We need to get outside and explore San Diego together now! 

Maria Montessori believed that children better connect and the natural world when they interact with it. 

“If for the physical life it is necessary to have the child exposed to the vivifying forces of nature, it is also necessary for his physical life to place the soul of the child in contact with creation,” she wrote.

In other words, nature talks directly to children.

Teach your preschooler self-discipline and independence by letting them make their own choices and being responsible for the consequences of their actions

“Little children, from the moment they are weaned, are making their way toward independence.” Maria Montessori, the founder of the academic movement bearing her name, said.

We know that freedom equals independence.

        Lately, during lunch and throughout the day, the children have been telling stories.  Sometimes captivating the entire classroom!  Commanding the attention of a large group is tough!

       The importance of stories and reading daily to your child is enormous.  A few of the main benefits of reading are vocabulary and grammar development.  What is our goal for this development?  Success for academic education?  Development of literacy skills?  I think the much bigger picture is for them to communicate with others... to talk! 

One of the most important things we talked about recently is celebrating Earth Day.  We have been reading the book One Well: The Story of Water on Earth.  We have been discussing the water cycle and how important it is to protect and take care of our water supply and the earth in general.

It seemed as though we talked about many similar things in our last conferences and so I thought it might be nice to send you all a brief highlight of the main things I discussed with most of you.  I have also attached two images below.  One is age appropriate chores and hopefully this will help you get started, and the second is a reminder of what is truly important to the lives of our children.  Hope you will enjoy it.  It's not just for Mommies!

Breakdown of topics:

1st year: (2.5- 4 years)

Many of you have expressed to me that your child really doesn't come home talking about school much at all. Children this age are very busy exploring, absorbing, and analyzing everything in their environment and do not generally seem to have a very good short-term memory because they are so busy processing all that they have experienced. It's really a massive amount of information so it is often difficult for them to recall specific events unless they really stand out.

Happy Fall!
 

As harvest time approaches and the heat of summer gives way to the cooler weather of fall, family outings to pumpkin patches and apple orchards become more and more common. While these outings can seem like little more than entertainment at face value, there are actually some very valuable lessons that children can learn during their visit.

The Life Cycle – Even the biggest pumpkin in the patch begins as a tiny, tiny seed, which is something that your child will learn when he visits the patch where those pumpkins grow.

As school begins to wind down for the school year, expectations in the class begin to change.  In some cases, the older children are being held to a higher standard because they have had the time and experience in the classroom to become role models.  In other cases, the "little ones" get away with a bit more because it's almost time for summer vacation.  One ongoing theme that reappears every year, both in my home and in the classroom, is "it's not fair!"

Thank you so much for sending in snacks during your volunteer week!

Recently we've had grape, cheese, and tomato kabobs, hummus and pita bread, sliced cucumbers, pears, and apples. Each day a child may choose to help prepare snacks whenever they like, It works on the shelf just like any other; a spreading, slicing, and juicing work.

Many of you have expressed some concerns about “stories” that your children make up at home and school.  We all struggle with this and it can be difficult sometimes to find that balance between “lying” and “fantasy.”  I found this great article by Donna Bryant Goertz that I would like to share with you.  Ms. Goertz is a Montessori professional with over thirty years of experience.  It’s a bit lengthy but worth the time to read.   I hope you enjoy it and as always, I’m always here to answer any questions or concerns.