience nature first-hand to deepen their appreciation for the world around them. In her book titled The Discovery of the Child, Dr. Montessori wrote: “When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strengths.”

As they head-start Blanding’s turtles, our students reveal their strengths in language by reading books about turtles, responding to writing prompts, and researching other turtle species; reveal their strengths in math by weighing the hatchings in grams, measuring their carapace and plastron in millimeters using a caliper, and recording and then graphing data; and reveal their strengths as guardians of living things.

As a new school year approaches at NSMS, we’re excited to meet the newest Blanding’s turtle hatchlings who will head-start in our Montessori classrooms. Our students will be their caregivers, and for that we’re grateful.

Our Gardens are Bursting

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:00:03 GMT

At North Shore Montessori School, we wholeheartedly believe in connecting children with nature. Together, we’ve not only planted seeds of hope, but also fertile seeds of fruits and vegetables for backyard birds, school chickens, and our own lunch tables.

This past school year (2022-2023), we embarked on an ambitious plan to create a peace garden. And this summer it’s flourishing!

Our students have always benefited from a large outdoor play area with plenty of natural elements. Within this landscape of lawn, native plants and woods, our students have participated in botany lessons, made thoughtful observations and sketches in their nature journals, and gained a deeper appreciation for the world around them.

Dr. Maria Montessori believed that being immersed in nature supports a child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. “There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature,” Dr. Montessori wrote, “to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature.”

Two years ago, NSMS built four raised garden beds as an early introduction to vegetable and flower gardening. We also created a Monarch habitat, and subsequently registered it with the non-profit Monarch Watch as a certified Monarch Waystation. As a registered waystation, our school has promised to provide milkweed and nectar sources for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration.

With the raised beds and butterfly habitat deemed successful, we had a deep desire to do more!

This past spring, we were presented with a tremendous opportunity to expand our garden’s footprint. Together, preschoolers, kindergartners and elementary students worked alongside teachers and volunteers to create the NSMS Peace Garden.

The children planted broccoli, cabbage, celery, kale, squash, tomatoes, zucchini, and many other vegetables. Sunflower is just one of many flower varieties planted by the young gardeners. Previously planted fruit trees – apple and pear – round out the garden’s offerings.

We celebrated our first harvest in mid-July! Children enrolled in our summer program, from early June through the end of July, helped care for our vegetable gardens, pollinator gardens, fruit trees, and monarch habitat.

It was exciting to watch the children harvest our first crop, kale, and feed it to our chickens in the coop. No doubt, there will be more harvests as summer progresses – and then a bountiful harvest just as the new school year begins!

Time of Transformation

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 11:00:01 GMT

Adolescents have such power and potential. They can achieve so much when they have a supportive space that helps them develop their incredible abilities and ultimately realize their possibilities.

The book, The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults, shares a helpful analogy for understanding adolescence: “...the teenage brain is almost like a brand-new Ferrari: it’s primed and pumped, but it hasn’t been road tested yet. In other words, it’s all revved up but doesn’t quite know where to go.”

To best support adolescents who are all primed to go but don’t yet know where, we can work to better understand their developmental characteristics and needs.

Time of Transformation

The first three years (ages twelve to fifteen) of adolescence are comparable to the physical and cognitive transformation that happens from zero to three. Adolescents are forming themselves, physically and psychologically, into the adults they will become.

This is a transition from childhood into adulthood, evidenced by dramatic bodily changes. The relative calm and stability of the previous years shifts to a more tumultuous time. During this period of intense change, adolescents’ health becomes more fragile. They require more sleep and are more prone to acne, depression, bulimia, anorexia, mono, etc. As Frances E. Jenson, MD, and Amy Ellis Nutt explain in The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults : “Adolescence is a time of increased response to stress, which may in part be why anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, typically arise during puberty. Teens simply don’t have the same tolerance for stress that we see in adults. Teens are much more likely to exhibit stress-induced illnesses and physical problems, such as colds, headaches, and upset stomachs. There is also an epidemic of symptoms ranging from nail biting to eating disorders that are commonplace in today’s teens.”

Adolescents need a special kind of care and protection during this time of transformation. Like caterpillars that need a chrysalis in order to metamorphose into a butterfly, adolescents need a protective space for reconstruction.

Neural Changes and Emotional Needs

The adolescent brain is also undergoing dramatic changes, from neural pruning when unneeded neural synapses are removed, to an increase in myelination which allows for faster neural transmission.

Due to these dramatic physical and cognitive changes taking place, adolescents can have difficulty concentrating and staying focused. This also leads to a decrease in their organizational skills and judgment, as well as a reduction in their executive functioning abilities like working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. Because of this diminished executive functioning ability, adolescents often make decisions based on emotion. Their brains are relying upon the limbic system rather than their developing prefrontal cortex.

Thus, adolescents can experience strong and tumultuous emotions and it can be a struggle for them to gain mastery over these emotions. As such, adolescents need time for personal self-reflection, and yet this need exists in the midst of an intense desire to be within and accepted by a group.

Rational and logical expression can be challenging during this time, thus adolescents also need creative outlets for releasing and exploring emotions, thoughts, and any conflicting experiences. Creative outlets can include dance, writing, art, music, sports, etc. In addition to providing an expressive outlet, physical activities also release endorphins and help regulate hormonal balance.

Finding Equilibrium

Because adolescents are working to integrate their new physical and emotional selves, they need as many opportunities as possible to integrate manual work (work of the hand) and academic work (work of the head). In addition to experiencing an equilibrium in mental and physical activities, adolescents need opportunities to explore their personal identity in the context of their social identity.

Like younger children, adolescents are somewhat ego-centric. After leaving the elementary years of calm and confidence, early teens become self-conscious and are highly sensitive to peer acceptance. This results in a sensitivity to the looks, comments, or actions of others, which is further complicated by adolescents having difficulty reading facial expressions. It’s no surprise, then, that our teens often imagine that someone is upset with them or thinking negatively of them. Close relationships and feeling accepted by their peer group become extremely important to balance these feelings.

Being Valued

Because this is a time of extreme vulnerability, adolescents need to be treated with understanding and respect. They want to know their value, their role, their contributions, and their worth. Adolescents benefit greatly from opportunities to contribute to their community in meaningful ways. This is best achieved through adult-level work. When this contribution is acknowledged by their peers, adolescents feel valorized, or recognized, which leads to a bolstering of their self-confidence.

Having choices is also a vital component of adolescents’ work. This opportunity to make a choice about what to do and when to do it provides teens with a strong sense of empowerment and allows them to practice making constructive choices.

Role of Adults

Adolescents need the guidance and support of adults. They also rely upon and appreciate the opportunity for side-by-side work. We can shift into more of a supportive, coaching role with our adolescents, which can more easily be achieved when we are working alongside each other. Adolescents relish this opportunity to collaborate in what it means to be an adult by engaging in adult-level work.

This side-by-side work also offers us, as adults, the opportunity to respectfully share information and teach skills, without risking offending our adolescents. In “Three Ways to Change Your Parenting in the Teenage Years,” Christine Carter explains: “When we give our adolescents a lot of information, especially when it is information that they don’t really want or that they think they already have, it can feel infantilizing to them. Even if we deliver the information as we would to another adult, teenagers will often feel disrespected by the mere fact of our instruction.”

Respectful treatment connects to adolescents’ need to feel a sense of justice and personal dignity. While elementary-aged children focus on distributive justice (e.g. fairness), adolescence is a time when young people begin to grapple with and understand restorative justice, social justice, and economic justice.

Adolescence is a period of dramatic growth and change. Although the dramatic physical changes that accompany the onset of puberty can rock the stable foundation of elementary years, if we understand adolescents’ needs, we can help our teenagers emerge as empowered and full of creative energies.

To schedule a school tour at North Shore Montessori School:

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

A Supportive Summer

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 11:00:01 GMT

The summer months can sometimes feel like a long stretch, especially when we are trying to figure out how to keep our children engaged, or at least entertained. However, if we think about the big picture of what children really need, it can be easier to think about activities that will satisfy those needs and support natural development.

What do our children really need?

When Dr. Maria Montessori first began working with children, she approached her work with a scientific mindset. She observed tendencies, needs, and behaviors of human children the way a scientist might observe animals in the wild. In this way, Dr. Montessori was able to identify inclinations young humans have toward particular behaviors or characteristics. Some of the tendencies Dr. Montessori observed include:

to explore
to orient
to have or create order
to work
to strive toward self-perfection

Let’s take a look at these human tendencies in relation to how we structure summer days with our young children.

Exploration

Humans have a need to explore. Early humans needed to explore their environment to discover where and what to eat, to find shelter, etc. Our infants, babies, toddlers, and young children explore in order to adapt to their environment and learn about the world. From our infants’ early days when they explore using their senses (smelling, tasting, hearing, and then tracking with their eyes) to when our babies grasp, slither, scoot, crawl, stand, and walk, children under the age of six are sensorimotor learners. They have to explore using movement and their senses to make sense of their boundaries of self.

Exploration may be one of the easiest parts of summer. With the warm weather and long days, there is ample opportunity to find new parks, traverse new trails, or even just see what happens when you wander down the sidewalk with your child. The key is to focus more on the process than the destination. A simple nature walk may be long in duration but short in distance. For example, young children will appreciate the time and space to stop and explore what is happening with the busy ants in the sidewalk cracks.

Incorporating different senses and movements makes exploration most meaningful for children. Get creative! After a trip to the farmer’s market, collaborate with your child to create a colorful array of foods to sample together. Pick a few places outside where you can lie down with your child, listen, and gather sounds. Share what you heard. Draw pictures of what you think made the sounds. Or maybe go on a scent journey around your yard or neighborhood. See what smells you can find!

Orientation

Orientation is needed to find our way. In order to be able to explore, humans have needed to be able to orient themselves. We need to put ourselves in relation to our surroundings in order to find our way around in a new environment. Disorientation comes from not being secure in our surroundings. The process of orientation is a process of creating relationships: where or what am I in relation to this place?

Young children have a need to orient themselves to culture (through customs, food, language, etc.), as well as routines and places. They need to know what life is like so they can adapt accordingly. We can support this orientation by introducing our children to the routines, customs, and expectations of the summer months.

If regular library visits will become part of the summer routine, take time to visit the library space and orient to different components of the building (the bathroom, the checkout counter, the reading nook, etc.), as well as norms of behavior within the library walls. If you’ll be outdoors picnicking or connecting with friends for lunch, taking a few moments to make sure your child knows what to expect can make all the difference.

Order

We rely upon order in our environment, from segmenting 24 hours of a day to having laws that lend order to our communities. Order helps us have a sense of safety, control, and stability. For children, order is essential. They need constant points of reference to be able to orient themselves to the world. Children need to be able to anticipate the day. If we change the order of events, that can throw our children off balance. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see some regression in our children when change happens.

How do we create order during the summer, a time when schedules can be less constant? Building a little time into the morning routine to go over the plan for the day is one easy way to help children feel secure about what to expect. While slightly older children can grasp an overview of the week, especially if presented in visual form, younger children live more in the moment. They depend upon a regular rhythm. So even if summer schedules shift, it’s best to try to keep some regular touch points to ground the day. Even if the time gets adjusted slightly, keeping true to things like rest time after lunch or bath before bedtime, helps young children feel like the day has a predictable order.

Work

All of us have a natural tendency toward activity. Work is the way we achieve a purpose or result through mental or physical effort. Our children want to contribute in meaningful ways to the work of our lives. This is most successful when we can build in time for our children to accompany us with household chores or general maintenance.

During the summer months, much of this kind of work can happen outdoors–washing the car together, watering the garden, cleaning outdoor furniture, or sweeping the patio. Whatever you decide to offer, make sure you’ve tested out the tools to make sure they work. For example, can your child squeeze the sponge and reach down into the bucket of soapy water? Can your child carry the watering can? How much water comes through the hose when it is turned on? By paying attention to a few details, we help our children experience successful work and contribution.

Self-Perfection & Repetition

Mastery is achieved through bringing our work to completion and often this requires a great deal of repetition. This tendency for perfection is what has allowed for the advancement of human civilization. Becoming more proficient requires repetition, exactness, and a quest for self-perfection. We can see children perfect their skills as they learn to walk and talk. They keep trying until they achieve mastery.

To help our children master what they set out to do and then be able to advance, we can be sensitive to how our young children are observing movements around them and perfecting the movements they see through repetition and precision.

Summer is a fabulous time to focus on large gross motor activities that perhaps couldn’t happen as easily during the colder months. Find a space outdoors for your child to practice walking along a line or a board lying flat on the ground. Or create little obstacle courses for your child. This can be as simple as creating chalk circles to hop in, then crawling under something, before finally tossing a bean bag into a bucket. Or you can blow bubbles that your child can chase and try to catch (or pop!). Follow your child’s lead in terms of what is engaging and allow them plenty of time for repetition.

As we move into the summer months, keeping these tendencies in mind can help us provide satisfying experiences and opportunities for our children.

To schedule a school tour at North Shore Montessori School:

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

Equity Q&A with Britt Hawthorne

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Britt Hawthorne is an antiracist educator, teacher, speaker, visionary, and advocate. She is committed to raising a generation of antiracist children by centering families of the global majority and fostering equitable learning environments for students and children of all ages and backgrounds. Nido Marketing recently had a little Q&A with Britt, and we are delighted to share this with you!

Britt is the author of the highly-anticipated, New York Times Bestseller, Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide . The book is an interactive guide for strategically incorporating the tools of inclusivity into everyday life and parenting.

Your book, Raising Antiracist Children, is subtitled: A Practical Parenting Guide. Practicality seems so important for busy families. With this in mind, what do you see as important priorities? Where do you suggest families begin?

Begin by fostering brave spaces at home. Brave spaces are intentional spaces focused on coming together with a new understanding. For example, I grew up with narrow racial and cultural representation. Many books in my childhood home featured white or Black main characters. Hardly ever did the books in my home represent Latino, Native Hawaiian, Native American, South Asian, or Hispanic characters.

I know our commitments live in our actions. So, I shared my concern with my partner and we discussed how this lack of representation caused misconceptions to persist. We could then prepare a home environment that shows we value diversity. Because we’re fostering brave spaces, together we can reflect, discuss, and choose what we want for our children.

What are some priorities or practices that you uphold in your family?

I lay out five parenting principles in Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide . One of the parenting principles is that we believe children have the desire to learn. Learning means we welcome questions, mistakes, and new understandings.

Therefore, we create curious moments with our children by asking questions.

“I wonder if there are more white people in the world or people of color?”
“Have you ever wondered why Europe and Asia are considered separate continents?”
“Do you hear people talking about race? What do you hear?”

