Montessori 2 | House on the Hill

Montessori at Home: How to Create a Personalised Montessori Daily Routine Card

Amanda May 2024

This Montessori at Home activity will show you how to make a personalised daily routine set of Montessori cards and then how to use them. You want to empower your child to sequence their task of routines to help them make better decisions so they can plan for their time. Making personalised cards helps your child to identify with the images at a deeper level and understand it’s THEM doing the task. Using routine cards and a prepared environment is the key to success when fostering independence with your child. Plus, it is a great way to introduce the idea of routines, to have conversations about daily life and the daily rhythm of your family. It’s a good idea to get all the family members thinking about what is working and what is not before you even start to implement the visual schedule. 4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour Start With Taking Photos You can do this on a regular day. Go through your normal morning routine and evening routine. As your child does the tasks that you want them to do (ideally without you nagging), take a photo of them in action. If you have more than one child, then we recommend taking photos of each one and making them a set of visual routine cards for each child. Set aside an hour at the weekend or a less busy time of day and explain to your child what you are going to do. What Should You Be Taking Photos of? Think about the tasks your child needs to do in order to leave home in the morning or go to sleep in the evening. For toddlers, this could be brushing their teeth, getting dressed, and putting their breakfast dishes in the sink. Add in any other practical life skills that take place in the regular rhythm of the day. For older children, it could involve tasks such as packing their school bag, putting their dirty clothes in the laundry basket, and giving you any papers that have been sent home from school. It could also include tasks that you want to delegate such as when to water plants or feeding your pet. How to Create Your Personalised Daily Routine Card Now you have your photos, you can make your Montessori printable routine cards. Step 1: Print the activity sheets using a printer. Here is the Printable Routine Card. Step 2: Print your photos, cut them and stick them onto the activity sheet using glue. Step 3: Write your child’s name on the activity card at the top. Step 4: Laminate the activity sheet so it can be used for a longer period. Step 5: Place your child’s activity sheet on the fridge or their bedroom door. Step 6: As your child completes the task, they can tick off the completed activity. Remember Keep It Simple If your child is brand new to all this, start off with just two or three tasks and make them into a micro routine. Remind them each day about using their daily routine cards. Once it becomes a consistent routine, you can add in a couple more tasks or another micro routine. No Rewards As tempting as it is to give a reward, you may regret it later. If you are using this for jobs that need doing at home, remember that you, as a parent, don’t get paid for these tasks so your child doesn’t need to either. Instead, instil that they are an active member of the family, and it is part of their role to do the tasks to support the family. The younger your child is when you start, the easier it will be for your child to follow these steps. In essence, routines are incredibly important for young children. As children grow and learn, routines help them to develop a sense of security and feel safe in what we often refer to as a stable learning environment. In other words, routines help integrate children’s learning with an “organised connection.” When children are in a good routine, not only do they feel confident and in control, but they also learn to develop positive social skills and a sense of satisfaction in being able to do things for themselves.

How Does Montessori Prepare My Child In Primary School in Mathematics?

The HotH Team April 2024

One of the questions we get all the time from prospective parents is how the Montessori education prepares their child for the Primary 1 Ministry of Education Singapore (MOE) Mathematics.

