This week the students learned that a leaf is one of the most important parts of a plant. They discovered that leaves produce food for the plant through a process called photosynthesis, and that leaves of different plants vary widely in size, shape and color. Also, the children learned the life cycle of a leaf and why leaves change color in the fall. They discovered the different parts of a leaf like: veins, blade, midrib, petiole and stipule.
Work Time
Moveable Alphabet: This child is identifying and matching the symbol for each sound he hears while sounding out the name of the object in order to correctly label each object.Hand Grasping: Initially the child will use his whole hand to transfer large items from one bowl to the next. Then they will start transferring smaller items like the child in this picture using their fingers. As the items for transferring become smaller the child is required to use their pincer grasp more and more strengthening their finger muscles needed to grasp a pencil.Animals/Continent World Map: These children are learning the names of the animals and where they live, while also sorting the animal picture cards and the seven continent labels in the appropriate location on the world puzzle map.Moveable Alphabet: This child is saying the word of the object and matching the symbol with the correct initial sound to the object.We found a lion on the playground at recess!Geometric Solids: This child is developing a sense of awareness of three-dimensional shapes to objects in his environment. He is able to identify and label shapes such as sphere, ovoid, ellipsoid, cone, cylinder, cube, triangular prism, square prism, triangular based pyramid and square based pyramid.Linear Counting: These children are working on one of our cubed bead chains, they are identifying the names of the numbers and seeing the correspondence of the quantities with the written number on the cards.Land/Air/Water: This child is sorting and naming objects that you would see in the sky, on the land or in the water.
Reminders
Parent Education Night Wednesday, October 25th at 6:30pm You can register to attend and for childcare by clicking this link
Halloween Party Friday, October 27, 2017
A Look into Next Week: Apples
The students will learn to describe an apple using all of their senses.
The students will discuss all the different shapes apples can be.
The students will taste test red, green, and yellow apples.
A Peek at Our Week | Elementary | Week of October 2nd
I can’t believe it’s already the first week of October! The students have accomplished so much in such a short time. All students discussed the differences between prehistory and history, made constellation tubes from your donated toilet paper and paper towel rolls, and practiced summarizing. This week first graders practiced math facts with the Addition Snake Game, had their first experience with Geometry Proofs, danced like molecules, and discussed density of objects on Earth. Our second graders began adding fractions with like denominators, added to their editing repertoire with inserting punctuation marks, and practiced finding good information for research. Third grade students measured using fractions and decimals, reviewed the use of the thesaurus, discovered equivalence of the constructive triangles, and found main characteristics of Porifera. The fourth grade students solved word problems about currency, learned about daffynitions (coffee – someone who is coughed upon), discovered relationships of angles in Euclid’s Theorem, and practiced proper adjectives. We spent time together this week practicing our play that we will perform for the Primary students at both campuses, trying papaya, and using a drill!
Elementary Montessori students do a lot of research throughout their six years with us, both independent and assigned. To help students feel successful, first year children are introduced to many research skills. These students learn how to use an index and table of contents, how to avoid plagiarism, how to determine if information is useful, and how to organize their information. This first grade student is recording research about Black Widows onto a research note card. This card must be labeled with the title, author, publisher, and copyright date for later use in a bibliography.One of our Spelling choices this week was “Michelangelo Write.” Students that chose this activity had to tape their paper to the bottom of a table before writing their words three times each. It was quite a sight to see students working on and under tables!Using a pumpkin from our Ramseyer Farm trip, students had their first chance to use the drill this year. Before using the drill independently, students had to learn how to insert the drill bit, how to put on and remove the battery pack, how to lock the drill, and how to drill forward and in reverse. Some students drew faces on the pumpkin before drilling out the shapes to make a jack-o-lantern.This fourth year student and a third year student wanted to practice estimation by estimating the amount of books in the entire school. They counted books in our rooms, Ms. Courtney’s room, the office, and the storage room, which is a separate self storage from the storage companies in Leicester. Their estimation was 1,001 books and the final count was 1,091.Thanks to your help collecting toilet paper and paper towel rolls, we were able to make constellation tubes. We began our work by defining the word “constellation” and sharing what we already knew. We looked at drawings of common constellations and then made our tubes. Students had to label their tubes with the name of their constellation and poke holes in the paper on top to form the constellation. You can see it if you look towards the light or shine a flashlight through the tube. We also have constellation cards on the shelf for students to practice their sewing skills!
