Administrator, Author at Sammamish Montessori

Congratulations to 6 SMS Alumni Honored as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists!

October 14, 2019 By Administrator

We wish to give special congratulations to the six past Sammamish Montessori School students, now high school seniors, who have been named as semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Aneesha Ramesh (International Community School)

Isha Murali (Nicola Tesla STEM High School)

Sowmya Pratipati (Nicola Tesla STEM High School)

Maneesh Rajagopal (Redmond High School)

Mukil Shanmugam (Redmond High School)

Ananya Srivastava (Redmond High School)

These six students now attend Lake Washington School District and are part of the 47 total LWSD students named as National Merit Semifinalists who all attended Sammamish Montessori School (plus two more were summer school students: congratulations to Max Wang and Sofiya Mitchell). We are so proud of our alumni students and excited to see their future academic achievements and success in life.

According to the College Board, approximately 15,000 semifinalists across the nation had the highest scores on the PSAT taken by 1.8 million juniors this past year. To qualify, each student must submit an application that includes academic transcripts, an essay, and a letter of recommendation. Approximately 7,600 of those finalists are awarded Merit Scholarships, which, in total, are worth about $31 million.

National Merit Scholarship Program

Click here for more information about the National Merit Scholars program and all semifinalists in Washington State.

History of the Montessori Method of Education

October 1, 2019 By Administrator

Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was the first woman physician in Italy. She also had a degree in biological anthropology which honed her powers of meticulous observation and formed the basis of her system of education. She was not trained as a teacher, although she did take some education classes so that she could observe the schools of the time. This freed her up to study how children learn, in a detached and rational manner. Her talent was to see children as they really are, not as adults think they are or ought to be.

Her first job was the director of a residential institute for developmentally delayed children who, because of superstition and shame in those days, were ostracized from their families. Believing that these children might be capable of some learning, she developed diagnostic and teaching materials based on the work of Itard and Sequin (researchers and educators) and continued to observe and experiment. Many of these children were eventually able to pass the state exams. Montessori remarked, “If these children are able to do so well, then typical children must surely be capable of achieving so much more.”

In January 1907 Montessori was asked to supervise fifty 3 to 7-year-olds who were running wild in the slums of San Lorenzo, a district of Rome. She was given a room in a tenement building and one unqualified teacher. She provided the children with some toys and her diagnostic materials (the basic sensorial materials) to give them more to play with. In time the children discarded the toys and go the diagnostic materials out of the cupboard on their own. Over time more sensorial materials were added, using what was at hand (the color tablets are based on cards of colored embroidery thread). Montessori taught them life skills, even how to blow their own noses. They were excited to learn and progressed by leaps and bounds, even learning to read and write. Montessori introduced child-sized tables and chairs, which were unknown at that time. This whole phenomenon of children working at their own pace, using materials selected for their abilities and designed to stimulate independent exploration was new. To see children’s natural curiosity satisfied and begin to experience the joy of discovering the world about them sparked worldwide interest.

Montessori noted that many children were frustrated by a lack of proper stimulation and inadequate opportunities to achieve. She observed that children can have long attention spans when not interrupted. They become happier and more self-controlled after a period of time in the orderly environment she had created, working with their hands and making their own discoveries. Here they were introduced to challenging tasks that not only absorbed their energies but also resulted in a sense of achievement.

This led Montessori to develop the planned system of education that bears her name. Many Montessori schools were established during her lifetime and today there are thousands of private Montessori schools in the United States, hundreds of Montessori public school classrooms and countless Montessori schools operating throughout the world.

Principles of Montessori education:

Movement and cognition are closely entwined; movement can enhance thinking and learning.
Learning and well-being are improved when children have a sense of control over their lives.
Children learn better when they are interested in what they are learning.
Studies have shown that linking rewards to an activity (like gold stars or stickers) negatively impacts motivation to engage in that activity when the reward is withdrawn. (It shifts the focus from the activity to the reward.)
Children have a great sense of order and are more secure when there are no surprises.
Until children develop at their own speed, they are not put in group situations where they could be perceived as fast or slow.
The environment is conducive to children being able to casually observe lessons being given to the older children; this piques their interest and desire to progress.
Older children are able to help younger children and this consolidates the older children’s knowledge and fosters kindness and good social skills.
Older children act as role models for younger children (how to sit, follow directions, stand in line, etc.)
The work in the classroom is sequential; a child does not progress onto the next step until the first set is fully mastered; in this way a child never encounters work that is too difficult and is never left floundering.
A child encounters many small successes along the way and these build a child’s self-confidence.
School should be a happy and positive experience to which a child looks forward with happy anticipation.
Children who acquire basic skills in a natural way have the advantage of beginning education without drudgery, boredom or discouragement. They gain enthusiasm for learning, which is the key to becoming a truly educated person.

Sensitive Periods:

Through keen observation, Montessori found that children have sensitive periods, a window when they are tuned in to certain stimuli. These intense periods, when a child can learn instinctively, happen in the early years when the brain is forming itself. The Montessori system is based on the unique cycle of learning that takes advantage of these sensitive periods.

