Infants Peek at the Week 02/24/25

YOUNG INFANTS:

Dear Parents, 

The younger infants have been enjoying indoor activities due to the severely cold weather. We are looking forward to going outside once temperatures are above freezing. For now, the babies have been enjoying the multi-purpose room with space for mats, a slide, a model spaceship (they love it!) and building activities. Babies are very curious about magnets and enjoy working with our magnet tiles. They also build (and demolish!) with the large cardboard blocks.

The slide is another favorite with your children. It provides a safe space to practice climbing and cruising, important gross motor skills.

Infants are making progress with fine motor skills, best observed while they are feeding themselves. They work with object permanence boxes, puzzles, and other fun enrichment activities in the classroom. Some are surprisingly complicated for kids, but our bright babies are figuring them out.

We are starting to introduce the holiday of Purim to the babies, starting with songs. There will be more to come, so stay tuned.

Warmly,
Morahs Marla, Leslie, and Sarah 


OLDER INFANTS:

Dear Parents,

This week we’ve added real fruits and vegetables to our shelves for language works. Apple, lemon, and lime. Sweet potato, cucumber, and green bell pepper. We introduce each item, slowly give vocabulary, and repeat the words several times while holding the food and allowing for sensory exploration. Toward the end of the week, we will slice and sample some of the foods! 

We have several new puzzles out too— concentric circles, sea creatures, and a new Jewish puzzle. The Jewish puzzle has challah, 3 stars in a window to signify Shabbat is over, a Kiddish cup and wine, a Havddalah candle, Shabbat candles, and a Siddur. Becoming familiar with and curious about Jewish themes while strengthening fine motor skills — it’s what we do! On Fridays, each child will get his or her own ball of challah dough to knead, twist, and manipulate into a final product. We will bake it and send home the roll in a paper bag. Yum! 

Toileting has become a popular activity! Many thanks to the Morning family for donating a second potty chair to us. Having two chairs allows two friends to sit at the same time— very helpful to the process! At school, our process is: remove diaper, ask child if he /she wants to sit and allow for however long he/ she wishes, put on a fresh diaper, wash hands. This is the sensitive period for toileting. Have you seen more interest at home? 

We wish you a wonderful week ahead! 

Morahs Kathy, Pallavi, Rachael

Infants Peek at the Week 02/17/25

YOUNG INFANTS:

Dear Parents, 

Our babies are experiencing tremendous growth! Each day we see them moving more, climbing, talking, interacting and dancing. We are looking forward to Purim, starting Thursday night, March 13 through Friday, March 14, which will be “dress-up day.” Costumes are optional for babies. It is also wise to include a “regular” outfit for later.

We will use our outdoor time to notice signs of spring. There will be lots of changes in nearby trees: buds, blooms and leaves. Many of our nearby trees have birds’ nests, too. The children have an inborn love of nature and their surroundings. Experiencing the change of seasons provides opportunities for growth of language, creativity and exercise.

As we get closer to Purim, we will be crafting (and shaking!!!!) groggers and singing Purim songs to get in a festive mood. Children will be exposed to the characters of the Megilla at a developmentally appropriate level.

Reminder: Please expect your children to go outside any day the temperature is above freezing. If it’s cold, we’ll only be out for a short time. Fresh air is very good for children (and adults). Making sure your child has a warm coat, hat and socks (warm slippers for stroller rides, too).


Warmly,
Morahs Marla, Leslie, and Sarah


OLDER INFANTS:

Dear Parents,

Do you know about your child’s absorbent mind? Dr. Montessori observed the innate ability of young children (birth to age 6) to readily absorb information from the environment, effortlessly learning language by simply being immersed in the surroundings. The brain is acting as a sponge—soaking up words and concepts without conscious effort! 

To facilitate and guide the brain to soak up every bit of information, Montessori developed the “three-part lesson." This teaching method introduces new vocabulary words or concepts in three distinct stages: "Naming" (introduction), "Recognition" (identification), and "Recall" (cognition), allowing children to gradually learn and internalize the new information through repetition and active engagement. We utilize this for language lessons in our classroom.

This month on our shelves, our new language works are: North American Animals: moose, eagle, bullfrog, Farm Animals: rabbit, cat, dog, hen, and Kitchen Utensils: whisk, pastry brush, measuring spoons, spatula, and Dinner Table Place Setting items: placemat, plate, bowl, and cup. 