We also respond with curiosity rather than fear, silence, or frustration. Here are some examples:

“Oh, you’re noticing that you have larger eyes than she does. I wonder if she has eyes like her mom, like you?”
“That’s a curious question. I wonder where we could find the answer together. I bet a book from the library could tell us more about it.”
“Thanks for asking me. I don’t know the answer, so I’m just as curious as you. I can do some digging to figure it out. I’ll let you know what I find over dinner.”

When you think about this ongoing work, how do you see it connected to Montessori philosophy and/or practice?

The Montessori philosophy has everything it needs to serve every child, regardless of background. Amelia A. Sherwood said it best, “Montessori education has the ability to liberate the child!” As Montessorians, we deliberately practice this cycle of spiritual preparation: take care of ourselves, take care of others, and take care of the environment. Those three commitments are the same commitments antiracists and liberation workers use to guide their work.

And it’s not just about wondering how we can care for ourselves, others, and the environment. It’s creating the time and offering the resources to be culturally affirming, intentional, and purposeful in our work. That’s why you can go into almost any Montessori environment and witness practical life, grace and courtesy, and community care happening. While we might use different words, we describe very similar practices.

What are some resources you recommend for families and educators?

For parents and grownups, I recommend Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide by Britt Hawthorne (me!) with Natasha Yglesias.

Here is a list of books for learners:

Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
My Face Book by By Star Bright Books
Together: A First Conversation about Love by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli, et al.
You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith
The Ant iracist Kid: A Book about Identity, Justice, and Activism by Tiffany Jewell
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
Flying Lessons & Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh
The Assignment by Liza Wiemer

We hope you’ve gathered some helpful insight from Britt about how we can collaborate to move the idea of educational equity from goal to reality. Britt partners with action-orientated educators to create classroom environments that are inclusive and equitable for all learners. And most importantly, she’s rooting for you!

To learn more on this topic, please visit britthawthorne.com .

To schedule a school tour at North Shore Montessori School:

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

The First Six Years: Conquests of Independence

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 11:00:01 GMT

As caregivers and parents, we have a bit of a bittersweet role. While we want to keep our children close, we ultimately need to support their path toward independence.

We expect dependence at the beginning. Yet our newborns take their very first step toward independence at birth. Once born, they have to breathe on their own. And rather than get nutrition through the umbilical cord, they use effort to begin latching on or suckling.

Throughout their first six years of life, our children achieve so many milestones of independence. Let’s take a look at some of these conquests of independence. You can use this framework as a guide and reminder of how we can support our children as they grow and develop.

Birth to One Year

The first conquest of independence is birth which comes with the cutting of the umbilical cord. At this point, infants must breathe and gain nutrition on their own. Even our expression “It’s time to cut the cord” indicates the shift to increased independence.
Movement is another acquisition of independence in the first year as children begin to use their arms and legs, sit up and crawl, and move from one place to another. With this increased locomotion children no longer need to be held or carried.
Our children also begin to feed themselves. Even in the beginning when babies are nursing, we want them to indicate hunger. The weaning process and shift to using the weaning table supports this path to independence. As our children begin to eat and drink on their own, it is important to have foods and tools they can use independently (e.g. a shot glass for water, finger foods, etc.) rather than having an adult putting a utensil or bottle in their mouth.
Children can also start to practice basic use of utensils. Having utensils that are child-sized and functional is key to independent use.
In addition, our children need the opportunity to develop the ability to be by themselves. To become independent, they need to practice separating from their caregiver(s). Healthy separation depends upon healthy attachment, and our children need the chance to have some time without adult engagement.
Around the end of the first year, children begin to develop language to communicate their needs. Prior to this time, they are able to use other methods to communicate: crying, cooing, smiling, etc. This communication is the beginning of social skills and children’s ability to relate socially to others.

One to Three Years

During this time children can walk confidently and begin to run and climb. Once children can walk, they can begin the process of becoming independent in toileting.
They become more independent with the use of their hands, which become tools for exploration. Because of this, children no longer need to rely on others to hold and carry items.
Language use allows children to begin to express themselves independently.
Children can start to become independent in dressing themselves.
They begin to be able to use simple tools (crayons, sticks, cups, utensils, etc.).
They become more capable of caring for their own personal hygiene (brushing their teeth, washing their face, brushing their hair, etc.).
Children become more proficient with and capable of carrying their own items.
They have the capacity to clean up after themselves (putting away belongings, folding clothing, wiping spills, sweeping crumbs, etc.).

As children get older, they need opportunities to develop their will. Thus, during this stage of independence, it is really important that children can make choices. Making a choice means they are acting for themselves and exercising their will.

From Three to Four and a Half

If it hasn't happened already, children experience separation from the family (e.g. going to school). To be able to separate from one’s family is a new skill of independence. For children who haven’t been able to be by themselves, this is a harder process. During this time, children realize they can survive and trust others, which is a significant step in independence.
Children develop a wider range of social skills.
Children’s motor and visual skills become more developed and refined.
They are able to engage in more games (e.g. catching and throwing a ball).
They have finer manual dexterity (using individual fingers) as well as refined fine motor skills (when all fingers are working in unison).
Children begin to develop the ability to use language to express their emotions. They can learn a multitude of words to be able to express feelings.
They can use utensils and tools to prepare their own food (which ideally happens prior to age three). Research shows that children involved in preparing their own food are more likely to try diverse foods.
Children learn to master fasteners (zippers, buckles, bows, etc.) and thus the self-care involved with dressing and undressing.
They can contribute to their community and care not only for themselves but also for the environment through simple responsibilities like setting the table, folding towels, etc.
They are more independent in caring for their own hygiene needs.
Because their vocabulary is expanding, children can use words to express emotions, as well as to better express their thoughts.

Four and a Half to Six

Children have more social independence and can not only do for themselves but can also use acquired skills to help others.
They become more independent in their social skills so they can internalize and apply the social norms of their community (e.g. pushing in chairs, greeting visitors, communicating that they need space, etc.).
Children become proficient in dressing themselves and can help younger peers with the dressing and undressing process (e.g. getting dressed for going outdoors).
They acquire the capacity to have empathy and compassion.
They have a basic understanding of quantities and how they are represented, instead of just mimicking or rote counting.
Children begin to recognize and use the symbols of our language (e.g. expressing themselves through writing or interpreting the thoughts of others through reading).

These conquests of independence are ultimately about becoming functionally independent. Young children are in a process of mastering different aspects of their lives and they need us, their caregivers, to support them in this process.

Our children are so capable and they benefit when allowed to move toward increasing independence. If you’d like to see how our Montessori environments set children up for success, please schedule a tour!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/

Supporting Our Adolescents

Mon, 29 May 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Tanesia R. Hale-Jones is a Montessorian, educator, social activist, poet, artist, and parent, who believes deeply in the importance of community engagement and teaching young people to be global citizens. Tanesia serves as Jr. High Level Director and Adolescent Guide at Escuela del Sol Montessori, where she guides 7th and 8th-grade students and oversees a team of teachers and community partners. Tanesia lives and works on Tiwa Territory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her 18-year-old, two cats, and many house plants. In an interview with Nido Marketing, she recently shared insights from her many years of working with adolescents.

As a Montessori adolescent guide (and a parent of an adolescent), how do you see the role of adults needing to shift for teens? What is your advice for caregivers of adolescents?

It’s important to remember that our children aren’t living their parents’ adolescence. I talk to so many adults who had a traumatic or really emotional adolescence. Think back to being an adolescent and that moment of recognizing being connected to something bigger than ourselves. This is both really inviting and also pretty terrifying because it means leaving something behind. Adolescence is marked with a kind of grief of separating from family and yet wanting to separate. It isn’t as dramatic as people or movies sometimes make it out to be, but there is a separation that happens and a yearning for something bigger. I always reminded parents that this experience is really normal and healthy. Our job is to hold space for it to happen.

Also, watching someone going through their adolescence brings up a lot for parents, including our own feelings or insecurities. So the invitation is to do your own work. There is a healing process to go through–either by yourself or with partners, friends, or whomever you have in your adult community–that can allow you to be really present for the young people in your life.

There is also value in meeting it all with humor. That doesn’t mean laughing at our adolescents, but rather being able to recognize that you don’t have to get on the roller coaster with them. You can respond, acknowledge, and listen well. This means asking curiosity questions and pulling away from the need to fix it for them, which is hard because we don’t want them to be in pain. We love them so much. We long for them to be safe and whole. Yet we need to hold a space for curiosity.

My own adolescent is leaving their adolescence at the age of 18. They have been a beautiful reminder that can I be in the presence of someone else’s growth and that I don’t have to do anything about it. I can witness it and support it. Supporting that growth is the gift I can give.

How can we, as caregivers, support our adolescents while also giving them the space they need? Do we hold space or give space?

I think it is both. So many parents talk about how their adolescents just want to be in their rooms. Parents of one of my students told me how they were going to be away and realized their adolescent was old enough to be home alone. The parents checked in and found out their child was so excited about having the day to themselves. Their adolescent had a day of feeling respected and trusted. They had that space.

We can also hold space because when our adolescents do emerge, they often want cuddles and tenderness. Often we can be surprised by that need. But we can just be really present with and accept what they need right now. It might be something very different in the next moment! So just hold it now. It is precious. These moments are like building blocks for the emergence of their adult self.

With this awareness of how teens are building their adult selves, what is your take on how important electronics and social media are for our adolescents? How do we stay aware and sensitive to teens’ need to connect through social media platforms while also being aware of the challenges of social media channels?

A lot of younger adolescents have grown up in this [high-tech] world and there is a learning curve for adults and parents. I think about how to stay interested in what adolescents are interested in. What are they listening to? What are they watching? In some ways, it’s about getting ahead of it all. For example, so many songs are sampled, so I often go back and ask if they know who wrote the original song.

With social media, it’s so tricky. I talk with parents about this all the time. I think a lot of it is about really being honest about who social media was designed for and the repercussions of it for adults and young people. We can help our adolescents examine the content they look at and help them build a critical lens. Building critical awareness and visual acuity about who is being represented leads to great conversations about equity, race, and gender roles and appeals to an adolescent's desire for justice and personal dignity. We can engage in conversations about what they are getting out of the content and what it says to other people.

This process isn’t about changing their minds. That’s not really the point. The point is that we are teaching our adolescents to be critical thinkers about what they are consuming and why they are consuming it. We can ask, how does it make you feel? We can explore other moments when they felt that way and how to amplify those moments as well. Do you feel connected? Great! Are there other experiences or activities that make you feel just as connected? It is about teaching discernment, critical analysis on multiple levels, and visual acuity.

In some ways, it is also about rooting back to the values you hold as a family and maybe even helping your adolescent to develop their own personal values. This can be hard, especially if our adolescent’s values start to become different from our family’s values.

How do you approach these kinds of difficult conversations with adolescents in a way that is respectful of adolescents’ emerging adulthood?

It goes back to what I said earlier: you have to do your own work. Difficult conversations can be tricky even when we are communicating adult to adult. When confronted with difficulty or tension, what do we do? I have been practicing stepping toward the conflict or conversation, not with an “I’m going to win” approach, but rather with curiosity. I can explore what is going on for me in that difficult moment. When I am shutting down, how can I turn toward that experience with curiosity? What is getting activated in me when my adolescent says something triggering?

We can respond by asking questions: What does this mean to you? What do you mean by that? For example, there are many young folks who are pushing the rigid boundaries of gender and trying on new pronouns. This is both identity formation and also discarding, putting on, and taking off. We can just ask questions and then not get too precious about the answers. If we can tell they are trying something on, we can explore how to be less attached to their process of experimentation. For me, it is always about coming from a place of curiosity and entering from a place of wonder. This is different than getting stuck in a place of thinking that what our adolescent does or says means I have failed as a parent.

We want what is best for our children and want them to be successful. Sometimes that means looking at what we think success is. What does the world need from our adolescents? What is the world asking of them? These two things can be really different. So that means looking at the reality that young people are met with and then being willing to be open.

I have students who range from having no phones to having TikTok accounts and starting YouTube channels so they can be YouTube stars. As their teacher, I can feel myself getting precious about it and wanting them to be something like an inventor of healing technology! But really, social media can be fun and silly. So I ask questions about it. Which ones do you like? What do you like about them? Oh, that little sample of a song came from a whole song. We could listen to the whole song together!

My kid loves memes, which can be so snarky. But there is something really cool about memes and the way they have distilled culture and humor. I think about how there is something clever here. I see the process as my kid understanding their own humor better and being able to critique society in a way that is pithy and ridiculous.

Both as a parent and a teacher, I’ve tried to step into adolescents’ world. I often say, “I love that for you .” I don’t have to like it, but I can start to get why they like it.

Sometimes adolescence hits and it takes everybody by surprise. With that in mind, do you have any recommendations for entry points or resources for families and caregivers?

There is so much written about adolescent brain development, which has been helpful. The work of Sarah-Jayne Blakemore is really powerful. She has a great TED talk and short articles, as well as her book, Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain .

Britt Hawthorne’s book, Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide , is really, really great and she posts nice videos that are short and to the point.

I do think there is something valuable to articles that Montessori adolescent practitioners have published through the years. They are really powerful tools. I will often choose one or two to send to my families during the school year. It’s about rooting back to who these young people really are. This helps me to remember where they are and what they need. Then I can reflect more accurately on who I need to be for them.

I think being outside and doing projects is important. Resources for this can range from engaging with local and national parks or restoration projects–things that inspire them to connect with the land– to going to farmers' markets. Adolescents need things that make them feel a little adult and also are opportunities for them to be independent.

Any other last thoughts?

Adolescence brings up a lot for the adults who are offering love and care. But it is a magical time to witness. It’s really fun to watch. There is a tenderness of exploring what the end of something means and how young people are beginning something that they don’t have any clue of how to begin. It is such a liminal space. As adults, we are very much in our thinking brains and can’t really imagine hanging out in a liminal space. However, think about being in the presence of something that is yet to be! That is the invitation that Montessori gives.

Adolescence is very internal time. Sometimes adolescents externalize their experience, but often it is very internal. We realize that there is so much happening. Accept the invitation of being curious, playful, and joyful with our young people. Enjoy it and remember what a gift it is to be witness to this process.

We invite you to visit our school. Schedule a tour today.

Memory, Learning, and Montessori

Mon, 22 May 2023 11:00:03 GMT

Memory is such a critical component of learning. Perhaps we take for granted how memory works and how we can support our children in the process of creating and retrieving memories.

What is memory?

Memory is essential to being human. Our brains have evolved to remember what is most meaningful. That being said, we also tend to forget things! Interestingly enough, not remembering is often just a case of not giving our brains enough input to support the creation and retrieval of the memory.