About the Article’s Author: Joan Starling, Founder, Sammamish Montessori School serving preschool and kindergarten students in Redmond WA.

Joan established The Sammamish Montessori School in 1977. She began her long career in Montessori education more than four decades ago training under two Montessori teachers who were themselves trained directly by Dr. Maria Montessori. One of them, a wise and practical woman, Margaret Homfray, when young in the late 1930s, accompanied Dr. Montessori on trips to translate her lectures on her speaking tours. Joan has been a pioneer of Montessori education in the greater Seattle area, establishing one of the oldest Montessori schools on Seattle’s Eastside and now one of the largest Montessori schools in the state. Joan’s two daughters (Janet Villella and Hilary Prentice) now share the running of the school, are active in the Montessori community and are supported by a wonderful group of exceptionally talented, well educated and experienced teachers, assistants and supporting staff from all over the world.

Is My Child Ready for the Montessori Early Childhood (age 3-6) Classroom?

September 16, 2019 By Administrator

Whether you’re a 30-year old moving into a new country or a 3-year old moving from the Montessori Prep program into the Montessori Early Childhood classroom for preschool-kindergarten (ages 3-6), or simply joining the Montessori Early Childhood classroom (ages 3-6), transitions can be frightening.

Montessori Toddler classrooms are specifically designed environments that cater to the unique needs of toddlers (between the ages of 18 months to 3 years). The Sammamish Montessori School Montessori Prep Program is designed specifically for children ages 2-1/2 to 3 who are still working towards readiness for a Montessori 3-6 Early Childhood classroom.

The unique developmental needs of toddlers include the need to move, the need for routine and order, the need for consistent limits, the need to explore, the need to communicate and be understood, the need to control action and impulse, and the need to master self-care skills. A toddler’s work greatly revolves around his or her body’s physical developmental needs. A toddler’s work is to develop himself, to become stronger, more coordinated and in control. When a child approaches the age of 3, a child may show signs of readiness to move to the Montessori Early Childhood 3-6 years old classroom.

Determining when a child is ready to transition to the Montessori 3-6 classroom from Montessori Prep, or if joining the school close to, but not quite at age 3, requires an understanding of the new environment with its unique characteristics and challenges, an awareness of the child (her needs, strengths and growth areas), as well as timing and adequate preparation. These are the ingredients to successful transitions. Let’s tackle each of these topics as they relate to transitioning into a Montessori Early Childhood (age 3-6) classroom below.

Understanding the Difference Between the Montessori Prep and Montessori 3-6 Classroom

A Montessori 3-6 classroom may have more children, has more materials, and more time for in-classroom independent work compared to the Montessori Prep classroom.

The Montessori 3-6 classroom has a maximum student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1, while the Prep program has a maximum ratio of 7:1. Furthermore, the range of ages of the children within the classroom expands from Toddlers 2.5-3+ years old to Preschool and Kindergarten ages 3-6 years old. Hand in hand with the increase in both the age as well as the age range of the children, the Montessori 3-6 classroom has up to three times the materials a Prep class would have. This allows the students to explore a much wider curriculum and push themselves to learn more advanced skills and concepts.

More time for independent classroom work allows the children to be more self-directed, exploring the topics and materials that most interest them, a key element of the Montessori Method and a key reason why the Montessori Method is so successful at growing independent learners. Maria Montessori once wrote, “To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.” (Montessori et al. 1969)

Awareness of the Child

Now that you know what to expect in a Montessori 3-6 classroom, it’s time to discuss what characteristics tell us a child is ready to make the transition from Toddlerhood to Early Childhood. Children who are ready for the Early Childhood Montessori 3-6 classroom are independent, socially mature, can demonstrate an ability for prolonged concentration and are be able to control movement and impulse.

Independence. Independence requires the child to have developed fine motor skills (e.g. careful use of the hands), self-awareness, as well as concentration and patience. Successfully toileting, putting on clothes, and eating without help from an adult requires the coordination of a series of movements that can be challenging for young children. With constant practice both at home and in school, particularly in the Practical Life section of the classroom, children can learn to master these skills, making them ready for new challenges in the Montessori 3-6 classroom. To help children in preparation for this transition, we must inhibit our own impulse to do things for the child and instead allow the child to do things for his or herself. Independence also means being able to verbally express needs, desires and ideas.

Social maturity. Children who are ready for the Early Childhood classroom have acquired a more complex understanding of socially positive behaviors. They are curious about others and are now more interested in observing them and working together with them. Respect, curiosity, ability to take turns and early signs of cooperation are all good signs that a child is ready for the transition.

Prolonged concentration. Children who are ready for a transition are capable not only for longer durations of concentrated work, they are also more easily able to recover in case of a distraction. For these children, the object of their work has become so compelling that they are able to shut off the sights and sounds of the world around them, focusing intently on the task at hand.