Montessori at Home: Learning Responsibilities at Home

Amanda April 2024

Montessori at Home: Learning Responsibilities at Home Thinking about setting up a Montessori home learning environment? This is a fantastic way to reinforce key Montessori principles, foster positive educational habits, and participate in your child’s developmental journey at home. The Montessori concept of “help me to do it myself” is the most important principle to keep in mind when setting up the Montessori activity. With Montessori education, the goal is for your child to learn through authentic experiences. Using everyday household objects also teaches an important lesson: responsibility. Children learn to treat their things and the possessions of their friends and family with care. Dr. Montessori believed that every child is capable of greatness when given the opportunity to learn, make mistakes, and grow. Having the right environment to do that is essential. It’s essential to remember that the Montessori experience isn’t limited to a room for learning. Your child doesn’t stop learning and exploring when they put a book back on the shelf or clean up their art supplies. The Montessori experience is a whole-home experience – from the kitchen to the bathroom, from the bedroom to the living room. The goal of all parents is to help guide your child to become a happy, healthy, and independent individual. Your child will develop their inner discipline and work towards the path to independence when they are given ample opportunities to complete the tasks set up in the Prepared Environment at home. Here are our top 4 activities 1. Keeping the House Clean Children love to help clean, sweep, scrub, and wipe. These chores allow them to practise their physical movements and manipulative tasks and engage them in keeping the home clean. Remember to first demonstrate the task step by step, and model the whole process while your child waits and watches until you are finished. Once you hand the task over, try not to interrupt or comment, so your child can experience a sense of accomplishment, with every attempt they made. It may not be perfect in your eyes, but it is important to let your child be satisfied with their accomplishment and efforts! 2. Taking Care of Laundry How to make a washing machine out of cardboard. You’ll need the following tools and materials to build your DIY cardboard washing machine. Materials Used Cardboard Box Duct Tape Electrical Tape Kraft Paper Cutter Scissors Marker Glue Round Laundry Basket Round Objects (such as bottle caps; to serve as control switches) Instructions Design the front panel – Using the recycled cardboard box, outline. First, you can draw a big circle for its door. You can use your laundry basket as a pattern. Then, draw some small circles for the buttons. You can add some, numbers, and other features. Then colour them according to what design you want. You can even paint it. Anything creative. Make a door – Draw the door onto the cardboard and cut the circle. You can choose to have the washing door on the front or at the top. Attach a small and light door handle. Then, re-attach the door using a hinge. Assemble the body – You can now assemble the box to make the body of the washing machine. Add a laundry basket. Check the size – Make sure the sides are fully attached. You can use glue or a glue gun and support with duct tape to maintain further shape. Next, ask your child to pick the clothes he or she would like to wash in the washing machine. Once the clothes are cleaned, ask your child to hang them on the clothesline to dry. If your child would like the clothes wet for the full effect, add water into a bucket for them to wash in cold water, making sure they wring out the clothes before handing them on the line. 3. Folding Clothes Folding clothes also encourages children to spend lots of loosely structured time purposefully and wisely in activities that promote: Learning new words and gaining language skills. How to make this easy DIY child-sized folding board. Materials The materials that you need for this project are cardboard, scissors, and tape. Instructions The cardboard should be 55cm x 50cm. Important to remember the two flaps must be equal in width. Shown below are the pieces marked and labelled. Use the scissors to cut along the lines. Now we add the tape onto the back of the pieces and as per the display below. The key is that the side flaps and the bottom flap must be able to fold. The tape is the “hinge”. Ask your child to pick a shirt they wish to use for the folding board. Place the item on the folding board. Fold one flap and the shirt over then fold the other and shirt over (see picture below). Bring the flaps (without the shirt) back flat. Fold up the bottom flap and shirt. Bring the bottom flap back down without the shirt. Then watch as your child is proud of their effort at folding his or her shirt. 4. Sorting and Organisation of Clothes Doesn’t it feel like children outgrow their clothes with amazing speed? This is a good time to empty closets of clothing they have outgrown, as well as sorting through and organising them so that children can become more independent and take care of their belongings on their own. Children as young as 2 years old can begin to learn sorting. Have your child help match and sort out socks, or they can sort their clothing by colour. Not only does this build math skills and help them identify colours, but it can become a fun game for them as well! For older children, guide them to fold or hang the clothing up. Model how you want them to do it and try not to expect perfection immediately. Practice makes perfect! Important Tips to Remember Freedom of Choice: Encourage your child to choose an activity based on their interests. One Activity at a

