Courtyard Courier Volume 56, Term 1 2014 A Few Words Shelagh Powell For those families who will leave us at the end of the term, we bid you farewell and hope the next stepping-stone in your child’s education is as rewarding as the time spent at the Courtyard. A very warm welcome to everyone at the Courtyard and a special welcome to new parents/whanau caregivers joining us since our last Courier went out in November. The early years of your child’s life are a critical influence on lifelong learning and development and our community at the Courtyard recognise and respond to this. School photos took place on Monday, so we look forward to seeing the outcome of those. The photos were taken of individual children and of each class. Des Ellery consistently produces some great work so I am sure everyone will be keen to buy these to add to the family photo album. For those families who will leave us at the end of the term, we bid you farewell and hope the next stepping-stone in your child’s education is as rewarding as the time spent at the Courtyard. A big thank you for your support and the contributions you have made to the preschool during your time with us. Next event will be the AGM and this year we have decided to circulate the reports a few days prior to the meeting and hold the AGM first thing on Thursday 27 March in the Saffroom at 9.00am. We have slipped into 2014 nice and easily after the summer holiday break. The preschool underwent a face lift of sorts, as our insurance work post-earthquake was carried out. There is continuing work to be done, especially on the stone wall around the perimeter of the school however it is expected that this will cause only minor disruption to the outdoor environment, with some of the playground being cordoned off to accommodate the work. We are also installing a new sink unit into Room 1 within the Practical Life area to enable children to more easily wash their plate and cup and wash other utensils associated with this area. The existing sink unit will be completely used for art related activities. We are also replacing the existing deck outside the Room 1 foyer with the same material as the front deck to offer a more consistent look. The area surrounding the sandpit where we currently have compacted quarry dust will be replaced with pavers; John Allen will complete this work. Our Parent Education Evening focused on the Montessori Philosophy and how we in turn interpret this in to our classroom. This evening was primarily geared toward new families joining our community and we thank those who attended this evening and hope you took away one piece of information. A friendly reminder to those who have re-joined the preschool after the summer break and to new families recently started, please be careful when parking your car in the morning and at pickup time. Somerfield and Selwyn Streets are very busy and we encourage patience and caution. The car park is for staff only, simply because it is too small to accommodate cars successfully manoeuvring in and out. The gate leading in to the school via the car park is a no go area too for obvious health and safety reasons. Ka Kite Shelagh Powell What is the Montessori Method of Education? Shelagh Powell Montessori education is both a philosophy of child development and a rationale for guiding such growth: The environment is carefully prepared and provides many and varied opportunities to pursue interests through exposure to materials and experiences. The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr Maria Montessori, is a child-centred educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Montessori’s Method has been time tested, with over 100 years of success in diverse cultures throughout the world. It is a view of the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child-physical, social, emotional, cognitive. The Montessori Method of education is designed to take full advantage of children’s desire to learn and their unique ability to develop their own capabilities. Children need adults to expose them to the possibilities of their lives, but the children determine their response to all the possibilities. Children are to be respected as different from adults and as individuals who differ from each other. Children possess an unusual sensitivity and intellectual ability to absorb and learn from their environment that is unlike those of the adult both in quality and capacity. The most important years of children’s growth are the first six years of life when unconscious learning is gradually brought to the conscious level. Children love to be involved in purposeful work, for example sweeping up the leaves, peeling the carrots for tea, folding the washing etc. They work, not as an adult for the completion of a job, but the sake of an activity itself. It is this activity which enables them to accomplish their most important goal: the development of their individual selves. Montessori spoke of the purpose of long, uninterrupted blocks of work time that allows children to select work freely, eventually becoming absorbed in work that has a particular fascination for them at a specific point in their development. Interruptions, no matter how valuable the alternative activity might seem to be, disturbs the fragile development of children’s focus, concentration, and intellectual exploration on his or her own. Montessori observed that children experience sensitive periods, or to define what this actually looks like, windows of opportunity, as they grow. As children develop, we match appropriate demonstrations and materials to these sensitive periods when learning is most naturally absorbed and internalised. In early childhood, Montessori children learn through sensory-motor activities, working with materials that develop their cognitive powers through direct experience: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and movement. When children turn five and onwards, they continue to organize their thinking through work with the Montessori learning materials and an interdisciplinary curriculum as they pass from the concrete to the abstract. They begin the application of knowledge to real-world experiences. Encouraged to focus their attention on one particular activity at a time, children work at their own optimum level – in an environment