We can’t believe it is the second week of March and that Spring Break is next week.  Woah!  This school year has been flying by.  Lately, when we observe the classroom, we see so much growth.  The students feel a deep sense of belonging in the environment and enjoy taking care of the classroom and each other.  Our new students are settling in nicely, learning our classroom routines and building up a repertoire of activities they can choose from.  We have been really looking to the elders of our class to set a strong example and serve as leaders for our younger ones.  It has been so special to see this leadership quality emerge in our 5-year-olds and younger members of our group who naturally take to this role.

It has been awesome to see our emergent readers burst forth.  There has been a lot of interest in reading 🙂

The kids are inspiring each other, encouraging each other, and enjoying the reading games that we play as well as beginning reader books.

We are excited to share that we finally have a tea making lesson 🙂 This is an activity we have wanted to have on the shelf for quite a while.  The process involves a host and a guest with the host pouring tea for their friend.  We have Cherry and Peach tea at the moment.  It has been a popular activity and so charming to see the children trying new flavors and enjoying a calming tea time.  We would like to combine this with our mortar and pestle work where the children can actually make their own tea combinations.  We are thinking mint, rose, chamomile, lavender… Let us know if you have any suggestions or tea rituals the children may enjoy.

Montessori at home

One of our favorite activities to share with families is the Sound Game.  This is a foundational game that we start prior to introducing the SandPaper Letters and continue playing through reading.  We play this game with a collection of small objects, but you can play this game anywhere (including outside or on an airplane) and use anything (whatever is on the table).  Go over the names of the objects/ things you are using before you begin.

Level 1 (Beginning sound):  Isolate 2 objects.  For example, napkin and plate.

Which one starts with the sound “n”?

Do not use letter name.  Use the sound the letter makes.  Even if the child gives the incorrect answer, just validate what they said.  “Plate” starts with the sound “p”.  Keep the game positive and fun 🙂

Level 2 (Ending sound):  Isolate 2 objects with the same beginning sound and different ending sounds.  For example, plate and pepper grinder.

Which one starts with the sound “p” and ends with the sound “er”?

Level 3 (All sounds in the word): 

What other sounds do you hear in the word “pepper grinder”?

Validate what the child says/ hears.

Let’s put those sounds together.  “P-e-p-er-G-r-i-n-d-er”