All About Montessori

[buds]

The time window of the Sensitive Period is the best time for a child to absorb as many things as he can from the environment. Languages, early math skills, learning about good mannerisms and being gracious, exposure to the nature around him, the order of things and so many more... for once it has peaked, this window will slowly close and slows the rate of what the child absorbs as compared to when it first started. This is why experts have shared that the age range of 0-3 years old is the best time for a child to learn as many skills as he can.


Early childhood programmes like playgroup, gym and right-brain training have become so much popular in recent years for more and more parents are better informed. There will be working mothers who spare no time in clinching the best play schools for their children to occupy their days with and savvy stay-home-moms research on all the tested and proven early childhood methodologies to work with their children at home.

The Montessori Method of Education is one of the most family-friendly method to impart skills be it in academic form, in values, in appreciation of nature and the world, in nurturing a child towards independence and so many more! A Montessorian child is prepared not only for academia but for life itself.

Fully utilizing on the Sensitive Period together with the chubs' current craze of the year : Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, I hope to interest him as much as possible in areas he enjoys doing and in areas he finds the challenges somewhat interesting. Interesting enough to push himself to overcome the challenges and interesting enough to sustain his concentration ability. I never realized I could have fallen head over heels in love with Thomas... and his friends too of course. LOL!

Chubs' vocabulary bank is increasing by the day and he speaks to us often about his wants, his likes, his emotions for the day and never forgets to tell me he loves me... especially right before his breastfeeding session. LOL! Hubs likes to tease me that I am not playing fair as I have a secret weapon... or rather... gotta make that as \"secret weaponS\" instead cause there are two of them! ROFL! He claims I have the upper hand because I hold the food source!

Honestly, during this Sensitive Period... it takes less of the parent to teach for the child is a very observant & keen learner. He grasp concepts REALLY fast and can apply what he has learnt equally fast. It takes little effort on the parents' end. But what it does take is of course the parent's time. Time to be spent with the child. Simple and interesting resources are an added bonus.

Now, back to Thomas... the flavour of the season... the moment I observed his keen interest in everything Thomas, I didn't waste any time. I got everything over the shelves I could lay my hands on that I know he would love to work on. Then, I hit the blogshops, forums, spree sites for other Thomas related items not easily available in Singapore. Perhaps some are pretty easy to get but because I am normally holed up in my pigeon hole, the net is the easiest way out for me. I get to shop in my PJs!

I got hold of these books from an open fair at Yew Tee Point, in Choa Chu Kang. They are PERFECT! #1 : Boardbooks. #2 : Large A4 sized. #3 : Extremely colourful illustrations. #4 : Options for follow-up with activity books available (which I purchased as well of course)..

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There were two Math inspired board books available at that time. I bought both definitely since both books offered different pleasures to a child. Apart from the beautiful illustrations on them, they each brought out something for the child to work with. Something interactive to engage the child's interest.

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The A4 sized Thomas 123 book shows the engines, the numbers each engine represents and finally the names of each of them (the engines). Chubs could relate to the engine shape from their colours, size, engine shape and their distinct faces with the help of his real engines. Yes, hubs and I bought him a few. Okay, that's not true. We bought him almost half the collection already. Teheeheee..

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Chubs gets all his engines together and tries to match them on the board book itself. The control of error is that the last tender's number or the engine's number won't match with the one on the book, should any of the pieces were not placed correctly.

Montessori apparatus comes with control of error. The special feature about Montessori equipment is that they allow for auto-education. A child can check and self-correct his work without much intervention from the directress after the material has been presented to him. The auto-education feature allows Montessorian children to learn from mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and through these mistakes, we learn. We will make conscientious effort to do better the next time we do the exact same thing again.

This is where the Montessori education is special. It provides freedom to learn anything and everything and yet offers comfort to the child's emotional worth that it is not wrong for him to make mistakes, it happens... in fact in happens to everyone because no one is perfect.

There is no one to ridicule the child for the mistake. There is no norm to conform to. The directress continues to guide and facilitate the individual presentations as repeat lessons everytime a child is in need of reinforcements. Hence explains the \"no child left behind\"... It has been said that time waits for no man. The Montessori Education offers the assurance that it is okay to learn at one's own pace. When a child begins to show the love for learning, that learning comes from within him and learning becomes easier. If the child finds it hard to learn how we teach, then we can teach him how he learns best.

The second book (again a boardbook) which is slightly smaller entitled My First Numbers, feature catchy rhyming pages to help a child learn the numbers as well. Children once again relate to all the engine names and are led to rote count from number 1 via the simple rhymes. This book offers language opportunities as children explore the pictures used in the illustrations.

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Using simple books as resources, chubs was able to learn one-to-one counting, recognize the symbols/numerals and got reinforcement on colours.

