Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I want to let all my readers know that I am taking a holiday break from posting until the New Year. I hope everyone has a wonderful, magical holiday season and will have the opportunity to form many happy memories with your little ones. Merry Christmas, thank you for reading, and see you next year!

Friday Notables - Santa Mouse

This particular book is a treasure in my family being passed down from my mother, to my sister, and then to me. It is a wonderful story for little children with beautiful illustrations and a Christmas time message of giving especially when your very small. All I can say is visit the library or purchase a copy for yourself. Enjoy!

Midweek Creations - Stringing Cheerios

I love the look of homemade garland, but stringing popcorn or trying to get that paper to hold a ring long enough to string another one through it can be difficult for small toddlers. Stringing cheerios, though can be a lot of fun and will also provide a little snack for your toddler during craft time as well more than likely. The activity is pretty self explanatory, but you will probably want to make the beginning of the string stiffer so wrap a little tape around one end or attach it to a small pipe cleaner. If cheerios seem too challenging (they are still pretty small), try rolling some mini bagels in some peanut butter and then birdseed and have your toddler help string them on a piece of rope for the birds. This makes a very beautiful garland for outdoor evergreens and if you or your toddler is allergic to peanut butter you can use sunflower seed butter, honey, or even cream cheese. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

Montessori Mondays - Water Pouring Everywhere

Practical life activities are an important part of the Montessori method and many of these activities, such as pouring water from one cup to another, may appear to be simple works. In truth, they are intrinsically complex and benefit the developing child immensely. Practical life activities are designed to progress in difficulty and complexity slowly building skills and providing new challenges to help a child stay interested and focused. An activity such as pouring water follows pouring dry ingredients and can progress from transferring water with a sponge, to a cup, and then a pitcher with a handle. The benefits from a simple activity such as pouring water include building coordination, a feeling of independence by being able to pour their own drinks, concentration necessary for more complex works, and small muscle control later needed for writing.

Thanks for reading!

Friday Notables - Kaboose.com

Short and sweet today - Kaboose is one of my favorite sites to find great crafts for kids of all ages. Most of them do work better for slightly older children, but you can modify a lot of the crafts to suite your toddler's attention span and abilities. Although I haven't browsed the other sections much, Kaboose also offers articles on parenting as well as recipes, games, and health related things. If you have browsed those sections, feel free to comment on what you think of them. I definitely think the craft section alone makes this website worth checking out. Thanks for reading!

www.Kaboose.com

Midweek Creations - Reindeer Card

It is that time of year to start sending out holiday cards to friends and loved ones and while many parents include a family picture or portrait of their child you may also want to send along a card that your child helped create. One of my favorite cards is the reindeer card and it is sure to bring a smile to everyone's face. The most common variation of this card has the foot as the face and two hand prints for antlers, but I have found some toddlers only have patience for doing a painted hand print once. This version allows you to get that one precious hand print and also let them paint to their hearts desire. Enjoy!

Reindeer Card - What You'll Need
brown paint and another color paint
construction paper, 1 1/2 sheets for one card
paintbrush
markers or glue, small black or red pom pom, googly eyes, gold ribbon

Take your 1/2 piece of construction paper and paint your child's hand with just enough brown paint to make a light coating. Gently press your child's hand on the paper and then help them wipe the paint off their hand. Set the print aside to dry and immediately give your child the second sheet of paper, another color of paint and a paintbrush allowing them to paint whatever they want and explore the medium (you can simply let them use their hands as well if you would like). Once your child is finished, set aside that paper to dry as well. After the print has dried, you can get as creative as you want either drawing a nose or gluing a pom, pom on the bottom of the hand for a nose and drawing in eyes or gluing googly eyes in the middle of the hand. If you would like you can also draw in a little neck below your child's print and glue a gold ribbon on the reindeer for the collar. Next fold your dry full sheet in half to make a card and center and glue the half sheet of the reindeer print to it. Add a message if you like and your card is finished.

