5-4-3-2-1

Here are some of the counting down songs we have been singing in class, in case you want to sing them at home.  I couldn't find the exact same versions of the songs that we sing, so some of the words are slightly different.  

Only we sing it a little differently; "Five green and speckled frogs sat on a hollow log..."

All work and no play

You've heard me say it before, and I'll probably say it again.  When children play with toys, dress up in fantasy costumes, build with blocks, or have tea parties with bears, they are doing nothing less than their job as children.  This is why at FPH, and at any Montessori school, the children's activities are referred to as work, not play.  Not that there is anything wrong with the concept of play.  Many of us adults could probably benefit from more time playing, and more time being playful.  But sometimes, when parents talk about children playing, there is an implication that we do not take what they are doing seriously.  We love that they play, we think it is adorable, but it is only play, after all.  

But remember, it is not that children get to play instead of work, it is that they love their job.

Montessori birthday celebration

The New Year presents an opportunity for learning about months and years and the passage of time, and the Montessori birthday ceremony fits in beautifully with this theme.  The birthday ceremony is an essential part of the history and geography curriculum.  In it, the birthday child holds the globe and walks around a sun.  The child makes a revolution for each year of his or her life, so a child turning 3 would walk around three times.  Children who attend Montessori elementary schools continue this tradition.  I once had a middle school student tell me that what she missed most about her Montessori elementary school was the birthday ceremony.

Back to school

The children were so excited to be back after vacation!  The first class in January can be challenging, as children readjust to classroom routines, but everyone got back in the rhythm seamlessly.

There is usually an even mix of interaction and individual activity.  This week there has been a lot of interaction.  It seems the children missed each other.

We have some new students in the class, and more will be starting in the next few weeks.  We are glad to be growing, but we will not lose that small school cozy feel you all love about us!

Talking to children about tragedy

After 9/11, my son, then 2, started building twin towers of lego and then knocking them down.  I had not told him anything, but somehow he picked up on something.  Children can tell when their parents are upset or afraid, and sometimes they know more than we think they do.  But what they know, and how they understand it, may be very different from what we would expect.  Be alert to signs they may have some fears they cannot quite express, and create openings for them to talk.

Avoid watching the news when they are in the room; young children pick up on much more than we realize.  

Ocho Kandelikas

This is the song we have been singing as we added candles to the Menorah last week.  Hanukkah is a great holiday for math!  Each day we counted the candles and added a new one, then counted the new number of candles.

I was trying to think of a simple song, other than the ubiquitous "I have a little dreidel", that would not require learning Hebrew.  Since we ave already practiced counting in Spanish, I thought this song was just perfect.

Elementary school tragedy

Everyone who works with children was forced to put themselves in the position of a teacher at Sandy Hook.  And most of us had occasion to realize something we may always have known, but never thought much about - we would not think twice before putting our bodies between a bullet and the children in our care. It's a daunting realization.