where a full complement of specifically designed Montessori learning materials are meticulously arranged and available for the child to choose in an aesthetically pleasing and ordered environment; this is particularly emphasised and appreciated. A spontaneous love of "work" is revealed as the child is given the freedom (within boundaries) to make choices. Montessori teachers are trained teachers in the classroom, always ready to assist and direct. Their purpose is to stimulate children’s enthusiasm for learning and to guide it, without interfering with their natural desire to teach themselves and become independent. Children work through the individual cycle of activities, and learn to truly understand according to their own unique needs and capabilities. This might mean that some children need more practice of an activity, or time to internalise the skill and concept for longer – each child is different. Everything in a Montessori classroom has a specific use or purpose. There is nothing in the prepared environment that children cannot see or touch. All of the furniture and equipment is scaled down to the child's size and is within easy reach. A quality Montessori classroom has a busy, productive atmosphere where happiness, purposefulness and respect abound. Within such an enriched environment, freedom, responsibility, and social and intellectual development spontaneously flourish! A mixed age range is a hallmark of the Montessori Method: younger children learn from older children; older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered. This arrangement also mirrors the real world, where individuals work and socialize with people of all ages and dispositions. This works beautifully at the Courtyard and we continually strive to offer an authentic Montessori Education to all children who attend. Extended and Full Day Programmes Maree Hawtin-Morrow Just as in the Montessori classroom in the mornings, the mixed age groups mean that older children get to scaffold the learning of the younger ones giving them a chance to take on leadership roles with their peers. As we have so many new families in the system, we thought it was timely to explain how the Courtyard works the Extended Day and Full Day programmes. When your child starts at the Courtyard at around three years old, you are welcome to enrol them in the Full Day programme for one-four afternoons per week. Many parents do this as it allows for more flexibility with their working hours. Children stay in the Full Day group until the age of four years two months old. The Full Day group has a teacher all to themselves. The activities they do are varied and exciting, aimed at developing skills such as cutting, pencil grips and also delving into the early Montessori didactic materials of the Sensorial, Environmental, Language and Maths curriculum areas. Other popular activities are interactive music and story times, art and baking, just to name a few. We are also very fortunate to have the team from Playball come in two terms per year, one day per week, teaching the Extended and Full Day children fundamental ball skills. At certain times of the year, the two groups meet together to do other activities too, as we are this term, doing gardening and other associated activities. Children in the Full Day programme learn alongside their peers. The ages of the children in the group will vary as I mentioned above and this is advantageous to all of the children. Just as in the Montessori classroom in the mornings, the mixed age groups mean that older children get to scaffold the learning of the younger ones giving them a chance to take on leadership roles with their peers. Younger children learn the most through observation and the learning will be more meaningful having older children role modelling correct classroom behaviour and activities to them alongside the teacher. The skills of persistence and focus learnt in the Practical Life area of the classroom are expanded upon in the Full Day programme. As these skills become engrained in the child, all sorts of extension materials can be used in order to build on growing knowledge. Children then move in to the Extended Day programme at the age of four years two months. At this point, we stipulate they must stay for at least one Extended Day per week and at four years six months this moves to two Extended Days per week. The Extended Day afternoon consists of some of the more challenging pieces of Montessori equipment. The activities in the Maths and Language curriculum areas of the classroom that the children will be working on during the morning session are again extended upon. For example, if the children are working with the numbers up to ten, we will do a group demonstration of the Sequin A Board, which looks at the teen numbers which is a natural progression. Or if they are already working with teen numbers, we would show the group the Sequin B Board which deals with counting up to 100 in 10’s. As with all Montessori materials, everything is set up from left to right, simple to complex, and all activities have a prerequisite. The teachers devise a programme plan that will sit somewhere in the middle of the abilities, strengths and interests of the children enrolled. If any of the children are struggling with the content of a certain plan, the teacher will always provide an activity to those children that may be a step before or a prerequisite. In the past and probably again this year, the Extended Day children have been able to walk with the teachers down to a Pottery Studio in the immediate vicinity, to take pottery lessons, one day per week for a whole term. Having said this though, for the last couple of terms, the pottery teacher has come to us and this has worked beautifully too. This has always been a very popular attraction and the Full Day children always talk about aspiring to be an Extended Dayer to do this very exciting activity! The Extended Day group has bussed to the A&P Show, as well as small trips to the local libraries and different community events. Because they are older and able to walk further, excursions in to the community happen more often. We have plans for the Extended Day and Full Day groups for next term and beyond and we hope they will really enjoy the challenges and fun ahead. The Timeline