Oct. /Nov. 2015

Basic to Montessori's philosophy is her discovery of Sensitive Periods in chil-dren's development. During these periods children seek certain stimuli with immense intensity, to the exclusion of all others. So it is during this time that a child can most easily master a particular learning skill.

The Sensitive Period of Order is from two to four years. Everything must have its place. This stage is characterized by the child’s passionate love of routines and desire for consistency and repetition - established routines. A child may seem disturbed by disorder and affected by small disruptions in order that is not per-ceived by adults. The environment therefore must be carefully ordered with a place for everything and with carefully established ground rules.

As we come together at the beginning of this new school year and watch the children carefully, they will give us signs that they are more comfortable in an ordered environment and with a regular routine. When working with objects or blocks don’t they make orderly arrangements in rows or stacks? Don’t they know that after nap mom and dad will pick them up?

Order is not only desirable for children’s things, it is equally important for their routines. Do you have a ritual for getting ready for school and for going home? A hug? A kiss? In the morning do the children eat before dressing or dress before eating? Children are more comfortable and cooperative if there are established routines. Try to be faithful to whatever customs you establish for your children and prepare them ahead of time for any necessary short-term changes.

Order is one of the needs of life, which, when it is satisfied, produces a real hap-piness.

"The child in the postnatal (or psychological) period of his embryonic life, ab-sorbs from the world about him the distinctive patterns to which the social life of his group conforms….He absorbs in short, the mathematical part…..the little child’s need for order is one of the most powerful incentives to dominate his early life." (The Absorbent Mind, p. 173)

Inside this Issue:

Nurturing Independence 2

October Calendar 3

November Calendar 4

FAQ’S 5

Montessori Environment Pro-motes Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

6

"A child is an eager observer

and is particularly attracted by

the actions of the adults and

wants to imitate them. In this

regard, an adult can have a kind

of mission. He can be an inspi-

ration for the child's actions, a

kind of open book, wherein a

child can learn how to direct his

own movements."

What about Order?

By Linda M. Adams

Guide, IC/NIDO

“The child can only develop fully by means of experience in his environment. We call

such experience work.” Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind p88

The Montessori classroom seeks to nurture independence in our children, and the

means through which we do so is work. Through working, we develop not only the

skills and competencies that are vital for independence, we also attain an awareness

of our competency that helps us realize our independence. Work creates the sense of

accomplishment and mastery that gives us the confidence to be independent and to

realize we can learn further skills and abilities.

If we want to nurture our children’s independence at home, we must give them fur-

ther opportunities to work. The work we give them should be meaningful – it should

contribute to the family, even to the wider community. It should start with the child

taking care of themselves – keeping their own room tidy, putting away their things,

cleaning their dishes, washing their clothes – because if we cannot contribute mean-

ingfully to our community we are creating burdens for others.

Helping children master the skills required for these tasks should follow a transition.

First demonstrate the task, then have the child do it alongside us. Next let the child do

the work while we are performing another task close by. But beware! If you intervene

as soon as your child struggles, they will keep looking to you to carry out the work.

“Every unnecessary help is a hindrance to development,” Montessori pointed out. We

should confine our interventions to demonstrating skills and ensuring safety. This can

be frustrating, especially when time is short (I know I have been guilty countless times

of giving in to expediency and taking over when I should let my children keep trying),

but in the long run it is well worth the time.

Montessori’s quotation points out that work adapts us to our environment. This is an

essential idea. Independence, when we really think about it, is created by abilities

valuable in the environment that we live in now. The qualities that provide independ-

ence in a preindustrial nomadic pastoral society (think of the Mongols, for example)

could be at best obsolete and at worst harmful in our society. By nurturing useful

work skills we are therefore helping our children adapt to the world we actually live

in.

I want to contrast this to the experience children have from playing games on com-

puters and game systems. Children can learn skills from playing such games, but the

skills they are learning are effectively adapting them to dynamics of these games ra-

ther than the patterns of the actual world. Playing these games over time adapt chil-

dren to the systems of rewards and stimulus of games themselves, and make it harder

for them to act independently in the actual world. The games actually diminish the

independence of our children.

Nurturing Independence By Russell Carpenter

Elementary Guide

MONTESSORI HOMEWORK

AT HOME IDEAS

Plan & prepare dinner for

your family with little or no

help from your parents

Build a square model of the

floor plan of your house out

of cardboard, one floor at a

time. Be careful and exact

Plant a garden, tree, or some

bulbs around your house

Write a play and perform it

with some friends for your

class

Talk with your grandparents

about their childhood. Write

a biography and share what

you learn

Meet a real artist and visit

their studio

Learn First Aid

Teach your dog a new trick

Volunteer to shovel for a

neighbor or your family

Communicate with a penpal

in a Montessori classroom in

another state or country

Volunteer in your community

Set up a weather station at

home and track the weather

Find a cause that is important

to you. Plan a way to raise

money to donate to the

cause

Pick a city somewhere in the

world you have never been.

