Line Time: Dinosaurs- We traveled back in time and discovered some fascinating things about certain dinosaurs. We learned that dinosaurs no longer exist and that they are extinct. We know dinosaurs exist because scientist found their bones or fossils. From these fossil we saw that some teeth were long and sharp to tear flesh from it’s prey which belonged to meat eaters or carnivores (T Rex). Some teeth were flat for grinding plants, leaves, and branches and belonged to plant eaters or herbivores (Brachiosauras).
Who remembers Dino from The Flintstones?
Did You Know: Catsup and Ketchup are two different spellings of the same condiment. These words have the same meanings and are simply alternate spellings. Therefore, both are correct. Catsup is a condiment and is the less popular spelling. Ketchup is also a condiment and is the more popular spelling, which, today, is a westernized version of a condiment first introduced to European traders in the late 17th century. Ketchupwas originally a paste made from fermented fish guts (yes, it’s come a long way).
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 16 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagalog, Hebrew, Korean).
Peek In The Classroom:
This boy is working on the Spindle Box found in the Math area. The Spindle Boxes have important purposes of reinforcing the idea that the symbols represent certain quantities of separate objects, introducing the concept of zero and its symbol, and reinforcing the sequence of the numerals. The traditional spindle boxes are two boxes divided into five compartments each which includes numbers from 0 to 9.
This student is working on the Color Bead Bars. This activity is found in the Math area. The colored bead stair is a quintessential Montessori math material because it has SO many different mathematical benefits. The youngest child in primary all the way through upper elementary learns one-to-one correspondence, connecting quantity to symbol, square roots and cubes, basic operations, and complex algebraic equations.
This girl is working on her shapes. She has learned and can identify parallelogram and trapazoids, and she knows what equilateral, isosceles, and scalene triangles are.
This student is working on the Binomial Cube that is found in the Sensorial area. The Binomial Cube is one of those amazing Montessori materials that introduces abstract math concept to children as young as 4 without them even knowing it. The early sensorial experience with the cube inspires them again at age 8 or 9 when they use the cube for algebra. The material provides the all important bridge between concrete and abstract thinking and the child develops a much deeper understanding of the math. One of these days I will include the mathmatical formula.
Peek Into Next Week: Line Time- Pilgrims, Thanksgiving
Letter Of The Week- M m
Rhyming Word Of The Week- bop
Next Language is Hungarian
Upcoming Events: Thanksgiving Break: We are off Wednesday November 27th and returning Monday December 2.
Friends, Frolic, and Fun:
An obvious staged photo but it is cute.
This cheeky girl tricked me into thinking the title of the book is “Here Comes The…… Brid, lol
I think they were planning a coup because they were chatting but when I passed by…. they became quiet, very very quiet.
Weekly Theme: This week the kindergarten students did addition with carry overs (dynamic)/carry overs in multiple columns/with empty columns using the manipulatives of the Golden Beads and Stamp Game.
Handwriting: We practiced writing in cursive vowel and consonant blends of uu, ch, sh, th, wh.
Cultural Subjects: We now can count to ten in 18 languages (English, Sign Language, Latin, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog, Hebrew, Korean, Hungarian, Irish).
Next Week: Weekly Theme: Multiplication with Golden Beads
Synonym Of The Week: SMALL, tiny, miniature, minute, little, petite
Weekly Theme: This weeek the K-kids did addition with carry overs (dynamic) using the manipulatives of the Golden Beads. Did you know the two numbers added together are called addends and the answer is called the sum?
Handwriting: We practiced writing in cursive vowel blends of ua, ue, ui, uo, uu.
Cultural Subjects: We now can count to ten in 17 languages (English, Sign Language, Latin, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog, Hebrew, Korean, Hungarian).