of Children’s Written Assessments Helen Westrupp dispositions, along with the usual reflection on learning , and where to next. At the Courtyard we offer a more individualised parent/teacher interview process. These are written from the teacher’s perspective based on observations and working alongside your child. The assessment includes activities you child is enjoying, how we are extending and challenging them, possibly any areas of concern and just generally how they are developing in the preschool environment. The following interview, Planning for Learning 3 , takes place approximately six months from a child’s fifth Birthday. This interview gives opportunity to discuss options in regard to remaining at preschool to complete our three year programme. We will also provide you with a Beyond Five pack to take home and read at your leisure. It describes all the benefits of staying in this environment after the age of five. There are six interview templates and each interview has different headings that correspond with where your child fits in their journey at preschool. The headings in the templates dictate what content is written under that particular heading. For example one heading is titled Developing Interests from the Montessori Curriculum so we cover what your child is showing interest in. Recently we developed a Beyond Five interview as a lovely way for the teachers and parents to touch base about your child’s learning, aspirations and how we can support them in their final year at preschool. When teachers are beginning to write the interview you will receive a Parent’s Planning for Learning form. There are three boxes for you to comment on. These are Strengths, Interests and General Comments. We love receiving these as they offer a snippet of what your child is up to in the home environment and this information can be woven into the interview. It is great finding out little interests that have emerged on the home front that they might not be showing us yet. This way we can observe the child for signs of interest here and then present them with any materials accordingly. We really encourage you to return your form to us so we can discover any untapped interests or concerns. The final written document is a Transition to School Letter. This document is written from the teacher’s perspective, taking into account observations and professional knowledge. This letter is written covering the primary school key competencies. The primary school teachers really appreciate these letters as they can provide valuable insight into the child and help with settling in and preparation of their class. We will always give you the option for a meeting after you have received the assessment via email. Some parents do not feel that a meeting is required, however if you want to touch base and have a chat regarding the interview then that is fine too. We offer times to meet at usually 8.15am all week and after session at 2.45pm or 3.45pm Monday-Thursday. Teachers do book in the catch-up, so if you are wanting to meet and secure a time, please approach the teacher as soon as you can. These catch ups are allocated for a 20 minute timeframe and it is essential that we adhere to this in order for us to complete our class work. The first interview we write is called a First Term Interview and as the name describes, it is written after a child has completed their first term with us. This interview focuses on how your child has settled in, social and emotional development, developing little routines and working within the expectations of their new preschool environment. The second interview is six months after the first and is called a Planning for Learning 1. Below is a visual time line of our interview process based on a child commencing preschool at three.  Six months on, we hold a Planning for Learning 2. This is more in-depth and covers perceptual motor development, work skills and Child Starts 3 First Term Interview Planning for Learning 1 Planning for Learning 2 Planning for Learning 3 Beyond Five 4 Transition to School 5 6 Montessori Maths Curriculum – In The Classroom Kim Gardener To start a child off on their journey in maths, it is important for them to develop a base knowledge of numbers. Maths in the Montessori classroom is a well thought out curriculum which follows a structured progression of activities from simple to complex. It is much more than just learning about numbers. Our maths curriculum can cover a vast range of activities from simple counting to working with large numbers in the thousands. The purpose of the Montessori maths curriculum is two-fold. One is to aid children in developing their mathematical mind. The other, to aid the child in developing skills necessary for mathematical work, such as the knowledge and understanding of quantity, symbols and sequence. The way we deliver the maths equipment follows Maria Montessori’s practice of presenting concrete such as beads first then moving on to abstract such as number cards before combining the two. It is important to note, not all children will work with each piece of maths equipment before heading off to primary school as there must first be interest from the child in doing so. Our role and responsibility as teachers is to foster, build on and expand a child’s interest. Montessori is not about ensuring children know a prescribed set of ‘performed activities’. Once we notice a child is interested in numbers we begin by introducing them to some simple didactic materials. These include sandpaper numerals, number rods and simple number card and counter matching activities. The purpose of these activities is to teach the child to recognise and learn the names of the numbers, learn quantity from 1-10 and to form a tactile impression of the number in their mind. These learning goals are not made obvious to the children as they work with the activities. Next, the child will begin to explore activities which contain ‘unfixed’ aspects such as the spindle boxes. This activity has ‘fixed’ numerals with the ‘unfixed’ aspect of the spindles. The child then has the challenge of matching the correct amount of spindles to the corresponding numeral. We have a range of similar activities for the child to explore and consolidate their knowledge of associating quantity with number. These