Research the city and find out

all you can about it

Make a list of all the things

you’d like to do with your life

2

IMPORTANT DATES

Oct 10

Fall Family Clean—Up

Oct. 15

Journey Night 5:30-7:00

Pizza 5:30

Parent Ed. 6:00

Childcare Provided

Oct. 20,22,23

Primary & Elementary Par-

ent teacher Conferences

Oct. 23

1/2 Day grades K-5

Oct 24

Pond Hill Farm Family Fun

Day 11-2

Oct 28

Picture Day All Programs

3

October 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22

23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Elementary /

Primary Par-

ent Teacher

Conferences

“Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.”

Maria Montessori

Elementary/

Primary Par-

ent Teacher

Conferences

Journey Night

1/2 Day K-5

11:30Dismissal

Parent Teacher

Conferences

All Family

Clean-Up

Pond Hill

Family

Fun Day

11-2

Picture Day

All Programs

Important Dates

Nov. 4

No School Grades K-5

Nov. 5

Grades K & 1

Crooked Tree Art Center

Nov. 11

Grades 2-5

Crooked Tree Art Center

Nov. 24

Primary Harvest Feast

Nov. 25-27

All Programs Closed

Thanksgiving break

Important Days in De-

cember:

Dec. 18– Cookie Walk

and Sing-A-Long

Dec. 21-Jan. 3-

All Programs Closed

Holiday Break

4

November 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20

21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

No School

Grades K-5 Grades K & 1

Crooked Tree Art

Center

Grades 2-5

Crooked Tree Art

Center

Primary Harvest

Feast 11:30

All Programs Closed

How does a child transition into the next classroom?

When a child is first ready to transition into the next classroom the current guide will take the child on short visits to the new class-

room. Once the child is ready the guide will start leaving them in the new classroom for longer periods of time until they are ready

to move to the next classroom full time.

How can a parent help car line flow smoothly?

During car line it is very helpful for parents to stay in their cars and let staff get the children out or put them in. In the time it takes

parents to get out, go to the gate, get back to the car, and get their child in, car line is backed up into Mitchell St. At times it may be

unavoidable that a parent get out of the car, please have patience. If a parent does find it necessary to get out of the car we ask

that keys be left in the ignition so staff may pull the car forward if need be.

What volunteer opportunities are there for parents?

Auction committee, strategic planning committee, grounds and maintenance committee, marketing committee, drive and chaper-

one field trips, playground supervision, fall clean-up, spring clean-up, parents who can have a consistent time to be in the classroom

for children to read to, and other requests for volunteers that are sent out throughout the year.

How are family volunteer hours tracked?

Family volunteer hours are not tracked by the school. All families sign the 20 hour per year volunteer commitment form and it is an

honor system.

When can I observe in the classroom?

A parent can observe the classroom at any time. IC/Nido and primary both have two way windows through which a parent can

observe. Parents would need to stop at the office first as the classroom doors are locked.

How do parents know if there are allergies in the classroom?

If there were an allergy in the classroom that affected the classroom a notice would be sent out of the allergy. The students in the

classrooms with food allergies have treats in the freezer their parents have sent in for times when others are having a birthday

treat.

How are birthdays celebrated in the classrooms?

IC/NIDO celebrates birthdays in several different ways. For our one year olds we commemorate their special first year with the

gift of a book. Our favorite board book is the Big Red Barn. For the older children we put a special book on the shelf, On the Day

You Were Born. We read it throughout the week with the birthday child and other friends. We sing happy birthday at

snack. Work in the classroom magically reminds others of birthday cakes. We never turn away food as a way to celebrate

but request healthy, low sugar, no frosting, options. If there are family or cultural traditions that we can incorporate into our day,

please let us know.

The Primary classroom has a birthday celebration for the child in which parents may come in bringing photos of each year of the

child’s life. The parents may also share an event from each year and bring a healthy treat. If the parents do not come in the child

still walks around the earth for each year of their life to the birthday song. Treats are normally sent to school with the child if the

parent can’t be here.

In the elementary classroom the students bring a treat to share with the classroom and sing Happy Birthday.

Do children have difficulty transitioning to a public school after going to a Montessori school?

Moving from a Montessori school to another school setting is an issue often raised by parents and family members. Happily, the

habits and skills a child develops in a Montessori class last a lifetime and stand a child in good stead no matter where they

go. Montessori children tend to be adaptable, working well alone or with a group. They have solid decision-making skills, practical

problem solving abilities, and generally manage their time well. Since children in a Montessori classroom are also encouraged

to share ideas and discuss their work, fitting into new situations is made easier thanks to good communication skills.

FAQ’S

5

Montessori Environment Promotes Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

By Racheal Byard Primary Guide

YOUR LOGO HERE

Petoskey Montessori Children’s

House & Elementary

1560 E. Mitchell St

Petoskey, MI 49770

Phone:231-347-5331

Fax:231-347-4304

E-mail: kim@petokseymontessori.org

Web:www.petoskeymontessori.org

The Montessori environment promotes problem solving and critical thinking skills in a variety of ways. With each piece of material that is presented to the child, there are problem solving skills that are required to master the work.

