Diary of a First Year Montessori Kindergarten Teacher - Week 14

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Good morning Montessori Kindergarten Families,

It was so good to see you all at our Learning Celebrations this week. Your children were so excited to be able to show you how much they have learned and grown in our 14 weeks together. It was beautiful to watch everyone become immersed in the environment that we all have created together. It was TRULY student led and as a teacher I felt very blessed to witness it.

Some of the work you saw in your child’s working folders included:

-one of our first art projects based on the theme “living and nonliving” — flowers and cow skulls inspired by Georgia O’Keefe

-flip book: life cycle of a bat

– “A Noun is A …” book written by your child where they had to choose a person, place, thing illustrate it and write the sentences on his/her own — including spelling the words phonetically

– Map of North America — I want to share a bit about what went into that project. The countries were ‘cut out’ through a pin poking activity — NOT scissors — and was completed entirely by your child. Pin poking helps a child develop his/her pincer grip, co-ordination, and concentration. A child must be able to sit and focus, be ready to handle a sharp object without hurting themselves or others, and show interest in the activity. The placement and the writing of the countries and their names was also done by your child. This really is a BIG work.

Monday:

No school

Tuesday:

-Riot’s Birthday Celebration

-Introduce: Turkey, Penguins, chicken, turkey, kitchen utensils language work and life cycle work for the month

-Physical science: Matter — solid, liquid, gas

-Group discussion: chickens-where do they live? How do chickens begin their

lives? What does a rooster look like?

-H.W.T: practice review of all uppercase letters/ introduce lowercase u and cvc words with “u”

-Continue illustration work on “Seeds” book

-World Kindness Day: “You Hold Me up” by Monique Gray Smith and Danielle Daniel

 

-ABCs of North America: Tornado

-Character trait: responsible

Wednesday:

Working Meetings: ½ day and full day
 — COMPLETE map of North America

-Complete illustration of “Seeds” book and cut/assemble/bind

– Matter: focus on liquid

-Begin Weaving project: review of Native American textiles

-ABCs of North America: Umpire

-Character trait: kindhearted

-Language: singular vs. plural

-Book: About Penguins — A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill and John Sill

-Math: single digit addend + addend + addend

-Focus: egg, baby, mother penguins

Thursday:

-Whole Group: punctuation — introduce exclamation point

-Physical science: solid/liquid/gas

-Solid- can it change shape?/ Liquid- does it change shape?/What is similar? Different?

-Language: 2 person work sorting/matching

-ABCs of North America: Vancouver

-Character trait: Neighborly

-Introduce spelling practice with moveable alphabet

Friday:

-Group Math: single digit addend + addend + addend

-Morning work: choose your handwriting

-Physical Science: Land and Water Forms

-Introduce: lake and island

-Solid vs. liquid: holds/conforms to shape of vessel

-Everyone at Sound Table today

-North America: White House

-Character: Brave

-Full day: finish weaving project

Extend the Learning: Demonstrate with an ice cube solid, liquid and gas — 

Thanks to all of you who were able to volunteer your time this week!

See you all tomorrow,

Mrs. Norgren