Helping Children with Self-Awareness and Confidence

Amanda April 2024

4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour Helping children with self-awareness and confidence Developing self-confidence and self-awareness enables children to develop relationships, express their emotions and desires and become resilient, self-confident learners. It is good to know this is something that can be nurtured from birth. At House on the Hill, we play a role in supporting children to have a strong sense of self and be in touch with their emotions and bodies. “Making friends and having respect are important skills that should be encouraged to support children’s social interactions”, said Marilyn Ow, Principal of Mount Sophia School. “At House on the Hill, we focus on how to increase self-esteem and self-belief in children under five, as well as help children to make friends and form relationships with their peers and educators,” she said. “If children have a strong sense of self they are less likely to experience negative social interactions and more likely to have positive relationships.” Children use relationships with their caregivers to form their “sense of self” and it is through positive caregiver relationships that children learn that they are valued and important in this world. Children with a stronger sense of self have: Improved self-esteem. Decreased stress and anxiety. Decreased depression. Increased persistence, particularly for challenging tasks. Improved problem-solving skills. Teachers and Educators are in the perfect position to support children with their emerging social interactions, improving their self-esteem and helping them connect with the world. Making and keeping friends may sound easy for us adults, but for young children, this may be something new and difficult. Just like supporting a child to walk or to learn to write, our role at House on the Hill is that of behaviour coach to support the child to learn the steps involved in making and keeping friends. By promoting and teaching social skills to young children, this will positively impact their behaviour, learning and health outcomes. House on the Hill has a strong focus on teaching children emotional regulation and confidence through a mindfulness program that supports children to connect with themselves. Teaching children to be more aware of their physical reactions and able to link them to their behaviours is helping them develop the confidence they need to deal with challenging social situations in later years. “When children are more in sync with their behaviour and reactions, they are more confident and more likely to stand up for themselves if they experience something they don’t like,” she said. For example, if two children want to play with the same toy and one of the children snatches the toy away, an educator will talk the children through the experience as it is happening. “Often a common and immediate reaction to this scenario is for the other child to push or snatch the toy, so an educator will narrate the experience and explain to both children what has just happened. By giving them the words, the children can express themselves and it also models a way of managing the situation,” she said. This helps the children to connect their emotions to the event that occurred and the language that describes that event: Acknowledge the feelings – “You must have felt really sad and hurt that Tom snatched your toy away.” Describe the situation – “I can see that you are missing one car from your park. Tom is also trying to line his cars at the traffic light” Provide the solution – “Let’s try showing Tom what you are trying to do with all your cars first. Then he can have your car when you’re finished with it.” What can you do to support your child at home? Parents can try this approach at home when they get frustrated or angry. Children then see and hear adults they trust in similar situations, helping them to understand that it happens to everyone and even people they care about. They also learn from adults about how to respond to these situations. Boost your child’s self-esteem by being a positive role model at home. Help children learn to complete tasks themselves, giving them a sense of achievement and pride. Acknowledge effort and refrain from giving harsh criticism. By helping build your child’s self-esteem, you let them know how valued and important they are. Talking about strengths and challenges can help children gain self-awareness. Getting children involved in something they like and are good at can raise self-awareness and confidence. By allowing your child to make decisions about how to behave in social situations you are giving them the understanding that they have responsibility for their interactions. It is also helpful to provide opportunities for choices during routines and play.