Lessons are informal and led by the child.  As the child shows interest in a material and removes it from the shelf, a Morah will then sit next to the child and present the three-part lesson in the following manner: Naming: The Morah presents the object or picture and clearly states its name, saying "This is an eagle." Recognition: The Morah asks the child to identify the object from a selection, saying "Show me the eagle." Recall: The Morah asks the child to independently name the object, saying "What is this?"

Key points about the three-part lesson: It is a gradual progression. Each stage builds upon the previous one, allowing children to slowly develop understanding and mastery. It is active learning: The child is actively involved in the process by identifying and naming objects, not just passively listening. We move from concrete to abstract: Real objects are used first before introducing pictures or abstract concepts. 

Our classroom is alive and rich with language! We are observing more and more first words, phrases, and sentences being uttered— to each other and to us, the Morahs. It’s a beautiful experience and we thank you for sharing your most precious gifts with us! We treasure them as we guide and celebrate all the soaking up of their absorbent minds. 

Happy 1st birthday to Enzo this coming weekend! You have been a welcome addition to our older infant community, and we love to watch you grow! 

Have a great week! 

Morahs Kathy, Pallavi, Rachael

Infants Peek at the Week 02/10/25

YOUNG INFANTS:

Dear Parents, 

This week we celebrate Tu B’shvat, the 15th of Shevat, which begins Wednesday night and goes through Thursday. It is the New Year for Trees. It is based on when “the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle.” (Chabad.org website)

We will provide small tastes (where practical) of five of the “seven species” which are eaten on Tu Bishvat: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. The other two species are wheat and barley.* Tasting new foods is an important sensory experience. Children may opt not to try certain foods, and that is fine.

We have been busy decorating pots with stickers and will be sending home small plants that the children have helped plant. We have also been “coloring” pictures of leaves from different trees. Coloring media and methods are tailored to your baby’s development.

There are new sturdy pushing/riding vehicles in the “big room.” Our babies are working on their gross motor skills and love the new vehicles. Our indoor slide is popular, as well as our spaceship and outer space-themed tunnel work.

Reminder: Please expect your children to go outside any day the temperature is above freezing. If it’s cold, we’ll only be out for a short time. Fresh air is very good for children (and adults). Making sure your child has a warm coat, hat and socks (warm slippers for stroller rides, too).

Warmly,
Morahs Marla, Leslie, and Sarah 


OLDER INFANTS:

Dear Parents, 

In our classroom, we are “Happy and we know it!” We are learning emotions through the familiar tune, “Happy and You Know It,” only we are adapting the lyrics to include other emotions and feelings. “If you’re angry and you know it, cross your arms,” “If you’re sad and you know it, rub your eyes,” “If you’re tired and you know it, stretch and yawn,” and “If you’re sick and you know it, cough into your elbow.” Learning through singing engages more senses, especially the tactile sense of doing a hand motion, which supports memory. 

We have observed some friends throwing various materials. It is a test of cause and effect to throw an object and see what happens! As we guide and model how to properly use the materials, we also recognize a need for classroom work that meets the needs of our young pitchers! Bean bags and a bucket have been fulfilling this need. We have seen overhand, underhand, and gentle dropping– all accompanied by cheers and laughter. 

This week we celebrate Tu B’shvat, the 15th of Shevat, which begins Wednesday night and goes through Thursday. It is the New Year for Trees. It is based on when “the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle.” We will provide small tastes of five of the “seven species” which are eaten on Tu Bishvat: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. The other two species are wheat and barley.* Tasting new foods is an important sensory experience. Children ay opt not to try certain foods, and that is fine.

Using stickers, we decorated small pots, filled with soil, and added a young spider plant clipping in honor of the Tu B’shvat holiday. It was a grand time, digging in the sensory bin filled with soil. Some of us even dumped soil on our heads! We used green paint and our own fingertips and hands to paint on paper. The Morahs added trunks to make our green creations look like trees.

One small request: Please label all individual containers of food for your child. When we have all lunch bags open, this will help us ensure everyone is eating their own food, and that the containers are sent home in the correct bag.

Have a great week! 

Morahs Kathy, Pallavi, Rachael

Infants Peek at the Week 02/03/25

YOUNG INFANTS:

Dear Parents, 

Our babies are really developing skills and personalities. Some say words and others babble, but all are expressing themselves. Morahs are encouraging speech by answering their vocalizations (serve and return). We encourage them to say each other’s names or otherwise identify each child in the room. For example, “Where is Shua?”