A Peek into Next Week
Next week Lower Elementary students will discuss end punctuation, different types of measurement, indenting a paragraph, leaf veins and plant stamen, and will begin studying North America. Upper Elementary students will begin decimal studies, continue exploring Euclid’s Theorem, and work with the microscope. We have our first bus field trip on Tuesday, October 10, to Holden Arboretum. While there, we will learn about plants and animals of Ohio and try their Canopy Walk! Please dress your child for a day outdoors and send a disposable lunch.
REMINDERS: Holden Arboretum Field Trip 10/10
Please sign up for the Parent Education Night (10/25) about preparing your child for success now and in the future. You can sign up for the workshop here.
The past two weeks we have covered North America and the bodies of water surrounding the continent. We also covered Ohio and its surrounding states. We learned things like:
Tracing and labeling North America (Canada, United States of America, Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Hudson Bay, Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico).Learning and identifying the three largest countries in North America (Canada, United States of America and Mexico).Ohio’s state bird is a Cardinal.Ohio’s state flag is the only flag that is not a rectangular shape.
Our next unit we will be diving into is Landforms!
Academic Enrichment with Mr. John
Over the past few weeks together we looked at the bodies of water that “touch” the continent in which we live, North America. The students know that Hudson Bay is to the north and Gulf of Mexico is to the south. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and to the west is the Pacific Ocean. We also identified where the Great Lakes are. Do you know what the significance of “HOMES” is?
Next, we took a look at the great state of O-H-I-O. Your children know the official “things” of Ohio:
Tree: Buckeye Tree
Fossil: Trilobite
Mammal: White Tail Deer
Flower: Scarlet Carnation
Insect: Lady Bug
Drink: Tomato Juice
Rock and Roll Song: Hang On Sloopy
They also know it is the Buckeye State, the abbreviation is OH, and the capital city is Columbus. We also looked at the surrounding states of Ohio and learned the abbreviation and nickname for each.
Reading Group with Ms. Kate
This week our Reading Club read the story Big Wolf and Little Wolf. After the story, I encouraged the children to ask questions from the story. We then worked together as a team to come up with basic comprehension questions. After our discussions, we completed the sharing questions. The children really enjoy copy writing their sharing question from the white board. They feel so proud of their writings and drawings. During the next week, we will be focusing on vocabulary, acting out and analyzing a section of the text. We will also explore the story’s meaning by discussing interpretive questions!
Handwriting with Ms. Kristen
All of our practice using form drawing has paid off and the kindergarten students are working hard on forming their cursive letters. We are working our way through the alphabet. In the past two weeks, we have been working on C-H. The children are carefully learning step by step how to form each letter and are working on copy writing sentences using words beginning with the letter we are currently working on that day. I am so proud of our young writers!
This month has been full of exciting enrichment classes. Latin, Art, and Music are in full swing, with each class fully immersing students into the topic at hand. Each class has started with the fundamentals and progressively advanced through the month. Let’s take a look inside the enrichment classrooms for this month.
In Art class, students have been studying colors and how each interacts with the others. Students began by designing 3 dimensional cubes in the fashion of Mondrian using straight lines and primary colors. In the following weeks, students were able to connect themselves with colors by creating a self portrait in combination with colors of their choice. This month wrapped up with mixing only primary colors to create a full spectrum palette, then using those colors to paint pears. A solid foundation of color theory leads students to a more holistic understanding of what color is, how it is used, how we perceive it, and the connotations and emotions associated with each.
In Latin, students began studying the Greek gods and their influences on Greek and Roman culture. Students were familiar with many of these characters, but with further exploration, there is always something new to learn. Reading and writing Roman numerals came next as it is a staple in Latin language. Students also began exploring applicable Latin words, such as “hello,” “teacher,” and “bye.” In the future, students will continue to explore conversational Latin and language structure. With this understanding of different languages, students can begin to make the connections not only between Latin and English, but more importantly the influences languages have on each other and the overall structure of language itself.