Montessori at Home: Behavioural Strategies to Help Improve Your Child’s Sleep

Amanda March 2024

4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour Montessori at Home: Behavioural Strategies to Help Improve Your Child’s Sleep With Evelyn Bonney, Sleep Consultant Are you having trouble with your child at bedtime? You are not alone! It’s normal for children to want to be in control and push boundaries. It’s an important part of their cognitive development. So how do we as parents navigate this? It’s developmentally normal for children to test the boundaries. Our job as parents and caregivers is to create safe, healthy, predictable limits and boundaries for our children. When you keep to those limits, your children feel safer and more secure. You need to re-establish the balance of control which is key to getting your child to bed and sleeping through the night. House on the Hill engaged Evie, Founder of Evelyn Bonney Sleep Consulting to conduct a workshop with our parents. Evie is a registered nurse, founder of Evelyn Bonney Sleep Consulting, mum of 3 (including twins!) and a certified Sleep Sense™ Consultant. As a certified sleep consultant, with 20 years of nursing experience, she is able to support parents when they need it most. So how do we make it easier? Choices, Connection and Confidence The 3 C’s = help children to adapt to changes more easily and help to instil intrinsic motivation. Choices – Offer choices to your child at the appropriate times. This will allow them to feel in control of some situations and reduce overwhelm, while still giving you as parents, the space to implement strong boundaries. Connection – Acknowledge your child’s feelings using empathy, compassion, and a problem-solving process. This helps them feel validated, heard, and connected which = less bedtime boundary-pushing. Confidence – BE CONFIDENT and stay consistent. Top 4 Tips Below are the top four tips to ease bedtime battles. You can also use these strategies throughout the day to manage being overwhelmed and maintain boundaries. Give them time warnings. Transitioning from one task to the next is hard for many young children and it’s completely normal. Giving them time warnings can be a very effective way to get their brains ready to make the transition to the next activity before it happens. For example, “In 5 minutes we are going to start putting the Lego away and then go out”. “In 5 minutes we are going to go upstairs to get ready for bed”. The amount of time you specify doesn’t matter with younger children, but the warning itself is very useful when implemented with consistency to help them get mentally ready for what is coming next. Give them choices. Children LOVE being in control. Offering choices to your child at the appropriate times will allow them to feel in control of some situations and reduce overwhelm, while still giving you as parents, the space to implement strong boundaries. A proper choice has 2 equally positive choices. For example: Of these 2 pairs of pyjamas, which would you like to wear? Of these 4 stories, which 2 would you like to hear? Tell them exactly what is going to happen next. Not only does this help foster language development but it can also help to prevent overwhelm and emotional dysregulation. Give them specific details like “we are going to go out to the shop in the car”. When you then approach the car, there is less chance your child will become overwhelmed about having to get in, as it’s not a new piece of information for them to process. Be consistent and stick to your boundaries. Do the same bedtime routine every night! Don’t underestimate the importance of consistency. Being consistent and sticking to boundaries ultimately makes your child feel more safe and secure and less out of control of their situation. It is hard to say NO and stick to it when it leads to being overwhelmed but ultimately it ensures a secure bond between you as parents and your child. What is the approach at House on the Hill with sleep and quiet time in our schools? At House on the Hill, we understand the importance of consistency between the approach in school and at home. We share with parents the approach to children’s sleep and quiet time in school as the children work towards independent sleep patterns. Below are the steps our Teachers follow during sleep and quiet activities: Infants in our Nido room For our young infants in our Nido, our Teachers work with the parents to understand and follow their child’s sleep patterns. For the older infants, rest occurs in the middle of the day. The Teachers signal their sleep and quiet time by setting up the children’s cot/bed on the floor and laying their bedding down. Once the children are settled in their bed, the lights are turned off and the curtains are closed and the Teachers stay close to keep an eye out whilst the children sleep. Our Nido team works together with parents, considering each child’s unique needs, therefore creating a sleep environment that promotes children’s health and development. Playgroup to Kindergarten Children Sleep or quiet activity time is crucial for children at House on the Hill. This period of rest gives your little one a chance to break away from constant stimulation and calms their mind and body. The Teachers start the routine to signal it is time for sleep and quiet activities. The children collect their bedding, set up their cot and lie down. Once the children are settled in their cot, the lights are turned off and the curtains are closed with soft music playing in the background. This approach is consistent with the idea of teaching the children self-independence. By allowing children to fall asleep on their own, they learn to self-soothe and regulate their emotions. This can lead to better sleep for both children and parents. With newly enrolled children in our schools,