Next Week: Weekly Theme: Addition with other materials
Synonym Of The Week: BIG, vast, gigantic, huge, large, enormous, colossal
Line Time: This week we learned about insects and arachnids. Creepy Crawly, creepy crawly creepy creep creepy crawly (reminds me of The Who song, Boris The Spider). When we went over the five animals all of them were vertebrates (having a backbone and spine) but looking at Insects and arachnids they were invertebrates (no back bone or spine). Most had what we call an exoskeleton which is the skeleton is on the outside. This gives the creature support and protection. We learned insects have a head, thorax, and abdomen, six legs, and two antennae. We sang the characteristics of an insect to the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Some insects are ants, bees, and butterflies. Arachnids have a head and abdomen, and eight legs. Some examples of arachnids are spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites.
Did You Know: Since it is the season… Did you know there is a difference between apple juice and apple cider? Here is the explanation. Apple cider is made from apples that are washed, cut and ground into an “apple mash” similar to applesauce. The mash is then wrapped in cloth and pressed into fresh juice. On the other hand, apple juice undergoes filtration to remove pulp and is then pasteurized to extend the shelf life.
November Birthdays: A Montessori classroom consists of students ranging in age from three years to six years. Here are our newest four and five year old students.
Grandparent’s Day:
A full house on Grandparents Day.
Alumnus Reader:
This alumnus is 10 years old and is in the 5th grade. He carried a 4.0 this term and said he misses the Montessori classroom. He is almost as tall as I am and take a look at that foot. I would be interested to see this boy’s grocery bill. All alumni are welcome to come back to my classroom and read!
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 15 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagalog, Hebrew).
Peek In The Classroom:
Surprise! This boy is working on 3 part cards on the week’s subject, birds.
One of my readers is reading the chapter books Billy B. Brown.
One of my Kindergarten students working in her Binder (The Letter Of The Week and Rhyming Word Of The week).
These girls are practicing their handwriting. One is tracing name in cursive and the other is working on her pre-cursive folder.
Peek Into Next Week: Line Time- Dinosaurs
Letter Of The Week- L l
Rhyming Word Of The Week- bot
Next Language is Korean
Upcoming Events: Operation Christmas Child: Thursday, November 14th Check your email! Also, follow the below link to donate.
Weekly Theme: This week we started our journey into MATH…. GULP! We started out by composing numbers with beads and symbols then worked our way into doing addition with manipulatives with the nine tray.
Handwriting: We practiced writing in cursive vowel blends of oa, oe, oi, oo, ou.
Cultural Subjects: We now can count to ten in 16 languages (English, Sign Language, Latin, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog, Hebrew, Korean).
Next Week: Weekly Theme: Addition manipulatives (Dynamic/Carry Overs)
Synonym Of The Week: OLD: ancient, elderly, used, seasoned, mature
Line Time: Birds- We ended our journey of studying animals with the bird. We learned birds are vertebrates and are warm-blooded, which means that they can make their own body heat even when it is cold outside. Whether it is sunny and hot outside or there is a snowstorm and it is very cold, warm-blooded animals have body temperatures that usually stay the same. They are born from hard shelled eggs and have feathers. A lot of birds fly but some do not. The flightless birds are the ostrich and penguin. We are not sure if chickens fly.
Below are Foghorn Leghorn and Eggburt Jr…. Iah say, Iah say that boy aint right.
Speaking Words Of Wisdom… (from Mr. John): Have you ever gone out and had toothpaste on your face and clothes? Of course you have. My advice is to brush your teeth right before hopping in the shower. No toothpaste on your face and certainly no toothpaste on your clothes. Problem solved!
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 14 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagalog).
Peek In The Classroom:
These girls are working on the North America Puzzle Map found in the Cultural Subjects area. Not only does this help with the understanding of Geography but the pegged puzzle pieces, which are used in most Montessori classrooms, have a secondary purpose as well. When a child grips the pegs, it’s actually preparing his or her hand to use a pencil. The pegs help to refine a child’s fine motor control, and will make the transition to holding a pencil that much smoother. Notice how she is proudly displaying the country of Canada.