Montessori Mondays - Where is Montessori Today?

So where does Montessori exist today? The answer: in a lot more places than you think, but in fewer places that claim to be. As I talked about in the last Monday Montessori post, traditional methods have absorbed some of Montessori's ideas such as the child sized furniture so a little bit of Montessori has really been absorbed into our standard education, so in truth Montessori is everywhere. Typically, however, Montessori is found in private schools in addition to some public programs. The Montessori philosophy, probably in thanks to Dr. Montessori's efforts later in life, has a prevalent place in education internationally. Unfortunately, there are many schools, both private and public, that tag on the name Montessori only halfway applying to the method or almost disregarding it entirely. There are organizations in place, AMS and AMI, to help maintain a standard among Montessori schools and most true Montessori schools belong to one (sometimes both, but it is not as common) of the organizations.

Below, are the websites for three of the organizations that try to maintain standards of Montessori education. These are good resources for learning more about the philosophy and getting an idea of the schools that exist in your area. Thanks for reading.

AMI (Association Montessori International): http://www.amiusa.org/index

AMS (American Montessori Society): www.amshq.org/schools.htm

NAMTA (North American Montessori Teachers Association ) School Directory list, with certification and class levels listed - USA and International. www.montessori-namta.org/NAMTA/NAMServs/dirgateway.html

Friday Notables - Wee Sing Christmas

Today's Friday Notable is perfect for this holiday season. Wee Sing for Christmas by Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp is a compilation of 58 Christmas songs and finger plays. I had this particular book and tape cassette growing up and have many happy memories of singing these great Christmas songs with my family. The book now comes with a CD or you can purchase it in audiobook format from services like Itunes. There are a fair number of songs sung by children on the audio, but several are sung by adults which some parents have found not to be as popular with their children. The audio also has only a select few verses of each song. The best value really comes from the book itself as it lists every verse of the songs. All the songs also have musical notation with them - a great way to introduce young children to reading music as they will be familiar with most of the songs. I don't listen to the tape anymore, but I still get the book out at Christmas and its a great resource for my classroom as well. Definitely worth a look. Thanks for reading!

Midweek Creations - Smoothie for a Toddler

Even though the weather is getting colder, it doesn't mean smoothies are completely out. They are a great breakfast, addition to lunch for the picky toddler, or as an afternoon snack. Even though this smoothie includes some avocado, I would pair it with a little bit protein such as peanut butter toast. You can even let your toddler help measure out the ingredients. Enjoy!

Smoothies

1/4 cup black berries

1/2 cup blueberries

1/4 cup raspberries

1/2 cup frozen cherries

2 tbsp. cooked beet pieces

1/4 avocado

3/4 cup orange juice

1tbsp. honey

Montessori Mondays - How the Philosophy Unfolds

So what does the Montessori philosophy really translate into in the classroom. Some things that were revolutionary during Dr. Montessori's time, such as child sized chairs and tables, are now standard in schools and day cares. Other things may vary from Montessori school to Montessori school, but below you will find a few things that are standard in Montessori classrooms.

• respecting and listening to a child's choices - the philosophy is child directed; when a child starts showing signs of interest and readiness to begin a step like potty training they are encouraged, but never forced

• work cycles - 2 to 3 hours of uninterrupted time for children to chose from several Montessori activities

• self corrective materials and activities - allow children to work by themselves and learn by trial and error, for example if a toddler spills some water during water pouring, he will eventually develop the fine motor skills necessary for completing the activity without spilling the water

• child sized tables and chairs - although standard in most child care centers and schools, Montessori tables and chairs can easily be moved by the children, so if a chair is knocked over a child can self correct

• guiding teacher - Montessori educators are guides for the children, offering help when needed or asked, rather than dolling out information in a standard classroom format in front of a large group of children