Keep Calm and Help Children Learn

Amanda March 2024

4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour Keep Calm and Help Children Learn Calm and peaceful parenting is a distinctive positive approach in which the aim is to promote harmony and respect in a family’s daily life. This method places emphasis on less conflict and creating more cooperation by understanding the root cause of children’s behaviour. By teaching children to be calm, we need to role-model calmness ourselves. Most of what children learn about emotions comes from us. How we respond to our own worries, stress and frustrations will guide the children to learn to manage different everyday experiences and challenges. As you experience challenging emotions and situations, demonstrating how you bounce back will help your child relate better to respond to their own issues with optimism, calmness, and confidence. Calmness helps reduce children’s “alarm reaction” (fight-flight-freeze) and allows them to feel safe and secure enough to think rationally and learn a better way of behaving and coping while building trust. When your child is calm, they will have more focus and concentration to be more engaged in activities they are interested in. Consistency is also critical. It’s what sets the tone and will immediately put your child at ease in their environment. Children need to feel safe to learn Children need to be given the right environment for learning. Our Teachers at House on the Hill have adopted the approach of calm and consistent Montessori environments, recommending a balance between intentional and child-led learning, in an environment that is safe and predictable. Montessori environments are structured differently than classrooms in traditional preschools and childcare centres. The method integrates practices that lean into children’s natural tendencies, weaving classroom and behavioural management into regular, everyday practices. “To understand the children’s behaviour, we need to know the trigger or functional need of the child to feel and behave the way they do. We provide them with the safe environment to express their feelings and make them feel validated”. “By acknowledging their feelings, we help them to relate to their big emotions and let them feel connected with us. We continue to describe and talk about their situation to address their functional need and provide solutions for them to support them”. Ms Marilyn Ow, Founding Principal of House on the Hill Central to this approach is having a predictable and consistent environment that facilitates the development of your child. Helpful Tips For Keeping Calm Environments Importance of Calmness: Children learn by example: Adults need to model calmness to teach children how to manage their own emotions. Calmness promotes learning: When children feel calm, they are more receptive to learning and problem-solving. Calmness fosters trust and security: A calm environment helps children feel safe and secure, essential for learning and development. Montessori Approach: Balance between structured and child-led learning: This provides children with both opportunities for exploration and guidance. Predictable and consistent environment: Helps children feel safe and secure, allowing them to focus on learning. Modelling appropriate behaviour: Adults demonstrate how to interact effectively, manage emotions, and solve problems. Tips for Creating a Calm Environment: Stay calm yourself: Recognize your stress triggers and take steps to de-escalate. Establish routines: Consistency reduces anxiety and creates a sense of security. Practice self-regulation: Children learn to self-regulate by observing calm and consistent adults. Be patient and understanding: Respect children’s capabilities and avoid placing unrealistic expectations. Let go of small issues: Focus on what truly matters and avoid creating unnecessary tension. Teach children coping mechanisms: Help them understand and manage frustration in a healthy way. Open communication: Discuss emotions openly and help children learn to express themselves constructively. By incorporating these principles, parents and Teachers can create a calm and nurturing environment that fosters children’s emotional well-being and learning.