In Music class students have been exploring the history of music and the numerous composers who have made an impact on how we understand music today. In the picture, students are researching Beethoven and his contributions to the musical realm. In class, students played “Name That Tune” and “Musical Hangman.” They also explored the staff and scales by becoming the notes and arranging themselves on a musical staff. In the latter half of the month, students began working with the handbells and playing “Jingle Bells,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” This musical journey allows students to make connections between the music they have heard in the real world, composers of the past and present, and their own musical creativity.
What a fantastic month we had in all our enrichment classes! We can’t wait to explore what the next month’s journey in Art, Latin, and Music.
This week we learned all about what respect is, and using our manners. Throughout the week, we had discussions about what is a peacemaker and what a peace breaker does. We also made our own classroom rules as a group. Together as a class, we also created a listening chart. I was super proud of how well the children grasped this concept!
Our friend here is working on the Geometry Cabinet. With this work the children discriminate their geometric shapes. They are also learning new vocabulary.Our kindergartners are working on their weekly journal entries. When children are journal writing they are able to write about personal experiences, and their reflections. It also teaches children that their thoughts, feelings, and words can be transferred from their minds to paper.This week our friend worked really hard on the trinomial cube. The purpose of the amazing material is for the preparation for mathematics, working on three dimensional patterns. This is also an introduction for algebra.
Take a Peek Into Next Week ! Next week is all about apples! We will be focusing using on the life cycle of an apple, learning about Johnny Appleseed, tasting different types of apples, and making homemade applesauce!
This week we talked about living and nonliving things. Your children now know what makes a living thing a living thing! All living things reproduce, grow, eat or take in nutrients, breathe or exchange gas, and need water. We are all in agreement that plants, animals, trees, grass, are living things!
A Montessori classroom consists of multi aged students. In the Primary Classroom we have 2 1/2 to 6 year old children. This is our newest 3 year old!The Number Rods are one of the beginning materials in the Math area. Number Rods help the child experience the “quantities” in addition to counting from 1 to 10.This Math work is called Cards and Counters. This reinforces that each symbol (number) is made up of separate quantities. *** Notice the other students observing the student working on this material *** A big part of the Montessori classroom is the student learning from their peers by observing or by the older student teaching younger students.Color Box 2 can be found in our Sensorial area. It is very attractive to our children with all the colors it contains. The children match the colors and identify what colors they are. We also introduce the terms primary colors and secondary colors when the student is ready.This material is called Pink Rhyming and found in the Language area. The Pink Series focuses on the short vowel sounds. Pink Rhyming consists of the five vowel sounds and rhyming word within each group. For example. HAT: bat, cat, fat, sat. DOT: cot, rot, hot. **** Notice younger students observing the older student work ****
Peek At Next Week:
Mammals: Characteristics: Warm Blooded, have hair or fur, vertebrates, born alive!
This week our “Peek” was written by two of our students! These students read our previous blogs, took pictures around the room, and filled in a blog template. The students did some editing together and with a teacher so what you will read below is their final product. There are still some misspelled words in their final product, but in a Montessori classroom we focus on the process, instead of the end result. Dr. Montessori believed when we put all of the emphasis on the final product, we devalue everything leading up to that point. This can discourage repetition which will make mastery of a skill difficult. The purpose of the students writing the blog is to provide you with a glimpse into the room through their eyes, to provide them with practice of real world skills, and to give them a deeper understanding of the materials in the room. We hope you enjoy their work!
“A Peek at Our Week” by Ainsley (Third Grade) and Tyler (Fourth Grade)
This week the first year students learned the artical. The second year students learned AM/PM. The fourth year student learned the noun folder. He also learned Estimation. This week the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years learned the yarn timelein.
This student is doing Spelling. His activities are write your words three times in cursive and write your words one time in bubble letters. Spelling helps with research.These students are lerning racks and tubes 3 digit division. The next step of this is division on paper.We held adishons for the halloween play. The adishons were for “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.”This student is doing science. She is practicing the volcano.