Timing and Preparation

Choosing the right time for a transition is like a Goldilocks problem: You don’t want to do it too late; you don’t want to do it too soon; you want to get it just right. A late transition might lead to boredom and lack of engagement in the Prep class. An early transition might lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed in the new environment, which hinders learning. Work with your child’s teacher and the school director to assess her preparedness for the transition and plan for the availability of space in a Montessori 3-6 classroom. You can also help your child get ready by focusing on improving independence, social maturity, and concentration. These activities (and many others) can help:

Engage your child in conversations at home. Speak to them like you would an adult; no baby talk.
Expect and encourage your child to use words. Gradually transition them to using phrases and sentences.
Support socialization. Create opportunities for them to have unstructured, child-directed playtime with other children.
Support concentration. Provide them with activities that require them to complete multiple steps. Create unstructured individual playtime where they can self-direct as well as engage uninterrupted for long stretches.
Provide tools for independence at home (e.g. a step stool, a cup and pitcher, a small broom, low shelves for kitchen items, a clothes dresser). Give them enough time to complete these tasks independently. Do not rush them.
Support toileting. With this one, practice makes perfect. Stay positive. A few accidents are bound to happen!
Choose clothes and food the child can independently manage. Example: No shoes with shoelaces.

As a teacher in the Montessori Prep Classroom, parents always ask me “At what age is my child going to be ready to transition into the Montessori 3-6 Early Childhood classroom?” My answer is always ‘it depends’. While most children transition around their 3rd birthday, the precise timing depends on your child’s readiness for the learning environment that lies ahead. We must determine the child’s unique needs and follow the child’s lead. This approach is at the center of the Montessori Method. We prioritize the specific needs of the children we serve, and we must not compare a child too closely with other children.

About the Author: Jaine Yu heads up the Sammamish Montessori School Montessori Prep program. Jaine has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Education. She holds two American Montessori Society (AMS) teaching credentials – one specializing in Early Childhood (ages 2.5 to 6 years) and one specializing in Infant and Toddler Education (0 to 3 years). For more than a decade, Jaine has been joyfully working with young children, from infancy through kindergarten.

Bibliography: Montessori, M., & Claremont, C. A. 1969. The Absorbent Mind. New York: Dell Pub. Co.

Sensitive Periods of Human Development

September 1, 2019 By Administrator

The Dutch biologist Hugo de Vries was one of the first to notice “sensitive periods in development” when he referred to a species of caterpillar. The baby caterpillars have a special sensitivity to light, which when they emerge from their eggs on the trunk of the tree, causes them to be drawn to the tips of the branches where they can eat the new, tender buds. The caterpillars lose this sensitivity when they are bigger and stronger and are able to eat the tougher, older leaves. It is interesting that the disappearnce of this sensitivity is as important as its presence. Montessori pointed out that conditions extremely favorable to development at one stage may become unfavorable at a later one.

Montessori philosophized that similar things happen in childhood and now contemporary research shows that children indeed pass through certain critical periods that are conducive to developing specific skills: windows of opportunity during which the brain is particularly efficient at specific types of learning. That is why at particular times they show intense, overwhelming interest in certain objects and activities, which at a later time, will be quite boring. It is as if a burning passion urges them to focus attention to the exclusion of others. When a sensitive period is at its height, it is as if a spotlight illuminates some things while others are in the shadows. Under this fascination, children will work long periods without fatigue and will not feel tired, but refreshed.

One of the most interesting periods is that for language acquisition. It begins at birth and is intense until about 7 years old. Babies love to hear the human voice and will listen attentively, tuning out other sounds. Montessori teachers are very careful to present materials without talking because children instinctively look at their mouth rather than the demonstration. Abused children who have little communication with adults never develop good vocabularies. Learning a foreign language is much more difficult after age 7 and can be drudgery after 12. By then the sensitive period is well and truly over and the child is embarking on a different kind of learning.

The sensitive period for language has social implications too. The languages of the world can only survive if they are learned by babies and attempts to revive dead languages are not usually successful for this reason.

Another fascinating sensitive period is that of order. This appears about two years of age and lasts until about age four. It is a difficult time for parents who do not understand it and is probably the cause of most temper tantrums. During this period children exhibit a passionate interest in the order of things. Children have a real obsession that everything be kept in its proper place and that everything happens at its proper time. Children drive parents crazy with their love of rituals. Let the furniture be changed around, a new picture appear on the wall, or their place at the table changed and your child will notice immediately, and possibly turn into a tyrant. It is sometimes hard for the adult to fathom out what has caused the child to become so bent out of shape.

Even though adults are distressed by disorder, we are mainly concerned with how it affects our comfort and efficiency; we are not constructing our intelligence by it. A teenager will have already sorted out hundreds of experiences, and filed everything in memory to draw upon to help understand the world. Children start out with a chaos of images but the sorting process is built in and must be completed so that foundation is firm. We can help at home by acknowledging this need and by keeping as much continuity as possible during this time. Even though children are particular about how a placemat should be put in front of them, their ability to keep order is not good. However, they enjoy the process and can help to keep their room in order if given small isolated tasks to accomplish. Keep it simple and fun. In this way, it will become a lifelong habit.

In school, order is important. Everything has its place and because of this sensitive period, children quickly form a memory of the position of the materials in the classroom. They take tremendous delight that things are always in the same place and love to tell you where everything goes. Without this sensitive period for order, it would be quite impossible to give a class of preschool children the freedom of a Montessori classroom.