A Day In The Life In Our Nido Room

Amanda February 2024

Leading Montessori Infant Care in Balmoral From birth to age 3, your child’s brain is developing more rapidly than at any other time. Book A Tour A typical day in the life of our Nido children Our Nido, or ‘nest’ (in Italian) is the perfect nurturing environment for children aged 2-17 months. In these formative years, their mind is like a sponge, soaking up huge amounts of information from their environment. This is when children develop their sense of self and their sense of their place in the world. Our Teachers follow flexible routines that are created to allow your child to feel confident and safe while learning and having fun every day! These routines ensure a consistent and high-quality Montessori education that supports your child’s learning, development, and identity. So what does a day in the life look like for our Nido children? As parents and children arrive at our House on the Hill – Balmoral School, our Teachers welcome them and help with each child’s transition into the day. As you wave goodbye to your child, their Teacher will take them to the room to put their bag in the cubby hole with your child’s name on it. A nutritious snack is served at 8:30 am to kickstart the day to give them lots of energy! The morning is a time to explore new ideas together After a snack, the children participate in group sharing sessions and creative development. Group sessions add to children’s sense of belonging and typically feature a thematic topic (examples of Thematic topics include: sensory play, all about me and feelings). Children are then invited to explore a range of engaging, interest-based activities designed to build each child’s development. These activities are carefully planned by our experienced Teachers and often include creative arts, music and movement, and storytelling. After this session, the children move on to the next activity. For our children aged 2 to 12 months It’s tummy and gym time. Supervised tummy time is important because it helps to: Strengthen your baby’s neck, shoulder, and arm muscles so your baby can start to sit up, crawl, and eventually walk on their own. This will help improve your baby’s ability to move and control their muscles to complete various actions (sometimes called “motor skills”). We also make sure our children spend time in the outdoors exploration time too. For our children 13 to 17 months It’s movement, games, and outdoor exploration to develop their motor skills. This is an exciting time for our children and provides an opportunity to explore, discover and appreciate the natural world, as well as be active, strengthen fine and gross motor movement skills, test physical limits and get messy. Time spent in the outdoors is an important part of the daily program for all our children, including infants. The mid-morning, where everything is possible It’s time for their routine care with bottle feeding, creating a calm and relaxing environment for feeding. The Teachers will spend some time cuddling and bonding with your child after feeding. Next, it’s time to change your child’s diapers to freshen up your little one. While doing this, the Teachers will talk to your child and sing songs to keep them entertained during the diaper change. The rest of our morning is spent learning and exploring together! The Teachers begin the children’s Mandarin lesson where they talk to the children in Mandarin to build a solid foundation in their listening skills. We strive to instil a love of the language in each child by making it fun! Our teachers approach lessons with a sense of adventure, using animation, and lots of body movement to keep students engaged. Next, the children engage in Montessori activities which include: Practical life activities are at the core of the Montessori philosophy. They introduce children to the concept of education as an aid and a preparation for life and assist them in developing a sense of order, concentration, independence, and coordination. Examples of practical life activities include transferring, pouring, opening and closing bottle caps activities. Working with the Montessori learning materials such as the object, permanence box, imbucare box, ball tracker. In the middle of the day, time for lunch and a well-needed rest Respectful mealtimes are an important part of our day. Our bespoke menu plan was developed by a world-renowned nutritionist and is freshly cooked and nutritionally balanced. We often share a family-style meal where our Teachers take the opportunity to connect with the children and share thoughts and ideas. This is also an opportunity for older children to practice self-help skills. Children are encouraged to feed themselves with the assistance of our Teachers.   Following lunch, the children have the chance to rest. After a stimulating and busy morning, rest time is an important opportunity to rest physically and unwind emotionally. For the older children rest occurs in the middle of the day, for younger children rest time varies depending on their needs. For children enrolled in the half-day session, the Teachers will get them ready for collection. The afternoon is an opportunity to learn and connect When children wake up from their sleep or finish their rest, some exciting new activities will be waiting for them. The afternoon is a time to transition back into learning and play. Teachers will set up new educational activities that will often follow on from what has been taught that morning, to create continuity of learning. We have some time to share afternoon tea before your child participates in group-sharing sessions and creative development. We have another group session where the children review the thematic topics learnt in the morning session and explore a range of engaging, interest-based activities including creative arts, music and movement, and storytelling. The next activity is outdoor playtime which is child-driven play in the outdoor playground and mud kitchen. Child-driven play is when your child will have the freedom of choice to choose the outdoor materials that they like to play with. Child-driven playtime helps improve

Montessori at Home: Matching Card Game with Chinese Zodiac Animals

Amanda January 2024

Celebrating the Lunar New Year is a wonderful time to introduce children to the vibrant world of Chinese culture. And what better way to do that than through a hands-on, interactive activity that brings the beloved Chinese zodiac animals to life? Bringing the Chinese zodiac animals to life for children is a wonderful way to share this fascinating culture and its traditions. This matching card game is a simple yet powerful tool for supporting your child’s cognitive development and will help contribute to building a strong foundation for memory, perception, thinking, and attention skills. Start your DIY print-and-play matching card game with your child now! Click the image for our DIY printable Materials: Paper or cardstock: Choose sturdy paper or cardstock for your cards. Thicker material will make the game more durable. Printer: You’ll need a printer to print out your card designs. Scissors or paper cutter: For cutting out the cards. Optional: Laminator (for extra durability), glue stick (for attaching backing paper), markers or crayons (for personalizing the cards). Click here to download your House on the Hill Chinese Zodiac Animals Matching Card Game Instructions 1. Prepare for the game Print your cards on your chosen paper or cardstock. Carefully cut out the individual cards using scissors or a paper cutter. Optional steps: Laminate: Laminating your cards will make them waterproof and more durable, especially if you’ll be playing with young children. Add backing paper: If your cardstock is thin, you can glue a piece of plain paper to the back of each card to make it sturdier. 2. Play the game There are several ways to play this game: Matching: Shuffle the cards and matching pieces and lay them face down on the table. Players take turns flipping over two cards at a time, trying to find a match. The player with the most matches at the end wins. Memory game: Lay all the cards face down on the table. Players take turns flipping over two cards at a time, trying to remember where the matching card is. The player who finds the most pairs wins. Sorting: Sort the cards and matching pieces into groups based on the animals. This is a good way for younger children to learn the names of the zodiac animals. Montessori-inspired learning outcomes By playing the matching card game, your child will learn the following outcomes: Open-ended play: The game can be played in different ways, allowing for different levels of challenge and engagement. Sensorial development: The different textures and materials of the cards and matching pieces can stimulate children’s senses. Concentration and memory: The matching and memory game variations help children develop their concentration and memory skills. Fine motor skills: Cutting, drawing, and manipulating the cards and matching pieces help children develop their fine motor skills. Additional tips: Bilingual families are encouraged to play in both English and Mandarin Make the game more challenging by adding more than one matching piece per card. For younger children, start with just a few animals and gradually add more as they become familiar with them. We hope this activity helps you and your little ones explore the captivating world of the Chinese zodiac in a fun and meaningful way! Happy Lunar New Year!

