Hands

These children are using their hands in so many ways, polishing silver, creating a rubber band design by stretching a rubber band, stringing, buckling, using tongs, using a baster to transfer water, using play dough and chopping apples.  

The children are using real objects, feeling the objects, manipulating and taking a form of mastery over the object.  This is so vital for the development of young minds who are still very new at encountering the real world.  They need to understand cause and effect and one of the best ways to do that is through the interaction of the hand, the senses and the real world around them.

"The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence"

--Maria Montessori

Tis the Season for Holiday Giving!  This year the Toddler & Early Childhood Classes at TMA will be collecting items for the children in our Montessori Classroom at The South Bend Center for the Homeless.

A total of 20 children were transformed by the Montessori Classroom at the South Bend Center for the Homeless during the 2012-2013 school year.  While not all of the 20 children attended at the same time nor did all of them complete the Montessori cycle, they were all loved, honored and cared for within the Montessori community.  Some of the children attended school for a few days, others a few weeks, some a few months and one completed the third year of the Montessori curriculum.  While the classroom at the center does oftentimes seem like a revolving door, we at The Montessori Academy believe that no matter what the length of attendance is, if we can offer a safe and secure environment for these young children and allow them to have a peaceful environment to learn in and to be successful. 

We will be assembling 8 gift bags to be delivered to the classroom on December 19.  Please take this time to allow your child to enjoy the gift of giving.  Take a moment to reflect with your child on what it means to give and we ask you to allow your child to choose an item below to bring in to school in the next 2 weeks in order to create these gift bags.  We are trying to make sure all items are below $5 to ensure that all families can participate.

The items desired are listed below—we are not looking for large ticket items or lots of toys due to the transient lifestyle many of these children live.

4 8 Winter Hats                                                           8 blank pads of paper

8 Pairs of Mittens                                                        5 packs of Hair Clips

Socks                                                                         3 Hot Wheels

8 child size toothbrushes                                              5  8 Beanie Babies

8 mini tubes of toothpaste                                            8 packs of stickers

8 coloring books                                                         7 bottles of Children’s Shampoo/Body Wash

8 packs of Crayola crayons                                         7 8 pairs of children’s slippers

8 packs of Crayola washable markers                          8 Chapstick

The Process of Snack Time

Before snack time begins, we take turns and work together preparing our food by slicing fruit, cheese, eggs, and other foods.



Slicing Apples

setting the table

 

singing the "shirt song"

finding my cup

washing my hands

The table is ready

waiting for everyone to be seated

snack song

enjoying snack

serving myself

clearning my plate

clearing my place

pushing in my chair

This is how we do snack in Toddlers

Outside Time!

We are now regularly going outside to play and we are loving it!  We run down the big hill, go down the big slide and we are becoming even better climbers than we were!  We are seeing the leaves begin to change color and fall and we also help wipe off the water on the slide!

 

 

Welcome to the 2013-2014 School Year

The transition period in the Toddler room is going well and our friends are adjusting to their new surroundings and enjoying works in their new environment.

The Button Frame

Exploring the Water Wheel

 

I can do it MYSELF!

Handwashing

 

Exploring with Chalk



Stringing Buttons

Stringing Pasta



 

Paint!



Art

Cutting

Gluing




Steps



Puzzles

Puzzles



Preparing Snack



Enjoying Snack Time





Walking on the Blue Line