The sensitive period for justice comes in about six years old and continues intensely for several years. These are the years when every child has to be given exactly the same size scoop of ice cream because otherwise someone will notice instantly and either gloat or feel slighted. Children can be terribly unfair to each other at this stage but have an insatiable need to debate that things be seen to be fair.

There are other sensitive periods but it is useless to try to make up for the sensitive period once it has passed. We have missed the bus. It is possible to learn a foreign language when we are older but it is hard work, not pure delight. It is a joy for the three and four year old to know the names of the geometric shapes they see every day when they are in the sensitive period for enjoying shapes and words, but it is such a chore for the older child to have to learn them.

Children live in the present and are totally engulfed by their sensitive periods. Be reassured that the obsessions of the moment are not permanent, but each one has a purpose and a time and its effects add to the foundations of a lifetime.

Sensitive Periods:

Young children go through “sensitive periods” when they are more receptive to learning a particular skill. Sensitive periods do not necessarily come at precisely the same time in each child’s life, but all children experience them. It is important for parents and teachers to be aware of these phases so they may better understand the child. They can then support the child in his/her all-consuming desire to absorb a particular concept or learn and practice a particular skill during these times. Once these sensitive periods are over they will never return. The child will still learn but not with such ease and intensity as before.

The following is a general guide to the times when a young child can best learn specific skills and concepts; they do not always apply to individual children:

birth to 3 – sensory experiences
birth to 1-½ – learning through movement
birth to 7 – development of language
1½ to 4 – development of muscular coordination
2 to 4 – concern with order in the environment and routines
2 to 6 – refinement of senses, development of social skills
3 to 6 – sensitivity to adult influences
3½ to 4½ – writing
4 to 4½ – sense of touch
4½ to 5 – reading

About the Article’s Author: Joan Starling, Founder, Sammamish Montessori School serving preschool and kindergarten students in Redmond WA.

Joan established The Sammamish Montessori School in 1977. She began her long career in Montessori education more than 4 decades ago being taught by two Montessori trainers who were themselves taught directly by Dr. Maria Montessori. One of them, a wise and practical woman, Margaret Homfray, accompanied Dr. Montessori on trips to translate her lectures on her speaking tours in the 1930s. Joan has been a pioneer of Montessori education in the greater Seattle area, establishing one of the oldest Montessori schools on Seattle’s Eastside and now one of the largest Montessori schools in the state. Joan is enjoying her well-earned retirement. Her two daughters, Janet and Hilary, now share the running of the school and are supported by a wonderful group of exceptionally talented, well educated, experienced teachers, assistants and supporting staff who have come from all over the world.

The Importance of Music in Child Development

April 25, 2019 By Administrator

I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.

– Plato –

Ah, music! It can do so many things to us. It can inspire us, it can cause us to recall strong feelings or memories, and it can change our emotional state with just a few notes. Music can do all these things, to all different types of people. Song and dance are for everyone, and I think we as a species can agree on one thing: Music matters. It matters to us as adults, but it matters more in the development of young children.

In order to connect music to early childhood development, we need to have a basic understanding of how development happens. Early child development can be described in a list of five domains. Before we dive into them, it is critical we understand that none of these domains should be valued higher than the other; meaning that having better language skills over physical skills will not necessarily be an advantage for a three-year-old. All five domains intertwine and overlap because all are essential for proper brain development. Skills in each of the domains physically change the growing brain and how it works, thus the following skills are all equally important.

Social/Emotional: Children need emotional safety and security. They need to know that they are loved. They need examples of healthy emotional expression, so they can learn to express emotion themselves without fear of a negative response or rejection. This also ties into self-worth and confidence.
Communication/Language: Children need to be talked to, from birth, and before if possible. They also need to be listened to; they need to feel heard because when they are talking they are practicing their communication skills, and that is linked to their emotional development.
Self-Help/Adaptive: Children as young as two-years-old need to be able to do things on their own. They need to feed themselves; they need to hang up their own coats, and they need to put on their own shoes. They need to practice and have real experiences, not just for the sake of practicing, but to boost their confidence. It is essential they learn to be independent in key developmental stages.
Physical/Motor Skills: Maria Montessori said: “Play is the work of the child”. Play is vital for brain and motor skill development and has been proven to make kids smarter. Play is their work, and we need to let them work.
Cognitive: This is a child’s ability for critical thinking and problem-solving. Intellectual and mental abilities are learned and nurtured through experience; it is that simple. Young children are little sponges and they soak up everything, and the more they are exposed to, the more they develop.

A key ingredient that is present throughout each domain is experience. Young children need experiences. These experiences need to be real, within the real world for optimal brain development. This is how they are able to master things like walking, talking, counting to 10 and zipping up their jackets. They need to do it, by themselves, because that’s how they learn.

Now the question is, “What does music have to do with any of this?” Well, to start, music is a natural and important occurrence in the growth and development of children. Early exposure to music has been proven to have a positive impact on them; their emotional awareness, sense of self, and physical bodies. We have all seen babies bopping their heads or bodies when there is music on, and every parent has had at some point a young child whose favorite song simply must be played again and again and again. There is a reason for this, and the reason is music is a natural and vital experience we all need.