Friday Notables - Baby Signs

If you are out shopping this Black Friday and happen to stop by a book store, you may want to pick up a copy of Baby Signs by Linda Acredolo, Ph.D,Susan Goodwyn, Ph.D., and Dough Abrams. Signing with infants and toddlers is becoming increasingly popular as more research supporting this practice has come out in the last few years. I personally love the fact that signing gives your little one a concrete way to communicate their needs before they are physically able to speak. I have found that signing strengthens a child's bond with a caregiver as well as her sense of independence and community in a Montessori classroom especially if there are several toddlers that can already speak. Like many infant signing books, Baby Signs gives the research background supporting the practice as well as in-depth tips for working with your own child. My favorite sections of the book, however, are Chapter 6, which offers numerous rhymes and songs that incorporate sign language, and the Baby Signs Dictionary. The dictionary begins with an index, covers almost any basic sign you will ever need with simple illustrations, and indicates whether a sign is an ASL sign or not. The dictionary also offers more than one sign for the very basic signs to help you find the sign that works best for you and your child. I think this book will be worth your time if you are even thinking about signing with your child. If you want to look more at this book now or other great toddler books, check out my amazon store at the bottom of my blog. Thanks for reading and here's the full title of the book:

Baby Signs: How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk
Linda Acredolo Ph.D., Susan Goodwyn Ph.D., and Doug Abrams

Midweek Creations - Memory Turkey

Thanksgiving is just a day away and it is not too late to create one more memory with your child. There are two variations to this craft. One allows you to create a Thanksgiving tradition with you child and the other a great keepsake/decoration to bring out every Thanksgiving. In the former, your child creates one feather each Thanksgiving to add to her turkey. In the latter, every member of your family creates a feather. This can also be done with a large group of children or family members so if you have a creative bunch this Thanksgiving you may want to get everyone involved. Enjoy!


What you'll need:
card stock, cardboard (I used cut -up recycled cereal boxes)
glue
crayons, markers, colored pencils, glitter glue pens, watercolors, and/or paint
paper plates - 1 large and 1 small
paint shirts and prepared art area

Give your child (and your family members if you would like) one cardboard or card stock square to decorate with crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint, or glitter glue pens. After you are done decorating, set the artwork aside to dry, and have your child decorate the back side of both paper plates with crayons, markers, or colored pencils. After they are done decorating the plates, draw a 7 in feather pattern on a piece of paper and trace it on the card stock or cardboard once it is done drying. You can also trace your child's feet or hand to create the feather if you would like. Cut out the feathers and, as an option, brush a light brown coat of watercolor over the feathers and the paper plate - this will tie them into together and it will make any crayon designs pop. Let your child add some glitter glue if they want and then glue the smaller plate slightly on top of the larger one so it makes a head. Draw eyes and a beak. Be sure to write your child's name and age on the back of her feather and any "I am thankful for" comments she wants to add before gluing it to the back of the turkey. Add your feathers as well or wait until next year for your child to create another feather.

Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving!

Montessori Mondays - What are Sensitive Periods?

The term ‘sensitive period’ refers to a period of time in which a child will become driven to develop certain skills and, if given the opportunity, will focus all of his/her attention and energies on the acquisition of those skills. Maria Montessori spent much of her early years in forming her philosophy observing children work and play and was able to place many of these sensitive periods in specific "Planes of Development. " These "Planes" created by Dr. Montessori are four distinct periods of growth, development, and learning for children and youth roughly divided by the age groups birth - 6, 6-12, 12-18, and 18-24. The first plane is described as the time of the absorbent mind because from infancy to about 6 years old the mind is capable of absorbing large amounts of information about the environment through the five senses. It is during this time that children acquire language, begin developing motor and cognitive skills, copy the social skills of adults, and develop expectations of how the world will treat them. Consequently, a toddler's sensitive periods revolve mainly around the development of fine and gross motor skills and language. The Montessori method is designed to take maximum advantage of the "planes of development" by preparing exercises and activities that the majority of children in each plane are drawn to. These activities allow children to explore and develop skills that will help them become valuable citizens of our world later on as adults. Thanks for reading!