How are memories created?

We take in a great deal of information through our senses. This perception includes the

sensory, emotional, and factual components of experiences. In order for any of that information to become a memory, our brains have to create and connect all those bits of information into a pattern of neural activity. That pattern persists in a structural change that is created in our neurons. This pattern can be remembered by reactivating the neural circuit.

There are four steps to this process of creating a memory:

Encoding
Consolidation
Storag
Retrieval

Encoding is basically the process of capturing information through sights, sounds, emotions, the meaning of what we perceive, and what we pay attention to in the moment. This information is changed into a neurological language.

Consolidation is the brain’s process of linking activity into a single pattern of connections and associations. Consolidation is a time-dependent process and it can be disrupted or impaired. If a new memory is in the process of consolidation and something interferes, then the memory can be lost or degraded.

Storage is a pattern of activity that is maintained over time through chemical changes in neurons and creates physical/structural changes in the brain. Then through retrieval, we reactivate the same connections so we can revisit, recall, or recognize what we learned or experienced previously

All four of these steps have to happen to create a long-term memory that can be consciously retrieved.

Why is this significant?

If we want to remember something, we need to notice what is happening. This requires perception and attention. We might perceive something, but if we don’t actively give it attention, the neurons activated during perception won’t be linked and a memory won’t be formed. In other words, memory is not like a video camera.

When children (and adults, too!) forget things, it is because they didn’t give it attention in the first place. It’s worth noting that paying attention isn’t always easy for the brain. We pay attention to things that are interesting, new, emotional, or important to us in some way. Those are the details our brain captures. Paying attention requires a conscious effort. We have to wake up the brain and become consciously aware to remember something.

Memory and Montessori

With all this in mind, we can see how learning is most effective when our children have a connection to the content. In a Montessori classroom, children have the freedom and opportunity to focus on learning information and skills that are personally exciting and inspiring.

Also, remember how the formation of memories depends upon the process of consolidation? Well, because consolidation can be disrupted by any interference, it’s important for children to have uninterrupted time to engage in their learning. They need to be able to focus without having to regularly shift gears. In Montessori, a three-hour work cycle allows children to settle into their learning and fully consolidate the information they are encountering. They have the time and space to allow their brains to link their activities into a pattern of connections and associations.

Focusing on the Positive

If you’ve ever heard the reminder to water the flowers rather than the weeds, you’ll appreciate the power of paying attention to positive experiences. There is a neurological reason why this matters. If we invest our attention toward positive things, those are the experiences that we will consolidate into memories. If we pay attention to the negative, that is what we will synthesize and store. We find what we are looking for because that is what we paid attention to in the first place.

Again, this is applicable to Montessori education where we focus on what children are doing right. Plus, we use opportunities to reteach skills so children can be successful and experience a positive feedback loop. As a result, children can enjoy learning, which then becomes self-perpetuating as they find engaging activities, interesting information, and meaningful accomplishments throughout their lives.

If you are interested in learning more about memory, be sure to read Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova.

We invite you to visit our school. Schedule a tour today.

A Montessori Dictionary: Elementary & Adolescent Terms

Mon, 15 May 2023 11:00:11 GMT

As is often the case, specialties or practices have their particular lingo. Montessori is no different! In this Montessori Dictionary post, we’re focusing on a few terms (some familiar, some not) that apply to the elementary and adolescent years. When possible, we’ve included some quotes from Dr. Maria Montessori. We encourage folks to take a look at her work. Dr. Montessori was a woman well before her time and her books continue to be a source of inspiration!

Cosmic Education

“Since it has been seen to be necessary to give so much to the child, let us give him a vision of the whole universe.” –Dr. Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

Dr. Montessori developed Cosmic Education as an educational approach for children in their elementary years. This approach is based on the needs, tendencies, and characteristics of children ages six to twelve, and provides an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things, as well as a sense that the universe is ordered, governed by rules, and is inspiring. Cosmic Education also provides an understanding that all we know and learn is built upon the great work of those that came before us in the whole of human history.

“If the idea of the universe be presented to the child in the right way, it will do more for him than just arose his interest, for it will create in him admiration and wonder, a feeling loftier than any interest and more satisfying….his intelligence becomes whole and complete because of the vision of the whole that has been presented to him, and his interest spreads to all, for all are linked and have their place in the universe on which his mind is centered.” –Dr. Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

Erdkinder

Dr. Montessori’s vision for adolescence was to have a land-based program where adolescents can engage in meaningful work that balances intellectual and physical pursuits. This program is ideally a residential farm school in a country setting where adolescents can pursue the real work of the farm and create a community separate from their families. This kind of work allows adolescents to cultivate social and economic independence through valuable experiences in social organization, economic vitality, and intellectual pursuits.

“This means that there is an opportunity to learn both academically and through actual experience what are the elements of social life….We have called these children the ‘Erdkinder’ because they are learning about civilization through its origin in agriculture. They are the ‘land children’.” –Dr. Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence

Imagination

Imagination allows us, as humans, to understand and shape the world in significant ways. Dr. Montessori emphasized that children have great imaginative power that is essential to their self-construction and human development. Imagination is what has allowed humanity to make advances, create, invent, and work through problems that have not yet been solved.

Imagination is the superpower of elementary-age children. They have built up their sensorial experiences and impressions during their early years and are now able to use this foundation to imagine through time and space. Thus, a great deal of the elementary curriculum appeals to the imaginative ability of children ages six to twelve.

Occupations

Occupations are opportunities for adolescents to try on adult-level activities and work that integrates the mind and the body. Occupations can range from beekeeping to bookkeeping. They are practical experiences, typically connected to the land or other non-academic pursuits. These experiences are focused and purposeful and allow adolescents to experience how they can contribute to their society. Often, adolescents will ask: “What will I use this for?” They deeply want and need to use their knowledge to make an impact in the world.

Plan of Study and Work

“…the aim should be to widen education instead of restricting it.” –Dr. Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence

At the adolescent level, Montessori education is based on a general, holistic program of study that integrates with work on the land, production and exchange, and support for the developmental needs of adolescents. This general plan includes:

the moral and physical program that emphasizes how adolescents should be treated as vulnerable growing young humans;
a syllabus and methods for education, which includes activities and methods for self-expression, cognitive and intellectual development, and preparation for adult life; and
practical considerations for prepared environments, ways for adolescents to be involved in economies, and varied and supportive adult involvement.

Psycho-Discipline

To understand the term psycho-discipline, it can be helpful to look at the two parts of the word. The prefix, psycho, means relating to the mind or psychology. Discipline is a branch of knowledge. Thus psycho-discipline is the knowledge that is presented according to the psychology of the learner.

In Montessori, we focus first on the whole young person and support the characteristics and needs of that individual and where they are in their stage of development. As such, the learner connects to what they are learning because they are naturally engaged with, and own, their process of learning. The learning process ultimately helps the individual’s process of self-construction.

“Education should not limit itself to seeking new methods for a mostly arid transmission of knowledge: its aim must be to give the necessary aid to human development.” –Dr. Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence

Please be sure to schedule a tour of our school so you can see how Montessori education aids human development, inspires the imagination, and gives a vision of the whole universe!

Our Montessori Bookshelf: Wordless Picture Books

Mon, 08 May 2023 11:00:29 GMT

Even though they don’t have a written narrative, wordless picture books can be an essential part of young children’s language development. These books have pictures but no text and are often classified around a theme or sequence that is familiar to children. In our primary classroom, we have two or three of these books on a shelf at any given time and rotate them throughout the year. Because young children are still distinguishing between what is real and what is imaginary, we also make sure that the books are plausible, rather than a singular focus on fantasy. We take care in choosing books that highlight our wonderful world.

As our students get older (even into the elementary years), we use wordless picture books to help with storytelling, sequencing, and making predictions. Taking a “picture walk” through the story helps children interpret visual clues and helps lay the foundation for becoming better readers.

After children have had time to explore a wordless picture book, we may ask them to share their interpretation of what is happening in the story. Children love dictating the story for an older peer or adult to scribe, creating speech bubbles, or even writing their own narration to accompany each page.

When reading a wordless picture book with your children, you can describe the illustrations, ask questions about what they see, and even encourage narration of a story to accompany the pictures.

Anno’s Journey

by Mitsumasa Anno

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1076038

This classic book with its full-page, detailed illustrations shows the progression of one person’s exploration across a European countryside. The discerning eyes of children find all sorts of delights and connections across the pages. In addition, Anno has woven in treasures for more advanced searching, such as scenes from famous stories and paintings, as well as numerous cultural references. This is a wordless picture book that children can easily lose themselves in for an extended period of time.

A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog

by Mercer Mayer

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/654093

This book is part of a collection of perfectly sized books for little hands. Each title ( Frog on His Own, Frog Goes to Dinner, One Frog Too Many, and A Bog, A Dog, A Frog, and a Friend ) provides an illustrative journey of all sorts of backyard adventures, often spurred on by the frog who hops into a heap of trouble (or fun, depending upon one’s perspective). Particularly pleasing is the ease and comfort of the boy in his outdoor ramblings.

Here I Am

story by Patti Kim, pictures by Sonia Sánchez

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17658592

With its more complex story line, this wordless picture book is probably best suited for slightly older children, although the vivid and textured illustrations appeal to any age. The story follows a child immigrating from one country to another and portrays the emotional journey of what it means to move from loss into a feeling of belonging. After your child consumes this lovely tale of connection, be sure to take a peek at the author’s moving letter at the end of the book.

I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness

by Kerascoët

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/35758098

This story begins with images of a young girl, Vanessa, moving and attending a new school. The other children go about their day not really noticing her. But then the pictures zoom in to a scene as they all leave school, when a child is scary and mean to Vanessa. Another child notices, though, and eventually realizes she can take the initiative and walk with Vanessa to school. This one small act changes everything for Vanessa (and maybe even the boy who was being unkind). The author also shares some resources to help children and adults when confronted by bullying behavior.

In the Pond

by Ermanno Cristini and Luigi Puricelli

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2114487.In_the_Pond

This is a must-have book for those young nature lovers who can’t get enough of seeing ecosystems in action. Each page highlights a section of the pond and provides an elegant piece of the puzzle of life moving through the water, hovering at the edge, and slipping into the scene. At the end of the book, we get to see the whole array of pages put together, complete with a key identifying each of the 33 organisms represented.

Inside Outside

by Lizi Boyd

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/15015619

The pages of this book take us on a seasonal journey moving back and forth from inside a child’s home and the backyard. This delightful book features small windows that show the dynamic link between these two spaces, while also providing a new view or focus on particular details that might at first be easy to miss. The clever illustrations highlight a child’s experience in all its glory and, although the pictures are simple, they provide enough richness for multiple trips, back and forth and back again.

One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey

by Henry Cole

https://www.goodreads.com/fr/book/show/44575061

This book begins with a picture prelude of a tree being harvested, transported to a paper mill, and transformed into a paper bag. This bag becomes part of a child’s experience of growing up, sharing love, and creating family. This love story of sorts is also a moving reminder of the importance of conserving the resources of our precious planet. And the author’s note at the end isn’t to be missed!

Pancakes for Breakfast

by Tomie DePaola

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/309554

This simple storyline shows a woman waking up to the thought of enjoying pancakes. The pages follow her process of checking the recipe, preparing the ingredients, and bumping up against the challenge of missing key elements from the recipe. This requires her to gather eggs, milk the cow, churn the butter, and even go to a neighbor who has tapped some maple syrup. With all of these obstacles almost overcome, she encounters yet one more. But that doesn’t stop her from enjoying some pancakes! One of the delights of this book is how it incorporates words as part of life: from the recipe book, to labels on the dishes or containers, to the final picture hanging on the wall at the end.

Sidewalk Flowers

by Jon Arno Lawson and illustrated by Sydney Smith

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25928556-sidewalk-flowers

One girl’s walk home with her busy and preoccupied father becomes a tribute to how even the smallest of acts can bring kindness and color into others’ lives. In the process of noticing small details, the girl collects sidewalk flowers and shares the beauty with those she passes.

Wave

by Suzy Lee

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3171606-wave

The line drawings and blues of the ocean perfectly capture the childhood experience of running to the beach and dancing with the ebbs and flows of the water. Seagulls stand by while a girl goes through a series of interactions with the waves. From feeling reserved to full-fledged immersion, the girl and the wave (and even the seagulls) go through a kind of transformation, which is enhanced by the blues that begin to wash across each page as the story unfolds.

Window

by Jeannie Baker

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1401164

Through one window, we witness a story of change. What begins as a lush, tropical backyard eventually becomes a bustling neighborhood. Within this story is the transition from infancy to childhood to adulthood and even parenthood. From the items on the windowsill to the interactions outside the window, the author’s collage constructions provide not only a textured story, but also a host of fascinating details.

Download a PDF of this booklist! We hope you and your children enjoy these books as much as we do!

We invite you to schedule a tour .

Pandemic Impacts on Older Kids and Teens

Mon, 01 May 2023 11:00:20 GMT

While there has been a certain amount of awareness of how COVID has impacted young children, we thought it would be helpful to shift our attention toward those in their elementary and adolescent years. While the impacts may manifest differently, those in the middle of their school years also experienced considerable disruptions from COVID. From increased anxiety to challenges with social interactions and work engagement, elementary-aged children and adolescents are facing their own share of struggles.

Social Development

Those who experienced the start of the pandemic during their elementary and early adolescent years were at home during a time when, developmentally, they needed to connect with peers and figure out their social identity. It’s during this time that our kids develop their own sense of individuality within the context of community. This interplay amongst peers allows older children to develop their ability to communicate with others, as well as process how their individual actions impact those around them. The result? Our young people learn how to practice empathy for others while also advocating for themselves.

During COVID lockdowns and social-distancing enforcement, many children missed out on key formative experiences, like how to join a group, how to invite others into a group, and even how to have positive conversations. Without some of these skills, navigating social situations, especially those that involve more than one person, can be trickier.

Even children’s awareness of others’ physical space has been impacted, perhaps due to maintaining six feet of distance. As children came back together, the boundary line of what is too close or what is too physical is something they are relearning.

Direct instruction and guided practice can help. Elementary-age children love to role-play, so even acting out different scenarios can be beneficial. To foster developing friendships and healthy peer interactions, have conversations with your children and teens about the qualities of a good friend and how to be a good friend to others.

Regulating Emotions & Managing Anxiety

During the elementary time period, our children are developing their emotional skills, which provide an important base before young people enter their more tumultuous adolescent years. Major emotional skills mastered during this stage include how to adjust to different rules and social norms for behavior, understand others’ feelings, acquire more control and management of emotions, and develop strategies for patience and general adaptability.