These boys are working together on the Sensorial material called the Knobless Cylinders. The Knobless Cylinders are four sets of ten cylinders in each set, varying in height and/or diameter. The purpose of these cylinders is to develop child’s fine-motor movements, concentration, hand-eye coordination, and visual perception of dimension. These students discovered a pattern using two colors.
This boy is mastering the Ten Board which furthers the concept of the concrete affiliation between quantity and symbols (numbers). I may have pictured this boy working on this material in the past but I wanted to show you how he is discovering patterns with this work. Discovering patterns further enhances the child’s understanding of Math.
This girl is working on the Metal Insets found in the Language area. The Metal Insets are a delightful way for the child to prepare for writing. Holding a colored pencil to carefully trace shapes helps a child develop the fine motor control needed to write small letters. Creating patterns and designs is a secondary goal, but also increases a child’s ability to manipulate a pencil!
Peek Into Next Week: Line Time- Insects, Arachnids, Invertebrates
Letter Of The Week- K k
Rhyming Word Of The Week- ox
Next Language is Hebrew
Upcoming Events: Grand ParentsDay: Tuesday, November 5
Operation Christmas Child: Thursday, November 14th Check your email! Also, follow the below link to donate.
Line Time: Fish- We learned fish are vertebrates or they have a backbone or a spine. They are cold blooded (their body temperature changes to the temperature around them) and have slimy and scaly skin. The unique thing about fish is that some fish are born alive and some fish are born with jelly eggs. Some examples of fish are Trout, Bass, Sharks, and Swordfish. And one more important point is that fish live in water.
Did you know? Sneezes travel at about 100 miles per hour and that a single sneeze can send 100,000 germs into the air. Also when a person sneezes you should tell them “You are sooo good lookin” Who knows this reference?
Saying Good-Bye: With a heavy heart I am announcing the departure of Ms. Tonya where she is leaving to pursue other interests. In the short amount of time that Ms. Tonya has been with us the students have made strong bonds with her. Not only the children will miss her but the staff will miss her as well. Ms. Tonya was a great part of “TEAM KOTRADI” where she hit the ground running, added so much to my classroom with her chipper disposition and her exuberant love for teaching. The most impressive part was that she put up with my cheeky behavior (and at times “gave it back”). Good luck in all you do. You will be missed!!!!!! Below are the many faces of Tonya. I REALLY had to pester her for the last pic.
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 13 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish).
Peek In The Classroom:
She is working on the Trinomial Cube. This material the blocks are color coded and are different sizes to represent the algebraic Trinomial formula. The purpose is not to teach math but to challenge the child to find patterns and spatial relationships. The next time this material is featured I will include the algebraic Trinomial formula.
This boy is working on a teacher made material that is helping him recognize numbers from 0 to 20.
This child is working on a word building material. This reinforces her phonics recognition of letter sounds.
This student is working on the First Introduction to Decimals. In a Montessori curriculum, we start by introducing the names of the numerical positions as represented by golden beads. The reason for this is so the child can visualize the concept of units, tens, hundreds and thousands.
Peek Into Next Week: Line Time- Birds
Letter Of The Week- J j
Rhyming Word Of The Week- bip
Next Language is Tagolog
Upcoming Events: Halloween Party: Friday, November 1, 11:11 am (pizza lunch provided)
A few spots left to help but please read the entire message
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090b48a8a92da6f94-mrjohns10
Grandparents Day: Tuesday, November 5
Operation Christmas Child: Details to follow
Friends, Frolic, and Fun:
I am not sure exactly is going on here but I am glad I captured it.
I asked her what her costume for Halloween. She said ” A monnnnsterrrrrr” along with a visual.
They wanted me to take their picture. How could I resist?
Weekly Theme: This week we looked at the parts of the leaf, flower, and tree. We also delved into the parts of the insect and arachnid. Did you kindergarten student sing “Head, thorax, abdomen abdomen. six legs and two antennae?” We also broke down what makes a living thing, well, a living thing.
