Wrapping up the Holidays

Benefiting Others

MISHAWAKA — The Montessori Academy at Edison Lakes recently held its seventh annual Wrapping Up for the Holidays.

The school wrapped presents and packed boxes of food for three families (11 children and three adults) that the Montessori adopted through Salvation Army. Each family’s pantry was stocked with enough food for the duration of Christmas break. Each child received hat and gloves, an outfit and socks, and three presents to open.

Courtesy of: The South Bend Tribune December 11, 2011 Edition

Photograph Courtesy of: Ed Bosworth of Bozworthy Images

Songs

The Community Song  (we do this one before we eat snack)

Look around and you will see

Community, a family

brothers, sisters, we are one

The Number Song  (I do this with pictures of a child’s hands and of a child’s feet—I count the fingers and toes as I sing.  You can also do this with your child’s own fingers & toes.)

One, Two, Three,

Four, five, six

seven, eight, nine ten fingers

One, two, three

four, five six

seven, eight nine ten toes

Listen now, hear me sing

all of my first numbers

One, two, three, four, five six seven

eight, nine, ten.

December Events at TMA

Moms Night Out:  thirty-one party

Attention Moms:  You are invited to attend a "thirty-one" party at TMA!  Thursday, December 1st at 6:30p.m.  TMA mom, Amy Cousins is a consultant and eill be available to talk about and display products--specializing in bags, purses, lunchboxes, etc.  Orders will be available for holiday gifts.  Join us for an evening of fun!

WRAPPING UP THE HOLIDAYS 2011

Don’t miss this great Annual Community Event - Friday, December 2nd at 6:00 p.m.! TMA is once again sponsoring three local families in need this year.  We would like to provide a holiday dinner as well as presents for these three families. All three of the families would be grateful to accept new or gently used items.  All donations should be delivered to the office prior to December 2nd.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Paige in the TMA office.

Winter Sing-A-Long

All families are invited to join us Friday, December 23at 10:00 for a TMA community winter/holiday sing-a-long in the gym. 

Please note: this is also an early dismissal day for the entire school. 

Sensorial

The Sensorial materials isolate a particular quality and refine the sense-perceptual skills. These are materialized abstractions which give the child concrete experiences with concepts and the matching and gradations of size, shape, form, color, texture, sound, and taste. The child's senses are refined and perceptual awareness is intensified. The Sensorial materials are a direct preparation for the development of mathematical thinking and the math lessons. Language for the perceptual qualities is concretely represented.

Visual: Introduction to colors and corresponding vocabulary, gradation through size, and an introduction to basic geometric forms.

Auditory: Matching and gradations of sounds and musical tones and rhythm instruments.

Gustatory and Olfactory: Experiencing tastes and smells.

Tactile: Exploring the environment through touch.

Young Children Today and the Development of Concentration & Self-Control

In Maria Montessori’s day, near the turn of the last century, children did not have access to any of the technology that we have today. Our children today are bombarded by images from advertisements on TV, cartoons and other shows that move so fast that the child’s attention is riveted.  Some mistakenly think that because a child can focus on a TV program, they have concentration and a well developed attention span.  On the contrary, many TV shows and other digital media capture the attention, passively entertaining the child.  The child (or adult for that matter) does not have to work for the entertainment.  It costs little to have images and sounds fed to the brain.  Many have casually observed over the years that those who are most engrossed in TV or similar media have the most trouble with concentration and self control.  One author and psychologist, Angeline Lillard (http://www.sciencecodex.com/fastpaced_fantastical_television_shows_may_compromise_learning_behavior_of_young_children), recently coauthored a study using the cartoon SpongeBob which is very fast moving and fantasy based rather than realistic.  The study included 60 four-year-old children.  20 four-year-olds watched SpongeBob for nine minutes, 20 watched a slower moving, realistic show and 20 drew and colored for nine minutes.  Immediately afterwards they were tested in areas of self control, ability to follow directions, remembering what they had been told, ability to follow rules and problem solving.  The SpongeBob group did significantly poorer than the other two groups which were about equal with each other.  The conclusion was that watching shows such as SpongeBob has immediate negative effects on a child’s ability to concentrate and on impulse control.  This study did not address long term effects.  One has to wonder, though, at the seemingly higher incidence of the diagnosis of ADHD.  Is this due only to a greater awareness of the disorder or is there an environmental component as well?  Other studies have linked a child’s ability to delay gratification with future success in doing well in school, holding down a job and other important areas of life demanding self control.  It would be a sad thing if a child were to grow up unable to plan for the day, plan for a career or be unable to sustain a healthy marriage relationship. Yet in today’s world we often encounter individuals that struggle with these areas. 

The good news is that in Montessori classrooms, children are constantly working on the area of self control.  Little Mary sees Johnny doing a work that she would like to do and she is told that “right now, this is Johnny’s work.  When Johnny puts this work away, you may choose it if you want.”  Soon the children learn that they must choose only work that is on the shelf, not work that another child is doing.  This is a natural mechanism in the classroom that gives the child the opportunity to develop his executive functions so important in later life.  It also is a way in which children learn to respect each other.  They have the first glimpses of a true community life.  Also in Montessori classrooms children are given time to concentrate on the work they have chosen.  There is no timer that buzzes telling them to go to the next station.  The child can thoroughly work through what he is interested in until he is satisfied.  The concentration he develops as a result feeds into his ability to control his own impulses.  The child becomes the master of himself rather than the slave to his own appetites which can be influenced by advertising or by others who do not have the best interest of the child at heart.

 In our classrooms, even the youngest children begin to learn concentration and self control through their work and their interactions with one another.  I recently saw one of the Toddlers going through the classroom dumping materials and running wildly.  At the beginning of the school year this type of behavior is not uncommon in a toddler room.  I took him by the hand and calmly showed him how to pick up the work he had just spilled and how to do it correctly.  Even that simple little action began to spark concentration in this child.  Though this child has not yet become the model “Montessori Child” so to speak, he is well on the way to learning mastery of his own impulses.  He is well on the way to productive and long lasting learning as well. 

Submitted by: Lori Twining

Language

The Language materials are incorporated through many daily experiences. The children between birth and six years are in a long sensitive period for language. Language is the means whereby humans become part of the cultural group to which they belong. It is through language that the child acquires the history, social values and behavior of his/her society. The child is continually developing oral language and communication skills. Nurturing this language development prepares the child for later academic work in writing, reading, and grammar.

Oral Language: Listening and communication skills, auditory discrimination, and vocabulary development.

Fun Times at Leininger Farm

Practical Life

 
The Practical Life lessons are the first level of work for all children and are a link to the child's home environment, aiding adaptation and orientation to the child's society and culture. The materials involve precise movements and procedures, which aid large and fine motor development. The child's attention span and concentration are built up through repeated and complex activities. Sequential and orderly work habits, independence and self-control are established with this area. The early social courtesy behaviors, class procedures and expectations are introduced through Practical Life. This preparation is essential for success in the academic areas. 

Care of Self: Dressing/undressing, hand and face washing, independence with personal hygiene, and care of personal belongings.

Care of Environment: Washing and polishing materials and furniture, plant care and flower arrangement, animal care, setting and clearing tables, respecting materials and environment, returning work when finished, and related environmental activities including the outside environment.

Food Preparation: Pouring, slicing, stirring, peeling, grating, spreading and serving.

Grace and Courtesy: Social manners, carrying and walking respectfully, words for self-expression and table manners. 

Motor Skills and Coordination: Eye-hand coordination, large motor control, spatial awareness and body coordination.