activities support the child to become confident with one to one counting, recognising numerals, placing them in order and associating quantities to them. After the child has consolidated their knowledge of these activities by repeating them, there are a few different routes they could take. These include learning about the decimal system, working with teens or groups of ten and different number combinations. The path the child takes depends on our observations of their current interests or passion for a particular activity. If the child is interested in the decimal system, they will look at working with the golden beads and the hierarchy, or large number cards. This is what we use when introducing the place values of ones, tens, hundreds and thousands. The golden beads are the concrete representation of this system as the child can feel and see what a number looks like, and the number cards provide the symbolic representation of the numbers. Finally, we combine the two and when the child is working at this stage the possibilities of number combinations are endless. If the child was interested in learning about teens and tens, they would be introduced to the Seguin Boards. These materials are focused on learning the names, symbols and names of numbers from 10 to 99. Also featured in this part of the maths curriculum is the 100 board which provides the symbolic aspect, and the 100 and 1000 chains, which provide the concrete aspect. By working with these materials, the child can practice counting from one to one hundred. Naturally, the child may begin to recognise pattern and sequence within their work while exploring these activities. When a child understands the concept of number combinations, they can have a lot of fun with their work. To foster learning addition, multiplication, subtraction and division, we can offer a range of activities in a multitude of ways. The child may initially return to the number rods and short bead stair to consolidate their learning and further develop their understanding of these concepts. They may then move onto the addition strip board as a way to learn further addition combinations and the golden beads are used for all four operations. To start a child off on their journey in maths, it is important for them to develop a base knowledge of numbers. This can be done at home by singing songs containing numbers, reading numbers on letterboxes on your walk to preschool or by pointing out numbers on price signs at the supermarket. Mathematical language such as describing bigger and smaller or thickest and thinnest also provide children with an early understanding of mathematical concepts. The materials in the sensorial area of the curriculum also provide children with an experience of volume, length and width. They are specifically designed to provide an indirect preparation for a journey into the maths curriculum as materials such as the pink tower range from one centimetre cubed up to ten centimetres cubed. The red rods range from 10 centimetres in length to 100 centimetres. It may be important to note, children only in a sensitive period for maths are going to receive the full benefits from this area of the curriculum. This curriculum is designed to be used at the child’s pace, so if they wish to remain working on a particular area to consolidate their learning this is fine. They move onto the next concept when they have developed confidence, mastery and feel ready. It is recommended children complete the full three to six year Montessori programme as they need time to consolidate their learning from their journey through the Practical Life and Sensorial areas. Children may not be interested in maths until after four to four and a half years of age, so leaving may mean they miss out on a great mathematical foundation, development of confidence working with numbers and a passion for learning that will support them greatly at primary school. Children learn when they are ready and have developed an interest so together, let’s keep an eye on what your child is interested in. Language Within Our Environment Debbie Cocks Regardless of the challenges in life, children learn that ‘when I try I can succeed’. The beauty of the Montessori classroom is that it does not only prepare the child for school but for LIFE! Maria Montessori’s educational philosophy is one of the clearest paths to allow children to recognise that they can learn. Regardless of the challenges in life, children learn that ‘when I try I can succeed’. As educators within the Courtyard Montessori Preschool we prepare and arrange an environment that enables each child to be calm, alert and focused. Maria observed that children between the ages of zero to six years are in a period that she called ‘the absorbent mind’. She stated that a child unconsciously absorbs information from their environment between the ages of zero to three years, listening to language within their home and consciously selects from the environment information that further develops the senses during the following three to six years. Maria also believed that children at this age were in a ‘sensitive period’ for language at a much earlier age than previously assumed. She stated that during this time, sentence structure, pronunciation, parts of speech, and grammar ‘knowledge’ can be more easily acquired when taught in a step by step activity way. A ‘sensitive period’ for learning is when a child is passionately interested in a certain subject. Maria deemed that it was very important for experiences to be provided at this time as the child will learn in an almost effortless fashion. This is where within our environment we as educators are able to recognise and detect the sensitive period through observation and capitalise on this by providing the optimum learning setting. After an introduction or ‘demonstration’ of materials, the child is able to independently educate themselves, revisiting the materials whenever desired. Our classroom environment is arranged in a variety of curriculum areas, beginning with the Practical Life area which encourages motor education, concentration and task perseverance. The Sensory materials are for training of the senses, which then leads on to the academic materials for teaching writing and reading. The two main aspects of language