Practical life has three main areas: care of the person, care of the environment, and grace and courtesy. When a child is able to take care of themselves in the classroom, it not only gives them self-confidence and freedom, but helps with concentration, and later in the mastery of critical thinking skills. These critical thinking skills eventually lead to ab-stract learning in other areas of the classroom.

In the sensorial area of the Montessori classroom, problem solving and critical thinking are key components of the child’s everyday work. The Montessori sensorial materials help the child to distinguish, to categorize, and to relate new information to what he or she already knows. Dr. Montessori believed that this process is the beginning of conscious knowledge. It is brought about by the intelligence working in a concentrated way on the impression given by the senses.

Math is a principal element in any Montessori classroom and allows children to problem solve. The Montesso-ri math materials start out with simple red and blue rods and progresses to bead work with the decimal system, to addi-tion with the bank game and eventually charts. The progression is lead by the child, as the guide watches to help the child discover along the way. The guide lays the foundation and the child uses their critical thinking skills to explore and com-plete the work. The materials are designed to give him or her the satisfaction of learning by discovery rather than by being told.

The language aspect of Montessori also includes problem solving and critical thinking skills. The children learn at their own rhythm, which allows them to concentrate on what they find fascinating. While the child is completing work they have their full attention on the materials as they chose that material. The child will need to be spoken to and lis-tened to often, they will need a broad exposure to language with correct articulation, enunciation, and punctuation. The guide plays a immense role in the child’s learning in that they are there to support the child, give him order to classify what he has learned, to help build self-confidence, and to provide meaningful activities.

Within each material there is an underlying problem solving skill also known as the control of error. The con-trol of error is the point when a child acknowledges the fact they have done something wrong when working with the materials. They then must go back, deconstruct the work, and see where they made a mistake. This control of error al-lows for problem solving skills and critical thinking skills to work together as a whole. For example; if the child is working with the knobbed cylinders and they try to put the smallest cylinder in the largest cylinders space they will realize this is incorrect and go back and fix the problem. As the child masters the work they begin to think critically by broadening their horizons on the different levels of variations and extensions of the work which allow the child to think “outside the box” and start to also bring in the aspect of creativity. They begin to think of alternate solutions and ideas by using their critical thinking skills. Overall, critical thinking and problem solving play a large role in every section of the Montessori classroom.

Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

So how can we best support and teach our children as they are developing critical thinking skills? Here are some tips and ideas to help children build a foundation for critical thinking and help them grow into problem solvers:

Provide opportunities to play. It is during play that children test their thinking, whether dropping a spoon over and over again off the side of a high chair tray; rolling two marbles down a chute to see which is faster; seeing what happens when you dip chalk in water; or mixing cornstarch and water to make "goop". Providing space for playing, including time for outdoor play can provide open-ended opportunities to try something and see the reaction; try something else and see if you get a different reaction. This informal process of testing how things work is crucial to critical thinking.

Help children view themselves as problem solvers and thinkers by asking open-ended questions. Rather than auto-matically giving answers to the questions your child raises, help them think critically by asking questions in return: "What ideas do you have? What do you think is happening here?" Respect his or her responses wheth-er you view them as correct or not. You could say, "That is interesting. Tell me why you think that." Use phrases like "I am interested to hear what you’re thinking about this." "How would you solve this prob-lem?" "Where do you think we might get more information about this problem?"

Don't solve all problems immediately for children. Instead ask some of the questions above and provide enough infor-mation so children don't get frustrated, but not so much information that you solve the problem for them.

Help children develop hypotheses. "If we do this, what do you think will happen?" "Let's predict what we think will hap-pen next."

Encourage thinking in new and different ways. By allowing children to think differently, you're helping them hone their creative problem solving skills. Ask questions like, "What other ideas could we try?" or encourage coming up with other options, "Let’s think of all the possible solutions."

Encourage your child to research for further information. You can help your children develop critical thinking skills by guiding them towards looking for more information. Say, "Now how could we find out more? Your dad knows a lot about this. Shall we ask him? Or shall we try searching on the computer?"

Of course there are times when you can't take this much time for your child to reach an answer on his or her own. At those times, it is okay to take short cuts. Children also learn from observing how you solve problems. However, when you can, taking time to allow your child to think through problems will be hugely helpful to developing your child's critical thinking skills in the long run.

Staff

Kim Maves—Administrator

*Kim@petoskeymontessori.org

Russell Carpenter– Elementary Guide

*Russell@petoskeymontessori.org

Racheal Byard– Primary Guide

*Racheal@petoskeymontessori.org

Linda Adams– IC/Nido Guide

*Linda@petoskeymontessori.org

BOT

Pres. -Tiffany Corteville

V.P./Secretary– Jen Gelb

Treas.– Cathy Brissette

Trustee– Laurel Clarke

Trustee– Tina Dominic

Trustee– Matt Lesky

Trustee– Marcia Webster