In addition to not having as much opportunity to flex these social-emotional muscles, so much was outside of our children’s control during the early COVID years. As a result, more young people have developed increased anxiety, which can manifest in a multitude of ways.

For some children, just the transition into the school building and away from parents or caregivers can cause anxiety to flare up. For others, trying to figure out how to interact with peers in-person can be anxiety-provoking.

To help, we can focus on communication and collaboration. This can range from recognizing and discussing emotions when children are calm, to remaining open and empathetic when strong emotions surface. It’s essential that, as adults, we model emotional regulation so our young people can see how we use coping strategies, like taking deep breaths or stepping away from a situation, rather than react impulsively.

We can also be sure to address our kids’ behavior rather than their emotions. This helps young people understand the distinction between their feelings and their actions. For example, if someone feels angry, that is just a feeling, which is neither good nor bad. However, if someone acts on that feeling by hitting another person, the behavior of hitting is unacceptable. When we handle disciplinary situations, our responses can help our kids begin to internalize that it is okay to experience a range of emotions and that they have choices and limits in terms of how they behave.

Involving our children in the conversation is essential. They might need help voicing or expressing their emotions and anxieties so worries don’t stay hidden inside where they can easily proliferate. Most importantly, we need to help ensure that children don’t keep avoiding whatever is causing them stress or anxiety.

Getting Back Into the Rhythm

Healthy routines are important for older children and teens who need structure and predictability to offset the stress associated with the changes they begin to experience in their social lives, their bodies, and even their emotional experiences. With all the disruptions of the pandemic, we need to be especially sensitive to the importance of following through and following up. Our children need us to hold consistent, firm and kind boundaries, so that they can feel secure and settled.

From regular sleep and predictable mornings to completing chores and finishing assignments, routines can be the guide. With older children and teens, we also need to engage in respectful, curious conversations about what causes them to feel stressed, tired or overwhelmed. Ideally, we are encouraging our young people to take an active role in planning routines that will help them manage themselves better. If we brainstorm with our children and write down the plan together, we can more easily revisit what is going well and what might need to be modified. Also be sure to celebrate the wins and compassionately communicate if something isn’t working well.

Above all, our young people need our patience and understanding. This requires us to practice our own mindfulness and grounding so we can be present and supportive. If concerns arise, we can work in harmony to compassionately identify possible problems and strategize practical solutions.

To see how we support students' emotional regulation, social development and intellectual engagement, come visit our schoo l. We love to share what we do!

Observation to Instruction

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 11:00:04 GMT

Do you see your child throwing their clothes on the floor in a heap? Maybe leaving things out on the kitchen table? Interrupting during mealtime? It’s so tempting in these moments to jump in, perhaps correcting or reminding.

One of the keys to a Montessori approach is taking the time to observe what is happening, noting what you see, and waiting for an opportune time to teach what to do rather than what not to do.

Supporting Undeveloped Skills

As a example, a Montessori teacher saw that a child new to the classroom was regularly cutting to the front of the line as children prepared to wash their hands. Other children were getting quite upset with this young friend’s tactics to get to the front of the line.

Instead of reprimanding the child, the Montessori teacher observed that he wasn’t acting maliciously. He just seemed to not yet have or know the skills to line up successfully. At a quiet moment, the teacher connected with the young boy and let him know that when there is a line, we just go to the end of where the line is forming. Grateful for this information on social graces, the child then happily started going to the end of the line. It turns out the child just didn’t know the expectations.

It can be so tempting to jump in when we see something happening that we don’t like. Yet as long as children aren’t hurting others, their surroundings, or themself, we practice observing and determining what children still need to learn to be successful.

Observation is Key

The heart of the Montessori method is learning how to observe children in an objective and meaningful way. Adults learn how to look rather than merely see . In order to look without judgment, expectation or preference, adults work on developing a deep inner awareness. This requires that we observe to understand.

Montessori education is focused on the natural emergence of young humans at their own pace. The role of adults is to prepare the environment and support children in their optimal development. In order to do this, we have to become constructive observers. We focus on waiting and observing, rather than intervening right away.

How This Can Work at Home

This is something that we can try at home, too. Perhaps your child is throwing their clothes on the floor in a heap. Rather than lecture in the moment, try taking a deep breath and making yourself a little note to remember to circle back to the undeveloped skill. Later, when everyone is relaxed and content, take the time to connect with your child. Let them know you want to show them how to either put their clothes in the laundry basket or fold and store them for later use. Practice these options together. Finally, thank your child for taking the time with you to learn this skill.

Or perhaps you can review the steps to loading dishes in the dishwasher. Or how to wait for a pause in the conversation. The trick is to observe for the need and wait to give instructions. Children want to do well. Often they just need us to observe, pause and then take the time to show them how to be successful.

This doesn’t mean that our children will always remember how to do what we’ve shown. Sometimes they’ll need a smile and a gentle reminder. Sometimes they’ll need us to cycle back and demonstrate something again. The key is remembering to observe, rather than reacting in the moment.

The Montessori Approach

Through observation, Dr. Maria Montessori discovered how children’s character is formed through experiences in the environment, how children adapt to their culture, and how children have sensitive periods for acquiring important skills.

Observation allows us to provide children with opportunities to become competent and capable. Come observe this for yourself! Schedule a tour today.

Caring for Community

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 11:00:12 GMT

At North Shore Montessori School, we nurture our community of learners. Our students, in turn, nurture each other and participate in the daily routine of Care of the Environment. Children love being able to help care for their surroundings through real and meaningful activities. In the process of maintaining and caring for their classrooms, gardens, chickens and head-started turtles, children develop a sense of belonging. They begin to feel at home!

Laying the Groundwork

In order for children to be successful in maintaining their classroom, we make certain that cleaning materials are safe and child-sized. Because young children learn from (and love!) repetition, we provide just the right amount of polish to clean mirrors, vases for arranging fresh cut flowers, mats for rolling, and cloths for wiping tables.

Real Outcomes

The activities we provide in Montessori environments are real work, rather than something to keep children busy. Therefore, the outcome of the activities must be clear and necessary. If the plants are thirsty, children fill a watering can and water the plants. If the floor is wet, children mop the floor. If a table is dirty, children scrub the table. If eraser dust is on a work mat, children sweep the eraser dust with a hand-held broom and dustpan. If the bird feeders are empty, children fill the feeders with more sunflower seed.

Types of Activities

In order to determine appropriate Care of the Environment activities for the classroom, we observe children and also consider what practical maintenance needs to happen each day. If there is an easel with paint, we create a material for washing the easel.

The specific kinds of activities depend upon community norms, the greater culture, the climate, and even the length of the school day. Regardless of these variables, the activities always have a purpose and are part of the everyday, regular part of what happens in the community.

Individual Satisfaction to Community Impact

At first, children will pursue the activities for their own satisfaction. They will clean a table to enjoy the process of creating soapy bubbles and wiping them off the table. Later they will realize how they are caring for the environment in ways that benefit everyone. They will want to scrub a table because they see it is dirty and they want it to be clean. This realization causes children great joy. They love to contribute to the greater good!

To help children develop this awareness and sense of belonging, it is nice to acknowledge something a child has done that day to contribute to the community. However, we must tread lightly in this process so that children maintain a sense of doing the activity for themselves and the community, rather than for adult praise.

Responsibility

Ultimately, Care of the Environment activities help children learn how to be responsible for their actions. If a plant needs to be watered, and it isn’t watered, eventually the plant will die. We can offer children the opportunity to water the plant, but if no one is willing, there is a tangible and natural consequence. Children learn that their actions matter and they take great pride in being capable contributors.

Presentation

Before presenting these Practical Life activities, we work carefully as adults to practice the steps, ensure that the activity makes sense, analyze our movements, and be confident that the presentation flows. Once we create the activity, practice it, and present it, we step back and observe children working with the materials. In the process of observation, we ponder: Is this activity working? Do I need to change anything? Do I need to change some of the steps?

Ultimately though, children will observe what is essential in the activity and make it their own unique process. As children internalize the procedure, they will start to realize how capable they are. They will put their whole focus into the work and experience great satisfaction in the process of engaging with meaningful work in the community. They will develop a strong sense of belonging, and ultimately flourish into their fullest self.

Support at Home

As parents, we are often curious about how we can support our children’s Montessori experience at home. One of the best ways is to create Care of the Environment routines and activities at home. Children can clean up their toys at the end of the day, set the table for dinner, or put dirty clothes in the laundry basket. We don’t need elaborate preparation, but rather carefully selected items or furniture: special shelves for toys, a low shelf or drawer prepared with items for setting the table, or a basket in the room for laundry.

Taking a little time to think through the steps involved and what children will need to be successful goes a long way. As adults, we move through daily activities without having to think about what we are doing. Young children, though, are learning how to master their movements. Thus, when we are presenting how to do something, our children need us to slow down and really isolate each step of the process.

Significance and Belonging

For children, learning how to care for their surroundings is a remarkable gift. Through this meaningful work, children develop a strong sense of belonging and significance. They see how their contribution matters. Come visit our school to see how even our youngest children care for their community and develop personal purpose!

Independence: The Significance of Food

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 11:00:19 GMT

Throughout history, human survival has depended upon finding, preparing and consuming different kinds of food. It is certainly understandable why food is a central part of our lives.

In Montessori, we recognize that food plays a bigger role in our young humans’ development. While nutrition is key, food also represents so much more! Therefore, we offer children the opportunity to use food as a way to develop a richer understanding of the world, master abilities to function independently, and develop a rich language for communication.

Understanding the World

As children develop a relationship with food, it’s important that they get to experience food in its natural state rather than only prepackaged. During the sensitive period for refining their senses, young children need to explore their food sensorially so they can experience the taste, texture, smell, appearance (both uncooked and cooked), and any sounds food might make.

In Montessori environments, we offer children opportunities to prepare fresh foods during our Children’s House Spring Tea and our Lower Elementary Valentine’s Day Family Breakfast. In prior years, Upper Elementary has baked bread for our all-school Thanksgiving Stone Soup celebration. Rather than opening a can or package, we start with natural raw ingredients and guide the children in meal preparation.

Whenever possible, we also try to give children meaningful connections to nature and its bounty, including when foods are in season. It’s a bonus when we have fruits, vegetables, and herbs growing in planters or in our outdoor environment! Our goal is for children to develop a connection to food and its growth cycle throughout the year. In the process, children also learn about the parts of plants we eat: leaves, stems, roots, seeds and flowers.

Mastering Abilities & Movement

When children are preparing food, we start with basic skills such as cutting, dicing, peeling, grating and juicing. As children gain more dexterity and skill, such as holding and using a knife, we move toward teaching more complex skills, such as how to prepare the ingredients when following a recipe, or how to operate kitchen appliances such as toasters, openers and mixers.

Whether using simple or complex equipment, children need items that they can learn to manage on their own. As such, we provide kitchen items that are sized appropriately. Through plenty of repetition with food preparation and the varied kinds of tools involved, children begin to coordinate their movements and refine their skills.

Developing Language

While children are working with food preparation activities, we take care to use precise terminology to name the ingredients, materials and actions involved. By doing so, we help increase and expand a child’s vocabulary.

Table setting also offers a wonderful opportunity for language development. For the youngest children, we can say, “We need four plates.” Then together the adults and children can count to four. Table setting can also be an indirect lesson about prepositions. In a very natural way, we can ask children to put the spoon next to the plate, or to the right of the plate, or a napkin on top of the plate. The word “preposition” is never spoken but the experience gives children exposure to the concept of the function of a preposition in a sentence.

As children get older, we introduce more complex language and also offer opportunities for them to interpret recipes, write their own instructional steps, and even tap into the expressive creativity involved with food preparation and presentation.

Cultural Importance

Where we live in the world dictates how and what we eat. Different cultures have disparate expectations about cooking or consuming. Yet in all cultural groups, people have explored and experimented with food. This makes sense, of course. People have needed to know what they can eat, if food needs to be cooked to be edible, how foods can be combined, and how our bodies might react to particular foods or food combinations.

Food also plays a key role in rituals and customs, from people coming together socially to religious ceremonies to relying on food for medical purposes. All cultures have some kind of beliefs about both the significance of food and different foods’ ability to make our bodies feel better or worse.

With all of the cultural richness woven into food, bringing in family traditions, customs, favorite recipes, and rituals around food can enhance the classroom community’s experience and provide a culturally responsive school-family partnership.

Food preparation is an essential part of our learning communities and a significant part of our children’s development. Please schedule a time to visit the school, see this work for yourself, and perhaps even share a bit about your own culinary traditions!

Going Out: An Expansive Elementary

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 11:00:35 GMT

At the elementary level, children want to know the how and why of everything. As a result, they have a strong drive to explore the world beyond their immediate family and even their classroom or school. New interests compel elementary-age children to explore anywhere and everywhere! Plus, they are nurturing their ability to function in society. In order to achieve this, our elementary children need to acquire new skills.

One of the ways Montessori elementary programs help six- to twelve-year-olds develop these new skills is through what we call “going out.” Dr. Maria Montessori developed the idea of “going out” both literally and figuratively. She recognized how, developmentally, elementary-age children needed to go out the door of the classroom and that the door should open into the wider world.

What is Going Out?

Imagine that a group of two, three, or four children have been researching in the classroom. They have exhausted all of the resources in the class or school library and are eager to learn more. For example, a group of children may have learned about falcons. They want to interview a falconer and see some falcons up close. Students who just researched the Titanic may discover a nearby museum with a display about the Titanic, so they arrange a visit. The options for going out are endless.

Purposes of Going Out

This group experience serves elementary children’s need for independence, collaboration, and experience. They need new opportunities for intellectual stimulation. They are curious to learn more. They want to learn everything about the universe.

In addition, elementary children need to be social and collaborate. In preparing for a “going out” experience, students get to work together in an authentic and meaningful way. In the classroom, they share resources, make group decisions, delegate and divide labor, take responsibility, and celebrate each other’s success. Inevitably conflict can arise and can be a necessary and important part of their work. With support, children practice respectful problem-solving. So with all this practice, they are ready to apply these skills outside of the classroom through their “going out” experiences.

These trips also require a new level of self-discipline. Children must make decisions and take action. In order to have a successful outing, they have to organize their thinking, themselves, and each other. They also must demonstrate a high level of responsibility, as individuals and as a group.

Different than a Field Trip

Although field trips are important and delightful, they are quite different than the “going out” experience. Field trips involve the entire class and are often planned and executed by an adult. The “going out” trip, however, involves a small group of children who want to learn more about something they are studying or investigating. Those children are then responsible for all of the logistics of the “going out” trip. The outing is conceived, planned, organized, and carried out by this small group of children who have a mission to learn more.