Living things: ^Reproduce ^Grow ^Eat or take in nutrients ^Breathe or exchange gasses ^Consume water
Weekly Theme: This week we looked at the five animals which are mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds. Refer to the professionally made chart below for the characteristics of each animal.
Handwriting: We practiced writing in cursive vowel blends of ea, ee, ei, eo, eu.
Cultural Subjects: We now can count to ten in 14 languages (English, Sign Language, Latin, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Swedish, Tagolog).
Next Week: Weekly Theme: Parts Of plants, Arachnids, and Insects
Synonym Of The Week: Cold:freezing, chilly, frigid, frozen, cool
Line Time: Amphibians- This week we looked at the Amphibian. We talked about how the Amphibians are vertebrates, cold blooded (the body temperature changes to the temperature that surrounds the amphibian), their skin is soft and moist, and they are born from jelly eggs. Some examples of Amphibians are toads, frogs, and salamanders. We learned that the term amphibian means of two worlds. Amphibians are born in the water but live their life on land. Who can forget the famous Kermit The Frog?
Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine: This past weekend my family and I went to visit my favorite daughter (as she says “my only daughter”) at BGSU. I learned/saw a few things…
*The most revered road trip food across the board are Slim Jims. I prefer Slim Jims, cheddar or pizza flavored Combos, and a Coke and Dr, Pepper mix (1:1 ratio) with lots of crushed not cubed ice.
*The funniest saying on the electronic sign “Camp in Ohio State Parks NOT in the left lane” Future rant.
*Don’t detail your car before a road trip! Even though there were 3 adults and a teen it still ended up looking like something out of Animal House.
*Do NOT let a 13 year old boy take off his shoes in the car, HEINOUS!
*My princess may never move back home especially when she is on my cell plan with unlimited data and with my credit card in her pocket :((
Cultural Subjects: Your children can now count to ten in 12 languages (English, Latin, Sign Language, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Arabic with the Lebanese dialect, Italian, Russian, Romanian).
Peek In The Classroom:
This boy is working on a matching activity found in the language area. The purpose of this materials is to improve concentration, train visual memory, increase short term memory, increase attention to detail, improve the ability to find similarities and differences in objects, help to classify objects that are grouped by similar traits, and improve vocabulary.
Ms. Tonya is working with the Opposite Cards with this student. The aim for this material is introducing the child to opposites not only increases vocabulary, but it is a fun activity that forces the child to use higher order thinking skills thereby building his/her intelligence. Using picture cards that illustrate opposites gives the child a visual understanding of the words introduced. I love the excitement of this child as she finds the “match”.
She is working on the introductory work in the Math area called the Number Rods. The Number Rods purpose is to learn to count to ten and understand the value of each number. To learn the names “one” to “ten” and to associate the names with the quantities. As you notice the “quantities” is represented by the length of each rod. As a side note do you remember some Sensorial works that help with visual discrepancies? See how it starts to all come together?
The next step after the aforementioned Number Rods is the Number Rods with Symbols (actual numbers). After the child is comfortable associating the number rods with a quantity, Montessori classrooms use the Number Cards to introduce a symbol. This is an example of the concrete correlation of numbers and quantity.
Peek Into Next Week: Line Time- Fish
Letter Of The Week- I i
Rhyming Word Of The Week- bin
Next Language is Swedish
Person bringing snack for week of 10/21/2019 is Harper G
Upcoming Events: Halloween Party: Friday, November 1, 11 am (pizza lunch provided)… details to follow via email
Grandparents Day- Tuesday, Novemeber 5
BOX TOPS BOX TOPS BOX TOPS Mr. John wants pizza! Due 10/25/2019
Friends, Frolic, and Fun:
Fashion fashion fashion…. All day I thought she was a unicorn until I took the picture then she informed me it is a party hat.
For picture day we have plaid, plaid, plaid, plaid, argyle, and bow tie and suspenders.
Fanciness with big bows and sparkley dress on picture day.
