ble choices should be put away so that whatever he chooses will be an appropriate (if not a well-matched) outfit. Toddlers love their independence and would much prefer to do most things on their own. At school when a small child does not want to put an activity away the teacher will say, “Do you want to do that by yourself or do you want me to help you?” “Helping” means encircling the child from behind with your arms, taking her hands in yours and carrying the items slowly and carefully across the room together. Children seldom need help more than once and when they see that this will be the choice each time, things are put away and they quickly fall into the habit of picking up after themselves.
At home, if your child has just a few toys available at a time on a low shelf, picking up should be an easy task. A toddler does not need all of the blocks out at once. Choose an assortment, place them in an easy to carry basket and put the rest away. Notice in our classrooms that toddlers make great use of just three or four crayons and a few sheets of blank paper cut into 1/4ths, just 4 or 5 books on the library shelf, a fist-sized lump of play dough kept in a small airtight container, and two or three puzzles at a time. Keep the choices simple and few, be consistent with your follow up and give your child plenty of time to prepare for a transition, such as leaving the house or picking up before bed. You can count on your child testing your limits from time to time but the more consistent you are, the more quickly these testing periods will end. And your happy, independent toddler will be back at your side again.
Remember that you are always welcome to schedule an observation of a class or a home visit during which our faculty is happy to consult with you on creating a Montessori home environment for your child.
We will host a simple class celebration of Valentine’s Day including a special snack, craft, song, story and finishing with a Valentine Dance. We’ll do a simple and optional valentine exchange in class. If you’d like your child to participate, please bring 20 valentines, not addressed to anyone specific – just “from Johnny” will do. Please send in valentines for the Sunflowers and Tadpoles Classes on Thursday the 12th. We encourage you to get out an assortment of collage materials such as paper, crayons, stickers and glue sticks and involve the family in making valentines. Make a few for the grandparents and cousins, too! Please, no candy or nuts!
Early Childhood Calendar
News from the Cottonwood, Rainbow and Turquoise Classes
Monday – Music
In January we looked at different types of cameras and how they work, studied art by Ansel Adams and other photographers and we took some photos of our own. We hope to leave the impression that the possibilities are endless as we move from the world of art into music. In February we’ll learn about rhythm, instruments and the musical scale. If you know someone who is a musician this is a great month to invite them to visit our classes.
Tuesday – Time
We begin the study of time by looking at many kinds of clocks. This is a good time to get an easy to read analog clock (with hands) for your child’s bedroom. Make sure it has all of the numbers, the marks, and a second hand. Most children are 6 or 7 before they can tell time accurately, but even a small child will be able to recognize that, for instance, bedtime is when the hour hand points to 7. If you have a broken clock that we can dissect, please send it in to class!
Wednesday – Geography
In February we’ll study Asia. This unit will culminate in our traditional “Asian Celebration”, a party during regular class time on February 25th. Look for sign-ups by classroom doors for needed items including a cook to come and stir-fry in class! We invite children and helpers to dress up in their Asian best and enjoy a cultural immersion experience.
Thursday – Literature
We completed our review of Eric Carle’s work with interpretations of his art. We’ve enjoyed our annual “Eric Carle Film Festival” with a look at his work and how he makes his p