Hear from one of our Pre-Primary (3-6 Years) Directors – Christine Wright and Classroom Assistants Dharini and Viviane, as they share the exciting learning that is taking place during Term 3, 2020!
Welcome back everyone! Term three is well and truly underway, the children are steadily working across all subject areas and are having a lot of fun doing so.
The five year olds are gaining knowledge on their cultural studies. They have discovered that there are lots of trees in Australia. The Australian flags are really fun to draw, there is one that has stars and a red line like a window. The Aboriginal flag has colours like red, yellow and black and the yellow circle is the sun.
Some of the three and four year olds have been recently learning the sounds associated with the Sandpaper Letters and it has been so helpful and fun of course to be able to use our outdoor environment to help find the concrete examples of the sounds such as the birds drinking from the birdbath and the rain pounding down on the glass.
Observation
The most important part of Dr. Montessori’s work was observation. The discoveries made by continual observations of the child enabled her to develop a method of education which assisted the child’s own natural development. Dr. Montessori was a scientist and with her medical background made discoveries through scientific observation. It was the key to understanding the children within the classroom environment.
It is a great pleasure to continue to observe the children and their knowledge in the pre-school. The children have settled in well and are embracing the new challenges and presentations of a 3-6 environment.
Take a look at what they have been doing!
Practical Life:
“The things he sees are just remembered; they form a part of his soul.” Maria Montessori
The Prepared Environment encourages children to consider both objects and others. Because the environment is adapted to their inner needs, it is attractive and stimulating to them.
Everything in the Prepared Environment has its own special location. After material has been used, it is returned to its original place and condition so that other children can work with it or, not finding it, they know that it is already in use. The order of the environment arouses the children’s desire to maintain it.
Sensorial:
“The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.” Maria Montessori
The wonderful Sensorial materials are used in the Prepared Environment to help the children develop and refine his or her five senses. Use of these materials constitutes the next level of difficulty after those of Practical Life exercises.
Mathematics:
“Children display a universal love of mathematics, which is par excellence, the science of precision, order and intelligence.” Maria Montessori
In Montessori education, early mathematics serves as a bridge between the concrete world of Practical Life and Sensorial thinking, and the abstract world of complex thought.
Language:
“The development of language is part of the development of the personality for words are the natural means of expressing thoughts and establishing an understanding between people.” Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori believed spoken language was the foundation of what was yet to come. Children would have the possibility (if the language was solid) to explode into written language and reading.
The Montessori classroom views language as an intelligent product of the human mind. It is not given by nature. Rather, nature provides the organs that are required to acquire language and sensitivity towards it.
Cultural:
The Cultural subjects in Montessori provide our students with exposure to the many areas of knowledge they will encounter later on and enable them to acquire an early interest in learning about the world, its natural wonders, its people, history and culture, its music and art.
The children have created welcome hands for their Indigenous post outside their classroom. They are also discovering the culture and heritage of South America.
Happy birthday celebrations to Lawson who turned four this term!
Science:
Science in Montessori is a major component of the Montessori curriculum. It gives children opportunities to learn about fascinating areas of study in their early years.
The children have been discovering the names of the parts of the human body. They continue to experiment with primary and secondary colours with colour mixing.
The children are enjoying flower arranging with the daffodil flowers brought in by the children and those from the garden. Withered flowers and stems are cut and put into the compost along with leaves.
Music:
We continue to incorporate music as part of our daily routine. We choose one song to feature for the week. We listen to the song and then sing together as a group.
We are excited to know that we will be having music classes with James Madsen (Jam on Toast) in Weeks 5 – 9 of this term.
Connection with Nature:
The five year old children were fortunate enough to take part with Steve Willis in planting a tree for National Tree Day. The children continue to care for their chooks and for the plants inside and outside of their environment.
Movement:
The Montessori environment gives the children an opportunity to learn as they are moving. When the child is moving while they are learning the child will retain the information easier. The movement is also important for the physical growth of a child. Their bodies are growing and need to move throughout the day.
This term, the children have enjoyed the construction of their new 3-6 playground. They have danced with scarves and pushed wheelbarrows. They have collected bark and leaves in their new wheelie bins. They are designing towers by resting the plank on top of the new tyres. They have put together cooking ingredients using sand and sand tools.
The children are enjoying gardening and looking forward to planting herbs in their new plantation boxes shared with 0-3 outside our classroom. Thank you to Anahita and Steve, our Horticulturalist.
The term continues to be a productive and eventful one. Many thanks to all of you for your continued support in the smooth running of our environment.
Warm regards,
Christine, Dharini, and Viviane