They also love songs and have their favorites in English and Hebrew. The babies are starting to do hand motions for “Wheels on the Bus,” one of their favorites. The whole group starts moving to the beat during “Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe!” 

Since the New Year for Trees, Tu B’Shvat, falls on February 13, we are singing “Tu B’Shvat Higia” in class. We also sing Shabbat songs every Friday, including “Bim Bam” (everybody’s favorite), “Shalom Aleichem” and “L’cha Dodi.”

Babies love our squirrel proof bird feeder right outside our classroom window. Winter is a great time to observe birds. They are looking for mates to start nesting, so their feathers are new and bright. Some birds are only here in the winter. We have seen dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows picking up seeds that fall below the feeder. Chickadees, house finches, cardinals and goldfinches eat directly from the feeder. Looking out the window, we also see rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks.

Please expect your children to go outside any day the temperature is above freezing. If it’s cold, we’ll only be out for a short time. Fresh air is very good for children (and adults!). Each day make sure your child has a warm coat, hat and socks (warm slippers for stroller rides, too).

Be sure to check out Seesaw for adorable pictures of your children.

Warmly,
Morahs Marla, Leslie, and Sarah 


OLDER INFANTS:

Dear Parents, 

Did you ever think your child’s favorite classroom activity would be sweeping up crumbs? Or putting away toys or items that are misplaced? From birth to age 5, Dr. Montessori tells us children are in the sensitive period for order. During this developmental stage children are especially interested in order and routine. One of the ways we foster this in a Montessori classroom is through Practical Life work. The last few weeks in our Daled classroom, we focused on Care of Self, with nose blowing and handwashing lessons. This week we are focusing on Care of the Environment. Three components to consider are: materials, environment, and real work. 

Materials 

Last week we noticed much attention to spills and crumbs. While painting, a blob of paint fell to the floor. During snack time, crumbs are everywhere! In order to properly address cleaning up, we have added some child-sized tools: a crumb catcher (metal, palm-sized hand brush and pan) and an upright stand that houses 4 different cleaning tools: stick broom, hand broom & dust pan, mop, and fluffy hand duster. 

Environment 

Next, we have made the materials available to the children in their natural environment. We allow the children to choose and explore the cleaning materials just as they would the puzzles and language works. We model using a broom around them, involving it in our daily routine. We respect their natural curiosity and don't interrupt them when they are working with a practical life material -- even if that means just holding it, or exploring it on the shelf. With that exploration done, it frees them to actually work with the material when the desire comes. They already know where the broom is, what it feels like, how it moves, and suddenly they are ready to make sweeping a reality. 

Real Work

Last, we make this real! Our young friends sweep the floor when they feel like sweeping the floor, when they see us doing it, or their friends. THIS IS REAL WORK. Resist the urge, to buy this broom and then dump a bunch of pom-poms on the floor for your baby/toddler. Toddlers don't need that fake experience. They may attempt to sweep for a moment, then either walk away or throw the fake mess everywhere. No! Make it real. Make it meaningful. Give them the opportunity to contribute, to practice when there is a real mess or when they feel like it.

Welcome to Enzo, who has moved into the Older Infants classroom this week. We are excited to have him as a member of our community!

Have a great week! 

Morahs Kathy, Pallavi, Rachael

Infants Peek at the Week 01/27/25

Dear Parents, 

Our Daled friends have been showing their artistic sides lately. The art easel is a place for them to express themselves with the paint and brush. We change the color after a week or so. The children experiment with moving their arms and hands in various ways in order to spread the paint across the paper. We typically do not send the paintings home unless the child specifically indicates that he or she has depicted someone or something, or has a lot of pride about it. The main focus of this work is refinement of their fine motor skills and exposure to a new medium.

At meal times and snack times, we have incorporated the use of placemats. We cut silicone placemats in half to size them appropriately. These placemats define the child’s space, helping them understand what is their food versus what their friends’ food is. In the Toddler and 3 to 6 classrooms, they will continue to use placemats for this purpose. This is similar to another Montessori staple of older classrooms— the rug. The rug helps to define a child’s workspace, and establishes a personal boundary that helps prevent interruptions from friends. Both placemats and rugs fulfill our little one's innate sense of order and offer an element of consistency as their materials change and their foods vary. 

