Too beautiful to not capture with a photo. Our friends enjoyed a delicious, wholesome lunch today of homemade chicken noodle soup mixed with a colorful medley of freshly chopped vegetables, and corn muffins on the side. Just about everyone asked for seconds and thirds.
The perfect meal to help get our week started right!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEgsWwKkqSS/?taken-by=healthy_beginnings_montessori
Plant a tree! Save the earth!
What’s on the menu today?
Fresh greens and vegetables from the garden, hand-picked and prepared by our very own Kiwi toddler students. Complete with fresh lettuce, parsley, basil, radishes, grape tomatoes, hand-tossed in a vinaigrette dressing. This, along with fresh, steamed carrots, complemented the pizza perfectly!
One of our favorite blogs to follow (and one that gives us lots of inspiration) is How We Montessori. They recently posted a beautiful article describing the proper layout of a Montessori Infant home environment. Check it out!
Article Source: http://www.howwemontessori.com/how-we-montessori/2016/04/montessori-infant-room-3-6-months-.html
Are you expecting a baby or setting up a Montessori infant room? Here are a few ideas and suggestions for the environment for a 3-6-month-old child.
The Child
The child is in the period of the absorbent mind. They are absorbing and getting impressions from everything in their environment. We want their room to be ordered, to be clean, safe and beautiful.
The child is beginning to do intentional and coordinated work with their hands and possibly hand to hand transfer. They are observing their hands coming together. Reaching out and grasping is a big part of their work. They are ready for the sensory, tactile experiences of various fabrics, rattles and balls. Rattles allow the child to experience the physical sensation of holding something in their hands; they allow the child to grasp, to let go, to shake and feel cause and effect. This is important for the developing human intelligence including myelination, and activation of the muscles of the arm, hand and fingers.
The child is beginning to move and slither, or commando crawl. They need the opportunity to move (freedom of movement), to reach a toy or to get to the other side of the room (being able to see and access their materials/toys on the low shelving). The child has greater control of their body and observing movement (wall mirror) is important.
The child has greater control of their head and can look around to observe their surroundings. They begin to visually map their room. They can look up and see the materials on the shelf and artwork on the walls. The child is developing spatial awareness and features such as an unobstructed view (floor bed) and being able to see their entire room can assist with this.
The Environment
Floor bed, board books (or fabric or other suitable books), low shelving, developmentally appropriate materials and toys, low hanging artwork, low chair, movement mat or play area, wall mirror, tactile mobiles (for batting or grasping).
– See more at: http://www.howwemontessori.com/how-we-montessori/2016/04/montessori-infant-room-3-6-months-.html#sthash.23tjAekM.dpuf
The Montessori Method: An Education For Creating Innovators
Imagine an education system that trained students to be creative innovators and leaders without the use of grades, tests or homework. It actually exists and it’s called the Montessori Method.
The Montessori Method focuses on fostering a hands-on, self-paced, collaborative and enjoyable learning experience. It teaches students to start small with their ideas, to build them through experimentation and to solve the problems that come up along the way with a sense of stimulating curiosity.
One of the most striking aspects of Montessori education is its similarities with the “fail fast, fail forward” do-it-yourself hacker mentality that has built many of the most innovative companies in Silicon Valley. Even the popular innovation frameworks in the global start-up scene, like agile development and lean startup methodology, share similarities with the experimental process of Montessori learning.
I believe that if we want to become better creators and innovators, we would be wise to study the principles of the Montessori Method. Even though the Montessori Method is usually associated with the primary education of children, the seven pillars of self-directed learning that it is based on also apply to adults who want to become more creative, adaptable and self-motivated:
1. Independence
2. Responsibility
3. Self-Discipline
4. Leadership
5. Initiative
6. Academics
7. Lifelong Learning
Continue reading
“Words are your [child’s] best friends. They are bridges of understanding and passages that seed all of humanity.” (Montessori Today, Paula Polk Lillard)
A child thirsts for new language like they thirst for water. They crave new language experiences for many reasons; to be in touch with their surroundings, engaged in their environment, and to communicate with others around them. We want to provide a variety of language opportunities for children, especially between the ages of birth to six years, when the child is in the “sensitive period” for language development.
At HBMH, our community is well equipped with language-rich learning opportunities. We talk to the children and adult with respect, modeling how to interact in a positive, productive way. We model grace and courtesy so the child understands proper social interactions. Every lesson is an opportunity to expand upon the child’s language development.
In Montessori, we discourage talking to a newborn in a “baby voice”. Instead, we carry on conversations and talk to them as if talking to another adult. We share stories with them, and encourage them to respond. We “coo” in response to their little noises to show that their words and noises matter, and that they can communicate their needs through language. Our tone of voice conveys a specific message and emotion. We tell them what we’re going to do before we do it. For instance, “I’m going to pick you up”, or “I’m going to wipe your nose”, and so forth. Continue reading
Healthy Beginnings Montessori 