“The main thing is that the groups should contain different ages, because it has great influence on the cultural development of the child. This is obtained by the relations of the children among themselves. You cannot imagine how well a young child learns from an older child; how patient the older child is with the difficulties of the younger.” (Montessori: The Child, Society and the World) Children develop social skills more readily in a mixed age, learning how work and develop social sensitivities in a group, which builds a community. The older children enjoy helping others and learn to be sensitive to the needs of others by giving help to their peers in a positive way. As the children work cooperatively and respectfully, the younger children look up to their older peers and emulate their mentors. In the following years, the younger children become the leaders of the group and share skills and caring for the younger children in the community. Not much to look at yet, but bright, clean, and I think quite an inviting space!
Can't wait to get my school set up and going. "Teaching academics earlier is not helping children develop cognitive skills any sooner. Marcy Guddemi, executive director of the Gesell Institute, says that despite ramped-up expectations, including overtly academic work in kindergarten, study results reveal "remarkable stability around ages at which most children reach cognitive
milestones such as being able to count four pennies or draw a circle". Funneling academics down to preschools to “better prepare” children to deal with an already overly academic Kindergarten experience is a waste of time, and this “Miseducation”, as Dr David Elkind refers to it (in his book, Miseducation- Preschoolers at Risk) can cause “damage to a child’s self-esteem, the loss of the positive attitude a child needs for learning, the blocking of natural gifts and potential talents.” Read more on this subject here - www.janetlansbury.com/2010/11/4-reasons-to-ditch-academic-preschools/ We are relocating to a lovely home that is perfect for our little playschool!
Find us very soon at 503 E Lacrosse in Spokane Washington. We are all a bit giddy with the joy of moving closer to family, friends and our home town. opportunity to do something without ever having to worry about being wrong. their muscles in new ways. This is great for non-athletic children who typically shy away from physical activity in fear of failure or being picked last. It also helps athletic children to excel in other physical activities and sports. activities that a child can participate in. In day-to-day life, children compete on everything. Who’s the smartest? The tallest? The prettiest? The most popular? Who’s the best athlete? Who’s dad can beat up who else’s dad? The list goes on… judgmental…of both themselves and of others. Oftentimes, children’s (and adults’) harsh judgments of others stem from deep-rooted insecurity and a feeling that they are somehow threatened by others’ strengths. Acceptance is a large part of yoga. Children learn that they are okay just the way they are. And when they don’t feel the need to constantly compare themselves to others, they become more accepting of everybody else’s differences. that it not only builds muscular strength, but it also massages and maintains the internal organs. Twists, for example, literally wring out the central core. specifically to promote mental and physical balance. Mental clarity and balance emerge from the effort of trying the poses. Even if a child never learns to stand on one foot, if they can learn to stay calm when they fall—and to get up and try again—they’ve learned balance. As children gradually learn to increase their physical balance, they are filled with a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. to use their bodies in new ways. Through transaxial movement (across the axis of the spine), their mind is challenged and trained for greater coordination. documented evidence that yoga helps children to focus and concentrate in school and get better grades. That is because the asana practice encourages children to clear their minds and create a single-minded focus on the task at hand. integral to the practice. Young children learn about their spines, joints, and muscles. They learn how to manipulate their bodies and maximize their mobility. In yoga, we believe that nothing on our bodies was put here on accident. Our baby toes and jaws serve integral functions, just as our heart and lungs do. Therefore, we learn to keep all of our body parts alive and supple, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Yoga is fun. That’s all. It’s just plain fun. The flexibility that results from a child’s yoga practice increases his or her range of motion and helps prevent injuries. thinking skills and encouraging original thought. long, straight spine allows the good stuff to come in and the bad stuff to flow out”), children actually become excited to sit up straight and stand up tall. Make sure that they understand that this rule applies outside of yoga, too! challenges as opportunities, rather than difficulties. Even if a child is facing an extreme challenge with a particular pose or activity, encourage him or her to just try. Allow the child to modify the pose, if necessary (flexibility!) in order to find the success within the challenge. is very important to promote kindness and sharing in all children’s classes. Everyone in a yoga class should consider each other friends and equals, regardless of any labels (positive or negative) that others may give them in school. " Robots have taken over! Ok, not really, but we are reading all about them! Which has started some fascinating discussions amongst the kids. In fact, favorite topic this morning? What kind of robot they want to build, why and what they would create it to do.
All right, time to build! Today all the kids wanted to play with water! I love how much fun they have, getting wet and practicing their pouring skills.
They most often start with the toddlers pouring water out of small containers into big containers, after they have built some skill and confidence, they take great pleasure from being able to pour large amounts into tiny or narrow containers. Playing with water is almost everyone's favorite part of the day. Today I busted out the old champion juicer and everyone has enjoyed having a turn helping to make us all a fresh apple carrot juice. The kids bravely tasted the bright orange concoction, and declared it *yummy*.
Now we are discussing making muffins from the pulp, or if it will go straight to compost. |
AuthorMother of four, preschool teacher, herbalist, wholistic birth doula, midwife's assistant, nutritional counselor, and lover of play based learning. Archives
April 2015
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