Friday Notables - John Deere: Harvest

The John Deere: Fun Flaps: Harvest board book is a great book to check out from your local library especially with Thanksgiving so close. The book features quality real life pictures of some basic fruits and vegetables, such as apples, corn, and pumpkins and pairs them with a basic question such as - "Where does corn grow?" Your child can then lift the flap and see one of John Deere's combines harvesting some corn. The book is simple, interactive, and repetitive and although the John Deere product placement is very obvious to adults, children are more interested in identifying the different fruits and vegetables and looking at the giant combines and I would much rather let them have the opportunity to look at pictures of real machinery than illustrations of tractors. Children who are learning to talk really enjoy trying to say the word "combine" and as they become more familiar with the book, can begin to tell you that wheat grows in a wheat field before lifting the flap. Overall, a great book to share with your child. If you want to look more at this book now or other great toddler books, check out my amazon store at the bottom of my blog.Thanks for reading and here is the full info on the book:

John Deere: Fun Flaps: Harvest
Created by Parachute Press

Midweek Creations - Toddler Monoprints

Arts and crafts for toddlers is more about exploring a medium and the process of that work rather than the end result. I myself am drawn to the medium of paint when working with toddlers because it has an intriguing texture and can be used with their fingers, stamps, and paintbrushes. It is messy, but paint messes can begin teaching toddlers about care and control with materials while offering them a chance for practical life skills in the clean up process of their art area and themselves. Monoprints is a less common art activity for toddlers that involves lots of color blending and a mini - surprise when the image in the pan transfers to their paper. It is also a nice mess break for the parent who still wants to work with paint because there are no paint cups to dump or spill and how much or how little paint that is used can be easily controlled. Enjoy!

What you'll need:
9x13 aluminum foil pan or large cookie sheet
popsicle sticks, plastic spoons, or paintbrushes (something to stir with)
3 or more colors of washable paint
paper
paint shirts and area prepared for painting (just in case)

Squirt several dots of paint in the pan, making sure there are different colors next to each other and that there will be enough to cover the bottom of the pan. I recommend using the primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) to begin with as this activity is a great opportunity to talk about color mixing and introduce secondary colors (orange, purple, and green). Invite your child to help begin blending the edges of the colors together with their stirring utensil (let them use their finger if they want). You can do zig zags, spirals, have them try basic geometric shapes until the paint has spread across the bottom of the pan and some of the colors are blended. Next, get a piece of paper and help your child place the paper in the paint, pressing slightly. Lift the paper up and let the child see the print. If he wants to touch his art, go ahead and let him, but there should be enough paint to make a whole gallery of prints if he wants to try another one. Encourage them to redesign the paint in the pan and once the paintings are dry talk about why each print is different.

Montessori Mondays - Who is Montessori?

This post provides a very brief overview of the life and work of the woman who created the Montessori Method. There is some information omitted, particularly the specific history of her time spent promoting her method, but if you would like to learn more about this amazing woman there are a couple of biographies that you should be able to find at your local library. Thanks for reading!

