The first few weeks of Montessori preschool are always a time of adjustment and many students (and parents) feel a sense of separation anxiety which is perfectly normal. Separation anxiety is often caused by fear of the unknown when it comes to a new situation or it can relate to something that is happening at home or to something that the child has just experienced before arriving at school.

       I enjoyed seeing all of you at our Parent Information Night and hope you discovered a lot about what we do here, and what your child will be doing here in the years to come.  I highly encourage all of you to attend as many Parent Nights as possible since we try to make them all different even year after year.  It’s for your benefit that we offer these events so that at parent conferences we can discuss your child rather than only going over Montessori theory and lessons.  However, as most of you have ex

Tantrums are a part of the growing process in a toddler’s life. All parents go through it, some more than others. Tantrums are a way of indicating frustration or anger that the toddler is experiencing but can’t fully express. The problem with tantrums is that if as a parent you give in, they become a common occurrence. This is especially so in the case of tantrums which involve lots of kicking, hitting, biting, and other such behavior that could injure the parent, the toddler, or an onlooker.

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.

I would like to explain how we see art in a Montessori classroom.

            First of all, in a Montessori classroom, we emphasize the process of creating art versus the product.  This means that children should be encouraged to explore and experiment with a variety of art mediums without being made to feel that they should complete a specific project that looks a certain way.  That is why most Montessori classrooms have an art shelf that has materials available on a daily basis that allow children to practice cutting, coloring, gluing, etc.  

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! 

       What a week! This hot weather certainly crept up on me and although I'm grateful for the sunshine, I wasn't prepared for such a great leap in the temperature gauge. Unfortunately, unexpected heat waves can create unexpected personality changes. Heat can make both adults and children impatient, cranky, and even a little lackadaisical. This came to mind as I was negotiating with my 10-year-old over a simple matter that required no negotiation. I was frustrated with her behavior yet found myself making excuses for how she was acting. Do you ever do that? Get annoyed yet make excuses?

A big part of the Toddler's work at this time of year is spent on socialization. We continue to work on our listening and verbal skills, controlling our impulses, helping each other, and cooperation. During this period of development, the children are beginning to learn how to resolve conflicts with each other. We attempt to provide them with the tools and then observe to see whether or not they can resolve their conflicts.

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.