According to Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner (1983), “Music intelligence is equal in importance to logical-mathematical intelligence, linguistic intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and intrapersonal intelligence”. This is because music promotes all of those things. When we are engaged in music, whether listening, moving along with it, singing or playing an instrument, we engage all parts of the brain. Left, right, front and back. That’s because the act of making music is a creative and cognitive skill. The whole brain is working all at once, and the arts is the only skill that does this. Even listening to music can have this effect.

Here’s an example of what music does for us developmentally; Jenny is three-years-old, and she is singing and dancing to her favorite song in the living room. Maybe it’s Frozen’s ‘Let it Go’, and she’s howling it at the top of her lungs. It seems like nothing special is happening, and it may be a little annoying at the onset. However, when we stop to analyze what is happening in Jenny’s brain, we might be amazed.

All of the following skills are happening while Jenny sings and dances, all of which are key developmental skills at this age.

Fine and Gross Motor Skills; This includes balance, coordination, and rhythm with her body as she’s twirling or swaying. Maybe she is going up on her tippy toes for a moment or moving backward. She is also learning concepts like slow and fast.
Independent Thought / Self Help; Jeni is the star in her living room, and she is choosing where to put her feet, how to hold her arms, how loud to sing, etc.
Cognitive Development; She is focusing on two things at once, singing and movement, that is developing her cognitive abilities and using her whole brain.
Subliminal Mathematics; music is all counting and fractions, so whether she knows it or not, she is learning to keep time / a steady beat because she is experiencing it.
Language Skills; When she sings along, even if some or all of the words aren’t right, she is still learning and developing those language skills. When the music swells and becomes louder, she is experiencing the concept of loud and soft, and in turn, expressing that herself.

Emotional Intelligence; She is feeling something, otherwise she wouldn’t be engaged. These emotions could be simple or complex, but they are being felt, and that is what is important.

As we can see, music is an incredibly useful tool for young children’s development. Jenny was experiencing and practicing multiple developmental skills, and all it took was turning on Spotify.

It doesn’t stop at development either. Music touches history, mathematics, and social studies. We use music and sounds in science, in health care through musical therapy, and on it goes. There are countless songs and compositions about geography, cultures, people, emotions, animals and other topics that can be used to accomplished non-musical developmental goals.

Children of all ages also learn vital social skills through music. Using instruments in groups, as well as singing and dancing in groups can help children learn how to work cooperatively, which is a social skill needed well into adulthood. More of these skills include empathy, spatial awareness, independence through solo work, and emotional development. Music has the unique ability to speak for us in ways we didn’t know we needed to be heard, and it does this with children as well as adults. It can provide a deeper connection for children to themselves, their peers and to the world in which they live.

It is crucial to set aside time during the day specifically for musical activities in order for skills to develop in a play-based environment. The combination of play and music serves the expressive, emotional, intellectual, social, and creative developmental needs of all children because all children have musical potential. Music speaks to the development of the whole child, and this is why we need to make time for music, because music matters.

About the Author:

Denise Eileen Baltzer graduated from Northwest University in the Spring of 2014 with a Bachelors of Music Education, with a minor in Music. Her focus has been using music in Early Education and is currently working towards a degree in Child Development. Her goals include using her degrees and skills in assisting young children in their development through music education. Ms. Baltzer works with all Sammamish Montessori School students in groups as part of the Montessori curriculum, during our summer program, and creatively weaves music education into the school’s STEAM Enrichment program. Ms. Baltzer also provides private ukelele instruction to young children.

Related articles about music’s role in child development:

Music Education Through a Montessori Lens: Every Child Has Musical Potential

The Benefits of Music Education

Montessori Music

What is Process Art and Why Is It Important?

April 19, 2019 By Administrator

Young children love to draw and create, but often get frustrated by their inability to produce something that resembles the vision in their head. Their art becomes representational – a line stands in for an animal, a winding trail across the page reflects the movements of their subject, as though the artwork is a story in motion rather than a snapshot in time. Often the work morphs into something else entirely requiring the attention of an engaged listener to unravel the complexities of what has turned a blank page into something quite extraordinary. What you have just witnessed is the creation of a piece of “Process Art”.

Process art is exactly what you think – it’s all about the process and not the finished product. It doesn’t have to resemble anything you’ve ever seen before. Eyes don’t have to appear in pairs, or the colors constrained inside meandering lines. In fact, it doesn’t have to be recognizable at all. This type of art thrives without boundaries and its only requirement is that the artist is enjoying the creative process.

Process art is developmentally appropriate for preschoolers and kindergarteners who have yet to acquire the fine motor skills and self-awareness to represent objects accurately. At this stage, children enjoy experimenting with art media and found objects to better understand what they are and what they can do. These open-ended activities inspire curiosity and encourage sensory exploration. Research is clear: creativity flourishes when it is pursued for its own enjoyment.

This type of art is also rich in concrete, developmentally appropriate skills:

coordination and fine motor control
spacial reasoning
sensory exploration
cognitive development through planning, comparison and problem-solving
social and emotional maturation through increased focus, collaboration with others and feeling pride and success.

