A Window into the Toddler Room

Building a Train & Tower

Peeling an Orange for snack



Working with Glue & Paper

Geometric Designs with rubber bands

 

Painting with two primary colors

 

Baby Doll Washing

Books & Burgers

What: Fundraiser

When: Friday, Oct 26

Where: Five Guys & Barnes & Noble (University Park Mall)

A percentage of all sales that day come back to school! ANYONE can participate!

See special codes below:

FIVE GUYS - Just tell them you are with TMA

BARNES & NOBLES: Either provide B&N coupon

(found on website, in weekly memo or at front desk)

OR

for online sales, use code 10906824.

(online promotion extended to Oct. 31)

Don't forget to pick up your Scrip at the front office before you head over.

It provides the school an additional percentage!

Homemade Play Dough Recipe

1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Salt
1 tablespoon Cream of Tartar
1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
1 cup Water

Directions:
1. In a medium sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add wet ingredients to bowl and, again, mix well.

2. Add contents to a large pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it forms a ball.

3. The dough is ready when the mixture pulls away from the pan and when the wet parts begin to look dry.

4. Turn the dough onto your countertop and knead it until smooth. It will be quite warm to the touch, so be careful!

5. Add food coloring, glitter, extracts, etc. AFTER the dough has cooled. The color and scents won't "take" as well when the dough is hot/very warm.

Welcome to the 2012-2013 School Year

The Toddlers are bursting with life in their new year. Many are encountering very new experiences, such as being away from mom for a morning and learning to do a lot more for themselves. One child in our program in the middle of his separation anxiety decided he wanted to help another child who was also having a tough moment. It turned into an absolutely delightful interaction between two two and a half year-olds. In these beginning days of the year our main goal is to help the children adjust and be happy in this new environment. Once that happens we are able to show them some of the ground rules of the Montessori classroom as well as skills for accomplishing all the new works they are doing.

We are now beginning to show them how to put their work away. I have already seen children who had not yet developed this habit begin to do this spontaneously. After a child finishes a work, we encourage them to take it and put it back on the shelf where they found it. It is common for this age child to actually forget that they are engaged in one activity because they become intrigued by another activity. They then drop the first work and go to the next one. If this continues, chaos in the environment sets in which is not very conducive to concentration or order in the child's mind. It is a definite discipline to finish one task completely before going on to the next one. Of course, in the adult world there are times when multitasking is essential but one cannot do efficient multitasking if one is unable to bring any one thing to completion.

In our environment we aim for order because in children of this age there is a particular sensitivity to order. It is one of the main "Sensitive Periods" that Montessori refers to in many of her writings. Order in the environment is what the child bases reality on. For us, order enables us to function well and peacefully in our world. An adult will often feel unsettled in a disorderly environment. A child on the other hand, has a much deeper dependence on a given order in the environment. The child's mind is being constructed by the experiences and the encounters of his or her daily life. A good friend who used to teach Jr. High and High School in a local school used to counsel her students with the words, "organization is the key to success." Even students of only average ability could do well in a very demanding curriculum if they had a handle on organization and order in their stuff and in their schedules. On the other hand, some of her extremely gifted students might flounder if they did not have the ability to keep their lives in order. Our Montessori alumni often come back to us and tell us how well they are doing in high school and college. One of the big things that they refer to is their ability to manage their time. Time management at the elementary and Jr. High level here is an outgrowth of what we begin in the Toddler room, learning to bring one thing to completion; learning to put our work away. Learning to maintain order with very simple things at this stage in the child's life will help him to become more effective in his life as he grows into adulthood.

Submitted by Lori Twinning

Trevor Eissler "How Do You Hug a Child Like This?" - 321FastDraw

BOOK FAIR LUAU

BOOK FAIR LUAU

There will be some changes coming to TMA’s Library in the next few weeks!  The Book Fair Luau will be making a festive stop at our school from Wednesday, May 9^th, to Tuesday, May 15^th.  Hours during school days will be 8:20am to 5:00pm.  Saturday, May 12^th, will be family day, with the Fair being open from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Parents will have the chance to choose books with their children for their summer reading enjoyment.