The responsibility for setting up a “going out” experience can require a variety of skills ranging from letter writing, sending emails, filling out forms, making appointments, finding transportation, reading schedules, budgeting for the day, making a phone call, speaking to different kinds of people, using electronics respectfully, packing supplies, confirming appointments, and following up with acknowledgments or thanks.

Sometimes children may need little mini-lessons about particular forms of decorum related to their “going out” — how to enter a theater, how to conduct an interview, how to write a thank you note, how to show you are listening, how to pay an admissions fee, etc. These are all vital skills that help our children prepare for how they will enter society.

A Community Effort

A successful “going out” program requires the support of the whole school community and the community at large. Sometimes parents or school staff offer to transport children. Being a “going out” driver is very different than being a field trip chaperone. A “going out” driver relies upon the children to share the directions, where to park, and what to do. This requires a great deal of adult self-restraint and an understanding of the aims of the program.

The children take on the challenge and expectation of what is expected. They want to be capable and they want to know what successful entry into society requires. When they find out what the rules are, they feel more secure in the world. Over time, as children develop connections and relationships out in the greater community, they also pave the way for future “going out” trips.

Support at Home

The spirit of “going out” can be supported at home, too! Think about the various activities that happen in our daily routines and how our children can take on some ownership or responsibility. For example, going to the grocery store can become its own “going out” experience. Part of the planning and preparation can involve sitting with our children to peruse the weekly sale flier to map out some menus for the week ahead. Children can make a list of what to buy and even estimate how much it will cost or try to work within a predetermined budget. Before leaving for the store, they can gather what is needed: reusable bags, the shopping list, snacks so no one shops hungry, etc. Or perhaps a recent weekend hike sparks curiosity about a particular subject, like rock slides or mushrooms. Children can find out the hours of the local library, talk with the librarian about their interests, and initiate the process of checking out or requesting some resources.

Elementary children are capable of so much, physically and mentally. Thus, we want to acknowledge their potential and offer keys for our children to unlock new experiences and step into the wonderful world beyond the school. The best part? Not only does the “going out” experience meet elementary students’ developmental needs, it also promotes a future full of good citizenship and responsible community members.

To see this work in action, we invite you to visit North Shore Montessori School . We look forward to meeting you!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/schedule-tour

Raising Anti-Racist Kids: An Interview with Rebekah Gienapp

Sat, 25 Mar 2023 00:33:16 GMT

With a background in social justice and community organizing, author Rebekah Gienapp knew she wanted to raise her children with an understanding of social justice. As part of this work, she wrote the book “Raising Antiracist Kids: An Age-By-Age Guide for Parents of White Children.” Her work has also been featured by The Washington Post, Parenting Forward and the non-profit, Memphis-based news outlet MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Her youngest son went to a Montessori school. Ms. Gienapp recently shared some insights with Nido Marketing about how she has made anti-racist parenting a priority.

Conversations with our children about difficult subjects like race and racism can sometimes feel insurmountable. How do you recommend tackling topics that might feel weighty to us as adults but that are important to have with children?

Ms. Gienapp: The important thing is to begin with more straightforward subjects, especially with our youngest children. We can name skin tone and help kids correlate those skin tone words with the words our society uses for race. This can be really confusing for children. I call myself white but I’m not white like a piece of copier paper. You may have a friend who calls themself black, but their skin is some shade of brown. Talking about things like where our skin color comes from – that it comes from melanin – and where our ancestors are from. That’s where children’s natural curiosity starts. And I think this is more accessible for adults. We aren’t yet talking about the more complicated levels of social injustice and racism. So I would say start with the simpler, less charged topics.

Another thing I always encourage, especially for white families, is to make sure you have lots of positive representations of people of color in your child’s books, the media they watch, the toys they play with, and hopefully in your social circle. Do this before you get into talking about prejudice. Around the time my son was about four or five, I started looking more closely at our children’s books. I realized that almost every book we had with a black character was about social injustice, and I was sending him a message that being black is mostly about experiencing oppression. So make sure you are laying the groundwork by providing stories and experiences about children playing and doing normal kid stuff.

Once you lay that foundation, the next step is talking about prejudice that children might be observing in their everyday world, like personal prejudice between children or that they see in adults. For example, microaggressions are things that kids commit without realizing it. One example I saw is when a new Asian co-teacher came into a preschool room, one of the kids said, “Oh, your English is so good.” The teacher had a method in place: her students knew that if she said “ouch” they would come back to that moment because something hurtful had been said. When it was circle time, they could address the “ouch” and talk more about why a comment was hurtful. So that is the next level, those interpersonal relationships.

Then I would bring in some examples of systemic racism that kids can wrap their heads around. With three to six-year-olds, I suggest talking about children’s books. Most Montessori children are in a literacy-rich environment. At your own home, in a library, or a bookstore, take a look at the covers of the books and who the characters are. Likely what you are going to find is that there aren’t many books starring kids of color. This is an example of injustice, but it doesn't have to do with violence and is a little more accessible. Plus, young children are used to thinking about books.

With older children, one example is explaining that there are schools that have dress code policies. Sometimes these dress code policies will specify what kind of hair style people can wear, which can be discriminatory against traditional black hair styles. So I would suggest starting with these kinds of topics and laying the foundation before talking about something like police brutality.

But obviously, if your child has heard about something, especially something that has happened in your community, you might not be able to do this careful scaffolding. You might need to jump right in and address it.

I made a video on Instagram with the example from my city [of Memphis] of Tyre Nichols about how to talk with kids about that event. Take a look for four suggestions when there is something traumatic in the news.

How do you see this ongoing anti-racist work being aligned with Montessori principles?

Ms. Gienapp: The Montessori concept of planes of development is a really helpful tool in figuring out how to say enough, but not too much, for your child to be able to process the information. I also think about the ways that Dr. Montessori wanted children to engage with the real word. That is why even the three-year-olds use glass. Dr. Montessori trusted that if the adults around the children are preparing them in the right way, that they can handle these things. I think this also extends into the realm of values and justice. Obviously we don’t want to overwhelm our children, but we also don’t want to shield them from the world as it is.

I also think about the first time I heard about fundamental human needs: people have similar needs but the way they meet them varies according to their time and place and culture. I think one of the roots of racism and oppression is this idea that some ways of meeting needs or expressing culture are better than others. So I think Dr. Montessori’s appreciation for the many different ways people have met their needs through time can be a helpful bridge into anti-bias work.

Beyond what we talked about at the beginning, such as engaging in conversation with our children, where do you recommend that parents, caregivers and educators begin when starting this work?

Ms. Gienapp: If we already have a strong commitment to anti-racist/anti-bias work and perspectives, we can get into really trying to cram it all into our kids. So just a reminder that we need to be pacing ourselves. We can do a little at a time and remember that there are lots of years. That’s not an excuse not to start! But remember we are starting and we don’t have to get from A to Z in a couple of years.

In addition to making sure we have these positive representations and have books and media about social justice issues, it’s also helpful with children to just periodically sprinkle in what you are learning. Sometimes they will be interested and want to talk about it and other times it’s going to go right past them. Sometimes you will think they weren’t listening and then later they will say something that shows they were. This can be a good way to open conversation and, if we do it the right way, it can model for our children that this is a journey and all of us are learning and changing. It’s not about getting it right all the time, or saying I am an expert, or I know what to do. We can model learning and curiosity, and how to change our thinking and behavior when we realize that something was harmful or not true.

What do you see as some useful resources for families and educators?

Ms. Gienapp: For parents who are raising white children, I have a guide called “ What’s Wrong with Saying We Are All Equal .” It’s five conversations to have about race with white children.

Parents of all races would probably find my booklists useful. The blog on my website has all kinds of children’s book lists, everything from toddlers through the younger teen years.

Britt Hawthorne ’s work is really helpful. She sends out really practical emails. She also has really good Instagram videos with practical nuggets. Tiffany Jewell has two books, which are especially for folks with older elementary kids and teens: The Anti-Racist Kid (which is great for kids around ages 8-12) and This Book is Anti-Racist (which is really good for teens). Both Britt and Tiffany are Montessori-based. Even when they aren’t talking about Montessori, you can see it coming through in their work.

The other thing, which is especially useful for parents of color, but also anyone, is Embrace Race . It specifically focuses on children and race. They have lots of recorded webinars and upcoming trainings for parents, as well as tip sheets if you don’t have time to sit through the webinar.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Ms. Gienapp: I often use the metaphor of the antiracism journey. It is so useful because we are on a path. We are never going to get to the very end and be able to say, “Oh, I’m here. I’m done.” It’s that way for us. It’s that way for our children.

I know there are biases that I’ve heard my younger son express that concern me. I’ve had a reaction like I’m doing something wrong if he says those things. Just remember that if you stay consistent and calm and in conversation and are an example to your child, those things will eventually resolve. So don’t panic. Think about how long it can take our children to learn how to use the potty or express their emotions in a way that is healthy. All those things take time. Why would this work be any different?

Looking on the Positive Side

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 11:00:54 GMT

Our brains are hardwired to look for problems and generate solutions. In The Neuroscience of Change , Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, explains how this brain state has been helpful for human evolution so we can improve our state of being. Looking for what’s wrong, however, often prevents us from seeing what is good in the present moment.

We can easily become focused on what children need to do better: pick up their clothes, get ready faster, be quieter, solve math problems better, make less mess, and on and on. As a result, our children can easily be bombarded by what they are not doing right.

Clear Feedback & Encouragement

In Montessori environments, we focus on offering clear, accurate feedback and encouragement, which includes acknowledging children’s work and effort. We want children to develop an internal drive so they can be independent, responsible, thoughtful learners and community members.

To support this development, our feedback and encouragement are focused on what is happening for children internally. We acknowledge what children might be feeling and the effort involved. Instead of the focus being on what the adult is feeling, we reflect upon children’s experiences. So rather than saying “I’m so proud of you,” we might say “You look very proud,” or “You worked so hard. Congratulations!”

Phrases of encouragement or positive feedback work best when backed up by evidence. For example, “I noticed how your friends looked relieved when you offered to help sweep up the spilled rice. They seemed to really appreciate your kindness.” Or, “I saw how you looked frustrated and then how you took a deep breath. You showed a lot of self-control at that moment.”

State the Positive

Developmentally, young children need to hear requests or reminders framed positively. They need to know the expected behavior and they need us to state what we expect to see. If we say, “don’t hit,” young children cannot easily differentiate between the commands “hit” and “don’t hit.” The last word they hear is “hit,” so that is the image that lasts in their mind. Thus, statements like “don’t run” or “don’t hit” aren’t as effective for our young children.

Rather than saying what not to do, we focus on the behavior we want to see. Statements like “walk, please,” “touch gently,” or “please talk quietly” offer a clear and positive image of what to do. Children hear how to be successful, and thus can more easily be successful.

Catch Them Doing Something Right

In addition to these clear directions, we can recast children’s self-image by acknowledging times they are making a good choice. In doing so, we are providing our children with positive attention. All too often children get attention when they are engaged in behaviors we don’t like. Children then quickly learn that they need to act out in some way if they want attention. To counter this trend, we need to catch our children doing something right.

Building a Foundation

If we are caught in a cycle of only seeing the negative, one way we can change our outlook is to make a list of all the things our children have done right over the course of a day. When we start noticing and acknowledging the good stuff, we help create a positive feedback loop. Young children also love hearing a story about their day that highlights the positive choices they have made.

In Different Learners , Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., offers a strong reminder about the profound influence we have on our children: “One thing brain research tells us – loud and clear – is that the way we raise and teach our children not only helps shape their brains, but can also influence or even alter the way genes play out their roles.”

In this season of new growth, let’s offer positive reminders and in-the-moment acknowledgments to help our young people develop successfully. By doing so we will also be helping ourselves see the world in a more positive light.

We also encourage you to visit North Shore Montessori School to hear how the adults and children in our community interact with each other in positive ways!

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/schedule-tour

Pandemic Impacts & Optimal Child Development

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 11:00:01 GMT

We’ve enjoyed some return to normalcy after the intensity of the early COVID years. However, it’s important to remember that our young children are still living with some of the impacts of the changes we all experienced. One of the reasons the COVID years have affected our children is because so much critical development happens in the first few years of life.

While home is an incredibly nurturing place, some of our children were limited to only being at home, and this led to fewer opportunities for socializing and learning social skills. To further complicate the scene, many of us were also trying to juggle our own changes in work and life.

With all this in mind, we’ve been focusing on identifying some impacts of COVID and sharing strategies to support optimal development in our young children.

Socializing with Peers

During the early COVID years, children didn’t have as much time to be around others, especially other children. Even when we could be with other people, we all needed to maintain a physical distance.

Yet children learn how to navigate social situations through play. Think of the rough and tumble romping of wolf puppies. It is through those interactions that the pups strengthen social bonds and learn how to navigate social status in the pack. Similarly, during interactive play, children learn to negotiate, share, wait for a turn, follow the rules of a game, and consider others’ feelings.

Our children now have an intense hunger for socialization while their socialization skills are still developing.

To support their social development, we can:

provide plenty of opportunities for unstructured imaginative play with peers
observe to see if children are hanging back or avoiding interactions
offer gentle help for joining into play or suggest phrases children can use to ask to participate
recommend tasks they can do to help the group
identify real-time emotions
model positive communication

Before intervening, though, it’s also important to give time and space for children to negotiate and problem-solve. Children learn best through opportunities to make some mistakes and, just like with the wolf pups, the learning might look a little messy at first!

Connecting to the Real World

Perhaps, during the early COVID years, your child had more screen time at home than you had planned. According to Carlota Nelson, director of the documentary Brain Matters , too much screen time can impact children’s concentration and focus, reduce their ability to control impulses, and affect their capacity for empathy.

Young children need lots of opportunities for concrete, tangible, hands-on play. They need to use their bodies and hands to manipulate the world around them. Plus, multi-sensory experiences help children develop strong neural pathways.

To help this real-world connection, we can:

provide more time in nature and green spaces
incorporate movement, exercise, and free play into their day
play board or card games with our children
model face-to-face interactions and eye contact
engage in healthy human touch
reduce passive screen time

As an added bonus, these pursuits also provide children with more opportunities to experience a language-rich environment. As we know, the amount and quality of language children experience have a direct correlation with the rate of their language development. Thus, they need plenty of experiences to develop their language skills through listening to and interacting with a variety of people around them.

Developing Independence

Being home more with our children led to lovely family time; however, it also may have increased our children’s reliance on our presence while decreasing their tolerance for uncomfortable situations. Yet as children grow, they need opportunities to develop independence. These experiences are immensely important for children to build a sense of self while also increasing their self-esteem, frustration tolerance, and perseverance.

