What do we do all day?

Here are some photos of classroom activity from the past few weeks. I was going to organize it by curriculum area, then decided that the 'as-is' order gives a better feel for our classrooms - with the Montessori approach, there are likely children working in each of the curriculum area at any time. I hope these photos can share a touch of the joy and enthusiasm for learning we experience each day!

Place value cards

Evaporation experiment

Lots of focus practicing a lacing card - preparation for sewing

Painting - and an extension of color theory work - mixing two primary colors (red & blue) to discover that they make purple!

Memory match game to practice "heart words" (words we need to learn by heart, aka sight words)

Trinomial cube

Scrubbing fruit

Color theory - mixing primary colors with water

Self-care - button frame

An introduction to part-whole circles for math modeling

Sink or float experiment - to start introducing the vocabulary and process of scientific method, we have one chart where the child makes their predictions (hypothesis), then they test each object and record their observations on the second chart

Handwriting practice

Practice reading clock times

Cleaning a chair

"5 in a row'" math game to practice addition pairs that make 10

Handwriting practice

A kindergartner teaches two younger friends how to play another addition math game

Often our students will build a story (sentence) with the movable alphabet using some words that have a spelling/phonics concept we are focusing on (in this case, silent 'e'). After we read and revise, they will write the story into their story journal and illustrate.

"I ride on the big slide" - written and illustrated by this young author/illustrator

Practice spelling heart words in shaving cream

Letter race - a partner game to practice letter sounds

Addition snake game (modified to emphasize subitizing skills)

Number rods (modified for subitizing)

Puzzle map of North America

The movement mat provides a space for a child to practice large motor movements, exercise, or dance at any time during the morning work time

Watering our classroom plants (and admiring the spines on the cactus!)

Mystery bag game - taking turns identifying by touch what object they are feeling in the bag

For "Read Across America Week" our kindergartners met up with 4th grade reading buddies. The 4th graders read biographies to us in celebration of women's history month. The kindergartners also brought along one of our "Superstar Readers" that they could read to their 4th grade buddies. On the way back to class, one of my kindergartners asked if we could do this again... every day!

Mixed Ages in the Montessori Classroom

Spontaneous balancing practice at recess

Below is a  a typical scene on many days - several children working on building words or stories with the movable alphabet and writing them into their story journal (in cursive!), while others work on math and other curriculum areas

(More photos below!)

We're back for the 2024-25 school year! A few quick highlights:

- Both Montessori classrooms - Maple & Redbud - are in full swing, and FULL. We have so much interest in our program, our waitlist has more than enough children to fill a third classroom.

- We've been energized by how successful and productive most days feel - so much enthusiasm and engagement with learning, so much kindness and collaboration. Every day we witness dozens of moments where children are spontaneously encouraging and supporting one another. (photos below)

- We're looking for people to partner with us financially to help us make Montessori education be accessible to low-income families, and ALL gifts made before Dec. 31st will be matched (up to $13,000)

Mixed Ages in the Montessori classroom

One of my favorite aspects of the Montessori approach is the mixed ages - every day we are seeing how the children of all ages benefit, academically and socially. 

Sometimes a kindergartner will step into the role of "teacher," showing a younger friend how to do something new or assisting them with a task they are struggling to do independently. They often show incredible sensitivity and skill in these leadership roles:

"/a/ /a/ astronaut!" Sorting pictures by beginning sound requires knowing the vocab of the pictures, hearing the beginning sound, and knowing which letter makes that sound

An introduction to our classroom process for washing dishes

I will also sometimes invite an older child who needs more practice with a skill to help me teach a younger classmate - motivating them to get much-needed repetition while protecting their confidence around an area of struggle. 

Often younger children will spontaneously pause to observe an older friend and learn by watching their role models. (We do lots of practice at the beginning of the year on how to observe someone without disrupting their focus)

Sometimes we invite an older student to help a classmate (such as cleaning up a spill). Other times they notice on their own when someone could use assistance and offer help on their own initiative.

There is also lots of peer collaboration and support, along with independent focused work, taking place in our classrooms each day.

Spring 2023 update

We are enjoying a beautiful spring and making the most of our last two months of the school year. If you didn't receive our recent photo update by email, you can view it here. (And you can sign up to receive our email updates (a few times a year) and twice-a-year paper mailings

Glimpses of Fall 2020

 A few of the beautiful moments from our in-person school days this fall:

When I first showed Joshua* a cylinder block on his first day of school, he was intrigued, and methodically took all of the cylinders in and out for the next 20 minutes

*All names changed

Marco, one of the youngest students in Redbud, came to school not knowing many letters but ready to learn, and has now mastered the phonetic sounds for the whole alphabet. 

One day I suggested that Aliya, in her second year of preschool, write with the movable alphabet about things she likes to do or things she loves. Her list included movable alphabet, school, family, unicorns, [watering] plants, painting, and South America. (She is just starting to sound out words, so mostly wrote the beginning sound for each syllable.) 

Naim, who had just started working with place value before we went remote in March, now easily regroups for addition with golden beads, exchanging 10 ten bars for a hundred square and 10 hundred squares for a thousand cube. 

For more photos of our school year in action, see our e-newsletter.

Can you support our work to make high quality Montessori education accessible to children from all economic backgrounds? Through the end of 2020, all gifts will be matched - give now to double your impact!