The Library will be turned into a fun beach-themed luau with tikis, surf boards, and hanging palms.  One of the books being offered with this theme will be Pig Kahuna. In this picture book, two little pigs discover some beach fun with a surf board.  Froggy and his family have a warm Aloha when Froggy Goes to Hawaii.

Since this year marks the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, several Titanic books will be available. There will be a special two-book set from Magic Tree House: Tonight on the Titanic and a companion nonfiction “Fact Tracker” book to answer all of your Titanic questions.  Remembering the Titanic follows specific people who worked on the Titanic or were her passengers.  It starts with her building, tells of her crash and sinking, and finishes with the eventual rescue of the survivors.

These and many, many more books of different reading levels and on a wide range of subjects will be available under the swaying palms.  There’s sure to be something for all the readers in the family.  See you at the Book Fair Luau.  Mahalo!

Shadowbox

Thank you to the hours of work that parent & staff volunteers devoted to this one of a kind item.  Collecting toddler art throughout the year, scanning & reprinting art, designing the layout, afixing art to wood tiles, and creating this beautiful shadowbox of "toddler art" for the live aution on March 10.

Please stop by the library to see this work of art--pictures do not do it justice.

The Beauty of Practical Life

One of the big challenges that Toddlers face each day is how to develop into that adult that ”they are to become”.  They admire their mothers and fathers who are so capable in all the everyday  little things that adults take for granted: fixing lunch, sweeping the floor, washing dishes, using a wrench or screwdriver—all the activities of “practical life” that are necessary to daily life going well.    The little ones may also admire firemen or airline pilots but at this time in their life, they are already able to learn some of those more basic skills.  In our classroom the children are in the beginnings of mastery of some of these skills.  They are working hard at learning to dress themselves, wash their own hands, put on shoes, scrub tables, wipe the paint off the easel, prepare snack, serve themselves a food item with tongs, pour their own water, wipe up spilled water and there is still more to come!  While engaged in these everyday activities, the child’s motor skills are being refined, his concentration is strengthened, his ability to finish a task is improved, his ability to hold things in his head is expanded while at the same time he is gathering valuable experiences related to how the world works.  Keep your eyes open to how your child can help out in your home.  You will find that doing purposeful things in life helps the child to feel a part of what is happening in the family. She gains  a sense of responsibility and begins to take ownership in the family life in a new way.  When a child is unfocused and engaged in negative attention getting tactics, sometimes a little responsibility will give the kind of affirmation she is really seeking at that moment.  Being able to independently accomplish important tasks is a lifelong mindset that will be extremely valuable for your child in the years to come.

 

Let Me Do it Myself!

Don’t forget the Toddler Parent Night tonight at 6:30!  This will be an exciting evening for parents and teachers to discuss your child’s entry into the world of independence!  Child care will be provided for TMA students and siblings by reservation only for $5 per child.  Please RSVP to Katha Short if you will need childcare – 574-256-5313 or kshort@tma-el.org.

Art, Music & Movement

Children have a natural sense of creative expression that is nourished through art media, music and movement. These activities utilize the same developing skills as found in the Practical Life, Sensorial and Language curriculum areas. As concentration increases, the child brings tasks to completion or to more complexity. The child's creative expression is pure and uncontrolled simplicity which flourishes using an array of media and activities. From experimental painting to representational drawing, from spontaneous singing or dancing to lessons with rhythm instruments and group movements, the child is provided with a rich environment for creative activities. Listening to background music, making interesting sounds, singing together, and moving in tune with the music are examples of the many opportunities to experience music and movement in the Toddler program.

Art Media: Drawing and painting materials, gluing, collage and sculpture materials, tearing and cutting. 

Music and Movement: Singing songs with hand and body movements; walking, dancing, marching with props to music; listening to recorded music; percussion instruments; exposure to cultural music and composers; exposure to harmony in singing; large motor activities inside or outside.