Rather than shield our children from challenging situations, we can make sure they have practice with experiences that can be a little anxiety-provoking. Anxiety is a normal human feeling and helps our bodies prepare us for something that might be hard. For our children to gain practice in regulating themselves, they need opportunities that move them just a bit out of their comfort zone.

To develop our children’s confidence, we can:

expose our children to experiences that can produce a little healthy anxiety
create opportunities for children to talk and share their thoughts
engage in warm, responsive conversation, with lots of listening
discuss stories or situations together
teach practical life skills for self-sufficiency
include our children in household chores

As children become more confident, they are better able to handle transitions, experience less anxiety, and become more flexible. If you need any more convincing, Psychology Today references a study showing that children who started contributing to family chores at age three or four were more likely to have successful relationships, engage in rewarding careers, and be more self-sufficient in their lives.

As we shift into more regular routines after the intensity of the pandemic, let’s use this time to bring out the best in our children.

“We then become witnesses to the development of the human soul; the emergence of the New [Human], who will no longer be the victim of events but, thanks to his clarity of vision, will become able to direct and to mold the future of [human]kind.”

– Dr. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

We invite you to visit North Shore Montessori School to see firsthand how we support children, as they develop their independence, strengthen their social bonds, and make lasting connections with the wonder of the world.

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/schedule-tour

What is the Montessori Three-Year Cycle?

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:00:13 GMT

When visiting a Montessori classroom, it can be surprising to see children of a range of ages in one room. Visitors often ask how children of very different sizes and abilities can all be supported and challenged in one classroom. There are many factors, but one reason the mix of ages works so well in Montessori is because we have three-year cycles.

What is a Montessori Three-Year Cycle?

In Montessori, children typically enter a classroom as the youngest students, and then stay in the same learning community for three years. Over the course of those three years, they cycle through a rhythm of growth and development.

When children first come into a new classroom it is a bit like what happens when transplanting a perennial flower: they need some time to establish their roots and initially don’t show a great deal of external growth. This first year in a classroom is when children are exploring their environment and making sense of their new community.

During their second year, children are more established and, like perennial flowers, they often show more growth and blossom a bit more. This is when children are experimenting in a learning space where they feel comfortable and established.

By their third year, children are the experts in their community. Similar to perennial flowers, children’s growth becomes exponential and abundant. They truly blossom. The children who have benefited from a three-year cycle show what happens when they have had an opportunity to establish their roots, extend themselves, and then have the time and space to bloom in exciting new ways.

Evolving Roles

Because children in Montessori classrooms are with each other for a series of years, their learning community becomes a family. As they move through the years together, children get the opportunity to play the role of the youngest, middle, and oldest child, and experience the responsibilities and opportunities that come with those roles.

The younger children look up to their older peers, quickly learning through observation how to behave, what is acceptable, and even what to look forward to in terms of advanced work. The oldest in the class serve as mentors, leaders, and even teachers. As the older students master certain skills or materials, they have the opportunity to share what they have learned and in the process are able to synthesize their learning. Through this mutually beneficial process, children move through the process of developing aspiration, building confidence, and demonstrating mastery.

Consistency of Community

By having a consistent community for at least three years, children are able to build a foundation that serves them in multiple ways. In addition to having time to gain mastery, children establish long-term relationships with their peers and the adults.

With their training and sensitivity to developmental needs, Montessori teachers understand an individual child’s learning styles, rhythms, and needs. They can tailor their presentations to the individual, recognizing where and how to help the child stretch beyond their comfort zones. As a result, the child feels secure enough to take risks in their learning.

One of the additional benefits is that over the course of multiple years, a meaningful and supportive partnership develops between families and the Montessori guides. A consistent community provides support that empowers our children and families.

Zone of Proximal Development

The three-year cycle of Montessori mixed-age classrooms provide children with scaffolding to work in collaboration with a skilled teacher and more knowledgeable peers. Supportive learning environments allow children to make connections that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to make on their own. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky called this scaffolding the “zone of proximal development.” As children grow within their zone of proximal development, they develop more confidence and are able to practice new skills and abilities. They have social support through meaningful, purposeful interactions with others.

As children solidify their learning and consolidate their knowledge, they experience new possibilities for growth in a family-like learning community. This mixed-age experience is an essential component of what we do and our three-year cycles make it possible.

Come see the benefits for yourself! Schedule a tour to get a first-hand glimpse of this three-year cycle in action.

https://www.northshoremontessori.org/schedule-tour

What is Social Organization?

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 12:00:21 GMT

As humans, we develop as social beings in our communities, society, and culture. In fact, associating with others is a fundamental human tendency. Therefore, in Montessori education we prioritize social development, even (or especially) as children grow into adolescents.

At the adolescent level, young people are experiencing a bridge from childhood into adulthood. They no longer need and want to create little practice societies as they did in their elementary years. Instead, adolescents need and want to understand and experience adult-level roles and responsibilities. Adolescents therefore require new opportunities for independence and valorization, as well as opportunities to contribute in purposeful ways to their community. In Montessori, we call this social organization.

In order to support this experience, Dr. Montessori envisioned an ideal setting where adolescents could live within as many aspects of society as possible. In her book, From Childhood to Adolescence , Dr. Montessori even outlines a road map for social organization at the adolescent level. In describing the practical aspects of social organization, Dr. Montessori suggests that adolescents live away from their families in a residential setting, preferably a farm that includes components such as a shop or store, a “museum of machinery," and a way to host others.

Residential Experience

Developmentally, adolescents need to break away from their families. Having some sort of residential setting or away-from-home option allows adolescents to figure themselves out in new ways amongst different adults. In addition, a residential opportunity allows adolescents to live in a community and recognize the impact they have within and on their community. Even if a full residence isn’t possible, adolescents can prepare meals for each other, make sure the kitchen and tools are ready for the next meal, ensure the compost is taken out, clean the dining area, and so forth, all of which allow adolescents to experience how their work matters.

This kind of experience is similar to how students in a Montessori primary or elementary environment become aware of how what they do in the classroom impacts others: if they run, are loud, or step onto someone’s work rug, that has an impact. Yet at the adolescent level, the experience of social organization needs to be in the context of real living. Adolescents need to step into adult-level roles. They need to coordinate lunch for their community or be the barn manager in charge of animal care. This also means they need to handle what happens if part of the work is left undone.

Land-Based Opportunities

Another ideal aspect of adolescents’ social organization is being on a farm or working on the land, which offers adolescents the opportunity to experientially understand our agricultural roots as humans. To survive, humans have needed to grow, raise, and harvest our food. When working on the land, adolescents get the experience of what it means to care for other living things and how those living things provide human sustenance. There are big moral questions that come up in this process: what do to when an animal is sick, how to honor an animal that will be butchered for meat, or how to handle pests that are decimating crops. Farm life allows adolescents to grapple with challenging questions that are part of living in a society.

Production & Exchange

Similarly, when operating a shop or store, adolescents get to experience the process of production and exchange as it works in society. They can labor to make sure a hive of bees is healthy and producing honey, and then determine how to package and market that honey to sell. Or they can create cutting boards in a wood shop and puzzle over how much to sell them for based on the cost of materials, the time for labor, and the value of their artistic work. They can harvest cucumbers and pickle them. They can create artwork for auction. They can harvest lettuce and wash it to prepare a salad for the community. Opportunities abound.

This experience also offers adolescents the chance to understand interconnections and interdependencies. Many people have done a great deal of work so that we can enjoy each thing we eat, purchase, or enjoy! Through the process of production and exchange, adolescents can also begin to understand the role of monetary systems and how to budget, plan, save, invest, share, and be responsible with their earnings.

Hosting & Using Tools

Other ideal options for adolescents include a hostel or host experience and a “museum of machines.” In hosting, adolescents get to experience how to give back to others. For example, in making a meal for guests or providing a place for parents to stay for the night, adolescents must put others’ needs first, while also taking on new roles and responsibilities.

Finally, Dr. Montessori’s “museum of machines” isn’t about having machines on display behind glass but rather means having many tools and machines available for adolescents to use, take apart, and repair. This collection of machines allows adolescents to learn and practice with tools that will help them on the land or farm, with their residential setting, in their shop, or with their hosting experience. Use of different tools of society helps adolescents learn skills and abilities that will serve them as capable adults.

Preparation for Adult Life

Preparation for adult life is a significant part of the adolescent experience. This isn’t preparation for a job, though! Rather preparation for adult life means that adolescents begin to understand the context for the human experience amongst other living things on earth, within the big picture of human progress, how we have used technology for the building up of civilization, and how each of us is a part and player in human history.

It is important to remember that adolescents are on their path to maturity. Social organization offers them the opportunity to step firmly onto the bridge from childhood to adulthood by living and experiencing aspects of what it means to be in society and the moral questions that arise as a result of being a human living amongst others in the web of life. In addition, social organization provides adolescents the chance to develop their own independence in the context of how we are all connected to each other.

In our families, communities, or schools, let’s keep these ideal principles in mind as we support our adolescents. We also welcome you to visit our school to see how we prioritize social development!

Toilet Learning: The Montessori Way

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 12:01:31 GMT

As parents we quickly learn that children have control over three things: eating, sleeping, and toileting. Rather than engage in power struggles, however, we can help children develop the skills they need to manage and gain mastery over these essential aspects of life.

In Montessori learning communities, young children learn how to prepare snack, fall asleep without assistance, and dress themselves. In addition, they learn how to control their sphincter and stay dry. This process, which we call “toilet learning" or “toilet awareness” takes time, yet it is a vital part of becoming independent.

Because we are helping children with an important aspect of their independence, we try to avoid the terminology of “toilet training.” After all, we aren’t training our children like we might train a dog! Rather we are helping children feel the success of becoming fully independent as they become masters of their own body functions.

The process takes time but doesn’t have to feel daunting. Here are some key aspects of toileting the Montessori way.

Establish Body Awareness

Toilet awareness starts at birth. From the earliest days of life, we talk to our infants about what is happening as we change their diapers. We might say, “Your diaper is wet from your urine,” or “I am wiping your poop off your bottom.”

To help our infants become aware of being wet or soiled, it’s best to use cloth diapers. Disposable diapers are very effective at wicking away moisture, which leads to children not connecting the act of eliminating pee with the feeling of being wet. As children shift into toddlerhood, they can begin to wear cloth underwear.

Useful phrases:

“Does your diaper feel wet or dry? Is there poop in your diaper?”
“Your underpants feel so heavy! You must have had a lot of pee come out.”
“I see you are squatting down and pushing. Your poop is coming!”

Collaborate

When a child is wet, we help them to the bathroom and collaborate with changing out of their wet underwear. We allow them to sit on the toilet to see if any urine is left that can be pushed or released into the toilet. Then once they have on dry underwear, they return to their activity.

Children need to feel involved in the toileting and changing process. They can assist in getting the clean underwear or diaper and putting any soiled items in their appropriate place. This gives children the feeling of some power or control in what is happening.

Useful phrases:

“You can hold your shirt up while I pull down your pants.”
“You can open the Velcro on this side of your diaper and I’ll open the Velcro on that side.”
“I’ll have a turn to wipe your bottom, and then you can have a turn!”

State the Facts

We are careful to stay matter of fact through the toileting process. Going to the toilet is a very natural thing to do, so we treat it as such. When children have wet or soiled their underpants or cloth diapers, we show them the dirty pair of underpants or diaper and where it should go. When appropriate we may even deposit feces from their underwear or diaper into the toilet. Children very quickly begin to associate and understand the process. Even when they begin to use the toilet successfully, we avoid clapping and celebrating and instead stick to the facts.

Useful phrases:

“Everyone poops!”
“Pee and poop go into the toilet.”
“It’s time to try sitting on the toilet.”
“Your underpants are wet. Let’s change into some dry underpants. Do you remember where to find your dry underpants in the bathroom?”
“Look, there’s some pee on the floor. Please bring me the clean-up bucket from the bathroom so that we can dry the puddle.”

Keep it Light and Friendly

Children are very sensitive to adults’ emotions, even when we try not to show them! Thus we make sure to have a positive, light, and friendly attitude toward the toileting process. Our approach helps children feel comfortable with their normal bodily processes. So we make sure to avoid any facial expression, comment, or tone of voice that conveys disgust or dislike, frustration or impatience. We stay relaxed and positive, so children can feel that way too.

Useful phrases:

“We can always change into dry clothes!”
“Everyone used to wear diapers—even Mommy and Daddy! Now we can use the toilet. You can, too!”

No Tricks or Treats

We offer the toilet, but we never force children to sit on the toilet. We also avoid asking children if they would like to sit on the toilet. There is a happy middle in which we suggest that they sit on the toilet or let them know it is time to sit on the toilet. Ultimately, we trust that children will incorporate this part of daily life into their routine. Young children love the consistency of routines, so we ensure, from the very beginning, that toileting is a regular part of the day.

Bribing, reward charts, and punishments may have short-term results, but do not work for the long-term goal of helping children develop independence, self-assurance, and mastery of this essential part of their humanity. We allow children the time to be successful. Rather than scolding or over-congratulating, we know that children will learn through experience and feel proud of their accomplishments.

Useful phrases:

“It’s time to sit on the toilet.”
“You peed in the toilet. You did it all by yourself.”

Respect the Process

Often when adults change children it is all done so quickly that children aren’t even aware of their bodily functions. Rather than rushing, we take time to explain what is happening and offer opportunities for collaboration.

It’s showing the utmost respect to children when we help them learn how to do something for themselves. When children able to respond to their body’s needs, they are one step closer to being fully functioning, independent young people.

Art for Self-Expression

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 12:00:38 GMT

Numerous theories and lots of research expound upon the importance of artistic expression. For young children and adolescents, art is an especially crucial form of personal expression. As such, children need to experience their own process rather than to produce a piece that someone else wants. In Montessori, we also have sensitivity to different expressive needs throughout different stages of development.

Process vs. Product

For young children, the process of making art is much more important than the product. When infants and toddlers are engaged in art activities, they are expressing feelings that they may not yet have words to express. Thus, during these early years, we focus on offering young children a variety of different artistic mediums.

When children are using different art materials, we first provide opportunities to work with larger spaces and then later move into the smaller more refined possibilities. For example, we start with painting at the easel, then as children develop more coordinated hand movements, we offer smaller paper or objects to paint.

Use of Tools

In addition to introducing different kinds of materials, we also show young children how to use different tools. We show how to use just a little water and the tip of the brush with watercolor paints. We explore different techniques with crayons. We introduce various tools–like knitting needles, crochet hooks, or looms–for fiber arts. Whatever the form of art, we offer the tools required for successful expression through that form.