The Montessori Grammar Farm

Amanda August 2023

4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour Montessori materials are designed to match the natural inclinations and developmental needs of children. They encourage self-correction and tap into a child’s inherent motivation to learn and improve. Concrete and tangible, they provide children with objects to touch and manipulate in order to internalize abstract concepts. These materials are often made up of small, intriguing objects that pique a child’s curiosity and allow them to playfully recreate the world around them. “The study of grammar is to language what the study of anatomy is to science. By studying grammar, we become better writers and readers.” Lori Bourne, Montessori for Everyone The Montessori Grammar Farm is a perfect example of these qualities coming together. Not only does it allow children to practice building simple combinations of words and phrases, it also provides an opportunity for the younger children to build on their vocabulary through the interactions with the objects. More commonly referred to as ‘The Farm’, this is a set of instructional material used to teach grammar concepts in the Montessori classroom, laying the roots for good communication, reading comprehension, writing, speaking, story-telling and more. Children are given opportunities to interact with the materials to learn about the different parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and articles and how they are used in sentences. It provides a setting for activities of language enrichment, grammar, reading and eventually writing. The Farm consists of a barn, people, animals, fences, a tractor, and many more. This fun material introduces grammar by using characters and labels, making it very interactive and interesting for the children. Other variations of this type of material include dollhouses or city plazas. Strong grammar skills are essential for young children, and in particular, help our students as they transition to higher levels of education, such as the Singapore Ministry of Education Primary 1 syllabus and international schools. The children are invited to investigate the farm model that includes animals, objects, and label cards that correspond to each figure. By utilizing The Farm material, the children are able to develop their language skills by constructing basic word combinations, identifying the objects, and vocalizing their sentences or phrases. Despite not having been introduced to the parts of speech yet, the label cards are color-coded to match the system used when teaching about verbs, nouns, articles, and other parts of speech. Through the use of a material that stimulates their interest and curiosity, the children’s comprehension of formal written language and its principles can be improved without them being aware that they are “practicing their grammar.” The Farm in Action The Nursery to Kindergarten Montessori classroom provides an opportunity for early grammar instruction, which can be facilitated through materials like The Farm. After learning about the function of nouns, a child can apply this knowledge by labelling the various nouns found on the farm, such as sheep, goat, farmer. Similarly, a child who has received lessons on articles and adjectives can distinguish between different items or use more descriptive language, such as identifying the brown cow versus the black cow or a fluffy, white sheep. Finally, a child who is practicing with verbs can add some action by placing cards that describe activities such as planting tiny seeds: The farmer plants tiny seeds. By using this material, children can enhance their reading skills by practicing reading words within a given context, comprehend the role of different words, and develop the groundwork for reading and writing creatively. Once children have gained an initial understanding of grammar through sensorial activities, they can proceed to comprehend it at a more profound level. They now have the tools and confidence to master literacy, indispensable knowledge as they move from preschool to primary school, and beyond! Addendum Grammar in Montessori Montessori’s approach to grammar assigns a specific shape and colour to each part of speech to convey its unique significance. For instance, the Noun is depicted as a black pyramid, which represents the solidity and immobility of one of the earliest human structures. The colour black symbolizes carbon, which is thought to have been the first mineral discovered by humans. This visual cue suggests that nouns, or words that denote people, places, or things, may have been among the earliest words spoken by humans. Conversely, the Verb is represented by a red sphere, evocative of the shape and energy of the sun, which sustains life. The verb animates objects and imbues them with movement, much like the sun animates all living creatures. Dr. Montessori designed a series of Grammar materials that bring this work to life. To make learning grammar more engaging and memorable, each part of speech is presented through an interactive story or game. For instance, when teaching adjectives, the teacher might gather a group of children and ask them to fetch a book for her. As the children return with different books, the teacher rejects them one by one, claiming she was thinking of a different one. After several unsuccessful attempts, the children realize they need more information to fulfill the teacher’s request. At this point, the teacher explains that when there are many options, we need to use more precise language. She then specifies, “I want the small book with the green spine,” illustrating how adjectives can modify nouns to provide additional details and specificity. Further Reading: How To Introduce English Grammar With A Farm – Jojoebi Grammar in Montessori language — The Wonderful World of Montessori (wonderfulmontessori.com) Grammar Materials Bring Language to Life – Montessori for Everyone Blog Phonetic Animal Farm — The Wonderful World of Montessori (wonderfulmontessori.com) Phonetic Reading, Grammar (montessoriworld.org)