A Peek into Next Week
by Ms. Ashley
Next week, Lower Elementary students will be taking a deeper look at the Timeline of Life. First year students will discuss capitalization and the Dance of the Molecules. Second year students will edit sentences, measure angles, and discuss how animals satisfy their needs. Third years will discuss types of sentences and the main characteristics of Porifera. Fourth years will work with direct objects and will begin studying multiples. All students will study the compass and map keys. Some students will travel to Tallmadge Circle to complete their compass work!
REMINDERS: Picture Day is Tuesday, October 3. There will be no gym Friday, October 6.
This past week the children learned how our five senses help us understand and explore the world around us. Our five senses help us collect information about ourselves and our surroundings. They also learned to identify the five senses: hearing, tasting, smelling, touching and seeing. We discovered that sometimes we use two or more senses at once; and how important it is for our senses to work together. The children had the opportunity to practice using their senses to determine properties of objects and distinguish them from one another.
Taste testing sweet, salty, bitter and sour foods.
Work Time
Tracing Name: This child is tracing her name in cursive. By doing this she is developing fine motor skills and coordination because her eyes and hands have to focus on the same thing in order to form each letter.Color Box 2: This child is using her ability to discriminate and identify different colors in order to match them.Pumpkin Scrubbing: This child is using many motor skills while also remembering the order and sequence of each action to successfully pumpkin scrub, which naturally leads to the development of concentration.Floor Mopping: This child is mopping the classroom after lunch, doing this makes her more aware and willing to care for the classroom environment.Spindle Box: This child is matching the correct quantity of spindles to each numeral symbol. She is also being introduced to the concept of zero and what its symbol looks like, while also seeing the natural sequence of the numerals.Color Box 4: This child is grading different colors from lightest to the darkest, while also refining his sense of sight.Tracing Tree Puzzle: This child is tracing and coloring the tree puzzle by doing this he is learning how to grip and hold a pencil correctly. It also helps refine his hand control to steady the pencil.Pattern Peg Board: This child is reading the pattern control chart and creating the same pattern on the peg board. By doing this work she is gaining the skills needed to recognize and create patterns. This will not only help her determine patterns in math but also provide her with the needed pre-reading skills in language.Cursive Chalkboard Writing: This child is practicing writing cursive letters on a chalkboard. She is developing multiple skills involving her eyes, arms, hands, memory, posture and body control.Pyramid Puzzle: These students are matching the different colors together in order to create the pyramid shape. This puzzle involves not only the ability to concentrate but the ability problem solve.
Guest Reader (if you are interested in being a guest reader email me at cowens@themarterkids.com)
Reminders
Picture Day Tuesday, October 3, 2017
A Look into Next Week: Leaves
The students will observe the differences in leaf shape.
The students will observe the different Fall colors and the fun we can have with leaves.
The students will sort a variety of fall objects.
The students will learn different textures leaves have and identify them.
This week we had fun learning about the food groups in our class. Grains and Cereals, Fruit and Vegetables, Dairy (my favorite), meats and proteins, fats and sugars and how many servings we should have per day. Next week we will be identifying and learning the characteristics are of living things and non living things(non-living thing: me at 5 am in the morning). Notable events of this week was the death of guitarist Grant Hart from the band Husker Du and actor Harry Dean Stanton (Cool Hand Luke, Repo Man, Pretty In Pink,Wild At Heart).
Beginning to intermediate works in Math, focus on the correlation between quantity and symbol. This material (the 9 Tray) includes the quantity and symbol but goes beyond that and focuses on the unit, ten, hundred and thousand columns using the Golden Beads.
Kept the photo bomb! Color Box II contains 22 tablets/11 colors, primary colors, secondary colors, brown, gray, pink, black, white. The student gets familiar with these colors. The child matches colors and identifies the name of the color.Practicing cursive- Since all cursive lower case letters start from the same beginning point, the confusion resulting in reversals or inversions is eliminated. Cursive letters are more distinct than printed letters.The color Beads Bars are found in the Math area. Again, this material uses the concept of quantity and symbols. Each color bead represents a quantity( 1 through 10). The visual of the different color beads is particularly enticing for the child.
Sneak Peek for Next Week: Living and Non-Living
Together we will spend time over the week learning about the characteristics of Living Things
(take in nourishment, breathe or exchange gases, grow, reproduce,etc)
Letter of the Week: Ee
Rhyming Word of the Week: bad