We also open up a range of possibilities for children to explore. For example, in introducing clay, we show how to carefully get out the clay, how to use different techniques such as forming coils and slabs, how to cut, carve, or roll the clay, and how to store it when finished. We may also show examples of clay sculptures, whether in books or museums. With all of this information, children have a range of inspiration when they decide to work with clay.

Adult Response

To support young children’s artistic expression, we offer objective comments: “Oh how interesting…the lines go up and down,” or “I can see you used a lot of red and blue paint today.” We want to be very careful with what we say so we don’t give any indication of judgment, either good or bad. Young children do not yet have the language to explain their art. Therefore, we want to make sure our comments don’t inadvertently create expectations for children.

In Montessori, adults don’t insist that children express themselves artistically, or tell children what to express. When children choose some form of artistic expression, adults allow them the freedom to be with themselves while in the process of creating art. With this in mind, children’s artwork is individual, creative, non-competitive, and often connected to other subjects. We don’t expect children to learn to imitate adult creations or turn out products that all look alike.

Into the Elementary Years

From six to twelve, children began to use art in a more cognitive way. Often elementary-aged children began to want their artwork to be very realistic. They may focus more on the finer details of a particular piece of art rather than on the overall composition. As a result, children of this age can become discouraged if they feel their art “doesn’t look right.” Their determination is relentless. Because they will often insist upon realism, even at the risk of giving up on their artistic ability, we offer many different sub-skills to help children refine their techniques.

Art in a Montessori elementary classroom is often connected to students' intellectual pursuits. When studying Ancient Egypt, students may want to create a portrait in profile or a model of a pyramid. If they are immersed in learning about a country, they might learn about the symbolism of the flag’s colors and sew a sample flag.

All of this work is aided by the fact that children of this age love big projects. To support their artistic and intellectual pursuits, we provide elementary students with a kind of mini-studio so they can access the materials they need to create big projects and share their learning with their peers.

Through Adolescence

During adolescence, young people need even more opportunities to form, shape, express, and clarify their inner thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Artistic expression can be a vital outlet during this turbulent time, and can allow adolescents to not only reach a better understanding of who they are but also to be able to connect deeply with others through shared expression.

Questions of identity and fitting in weigh heavily on adolescents. Without ample opportunities for expression, these already perplexing questions can fester. Adolescents need creative outlets to keep their spirits vibrant!

In addition, expressive opportunities allow adolescents to merge their emotions with their intellect. It’s best to have a variety of avenues for artistic expression: instruments readily available to pick up, an art studio to transfer complex feelings into visual art, or opportunities for dramatic interpretation of academic content.

Vital Form of Expression

In Montessori, we feel strongly that young people need artistic outlets so they can have balance in their physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, and creative development. A Montessori environment supports the development of the whole person, thus allowing children to explore their personal creativity.

Art is a vital form of expression throughout different stages of growth. Through art children can express what they are feeling, elementary-age students can integrate their learning and refine their skills, and adolescents can better understand themselves and their connections to others. Creating art can allow our young people to reveal feelings that they could perhaps not express in words. Thus, we offer children a variety of art mediums and different experiences, as well as the freedom to choose and experience the form they have chosen.

As always, we invite you to come to visit our school to see this artistic expression in action!

The Role of the Montessori Teacher

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 08:01:53 GMT

What, exactly, is the role of the Montessori teacher? How is it so different from that of any other teacher?

Sometimes it’s easiest to begin by explaining what a Montessori teacher isn’t.

A Montessori teacher is less like the traditional idea of an instructor, and more like a gentle guide. They don’t consider it their job to give a child information. They rather lead children in the general direction and give them the tools they need to find the information themselves.

Maria Montessori once said, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher...is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’”

Montessori Teachers Cultivate Independence

In a Montessori classroom, rather than seeing a teacher at the front of the classroom giving the same lesson to every child, the teacher will be working quietly with individual children or small groups. While that is happening the rest of the children are free to spend their time doing the work that calls to them. A Montessori teacher works hard to create structures that allow children to be independent and to trust themselves as learners.

One large part of what a Montessori teacher does is to intentionally prepare a classroom environment that is developmentally appropriate, is inviting to children, and supports them on their journey to work independently. This environment is constantly changing in tiny ways as the teacher notices new and evolving needs of the students.

Montessori Teachers are Trained to Think Like Scientists

Parents should know that Montessori teachers are highly trained. Most have recognized Montessori credentials in addition to their college degrees. Montessori certification programs are intensive and demanding; one might compare them as being the equivalent of another college degree. These training programs don’t just teach Montessori educators how to use the specialized materials; there is extensive coursework about Montessori philosophy, child development, and integrating the arts.

When it comes to assessments, Montessori teachers don’t rely on standardized tests; they rely on the power of observation. They have notebooks brimming with evidence of what their students have mastered, need more support with, and are curious about. They are constantly recording what they notice children working on, how that work is being executed, and ideas they might have in anticipation of a child’s next steps. Montessori teachers literally sit beside a child and determine exactly what they know about a wide range of content areas.

Montessori Teachers Think Long-Term

Because of Montessori’s three-year cycles, teachers have the unique ability to consider their big picture when working with students. There is a natural tendency to allow the children to genuinely learn at their own pace. Getting to know a child and their family well over the course of a few years really supports this approach.

Montessori Teachers are Often Called ‘Guides’

...and for good reason. While children in Montessori classrooms have an abundance of choice in their educational pursuits, Montessori is based on the idea of ‘freedom within limits’. It’s the Montessori teacher’s job to carefully craft those limits. Children rely on having a certain amount of structure in place. This gives them comfort and a safe place in which they can take risks and try new things. Montessori teachers set some boundaries and then carefully help students navigate within them.

What if your second grader loves to read but tends to avoid math? Their Montessori teacher will find ways to ensure the math still gets done. Sometimes this involves a gentle discussion with a child about time management skills, priorities, or setting goals. Sometimes the teacher will find a way to integrate the child’s interests into the less desirable work. Sometimes all it takes is a minor change in the environment. Montessori teachers gives children freedom, but they assist children in finding their way to success in this environment.

Montessori teachers value independence, self-reliance, and intrinsic motivation.

They also value cooperation, kindness, and strength in community.

Still curious? Call us to set up an appointment today to observe in a classroom. See what Montessori is really all about.

The Benefits of Multi-age Grouping

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 08:07:25 GMT

One hallmark of a Montessori education is the use of multi-age classrooms.

Infants and toddlers may be together or separate, with a toddler classroom serving children 18 months to three years. Primary classrooms are for children ages 3-6, with preschool and kindergarten-aged children together. The elementary years serve children ages 6-12; some schools separate into lower (6-9) and upper (9-12) elementary, while many split elementary into two groups. Even Montessori middle- and high-school students learn in multi-age classrooms.

While Montessori is not the only type of education that utilizes this approach, it’s not what most people are used to. What are the benefits of structuring a classroom this way? Read on to learn more...

Learning at an Individual Pace

Children in multi-age classrooms tend to have a little more flexibility when it comes to mastering skills within a specific timeframe. We know that learning is not linear, and that learners have periods of significant growth, plateaus, and even the occasional regression. In multi-age classrooms, children are typically able to work at their own pace without the added pressure of keeping up with the whole group, or even being held back by the whole group.

When children in a classroom range in ages, everyone has someone they can work with, regardless of their skill level. Children don’t feel left behind if they struggle with a concept, and they also don’t feel bored by repetition of something they have already mastered. Teachers who teach in multi-age classrooms typically have deep knowledge for a range of developmental abilities, leaving them well-equipped to differentiate instruction for each individual child.

Building Stronger Relationships

Traditionally children move from one class to the next each year. This means not only a new set of academic expectations, different routines, and different classroom structures, but a different teacher.

In multi-age classrooms teachers have a longer period of time to get to know a student and their family, and vice versa. When teachers really get to know a student, they are able to tailor instruction in regards to both content and delivery. They know how to hook a specific child onto a topic or into a lesson. They know what kind of environment a child needs to feel successful.

Parents have an opportunity to get to know teachers better this way, too. If your child has the same teacher for two or three years, the lines of communication are strengthened. Parents get to know the teacher’s style and expectations. The home to school connection becomes more seamless, and the biggest beneficiary is the child.

Mentors and Leaders

When a child spends multiple years in the same class they are afforded two very special opportunities.

Children who are new to the class are fortunate enough to be surrounded by helpful peer mentors. Children often learn best from one another, and they seek to do so naturally. First and second year students watch as the older children enjoy advanced, challenging work, and this inspires them. They look to the older children for guidance, and the older children are happy to provide it.

After a year or two in the same room, students have a chance to practice leadership skills. In Montessori classrooms, the older children are often seen giving lessons, helping to clean up spills, or reaching out a comforting hand to their younger friends.

The best part is kids make the transition from observer to leader in their own time. It doesn’t happen for all children at the same time, but when it does it’s pretty magical to observe.

Mirroring Real-Life

There is no other area in life in which people are split into groups with others who are exactly their chronological age. Whether in the family, the workforce or elsewhere, people ultimately need to coexist with people older and younger than themselves. Doing so makes for a more enriching environment, replete with a variety of ideas and skills.

Why not start the experience with young children in school?

Moving On

While staying in the same class for multiple school years has many benefits, a child will eventually transition into a new class. While this can feel bittersweet (for everyone involved!) children are typically ready when it is time.

The Montessori approach is always considering what is most supportive of children depending on their development. When formulating how to divide children into groupings, Maria Montessori relied on her ideas about the Planes of Development. There are very distinctive growth milestones children tend to reach at about age 3, another set around age 6, and yet another at age 12. The groupings in our schools are intentional, and they give kids a chance to feel comfortable in their community, while also preparing them to soar forward when the time is right.

The Planes of Development

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 07:14:35 GMT

Maria Montessori based her entire educational philosophy on the idea that children developed through a series of four planes. Each of these planes is easy to recognize and has clear, defining characteristics. If we study and understand these stages, we can approach our interactions with children with a new perspective.

Learning about the planes of development isn’t just for Montessori educators. Understanding your child’s development can help at home, too.

The First Plane: birth-6 years

During this stage children absorb everything like sponges. They are, indeed, excellent examples if what Montessori called ‘The Absorbent Mind.’ This is a time in which we are able to utilize what Montessori called sensitive periods of learning. While each child is different, there are typical patterns that emerge in regards to brain development and general readiness to learn particular skills.

During the first three years of this plane, all learning is done outside of the child’s conscious mind. They learn by exploring their senses and interacting with their environment. During the second half of the plane, from about 3-6 years, children enter the conscious stage of learning. They learn by using their hands, and specialized materials in the Montessori classroom were developed with this consideration.

During this time, children have a wonderful sense of order. They are methodical and can appreciate the many steps involved in practical life lessons in their classrooms. The organization of the works on their classroom shelves is intentional, which appeals again to this sense of order.

The first plane is a time in which children proclaim, “I can do it myself”; it is a time of physical independence.

The Second Plane: 6-12 years

During the elementary years children begin to look outside themselves. They suddenly develop a strong desire to form peer groups. Previously, during the first plane, a child would be content to focus on their own work while sitting near others. In the second plane, a child is compelled to actually work with their friends. It is during this time that children are ready to learn about collaboration.

During the second plane there is a sudden and marked period of physical growth. This may be a contributing factor to the observation that many children of this age seem to lack an awareness of their body, often bumping into things and knocking things over. Children begin to lose their teeth around this time as well. Their sense of order and neatness tend to fade a bit during this plane.

Throughout the second plane, children’s imaginations are ignited. Since Montessori education is based in reality, we find ways to deliver real information to children through storytelling and other similar methods. For example, when teaching children about the beginnings of our universe, Montessori schools use what is called a Great Lesson. The first Great Lesson is a dramatic story, told to children with the use of props, experiments, and dramatics (think: a black balloon filled with glitter is popped to illustrate the Big Bang, with bits of paper in a dish of water used while talking about particles gathering together). This lesson is fascinating for children in the way it is presented, but gives them basic information about the solar system, states of matter, and other important concepts.

Children in the second plane have a voracious appetite for information, and are often drawn strongly to what we in Montessori call the cultural subjects: science, history, and geography. While we support their rapid language and mathematical growth during this time, we are also responsible for providing them with a variety of rich cultural lessons and experiences.

It is important to note that children develop a sense of moral justice at this time. They are very concerned with what is fair, and creating the rules to a new game is often as important (if not more so) than playing the actual game itself.

This is the period of time in which children are striving for intellectual independence.

The Third Plane: 12-18

The third plane of development encompasses the adolescent years. During the second plane, children become aware of social connections, but in the third plane they are critical. During this time children rely heavily on their relationships with their peers. They feel a strong desire to remain independent from adults, although they are not quite ready to do this entirely. It is our job to find ways that allow them to experiment with independence while also providing a safe structure in which they may do so.

Children in the third plane tend to require more sleep, and they sleep later than when they were younger. They long for authentic learning experiences, and Dr. Montessori imagined just that. Her ideas of Erdkinder (children of the earth) led her to contemplate a school setting that would support children’s development during this time. She imagined a farm school, in which children would work to keep the farm operational, but also contribute to planning and decision making while doing so.

During the third plane children are refining their moral compass while developing a stronger sense of responsibility.

The Fourth Plane: 18-24

The final plane is a time in which young adults are striving for financial independence. They are often living away from home for the first time, and use this time to figure out where they fit into their society. Many make choices to further their education and/or explore career paths.

It is during the fourth plane that people begin to develop a truer sense of who they are as individuals.

Each plane of development should be mindfully nurtured. If a child is able to experience one developmental phase in a rich and carefully prepared environment, they are ready to fully take on the next phase when it is time.

Another year in the books: NSMS celebrates our 15th anniversary!

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 06:22:02 GMT

The 2021-22 school year had its ups and downs for all families and educators, as year three of the pandemic continues. But at North Shore Montessori School, we can proudly report that we had zero in-school COVID transmissions, and no all-school closings. All things considered, it was a great year!

We are grateful to everyone in our school community who helped us to stay as healthy as possible so that we could all focus on what's most important: learning and growing! And that's just what we did—inside the classroom and out, with academics and through our relationships and personal development.

On Wednesday, June 8, we gathered for our Year End Celebration at Veasey Memorial Park in Groveland, Mass. Aside from the traditional moving up ceremonies, guests were treated to a musical concert of drumming, signing and even ukulele by our preschool through sixth graders.

Instructors Kevin Dacey (drumming) and Steve Kercher (voice and ukulele) led the children through several numbers that showcased the progress made through the year.

The graduating sixth graders each shared impressive testimonials of what NSMS has meant to them. Their poise, thoughtfulness and maturity were on display, making clear that their Montessori education will continue to serve them throughout their lives.

