Hello Magnolia families,
Hope everyone is safe and healthy. It is hard to believe the year is almost ended. 2020 will be remembered as an unpredictable year when we remade how we structure our lives and interact with each other. The poet Mary Oliver said, “Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” That seems just right for this holiday season. Hope new year will bring new possibilities and ease the difficulties of this pandemic.
We did the following activities In each area .
Sensorial
In sensorial, Blue triangles have been introduced. The direct aim of this material is to show the “constructive power” (or analyzing power) of the triangle by exploring all possible shapes using these triangles. This work is the Preparation for geometry and to show that all plane figures constructed with straight lines are composed of triangles. Small hexagon box and geometric solids are also being reviewed.
Practical Life
Have you ever noticed a child’s desire to do the same things you are doing, from pouring milk into a bowl to sweeping the floor? The Practical Life area of the Montessori classroom helps a child independently and confidently perform daily tasks that he or she might find at home. During Maria Montessori’s extensive observations of the child, she discovered the importance of learning through movement and the senses. Research corroborates the vital hand/brain connection, proving that new pathways in the brain develop as children use their hands to explore and interact with the world. Folding work has been introduced this week. This activity serves multiple purposes. Direct aim of this work is concentration, coordination and independence. Their fine motor skills are also refined as they carefully fold and place it in the basket. Decorating the Christmas is the most popular work of the week.
Geography
We already have introduced land, air and water in Geography. Now children are learning about animals that fly in the air, live on the land, and in the water. They learned that some creatures sleep, eat, nest, and raise babies in trees or on rocks, while some on land and some in water. Children have sorted the pictures of animals and divided them in into three groups. We are also studying holidays around the world. Children enjoyed few presentations about the different holidays and their celebrations.
Math
In math, Teen bead hanger has been introduced. This is a wooden frame to hang the Teen Bead stair and match it with its correct numerical value from 10 to 19. Through this work some of our older children can successfully draw the association between the quantity (concrete) and the numbers (abstract). we are practicing writing numbers and learning the connection between quantity and symbol. Our older friends reviewed forty five layout and how to build complex numbers.
Art
In art, children painted with small brush. They are also doing gluing and torn paper collage with their favorite color papers. We are making Christmas cards and paintings.
Science
In science, children are learning the difference between weather and season. Weather is the short term state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place, including the temperature, humidity, cloud cover, precipitation, wind, etc., while season is each of the four divisions of a year, spring, summer, autumn and winter. We are reading books about hibernation and migration.
Language
In language we talked about how some animals live in a very cold environment and I asked the children how they thought those animals stayed warm. The first answer was that, animals have fur to keep them warm. We talked about how humans stay warm in cold weather. We put on extra clothes, we warm up our environment by putting on the heater and we stay indoors warm. We read the book “Bears” by Emma Halbrough. We also reviewed our sound basket. Children learned few new words starts with the phonetic sound from the first group. Our older friends are practicing sight words and reading three letter words books.
We cannot believe it is almost the end of the year. Children within our room have achieved many things, throughout the year becoming independent in every areas. This is our final Magnolia room newsletter for the year 2020! Thank you for all that you do to support us. We will do our best to provide your child with wonderful experience and care. We wish each of you a blessed Christmas and may we all have a happy and healthy New Year! See you next year 2021.
Credits:
Created with an image by BiljaST - "merry christmas merry christmas"