Maria Montessori attended a traditional school as a child where most adults, including her father, expected children to sit quietly for long hours and memorize and recite information that was doled out to them by books and teachers. Her mother, who came from a well educated family, encouraged Montessori to go beyond the typical educational standards for girls leading Montessori to become a specialist in surgery and diseases of women and children and the first woman in Italy to be certified as a medical doctor. Some of her early work after graduating included visiting insane asylums where children with mental, physical, or emotional disabilities that prevented them from participating in traditional school were being kept alongside adults with severe psychiatric disorders. She believed this environment was causing the children to be deprived of stimulation and experiences that would help them learn to use their bodies and minds and began researching existing ideas on working with children with disabilities. Through her research and work, Montessori became a co-director of a school for disabled children where she was able to put some of her initial ideas into practice and discovered that children were capable of learning and doing far more than most people thought if provided with the right materials and opportunities. Some of her revolutionary, initial ideas are standard now in education: child sized tables, chairs, and shelves. She became known as an educator that could work miracles with children that proved challenging under traditional teaching methods and was hired by a group of bankers, who were part of the San Lorenzo slum renewal project, to keep their workers' children out of trouble during the day. Montessori created Casa dei Bambini, “The Children's House” and helped many of the children in the slums by providing them with constructive activities, such as chores and puzzles, to redirect their destructive energies and provide them with a sense of competence and self worth. To promote her method and educate others in her work, Dr. Montessori left her teaching position at the school and published her first book in 1909, devoted much of her time to lectures and public speaking, and created an international teacher training course. Her last few talks that she gave focused on educating children on living in peace in the world.

Friday Notables - MontessoriMom.com

When I first entered the world of Montessori as a teacher, I was given lots of books, catalogs, hands on training, and a tip to check out MontessoriMom.com. This really is a wonderful website for both parents and educators as it provides step by step explanations of common Montessori Materials and activities including extensions for several of those activities for children as they advance. The website covers activities for infants up to some mention of high school offering a blog and some printable Montessori cards that are perfect for home use. I sometimes find the website a little difficult to navigate, but then again this is one of those sites that you don't mind getting lost in. MontessoriMom.com is definitely worth a look and thanks for reading!

Midweek Creations - Homemade Playdough

While store bought play-doh is perfectly safe for little toddlers and convenient for moms and dads, homemade playdough offers many more learning opportunities as well as great memories of time spent together. Even if it is only once, making playdough at home with your child is great way to introduce him to the practical life skills involving in cooking or baking without the stress of worrying about hot ovens or pans just yet. Young children can help pour ingredients, expand their vocabulary, and help mix them together. Older children can help measure the ingredients and talk about a specific sequence of events - measuring, pouring, mixing. If you do a search online, there are many different recipes for homemade playdough, but this recipe seems the simplest and has worked well for me. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Homemade Playdough
1 cup of salt
2 cups of flour
3/4 to 1 cup of lukewarm water
food coloring (optional)

Combine the floor and salt and then add 3/4 cup of water while stirring. Gradually add in more water if needed. As the dough begins to form, use your hands to mix the dough. If the dough is crumbly add more water and if it becomes sticky add more flour. Knead food coloring into dough if you would like. The playdough will keep for about a week, longer if it is refrigerated. I like to coat the playdough in a little vegetable oil when storing it as it helps prevent it from getting too sticky.

Montessori Mondays - What is Montessori?

The phrase "I am a Montessori toddler teacher." is almost always followed by a response that can be summarized into "What is Montessori?" and when I first began working as a Montessori teacher I found this a daunting question. Most people are aware that there is an educational approach known as Montessori and that it exists primarily as a preschool program in private schools. Perhaps the fact that the method is much more prevalent in private schools and often stops after age 6, I have found that the name Montessori carries with it an air of a rich, wide eyed, newfangled approach that is great for kids starting out, but can't compete with traditional teaching methods for more complex knowledge. And although many educators, pediatricians, and scholars have published papers and books about the Montessori method, not many people want to delve into a deep, complex conversation or study on the subject when their main purpose in asking "What is?" is to make polite conversation. So here is my best one sentence response to "What is Montessori?"

The Montessori philosophy was created by Maria Montessori and aims to nurture a child’s development by providing the child with activities and materials that cater to sensitive periods in that child's development as well as ample space and time to find and choose those activities independent of prompts from adults.

The next few blog posts on Mondays will delve deeper into this statement, shedding light on who Maria Montessori was, what sensitive periods are, how her philosophy unfolds in a classroom, and where you can find the Montessori method today.

Thanks for reading!