How can you encourage process art at home with your child?

Provide time and opportunities to create at home by offering a variety of tools and materials such as colored paper, recyclables, scissors, glue, tape, paint, yarn, crayons, clay etc.
Forget about getting it right! The freedom to make mistakes, express themselves and take risks are the priorities. Refrain from assigning meaning to the art which robs the child of the opportunity to evaluate his or her own work.
Let the work be child-driven without a finished form in mind. Exploration and discovery guide this artform with originality and free thinking, not imitation, being the goal.

Let your child play, learn, experiment, grow. Sit back. Your kid has got this!

Article by Virginia Ward, STEAM Teacher at Sammamish Montessori School, BA. Ed./Special Ed., BA Anthropology, MPA.
Virginia brings decades of experience teaching in countries all over the globe, harnesses her degrees in Primary and Special Education and Anthropology, and taps into her amazing creativity, humor and excitement for life to help STEAM students to explore arts, science, math and more.

Mrs. Ward and students collaborating on a sculpture with free form stick, moss, beads, thread, etc.

Ms. Baltzer helping with bubble art.

Color mixing and exploration with marbles.

Collectively creating a sculpture.

Imagining a castle.

Color mixing paint.

A collaborative weaving and found materials hanging sculpture.

Making art with found natural objects.

Felting and sewing collaborative textile art.

Collaborating on a hanging multimedia sculpture.

Related articles and resources about the importance of creativity and art for young children:

How Process-Focused Art Experiences Support Preschoolers

Benefits of Arts for Kids

The Importance of “Open-Ended” Art in Child Development

100 Invitations to Build – found materials to spark creativity

Healthy Sleep Habits Make Happier Kids

April 1, 2019 By Administrator

As daylight savings makes sunset later and later, it is tempting to keep children up past their normal bedtimes, but doing so can have consequences. Without adequate sleep, children can quickly become cranky and irritable and concentration suffers. When overtired some children may have trouble falling asleep; others staying asleep. Sleep deprivation can result in a number of issues such as:

Depressed mood
Reduced energy
Weakened immune system
Reduced thresholds for stress
Altered hormone production
Impaired wound healing

All of us have experienced a lack of sleep at one time or another and can appreciate how important sleep is to our daily lives. Children are no different and, in fact, require more sleep than you may think, preferably as consolidated nighttime sleep. Children of preschool and kindergarten ages need at least 11 to 13 hours per night.

As your child grows, it is natural to change sleep routines from needing a daytime nap. But when doing so be sure you are providing your child the opportunity for a longer consolidated nighttime sleep. While there is a wide range of normal for when children outgrow naps, most outgrow needing a nap between 3 and 4 years old, but this requires them to be getting enough sleep at night. You can help with this adjustment by gradually making evening bedtime a bit earlier so that they are still getting plenty of restorative sleep each day. (In contrast, keeping them up late hoping to tire them out is typically counterproductive and results in an overtired child.)

If your child stays up late into the night after having a daytime nap, that may be your signal to begin this process of shifting away from napping and to longer nighttime sleep. Talk with your child’s pediatrician if you need help figuring out what sleep schedule is best for your child.

Sleep restores the body on all levels: cellular, endocrine, immune, metabolic, physical and emotional.

Fortunately, there are some simple things parents can do to help children develop and maintain healthy sleep habits:

Allow your child(ren) a lot of fresh air and exercise in the afternoon.
Keep activities quiet after dinnertime. Avoid television and computer games after dinner. Play a family game or read together instead.
Establish and keep to a set bedtime that allows for at least 10-12 hours of sleep every night.
Establish and keep to a bedtime routine:
1. Take a warm bath 30-minutes before bedtime. Sipping a warm drink like warm milk or caffeine-free tea helps too.
2. Put on comfy pajamas and get straight into bed (the body is now ready for sleep due to changes in body temperature).
3. Read one short story and turn out lights (if using a nightlight, make sure it is dim).
4. Put on soft, soothing music (or white noise that is soft and consistent).

Consider blackout shades for windows to block out the summer evening sun and make it easier to settle down for the night. As the temperatures outside get warmer, consider leaving a fan running all night to provide white noise and keep body temperatures cool.

https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/ACH-News/General-News/The-importance-of-sleep-for-kids

https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/your-childs-sleep-affects-their-brain

Why Outside Playtime is Critical to Development

March 1, 2019 By Administrator

There seem to be more and more things competing for time in the day. With parents’ busy schedules, unpredictable weather and the temptation of television, computer games and other electronics when children arrive home after school, it is not hard to believe that, statistically, children in our country are getting a lot less unstructured outdoor time than in past generations. And that is a problem. It is important for us as educators and parents alike to recognize the importance of and to preserve unstructured outside time. Being outdoors in the natural world is a vital positive influence in every child’s development. For that reason, at our school, every class goes out to recess every morning and afternoon in all but the foulest of weather. Children staying for lunch go outside for another short lunch recess. Spending time in unstructured outside play after school and on weekends is also important for children.