The event was especially notable as we celebrated fifteen years since director Margaret Henry founded North Shore Montessori School in 2007. It was originally limited to the Children's House program, but expanded to serve elementary grades at the urging of parents.

Margaret and the teachers served students and families delicious cake and fruit as we enjoyed picnicking and socializing under shady trees.

Read more about our school's history in this article in the Town Common newspaper. Read bios of our devoted educators: Margaret Henry, Aida Celebic, Michele Denner, Amy Belanger and Paddy Cummings here .

It certainly takes a village to ensure our school thrives—from daily Care of Environment jobs performed by students, to field trip chaperones and seasonal yard and garden work, and of course everything our caring teachers do to nurture and support the children in their Montessori education—each member of our NSMS family plays an important role.

Thank you to all who make it possible! We hope that everyone has a wonderful, safe and fun summer, and we look forward to seeing you in September.

Above, Hailey Caddigan, a graduating sixth-grader, shares what NSMS means to her.

Above left, NSMS Founding Director Margaret Henry. At right, Henry with (left - right) Aida Celebic, assistant Children's House teacher; Amy Belanger, assistant Lower Elementary teacher; Paddy Cummings, head Upper Elementary teacher; and Michele Denner, lead Lower Elementary teacher.

The World is Our Classroom: Field Trips to Plum Island and Wolf Hollow

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 06:32:46 GMT

A little bird. A hungry wolf. Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf springs to mind when we reflect on recent field trips by our elementary classes. But thankfully, nobody was swallowed on our adventures!

In May, our Lower and Upper elementary classes participated in two special field trips with wonderful naturalist guides. Below is a summary of our visits to Plum Island for bird banding, and Wolf Hollow—a preserve for gray wolves. Both of these visits were less than a 15 minute drive from the North Shore Montessori School in Rowley, Mass.

Bird Banding at Plum Island

On May 5, we visited the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newbury, Mass. to witness a bird banding operation conducted by Massachusetts Audubon staff and volunteers.

The objective was to teach students about wintering and migrating bird species, including local raptors. After gathering at the Joppa Flats Education Center, we made our way to Plum Island—one of the East Coast’s most important stopovers for migratory birds.

After parking at the Sub-headquarters, our guides escorted us across the road to what seemed like a secret path; it was unmarked, but gated. We made our way a short walk through a clearing and to a little shack where a group of University of New Hampshire students were just finishing their visit.

Outside the little wooden bird banding shack was a small group of volunteers who were spending their morning checking a special temporary net every fifteen minutes for any species of bird that happened to fly into it.

While our group quietly waited for the volunteers to return, we visited with Ben, an Audubon employee who explained the banding process and purpose, as well as how bird data is collected and tracked in a national database .

At last, the volunteers trudged down the path victorious, with a small cotton sack in hand. Ben explained that the sack is used only once and keeps the birds calm. He carefully removed the unsuspecting White-throated Sparrow—a migratory songbird, allowing the students to ask questions as he examined, weighed, and placed a small numbered band on its ankle.

Ben told us that the bird was young, hatched less than a year ago, and that it will migrate to Vermont's Green Mountains or on to Canada for the summer months. The children were fascinated by the process, with some talking about their interest in a future career in science or working with nature.

After visiting the bird banding station, the students participated in a realistic role play called the Great Migration Challenge where they monitored a migratory bird and tracked its successes and failures along a virtual southward migration.

A Visit to Wolf Hollow

On May 27, we visited Wolf Hollow in Ipswich, Mass. The non-profit sanctuary for gray wolves was founded as the North American Wolf Foundation (NAWF) in 1988 by Paul C. Soffron.

Students were able to observe the wolves interacting with their pack-mates at close range, while learning many fun and interesting facts about the gray wolves, a threatened species in the wild.

Operations Manager Kevin Kenny led our educational program, and introduced us to seven wolves of various ages. You can see pictures of Gaia, Skully, Grendel, Qantaqa, Argus, Linnea and Akela, on the sanctuary’s website .

According to their website, Wolf Hollow seeks to:

Raise awareness regarding the important role the wolf plays as a keystone species in promoting a healthy ecosystem
Provide examples of how the pack co-exist as a family group, very similar to humans
Display the dynamics and hierarchy amongst the pack through observable behavior cues
Discuss the biology of the wolf, as well as the evolution/domestication of modern dogs
Provide a glimpse into the history of man's interaction with wolves and the challenges we face at present to protect the wolf as a species

The students thoroughly enjoyed learning about the wolves, and were amazed to learn that the wolves do not eat every day, and that a two-year-old is considered an adult!

Experiential learning and connecting to our natural world are key tenets of a Montessori education. Given the abundance of wildlife sanctuaries and parks in our region and our small class sizes, North Shore Montessori School students are fortunate to have a number of field trips throughout the year.

We are grateful to the teachers for planning these wonderful visits that connect to the classroom curriculum, as well as to the parents who take time to join us as drivers and chaperones.

PoeTREE in the Park

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 06:38:42 GMT

April is National Poetry Month, and poetry is one of the language arts units covered in our elementary classrooms at North Shore Montessori School (NSMS).

Each year our school celebrates by creating PoeTREE in the Park for the community, hanging poems and artwork from trees in the Rowley Common. The children worked hard on their creations, which will be on display until the end of the month.

“It was so heart warming that the older children took the hands and partnered with the younger children to walk to Rowley Town Common,” said Henry, who noted that this interactive, creative all-school event that connects art and nature is a special part of spring at NSMS.

The tradition was brought to NSMS by Upper Elementary (UE) teacher Paddy Cummings.

Cummings, who taught at the River Valley Charter School in Newburyport before coming to NSMS in 2017, explained that she and another teacher collaborated on poetry lessons with their students.

“We were trained in an art program called Picture in Writing and Image Making,” said Cummings. “With our UE students, we worked with poetry lessons in the styles of cinquain, senryu, haiku, ballad, and free form poetry that accompanies art pieces.”

“When I came to NSMS I wanted to continue the tradition,” said Cummings, who consulted with her former colleague before she launched the program here. “Since 2018, I have been working with our Lower Elementary (LE) and Children’s House (CH) teachers and students on this by encouraging the connection to April as National Poetry Month.”

“Many schools across the US participate in this event, sometimes called ‘PoeTREE in the Park,’” said Cummings.

Each year Cummings makes a request to the Rowley Board of Selectmen to temporarily install the children’s work, and each year, the request has been granted—with the caveat that care is taken not to harm the trees in the process.

“PoeTREE in the Park has become one of our cherished traditions at NSMS,” said founding director and lead Children’s House teacher, Margaret Henry. “We are grateful to the town for its support in allowing us to install this poetry and art display on public land.”

A Very Montessori Valentine's Day

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 06:51:07 GMT

Kind words, caring deeds, flowers and healthy treats. Now that sounds like a lovely Valentine's Day celebration!

With the over commercialization of just about every holiday, it can be so refreshing to bring back simple expressions of friendship and hand-made cards for Valentine's Day.

On February 14, each of the North Shore Montessori School classrooms celebrated in different ways, with students given the chance to express creativity and practice writing and reading by making Valentines for each other.

One particularly nice gesture is that the Upper Elementary Students made Valentines for all the Lower Elementary children.

With thoughtful and affirming words coming from peers, older students and teachers, these Valentine cards will surely be kept and reread, especially on a hard day.

This is one more reason we love North Shore Montessori School! Below is a selection of images from across our three classrooms. Thank you to all of the parents, teachers and students who contributed to make this celebration possible.

Winter Family Fun at NSMS!

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 07:01:16 GMT

It has been tough to get together these last few years, that's for sure. While the children are resilient and being good sports about all the COVID protocols, the pandemic has definitely taken a toll on our social lives.

So it felt GREAT when so many parents and children gathered on Ground Hog's Day, February 2, for some snow play and after school snacks at North Shore Montessori School.

"Our daughter started at North Shore Montessori the fall of 2022, and aside from meeting a few other parents, it's been really hard to build community," said Natalie Treat, who organized the event. After speaking with School Director Margaret Henry, Treat consulted with a few other parents, checked the forecast for a mild day, and put out the word.

Close to fifty children and parents gathered to enjoy snacks and cocoa, try out the sledding hill, and enjoy the snow.

"It was so nice to actually have the chance to visit with other parents, instead of just waiving in the parking lot," said Treat, who noted that several of the teachers stayed to visit as well.

Thanks to all of you who were able to join and contribute to our little gathering. We definitely look forward to planning similar events in the future—especially as the weather warms.

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful school—one that nurtures the whole child, and recognizes the importance of free play, time in nature and building social connections. Thank you, North Shore Montessori!

Students Plant Seeds as Part of Schoolyard Habitat Program

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 07:06:30 GMT

In the depths of winter when the ground is frozen solid and the arc of the sun is low, it can feel like spring will never come. But it will! Nature knows what to do, and seeds know when to grow.

Among the central tenants of a Montessori education are to foster a connection with the natural world and a sense of environmental stewardship. Hands-on learning, honing observation skills and working together are also integrated in everything we do.

To that end, the students from Children’s House, Lower and Upper Elementary recently embarked on a winter seed sowing project led by Jennifer Wieckowski, mom to Matthew and Lizzie.

Jennifer, pictured above with students from the Lower Elementary class, is an experienced gardener. She is helping to facilitate North Shore Montessori School (NSMS)’s partnership with The Gulf of Maine Institute (GOMI)—a local nonprofit whose mission is to educate and prepare the coming generations to steward wisely the environmental health of the Gulf of Maine bioregion.

GOMI is sponsoring NSMS in creating a model habitat sanctuary in our schoolyard. This will include planting native plant species that will provide a welcoming space for birds, beneficial insects and other critters—as well as clearing invasive species.

The prepared jugs will stay outside in their raised garden beds in the school yard—through rain and snow—until they start to grow when nature gives them the green light.

“It is a wonderful way to experience that nature really does know best!” said Jennifer, pictured below with students from the Upper Elementary class..

We encourage you to take a peek at these mini “cold-frames” when you visit school, especially as the weather warms and the days grow longer.

We know that the children will be excited to see what germinates, and they’ll feel proud that they are helping to care for the land and provide food and habitat for wildlife, and maybe even themselves!

To learn more about winter sowing, check out the graphic below, or watch this video on YouTube .

Collecting for the Rowley Food Pantry

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 07:12:02 GMT

Fostering connections and caring for each other and the world are key tenants of a Montessori education. So too are hands-on, integrative lessons.

In the weeks leading up to winter break, North Shore Montessori School collected food and personal care items for families in need in our own community.

While the goal is to help others, our students were enriched in many ways as well.

"It was so amazing to see such generous donations that came in for the Rowley Food Pantry," said school director Margaret Henry. "The lower elementary at three different times took the donations over to the Pantry. They were so appreciative of our donations," Henry added.

"The Lower Elementary Class used this opportunity to write about and discuss needs in our community," said lead teacher Michele Denner. "The children dove into this service project with enthusiasm and empathy. They recognize our responsibility to help those less fortunate than ourselves."

"As a class, we've also taken this opportunity to tie-in some math. As you'll see from the photos, the children sorted, counted and took turns recording donations on our bar graph," said Denner."

Upper Elementary also took an active role in helping to collect and deliver many bags and boxes containing food and personal care items.

Follow the Child

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 07:50:24 GMT

For one Saturday each fall, the students show their grownups all the cool stuff they're learning, and the grownups get to ask questions, touch, and play! This usually takes place after parent-teacher conferences, the time when the children's portfolios are sent home for families to see their child’s progress and work in the Math, Language and Cultural areas of their Montessori classroom.

The children take great pride not only in their work, but in the learning environment that they help care for each day. At the beginning of the school year, the elementary students meet to discuss what needs doing, and devise a system of sharing responsibilities and chores. Depending on the age of the children, these could include things like taking out the compost, trash and recycling, feeding the chickens, folding hand towels, feeding, measuring and keeping the turtle habitat clean, or helping to care for the garden.

Unstructured time to read, explore and play outdoors is a big part of life at North Shore Montessori. We can't wait until the snow falls and we can build forts and go sledding!

Mystery History & Dead and Famous!

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 07:30:03 GMT

The elementary students researched, wrote and presented on notable people—past and current!

All-school assemblies don't look quite the same during COVID, but we bundled up on a chilly October day for the elementary children to showcase weeks of work that went into learning about famous people, and preparing to share what they learned with an audience of their peers, teachers and parents.

The Lower Elementary class, feeling proud after all the work that they put into their Mystery History research and presentations!

The Lower Elementary students went first, showcasing their research, writing and presentation skills to an all-school audience that included the kindergarten class and many parents as well. We learned about the first president of the United States, scientists, inventors, a race car driver, a painter and a horse rider.

"Our Mystery History timeline was created by the children during a cultural lesson on timelines and a math lesson on measurement. Timelines are an integral part of the Montessori curriculum; this one will hang in our classroom for the remainder of the school year," explained Michele Denner, lead teacher in the Lower Elementary classroom.

"I loved Mystery History so much!" said Ryland, a second grade student who presented on Woods Hole oceanographer Lane Abrams. "Next year I'm going to do even more research and writing so I can make an even better presentation. This was one of my favorite things at school!"

Upper Elementary rocked their presentations!

Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, James Dean, George and Gracie Burns, General George Patton—these were just a few of the famous people who our Upper Elementary students brought to life through interesting and entertaining role-playing and skits.

President Abraham Lincoln made an appearance as well! Aside from the hard work they put into their projects and the confidence that the children got from presenting, it was wonderful to watch children of all ages congratulate each other and call out parts of their presentations that they enjoyed. It was a very positive and affirming afternoon for all involved.

Experiencing Art in Nature

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 07:56:39 GMT

Field trips and immersive learning are some of the hallmarks of a NSMS education

Each fall, Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Mass., hosts a wonderful outdoor sculpture exhibit for just a few weeks. The installations are unique each year, and some only last as long as the show.

It was a beautiful day to walk, reflect and wonder!

On October 1, North Shore Montessori School's lower elementary class got the chance to stroll the grounds of the former estate on the banks of the Merrimack River, explore whimsical and thought-provoking sculptures created by artists from across the region.

Reach

Preparing for a trek and enjoying time to reflect are empowering for young learners.

Many of the pieces were designed with a specific view in mind; others were meant to be walked through, touched, or even played with. The children delighted in the clacking sounds of wood flapping in the breeze, experimenting with different tones a large bell could make, touching fuzzy and crinkly fabrics, and contemplating this year's theme: REACH.

Taking a moment to draw what we see helps us process the wonderful artwork.

Explore

It has been a beautiful fall, and the children clearly benefit from spending time outdoors and building friendships. We're grateful to the parents who helped chaperone this trip, and look forward to many more!