Finishing out October

It's hard to believe that October has passed us by already. Time is flying. So much learning is going on in L.E.!

Language

Lesson on Homophones work from the Montessori Skyscraper

Grammar Symbolizing sentences

Learning about prepositions

Nouns, nouns, nouns

Very excited about another Homophones work.

This student is learning about different syllable types. She is creating 2 syllable words with CVC or CVCC patterns.

Practicing more syllables using CVC-e patterns. Making words brings JOY!

New lesson on open syllables, too! So exciting!

Blue word bingo has become a very popular work. The words contain variable vowel teams, which can be difficult for young readers, but matching pictures give clues to help decode the words.

Verb game is always a popular work. One student reads the word and acts out the "action". The other student guesses the word. Verbs are later recorded in writing.

Use of Hieroglyphics as a writing tool has been another exciting new lesson.

Creating compound words from the Montessori Skyscraper word study lessons.

Playing "In or Out", determining whether words share both structure and meaning. This work is direct preparation for Scientific Word Investigation in Upper Elementary.

These students are practicing putting words in alphabetical order.

Creating letters/cards is always an excellent way to practice literacy skills. This student is creating a beautiful card for Ms. Heidi's birthday.

Ongoing cursive practice

Arithmetic, Geometry, and Fractions

This student is exploring Multiplication using the Pythagorean Board

Golden Beads are so versatile! We can use them to perform any of the four operations. This student is practicing subtraction of four-digit numbers with exchanging.

These students are using materials to independently solve math problems on their quarterly common assessments.

Multiplying large numbers using the Checkerboard

Practicing addition facts with the snake game.

Understanding the calendar by taking it apart and putting it back together again.

Adding three-digit numbers using golden beads.

Practicing reading four-digit numbers, building associated quantities, recording and reading the numerals.

Exploring the decimal system from 1 to 1000.

Learning about money by tying amounts to Montessori materials.

Understanding the decimal system using the exchange game

Trinomial Cube

Exploring equivalent fractions using the Fraction Circles

Exploring shapes with the Box of Sticks

Learning about Triangles with the Geometric Cabinet's Triangle Drawer

CULTURAL STUDIES

Learning about Physical Geography using the Land and Water Forms

Using the Celebration Sun and Seasons mat to learn about the Seasons, the Months of the Year, and how the movement of Earth around the sun is connected.

Learning about the Life Cycle of the Pumpkin

Learning about the Solar System

Further investigation of a planet

Working with Famous Paintings

Research of a Flag

Research on a topic of interest

"Research", or student-led discovery on topics of interest is often considered the "workhorse" of the Montessori elementary program. Students select a topic and a partner (subject to teacher approval) and then begin to gather information. In the beginning stages, the teacher is more involved. With practice, students require very little help from the teachers other than check-ins to ensure progress.

Resources begin with classroom materials

... and then expand the Encyclopedia. These children have just discovered that this encyclopedia even includes questions on their topic!

Experienced students help younger ones gather information and sort it.

Mutual interest in a topic helps drive learning.

Once information has been gathered, sorted, and re-written, children create models of their subject. These two researched the Great Wall of China.

It's so exciting to complete the process and "presentate" to the class.

Social/Emotional Learning

We've been doing a lot of learning in the social-emotional arena, and having many discussions in class about several topics. Perhaps most importantly, we've been discussing the difference between "Niceness", (which is concerned with appearances and being agreeable) and "Kindness", (which involves seeking fairness and justice, setting and enforcing boundaries for everyone's safety and well-being, and can often feel uncomfortable). We've talked about how getting help from an adult when a friend is unkind is actually an act of kindness and help for the friend, even though it may feel uncomfortable in the moment. We've also talked about how rules and boundaries help us to feel safe and protected, and how they are useless if not enforced. That tied in well with our visit to the government center!

We have also been attempting to find a healthy balance between helping others to follow class norms with friendly reminders, and when it's best just to let go and mind our own business. We talked about the "circle of control", and recognizing what is ours to do something about, and what is beyond our control.

Our bottom line as a community is:

If something is one of the

"THREE D's":

✅ Dangerous

✅ Destructive

✅ Disruptive

We SPEAK UP.

First time: Nicely (but never in the form of a question)

Second time: Firmly (this is where the Peace Feather could come in)

Third time: Get Adult Help!

We have also discussed that tactics like pestering (repeatedly asking a question when we didn't like the answer the first time), stomping off dramatically or crying in an attempt to get others in the group to feel sorry or change their minds, or making threats of any kind are all unhealthy forms of communication that may require an adult's help to manage.

Lastly, we have talked a lot about being exclusive, and what that looks like. It is often not enough to "not exclude", and we have been looking for opportunities to call or invite others in. We have learned that we can remove ourselves from others for quiet time alone if needed, but we cannot exclude by asking others to remove themselves from us. We have had to address the use of phrases like "best friends" or "bff", which are exclusionary by nature and are best avoided at school. True best friends are developed over many years and through many experiences over the course of a lifetime, and as adults, most of us have many friends throughout every area and capacity of our life. In our community at school, of course, we may prefer doing some things with particular friends, and other things with others, but we are all friends. There is no need to use such terms at school, and in fact, their use becomes divisive very quickly.

There's a lot to learn, but by addressing these things explicitly and directly, we are seeing daily growth and awareness. So much of what we do each day is about learning how to be peaceful, healthy humans, both individually and as part of a community. Thank you for sharing your children with us.