The Importance of Play for Children

Amanda March 2023

We have been talking a lot about the concept of ‘play’ and ‘playing’, and this is because in essence, children learn through play. Dr. Maria Montessori said, “He [the child] does it with his hands, by experience, first in play and then through work. The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence.” Play should come from a child’s imagination and there is no right or wrong way to play – it could be anything, whether chasing after a butterfly, playing with board games or simply staring out a window. Play enables children to explore and make sense of the world around them, as well as to use and develop their imagination and creativity. Play is how children learn about the world, themselves, and one another. 4 Beautiful Locations Islandwide At House on the Hill, we strive to embody the true Montessori method and philosophy in every lesson and activity. Book A Tour In his book You Are Special: Words of Wisdom for All Ages from a Beloved Neighbor, Fred Roger wrote that “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning.” Adults need to be reminded that play does not need to be purposefully created. Play can occur naturally through the child’s imagination. For example, a child who is walking to a destination may stop along the way to observe their surroundings and chase after birds on the street. “Play is the work of a child” -Dr. Maria Montessori How We Play At House on the Hill It follows that at House on the Hill, we are playing all the time. Children’s development is stimulated through multi-sensory exploration where they learn to explore the world around them through their senses. In the prepared environment of a Montessori classroom, children learn and play at the same time. There are hands-on learning opportunities through practical life activities, from transferring objects with their hands and pouring water through a funnel to cutting short snip fringe and threading beads. We also have sensorial materials such as the Pink Tower and Knobbed Cylinders that help refine a child’s visual sense by learning differences in dimension. Such skills can also aid in their Mathematics learning in the years ahead. Such activities may seem frivolous to adults but it’s an important playtime for children. Here we see a child experiencing hands-on learning during our March holiday programme theme on “Bubbles” , where the children used recycled materials like bottles and socks to create items such as a snake bubble. At House on the Hill, we provide natural resources for child directed play as well. Our daily programming includes lots of time outdoors, in nature and the opportunity to learn through play in the sunshine. Our schools have mud or outdoor kitchens for the Playgroup and Pre-Nursery children and “Loose Part Play” for the Nursery and Kindergarten children. This is a great way to encourage them to exercise creativity during outdoor playtime. Through pretend play, the children will stay engaged and start seeing endless possibilities with their imagination. Dr. Maria Montessori once said that “The hands are the instrument of a man’s intelligence.” This coming weekend, do not hesitate to play! Do not be stressed about how you should plan an eventful day of play . Ask your child, how should we play today and you never know what creative ideas they will come up with. Have a jolly good time playing!

Category: Montessori