Unstructured outdoor play is essential for a variety of reasons, among them:

Physical play increases overall fitness, builds healthier bodies, and helps prevent childhood obesity.
Children need to develop large and small motor skills along with cardiovascular endurance.
Time outdoors raises vitamin D levels, helping prevent future bone problems, diabetes, and heart disease and may also help boost the immune system.
As little as 20-minutes of exercise has been linked to a boost in brain function afterward.
Teachers know that outdoor play can help children release pent-up energy and doing so improves focus and concentration.
Outdoor play has been linked to improved distance vision and lowers the chance of nearsightedness.
Children learn important social and cognitive skills while playing outdoors: creating and organizing their own games, developing friendships and learning to resolve conflicts.
Outside time allows children to learn through constructive play, social play, socio-dramatic play and rule-based games.
Free time outside allows children to develop observation skills and learn about the world, using all of their senses to feel the wind or sun on their skin, observe an insect or flower, or listen to birds chirping, for instance.
Time outside allows children to create, explore, experiment, manipulate, reconfigure, expand, influence, change, marvel, discover, practice, push their limits, yell, sing, dance and move.
Studies suggest that time in nature may be effective in reducing ADHD symptoms.
Environmental education has been linked to improved test performance evaluating critical thinking skills, math, reading, writing and listening.
Green spaces help reduce stress levels in children.
Children need free unstructured playtime to protect their emotional development.
A hurried lifestyle and loss of free time can contribute to anxiety and depression in children.
Studies show that time spent in nature enhances social interactions and interpersonal relationships.
New studies show physical exercise actually increases white matter in the brain and speed and connectivity of brain activity.

At home, spending time outdoors can be as easy as heading out to the backyard or playground, walking to a meet a friend, having a picnic, going to the zoo or a local park. We are lucky to have a variety of wonderful biking trails and parks very close by, such as Farrel McWhirter, Grasslawn, Anderson, Perrigo, and Marymoor parks, to name just a few. With the longer days and hopefully nicer weather of spring upon us, take advantage and spend some time outdoors with your child. You will both be glad you did.

Sources and additional resources:

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=360

www.kidsdiscovernature.com

http://www.teachpreschool.org/2009/10/preschoolers-should-go-outside-everyday/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/141891-the-benefits-outdoor-play-children/

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/08/06/336361277/scientists-say-childs-play-helps-build-a-better-brain

http://time.com/3145404/exercise-makes-kids-brains-more-efficient/

Building the Foundation For Math

March 1, 2019 By Administrator

Practical Life and Sensorial Activities in a Montessori 3-6 Classroom Are Foundational for Math.

Math is an abstract concept. The ability to count, compute and use numerical relationships are hugely significant human achievements. The number system is an abstract invention that has been created over thousands of years. In primitive societies, the counting went “one, two, many.” It is exciting to witness the young child’s readiness to understand this same concept.

Children are naturally attracted to the science of number. They are trying to understand their world and make sense of their environment. They have an inborn ability to see differences and similarities, patterns and sequences. The child learns to notice and adapt to changes in the environment and as the child’s knowledge of the environment grows, he/she is able to make a mental map and feel comfortable in his/her space. The Montessori materials that are designed for categorizing and sorting help build this internal order.

The mathematical concepts covered in the primary Montessori classroom are numeration, the decimal system, computation, the arithmetic tables, whole numbers, fractions and positive numbers. Arithmetic is the process of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Geometry and algebra are introduced in the sensorial area of the classroom.

The sensorial and practical life areas of the classroom prepare the child for math and language. The foundation for geometry is developed through the sensorial materials. For instance, some of the materials are graded by size. Children experience spatial relations by manipulating these materials (the pink tower, the brown stair, red rods, constructive triangles, two main types of graded cylinders, plane shapes and geometric solids.) The plane shapes and geometric solids are the basis for computing volume and surface area. The monomial, binomial and trinomial cubes are all geometric representations of algebraic equations, used in higher math. Squares and cubes pave the way for the golden beads where the child experiences the concept of one hundred beads joined to make a square and a thousand beads joined to make a cube. Sensorial activities also indirectly prepare for base ten counting. The pink tower has ten graded cubes, increasing in size by 1 cm.; the brown stair has ten graded square prisms, each 1 cm. larger than the last; the ten red rods are graded from 10 cm. to 100 cm. in length.

The numerical rods in the math area are similar rods but are divided into ten consecutive red and blue sections of 10cm. The child can set the rods out from numbers one to ten so it shows that the longer the rod, the higher the number. Simple math calculations can be performed with the red and blue rods. It is easy to see how the “two” rod and the “three” rod combine to make the “five” rod. In mathematics, objects are classified and have a definite order. All parts of the sensorial curriculum have classification activities. Practical life activities are done in a definite order, which is internalized. Pre-reading activities include matching, sorting and sequencing activities.

The practical life activities are the foundation of the entire Montessori curriculum. Its direct aims are coordination, confidence, independence, concentration and order. These five attributes are internalized and benefit the child throughout life. Manipulation of the materials requires coordination. Finally, the child must have the confidence to work independently.