Last Thursday, while waiting for DD1 to finish her violin lesson chubs roamed around the music school. I observed him looking up at every studio door. I realized he was looking at the numbers pasted on the doors. Without any prompting from me, he showed how he applied what he had learnt about numbers thus far. He said, \"Mommy, this is room. Room is number 1. Thomas is number 1.\" He went on to the rest of studio doors in quiet request that I accompany him around the school using his little fingers wrapped around two of mine. \"This room is number 5, James is number 5...\" he resumed. Then, DD1's violin teacher called signaling the end of lesson for that day. Before that, chubs said, \"Mommy carry. Mommy help chubs please.. I trace 5.\" With my wittle dragon_boi in the baby carrier pouch in front of me, I carefully lifted chubs to the side of my body and he got to trace the number 5 on the door of the studio before we went over to meet DD1's violin teacher. As I slowly let him down, he flashed me his handsome grin and let out a contented sigh.

As parents, we normally think we are the ones who are supposed to be teaching our children and reinforcing the concepts with them. In my case, with chubs... he taught me and shared with me that he has indeed learnt and understood... for today, he applied what he learnt. Perfectly.

Thanks to the Montessori Method and the discovery of the Sensitive Period, to Thomas and of course his friends too... LOL! and thanks to chubs today for showing me how learning can be so natural, so effortless and so much more meaningful when the desire to learn comes from within him.

The Montessori Method of Education allows the flexibility for educators and parents to observe how best our children learn and maximize their potential and this way, we can learn together from one another. I'm looking forward to chubs sharing more of his learning experiences with me. :please:

I'm still learning too.. every single day.. :love:

[buds]

ocearth:

Hi Buds!


Still busy huh?

Just to update, duno if you remember my posts, that i have decided to sens my elder son to Sunny Bunny Montessori in Bedok CC..

Let's hope the directress Natalie will be able to guide him and the few students well ...

To be updated!

As always, dear.. busy busy.. but not too busy to come peek here on and off. It's peeps like you guys that keep me relevant. So, I thank you. Yes, please update us on his progress. Nothing beats an honest review. Real-time feedback sharing benefits other parents. If the educators themselves read forums, they too can reflect and look into the shortcomings or the successes of their programmes and can choose to improve what they are doing satisfactorily or continue what they have been doing right and reward their teachers nicely whenever possible. No need to wait for Teachers' Day. Everyone loves pat on the backs every now and then. Even moms.. so give ourselves one today. :celebrate:

[buds]

Mergeasone:

Hi all, can i ask for some advise??? Do u think it is ok to get some montessori items to place at home even though my child is attending montessori preschool??? Thanks.

:rahrah: YES!!! :rahrah:

Definitely yes!

This calls for another sharing for another time yah?

[felz]

Little Pudding:

Anyone has reviews for whiz kidz Montessori at Simei?

Just to share.. My daughter is in this school since 2012 Jan. Initially the school name was kiddy academy but it was taken over by whiz kidz some time last year. The turn over rate for teacher is very high and they always hire china teacher who speaks and understand really little english or worst, don't understand at all. Before the new owner took over, there is this really good china teacher that i like but because of her contract she had to leave.

Till today, i don't even know my daughter (N2) new teacher. I was told she is only 19 yr old, comes in after i sent and leave before i pick her up. The school doesn't update me anything about my daughter, example when her nose bleed, she hit someone in school. I got to know it only days later from a temporary care giver in her school which is my friend cousin.

Recently my daughter hit her chin at the playground and had a really really bad bruise underneath her chin, they did not call me immediately to inform me about the accident. I was quite disappointed with them and worried about my daughter actually but if not because their school serve dinner and close slightly later then the other (7.30pm), i would have withdraw my daughter already. Just hope that they can improve on their standard and hire more experience teachers who can deal things more professionally. I don't want to carry the fear to work everyday. :scared:

[buds]

Hi felz.. :hugs: I am sorry your daughter (and yourself too!) have to go through this. When you shared the school doesn't update you abt anything, does it include not even writing in a communication book? Did you meet up with the teacher or any other staff about these mishaps that left your daughter in bleeds and bruises?


Your poor daughter...

She's like 3 plus I suppose?

[bagabunny]

buds…

so happy to read your sharing again. now I understand more about how to tap on our child’s sensitive periods. no wonder when my son was so crazy about Lightning Mcqueen, he could recite the lines from the movie, do the puzzles with so much ease and excitement. if only I knew how to make use of that period wisely…

[buds]

Hi bagabunny! :snuggles:


Yes! Yes! They can recite every story book.. every movie.. every song.. word for word! It's amazing! Chubs is now quite fixated to work on a 30pc Thomas puzzle my brother bought for him for his birthday last December.

[buds]

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[bagabunny]

♡♡♡♡♡♡

how I wish my gal and chubs can be playdates

[bagabunny]

♡♡♡♡♡♡

how I wish my gal and chubs can be playdates