May is here and we are approaching the end of the school year. Usually I write an article or give parents some tips about being a toddler in a Montessori classroom. This month I’d like to catch the parents up on what we’ve been doing in class and what we’re up to this month.
First of all, so many children in our class have turned two in the past few months or will be two soon. Our classroom has been full of language. We are naming every object, animal, person, and article of clothing in sight. Some of the children are using two and three word sentences which is very exciting. During this time there have been so many teachable moments. We’ve been using our taste buds to learn words like juicy, sweet, crunchy, hard, soft, etc… We also used our senses to smell different spices like ginger, coffee, and cinnamon. The children loved grinding the coffee and grating the ginger that made our room smell great. The children got to learn new words and use their senses. This month the children will be tasting cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, and other melons in small group. The children love a chance to taste food and it’s a great way to learn new words that are fun to say.
In class we are also getting ready for international night which is a great event. I hope all the toddler families will join the rest of the school and have a fun filled night on Friday, May 13th. The children have been painting with blue and white paint to get ready to transform our room into Antarctica. We have art projects and games planned as well.
We are still baking every week making banana muffins, blueberry scones, and berry tarts. We plan on making sweet potato cookies, apple pies, and much more. Baking is a great way to learn practical life skills. The children have been sifting, mixing, and pouring ingredients.
Lastly, our class has been planting and visiting the greenhouse. Rose is going to come in and help us with some planting projects. We just need some nice weather to get started. Earth day clean up was fun for the toddlers too. Look for our pictures by the toddler room. The children raked, picked up sticks, and used the wheel barrel. Our playground looks great. We are all looking forward to spending more time outside in the days to come.
As always, the toddler staff enjoys working with your children. Just a reminder that the toddler potluck will be held Thursday, May 26th.
Sincerely,
Kristy
Image Credit: michaelolaf.net