are receptive and expressive. Receptive involves listening and reading, while expressive entails speaking and writing. As part of our classroom ‘mat times’, we teach the ‘letter of the week’ by teaching the sound of each letter which is where the phonetic process begins. Within the Montessori environment there are four main curriculum areas of language presented on the shelves moving from simple to complex; Handwriting, Spelling, Reading and Grammar, and each contains a logical purpose and sequence. For Handwriting, we begin with the geometric metal drawing frames and insets which encourage the muscular control of a pencil, the sandpaper letters which teach the form and the large moveable alphabet for classification of letters. In preparation for Spelling, the large moveable alphabet is again used, this time for analysing spoken phonetic words and matching the letters, and the small moveable alphabet which teaches common phonograms. Preparation for Reading encompasses introduction to phonetic reading using three and then four lettered phonetic words. This introduces the decoding of words and matching with objects. Phonogram reading is also covered within this area. We always use the ‘sound’ of each letter, instead of the name. Our reading programme also enhances the early stages of reading, as they too begin at the simple ‘Lettergetter’ stage of associating sounds with words and follows through to a more advanced book, where children are actually ‘reading’ for meaning and they have good knowledge of sight words by now. The final stage is preparation for Grammar which gives experience of each part of speech using fun oral games and then reading the same. Singular and plural and masculine and feminine word change activities are also included. The ‘farm’ activity is a model collection that enables practice with articles, nouns, adjectives, prepositions and conjunction. It is important to point out that language activities, like any other, are introduced when children show an interest and enter in to a sensitive period. Often some of our more complex activities are designed for children in their fifth year, thus highlighting the importance of our three-six year programme. Grace and Courtesy Nicki Sullivan The various lessons presented to the children during ‘Grace and Courtesy’ time encourage children to be respectful of others and things around them. Some of you, particularly parents new to Montessori, may be wondering exactly what our ‘Grace and Courtesy’ time in the beginning of our mornings entails. The title certainly nods towards good manners and you wouldn’t be wrong in that summation, however it encompasses a lot more than children simply minding their ‘ps and qs’ (good manners). Let me explain further. The Montessori classroom is a carefully prepared environment created specifically to meet the needs of the child both physically and emotionally; it is about educating the ‘whole child’. Montessori introduced lessons in ‘Grace and Courtesy’ in response to the young child’s need for order and understanding, and to build on their knowledge of social structures in order to be more comfortable in their learning environment. The Montessori philosophy provides a base from which children learn and develop the notions of caring, respect and consideration for others. The various lessons presented to the children during ‘Grace and Courtesy’ time encourage children to be respectful of others and things around them. The notion of being respectful is demonstrated by teachers through modelling and practice, whereby children learn appropriate social behaviour, reflecting in a more pleasant environment in the classroom and beyond. One example we recently reflected on during our ‘Grace and Courtesy’ time was shaking hands. This is an action we undertake when welcoming the children into the classroom and then when saying goodbye at the end of their day. It is not merely the shaking of the hand, but the spoken reply and eye-contact involved too. This combined ‘whole package’ allows for/determines more refined social skills, confidence and independence. As the colder months approach, the teachers may look at how the children can catch their sneeze or cough more hygienically, to help prevent it being passed to others. Other reflective practices may be promoting the careful and mindful carrying of scissors or knives, passing through a narrow space, politely interrupting someone or asking for their help, effective communication skills, or how to wash and dry hands effectively to help rid them of germs. Other times we may focus on how to mindfully or correctly do an activity. The list goes on….!! Montessori also emphasised the relationship of these lessons to the general happiness and wellbeing of the child. “A child who becomes a master of his acts through… repeated exercises [of Grace and Courtesy], and who has been encouraged by the pleasant and interesting activities in which he has been engaged, is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline” (Montessori, 2007, p.93). Ultimately, from the lessons learnt in ‘Grace and Courtesy’, the child begins to set the foundation for a dignified and respectful living for themselves and others, preparing a strong and positive foothold into society. Perhaps the proof is in the pudding!  Nā te moa I takahi te rātā ~ Early influences will last throughout life, take care of the young. A New ‘Courtyard Courier’ Feature: Exploring Some of the Sensorial Materials Direct purpose of the cylinder blocks: visual discriminations of dimensions. Preparation for the pink tower. Direct purpose of the pink tower: visual discrimination of volume associated with muscular discrimination – preparation of the mathematical mind. Keys words for children: biggest and smallest. Direct purpose of the broad stair: visual discrimination of thickness - again in preparation of the mathematical mind. Key words for children: thickest and thinnest. Through working with the pink tower and broad stair children learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning either working by themselves or alongside friends. “The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge. Our apparatus for educating the senses offers the child a key to guide his explorations of the world.” Maria Montessori (The Absorbent Mind)