This year in the Montessori studio we will be holding observations by Zoom, which might be a first for a Montessori observation! While a virtual observation might not allow parents to see the entire studio, it does give parents an opportunity to be the proverbial fly on the wall and see a normal day in the life of your child. It will also give you a more uninterrupted, close-up view of your child than you might be able to have otherwise. 

The Montessori method is founded on observation. As guides, we regularly step back to observe children working. We call it an observation and not an evaluation because we are seeking to learn and gain insight about the child through her behavior. We are looking at the type of work a child is inclined towards, how a child is processing information and interacting with the environment, and how a particular child learns.  

What can we learn about friendship from the goby fish and the pilot shrimp? Quite a lot, it turns out! Afternoon learners are finishing their study of coral reefs with a focus on symbiotic relationships. Animals like the goby fish and the pilot shrimp keep each other safe and provide access to food by helping each other out in special ways. 

Just like the goby fish and the pilot shrimp, learners help each other in many ways. Group time is one of the times that learners share how they are helping each other. This morning an older learner told the studio, “I helped [a younger learner] put his backpack in his cubby.” Younger learners love to help in a number of ways, such as bringing a pencil or material to a friend during the work period, or holding the gate open for other learners to enter the playground.  

As part of the Montessori curriculum, we offer many group “grace and courtesy” lessons to help the learners develop prosocial skills and learn how to be a friend and a peaceful member of the community. We often introduce grace and courtesy lessons through role-playing, and invite each learner to take a turn practicing what to do and say in different scenarios. Children learn to ask questions such as “Would you like some help?” or “Excuse me, could you help me?” or “Could I use that when you are finished?”

Never help a child at a task at which he feels he can succeed.

— Dr. Maria Montessori

As Montessorians, we are looking for every opportunity to empower children to be independent.  A child’s self-confidence arises when she genuinely masters a challenging task. In the last week we have seen many beaming faces showing us deepening self-confidence and independence.  From the new child who overcame her fear of climbing the two big steps to the sink, to the returning learner who composes new words independently with the moveable alphabet, to the kindergartener who counted all the way to 125 on the bead chain, all showed the same pride when they realized they could accomplish something they couldn’t do before!

When we set up the studio before school starts, we are always thinking about how the environment sets learners up for independence. Are the towels to wipe up spills available in an accessible place for a child? Is the paper on the top shelf within reach so a child can get it himself without asking for help? The underlying question we are always asking is: are we setting up children to be dependent on us or independent?  

If you were a fly on the wall in the studio this week, or indeed any week of the year, you would see learners engaged in an activity unique to Montessori environments: taking out a rolled up mat, unrolling it on the floor, getting a work out, doing the work on the mat, then returning the work to the shelf, carefully rolling up the mat, and putting the mat away. This process is called the work cycle, and it is the basic unit of activity in the studio.

The work cycle asks a lot of new learners. They have to learn and remember where objects are in the environment; remember the sequence of an activity, including how to set up before beginning something; and keep their attention on a particular task all the way through clean-up. One young learner this week took out a tray with materials that she wanted to work with, and then wondered how she would be able to get out a mat since her hands were full. She learned that she needed to do one thing at a time in a different order. She put the tray back, got out a mat, and then retrieved the tray. This was an experience of delayed gratification and problem solving. This week in the studio, the older children challenged themselves to roll up their mats so tightly that the mats could stand upright by themselves. The younger learners watched this feat of fine motor skills and coordination, and it gave them extra motivation to practice.

Self-care is a phrase we often hear, especially now as individuals and families navigate a new set of routines and expectations. Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Effective and consistent self-care is key to a positive mood and mindset in both individuals as well as groups of people such as families. It can also improve relationships with oneself and with others.

In the Montessori studio at Acton Academy, the learners practice self-care in a variety of ways. Many of the practical life activities that take place in the studio fall into the category of “care of self” and are generally aimed at meeting the physical needs of the children. Examples include handwashing, food prep (such as tea making and apple slicing), independent dressing (putting articles of clothing such as shoes, gloves, and coats on and taking them off), and physical movement activities, such as yoga, that address the child’s physical as well as mental and emotional health. 

The learners also practice mental and emotional self-care in the studio. This occurs through singing, dancing, arts and crafts projects, reading, and breathing exercises (such as “the candle and the flower” demonstrated here). The learners also have opportunities for self-reflection. The studio’s library is the perfect location for this as it is designed to welcome one child at a time. 

Here are some self-care activities that your child can do at home:

While verbal communication and the use of kind and respectful spoken messages are modeled and encouraged in the Montessori studio at Acton Academy, the learners and guides also convey messages to one another nonverbally through various modes of silent communication. These methods can be useful and beneficial in a variety of situations at home as well as in the school setting. For instance, these tools can be used when working with a pre-verbal or nonverbal child, communicating with a child who speaks another language, encouraging children to preserve the silence and peace around them, and promoting ways to get an adult’s or another child’s attention without interrupting.

Reading to and with your children starting from infancy can have a profound effect on their development. Studies strongly suggest that early reading with children is directly linked to language and vocabulary acquisition, social-emotional development, preparation for academic success, improved focus and concentration, increased creativity and imagination, and the child’s bond with their caretakers.

Music can be profoundly beneficial to the development of young children. Musical experiences in childhood have not only been linked to increased brain development in academic areas such as mathematics, language acquisition, and reading skills, but also to social-emotional development, the building of confidence, increased creativity, and improved memory functions.

Establishing Rhythms and Routines for Acton at Home

At Acton our day is scheduled simply. Below is a snapshot of your learner’s day in the Montessori studio. Keep reading for some tips and take-aways for how to develop your own rhythms and routines at home! 

Keeping Them Moving

Movement is an important aspect of young children’s life and should be a part of their daily living. Gross motor movements involve the use and control of the large muscles in the body. Practicing these skills help children gain strength and confidence in their bodies. Exercise and physical activity are also an important part of any healthy lifestyle. Developing these skills at a young age prepares children for more complex activities in the future, such as playing an organized sport as a part of a team.