Movement

Knobbed puzzles allow a child to develop the pincer grasp which is  necessary for correctly holding a pencil

At birth, humans are born with a limited number of reflexes which disappear in the first few months of life. Movement is not inherited, but a learned behavior that involves the senses, the brain and the muscles. It is through repeated effort and practice that movements become automatic.

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In the above pictures, the girls are working on 'dressing frames.' The toddler environment has 3 - button, zipper and velcro. These allow the children to practice making the movements necessary to dress themselves. We often underestimate what our children are capable of. By simply showing them how and giving them time they are often able to do much more than we think.

 

Each of our movements is a learned skill  perfected through practice. We must give our children the time it takes to learn to move. Once they have mastered a movement, such as walking, we should not interfere with what they have learned by carrying them. 

To overlook movement is to overlook its close connection with the developing mind

- Maria Montessori  

 

Putting on a Jacket, Montessori Style

Even though we want to help our children 'do it by themselves' sometimes it is hard to know exactly how to do that, especially when it comes to dressing and undressing. This is the way we help our kids put on their jackets before we go out to play. We call it the 'flip' and even a young toddler can master it with some practice.

First, lay the jacket down on the floor. Make sure the 'toes are by the tag'

Then put arms in and count 1,2,3....

Then 'flip' the jacket up and over the head

The arms slide in and the jacket is on!

G. just turned 3 and she can even zip her own jacket! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snow Storm 2011

Main drive going out to Hembree Rd.

 Nearly every major school district in the Atlanta area ended up having the entire week off of school. The roads thawed a bit Friday afternoon so I went over to school to make sure everything was ok. Everything was fine and still covered in with snow and ice. Here are some pictures I grabbed with my phone.

This is where we normally do carpool!

Animal tracks - maybe deer or rabbit?

The toddlers made these snowflakes just in time!

View of our garden - you can't even see the paths

About 3.5 inches - this was in a covered area and 5 days after the snow came!

Snow Days!

The Atlanta area is on the fourth day of no school due to record snow and ice! Some places got 6 inches or even more. Now everything is covered with a layer of ice and many roads remain impassable. Be careful out there and stay warm!!

Return of the Toddlers!

 I always enjoy the first days back after a long break from school. The toddlers are so happy to see their friends and get back into a regular routine. Everyone had a great week - here are some pictures of what we did.

A.F. loves music! She was also decked out to see the Razorbacks play that night.

A.C. repeats her first lesson on table scrubbing, with some help from a friend.

C. enjoys the beautiful weather in our garden

Many toddlers have mastered going up and down stairs independently on this very spot!

Drumming on the table is lots of fun (and very loud)!

Another way to practice stairs.

Friends!

'Playing' music, as the kids say. We have a steamroller in the background and a jackhammer up front.

Orange juicing, toddler style.

Cloth washing

Remember to invite your friends to our open house on Jan. 23 from 2-4 pm!!

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: Adoration of the Wise Men

This week, the children received the presentation on the Adoration of the Wise Men.

"...some wise men, the magi, came to Jerusalem from the east."

 

 "we saw his star as it rose and we have come to do him homage..."

"the sight of the star filled them with delight..."

Examining the jar of gold.

 "...and then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh."

 

Matthew 2:1-12