The Montessori math program addresses three separate concepts: number, quantity, and the relationship of the two together. The child uses concrete materials that isolate each concept. Then the child is shown how to label a quantity with the appropriate numerical symbol. The child then advances to a progression of sequential materials that combine number and quantity. In the same way that a child can learn the “Alphabet Song” without having any idea of the sounds of the letters, similarly a child can learn to count without actually understanding what it all means, but the concrete Montessori materials make sense of it all.

After children have become familiar with the numbers one through ten, they progress to the teens, and then focus on numbers to one hundred. After that, he child is ready for the golden beads which are used for large number recognition over one hundred. Golden beads are also used for the basic arithmetic functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Children enjoy working with large numbers and compute easily with hundreds and thousands using golden beads and numeral cards.

Golden beads are all the same size. A single bead comprises one unit; ten beads strung on a wire make a ten bar; one hundred is a square made up of ten ten-bars side by side and one thousand is ten one hundred squares stacked on top of each other to form a cube.

Additional work is introduced with the number chains–which are separate chains of beads one through ten–that demonstrate squares and cubes of numbers. Children love to skip count using these chains, which forms the concrete basis of the multiplication tables.

There are many more math materials to challenge students since the Montessori math curriculum in a 3-6 classroom actually extends to 3rd grade. They are varied and enticing and children are never bored and can work at their own level with joy and confidence. It is amazing how far these students can progress with the foundation of confidence, curiosity, and order they learned in the practical life and sensorial areas of the classroom.

About the Article’s Author: Joan Starling, Founder, Sammamish Montessori School serving preschool, kindergarten and elementary students in Redmond WA.

Joan established The Sammamish Montessori School in 1977. She began her long career in Montessori education nearly 4 decades ago training under two Montessori trainers who were themselves trained directly by Dr. Maria Montessori. One of them, a wise and practical woman, Margaret Homfray, when young in the late 1930s, accompanied Dr. Montessori on trips to translate her lectures on her speaking tours. Joan has been a pioneer of Montessori education in the greater Seattle area, establishing one of the oldest Montessori schools on Seattle’s Eastside and now one of the largest Montessori schools in the state. Joan’s two daughters share the running of the school (Janet Villella is now the school’s director) and are supported by a wonderful group of exceptionally talented, well-educated and experienced teachers, assistants and supporting staff from all over the world.

Ideas for a Fun Spring Break

February 12, 2019 By Administrator

With Spring Break coming up, you may be thinking of arranging some fun family outings or play-dates to enjoy some quality time together exploring what our community has to offer. Here are a variety of options for every kind of weather spring break may bring.

We’ve compiled the following list of day trip ideas we hope you will find helpful. Some of these ideas are geared toward younger family members, some older, while others hold interest for the whole family. Enjoy!

The Arboretum and Japanese Garden: www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/japanesegarden.htm

Aviation Center & Boeing Tour (Everett): www.futureofflight.org

Bellevue Art Museum: www.bellevuearts.org

The Burke Museum (Seattle): www.burkemuseum.org

Chihuly Garden & Glass (Seattle): www.chihulygardenandglass.com

Experience Music Project (Seattle): www.empmuseum.org

Farrel McWhirter Park & Farm (Redmond): http://www.redmond.gov/ParksRecreation/Farrel-McWhirterFarmPark

Flower World (Maltby nursery with a small petting zoo area): www.flowerworldusa.com/aboutus.html

Fox Hollow Farm (Issaquah): www.foxhollowfamilyfarm.com

Kelsey Creek Farm (Bellevue): www.farmerjayne.com

KidsQuest Childrens Museum (Factoria): www.kidsquestmuseum.org

Museum of Flight (Seattle): www.museumofflight.org

Museum of History & Industry (Seattle): www.mohai.org

Northwest Railway Museum (Snoqualmie) www.trainmuseum.org

Northwest Trek (Eatonville): http://www.nwtrek.org

King County Parks (link to list of area parks): www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/inventory.aspx

The Pacific Science Center (Seattle): www.pacificsciencecenter.org

Outback Kangaroo Farm (Arlington): www.outbackkangaroofarm.com

Padilla Bay Beach and Estuarine Research Reserve (Mount Vernon): www.padillabay.gov

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (Tacoma): http://www.pdza.org

Ride the Ducks Seattle Tour: www.ridetheducksofseattle.com

The Seattle Aquarium: http://www.seattleaquarium.org

Seattle Art Museum: www.seattleartmuseum.org

Seattle Bug Safari: www.seattlebugsafari.com

Seattle Children’s Museum: www.thechildrensmuseum.org

Seattle Waterfront & Ye Olde Curiosity Shop: www.ye-olde-curiosity-shop.myshopify.com

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival: www.tulipfestival.org

Snoqualmie Falls: http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com

The Space Needle (Seattle): http://www.spaceneedle.com/home

Tillicum Village/Blake Island Tour: www.argosycruises.com

Washington State Ferries: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries

Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle): http://www.zoo.org

Museum of Glass (Tacoma): http://museumofglass.org

Local magazines Parent Map www.parentmap.com and Seattle’s Child www.seattleschild.com/Things-To-Do also contain a lot of articles and ideas for family-friendly excursions.

Please let us know if you have suggestions for other types of outings we have not listed here. We are always looking for new and exciting ideas to share. Thank you!