Welcome to Julian, the newest member of our Young Toddler community. Julian is 19 months old, and we are so happy to share our time with him!

We’ve made it through the bulk of January! The year is off to a great start.

Warmly,

Morahs Kathy, Pallavi, Rachael, Sarah, Marla, Leslie

Infants Peek at the Week 01/21/25

Dear Parents,

We have raised expectations for our young friends, and they have risen to meet them! In the Daled room, we have introduced toileting, hand washing, and nose wiping, and are amazed at the interest and progress made.

Dr. Maria Montessori discovered and wrote about sensitive periods in young children’s lives. Sensitive periods are times when babies and children have an intense urge to learn and acquire new skills. For toileting, the sweet spot is 12-24 months. We recently moved diapering to the bathroom. Changing diapers adjacent to the toilet leads to curiosity and interest in sitting. We have many friends who opt to sit on the toilet during diaper changes throughout the day. This proximity and familiarity with toilet learning will lead to more successful, and likely sooner, diaper-free time.

Hand washing, and nose wiping have also been introduced. Handwashing is the most popular new work in the room. Stepping up to the stool, lifting the handle and watching the water flow from the faucet is very exciting! 

Nose wiping is another important practical life skill. We have a table-top, plexiglass mirror and four folded tissues out at a time. The word we use is “mucus.” When we notice mucus, we make the child aware and remind them where the tissues are. We always help them to complete the task, after they have done the first few wipes. They are so proud to be able to take care of their own bodies.

In the Alef room, all of our babies are mobile and some will be walking soon! To encourage pulling themselves up, we have a bar on the wall, as well as appropriately sized and padded shelves. 

Some of their skills are developing alongside daily essentials such as eating and drinking. Babies are learning to use silverware or pick up finger foods using the pincer grasp. They are practicing drinking with straws. As our babies grow and develop, we tailor our works to their emerging skills. We always model putting away our work before getting out new works.

Important skills include: object permanence, serve and return communication with Morahs, baby sign language, enjoyment of nature and exposure to Hebrew songs.


Stay warm this week! 

Morahs Rachael, Kathy, Pallavi, Sarah, Leslie, and Marla

Infants Peek at the Week 01/13/25

Dear Parents, 

Welcome back after the winter break and snow days break! As we begin our transition of our older infant room to more of a young toddler room this month, we're excited to share some changes happening (Older Infant Room only). Our goal is a slow and natural transition that will help your child adapt to this new stage of development. 

Naptime Adjustments:

  • One Nap a Day: We'll be transitioning to a single nap from approximately 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Some children have already begun napping on cots with success. We'll continue to support all children during this transition. It’s heartwarming to observe their pride as they walk or crawl to their own cot and eagerly climb onto their cozy space. Their current sheets and blankets fit just fine! 

Mealtime Modifications:

  • Lunchtime Independence: As we encourage self-feeding skills, the children will use utensils alongside us as guides.

  • Packing for Success: Please pack your child's food in easy-to-open containers. Ideally, separate containers for lunch and snacks would be best.

Essential Items: To ensure a smooth transition, please send the following items:

  • Slippers: For indoor comfort and safety, we will wear slippers indoors. Please send in a pair to keep at school. 

  • Rain boots: For our friends who are walking, this enables unrestricted fun outdoors without worrying about getting shoes muddy.

  • Utensils: Your child can bring their own utensils daily or leave them in their cubby for the week.

Our younger infants will remain on a two nap schedule, which is working well for all  our little ones in the Alef room. Both groups of children intermingle in the morning during Large Motor time in the Big Room. We have been observing more mobility as they scoot, crawl, and pull to stand. The idea of freedom of movement, or allowing babies' inner-will to drive their movement in infancy is important for a lot of different reasons. You’ll see this inner-will as they shake cabinets, as they reach out and touch your face, and as they move their hands back and forth to explore a carpeted surface beneath them. This is all movement, and unrestricted exploration through their senses– an essential component of Montessori in infancy. 

As we embark on this exciting journey together, we appreciate your support and understanding. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to speak with any of us. 

“Help me do it by myself.” -Dr. Maria Montessori 

Warmly, 

Morahs Rachael, Kathy, Pallavi, Sarah, Leslie, and Marla