Teaching Elementary Students about Citizenship

For elementary students, citizenship lessons help teach cooperation and interaction. Once acquired, citizenship skills will carry throughout the student’s life. In its simplest form, citizenship means following the Golden Rule – treating others fairly with the expectation of being treated fairly in return. There are six basic components to citizenship:

Honesty

The cornerstone of good citizenship is honesty. This includes being honest with others as well as yourself. A good citizen does not try to lie, cheat, or steal from others. An honorable person is one who can be trusted, a critical factor in learning to get along in society.

Compassion

Coupled with honesty, compassion forms the rest of the Golden Rule. Compassion means to use empathy, understanding how others feel and react. Compassion ranges from simple consideration for someone who is feeling ill to generosity in assisting someone who is unable to perform a task alone. It is also important to learn that compassion extends beyond immediate surroundings, encompassing your community, people from other races or religious beliefs, and even understanding and caring for all living things.

Self-Discipline

Learning to accept that you cannot always get what you want can be a tough lesson for young students. Self-discipline includes controlling behavior such as blurting out answers without being called on, avoiding emotional outbursts such as crying or getting angry, and following through on goals and obligations. Self-discipline comes from honesty and compassion, and results in being able to master respect and responsibility.

Respect

Respect for others means addressing people of authority correctly, such as saying “Yes, sir,” or “No ma’am.” It also means being understanding of someone’s property, culture, or disabilities. You do not have to agree with someone or something, but you should disagree respectfully. Self-respect is important as well, and that means learning to feel good about yourself and ignoring urges to cause yourself pain or unnecessary confrontation.

Responsibility

Responsibility means doing what is expected of you, even when you do not want to do it. Examples of responsibility include behaving courteously, doing homework, and always acting appropriately. When someone else is doing something they should not be doing, we have a responsibility to refrain from joining in, as well as making sure that the proper authority figures are aware. For example, if someone is stealing from your friend, you should notify an adult rather than participating in the theft or even fighting with the person who is stealing.

Courage

Courage combines all of the other traits of good citizenship and helps every student learn to be a better person. Courage means reporting theft or bullying to a teacher even though other students may call you names. Courage also means you standing up for what is right, such as refusing to allow a bully to ridicule you or someone who is differently abled. Courage means rising to meet a challenge despite obstacles, but it also means being able to resist being lured into fights or bullying yourself.

At Montessori School of Pleasanton, we teach our students to be upstanding citizens. Our teachers embrace our diverse cultures and backgrounds and actively engage students in learning about the world around us.  To experience the Montessori difference firsthand, call us today to schedule a tour.

How Effective is a Montessori Education

When many people think about Montessori schools, they think preschool. However, a Montessori school can go well beyond the preschool years. In fact, our educational programs can give those in elementary school a big boost when it comes to learning and becoming independent individuals that go on to succeed in all areas of their life.

Montessori schools have the unique ability to allow your child to work at their own level and at their own pace. This helps your child become confident in what they are learning as they learn to work through problems on their own.

The self-paced and self-discovery part of our education programs allows your children to dive deeper into subjects they are interested in. As adults, we understand how powerful it can be to be allowed to spend time learning about the areas we love the most. It is no different with children; when given the time, children will dive deeper and deeper into their favorite subjects.

There was an article on education.com that described some of the benefits of a Montessori education, and we tend to agree. Here are some benefits you can expect to see when it comes to keeping your child in a Montessori school through their elementary years.

• Self Discipline – Thanks to our unique method of education, your child will choose the activities and tasks they want to do, while there may be ground rules your child gets to follow their instincts in the classroom. This helps your child become self-disciplined as they learn to take control of their own education and experiences.
• The Advantages of Order – In a Montessori classroom, you will see order. Each activity and learning piece has its own unique spot. Your child learns to place things back in the right spots during the day, helping to keep the environment clean and orderly. We have found this order actually helps with focus and creativity.
• Children are Guided not Directed – Our programs are set up so that the teacher is there to facilitate and guide children through their day. Rather than directing and determining how your child will learn and how quickly they should learn, teachers are there to guide them and allow them to go at their own pace.
• Hands on Learning – Hands on learning is a key part of the Montessori program and this hands-on learning can bring many benefits to your child. If your child is a hands-on learner, our program will see them excel as they touch, feel, and experience their way through their learning years.

This is just a small look at the benefits of a Montessori education.  By covering a full range of subjects including math, language, history, geography, art and physical education, your child will explore the subject they love at their own pace.  To learn more about our school and the Montessori Method, contact Montessori School of Pleasanton to explore our programs and tour our school today.

 

Montessori for Kids with Special Needs

The Montessori unique educational philosophy, nurturing environment, trained teachers, and specially-created hands-on materials work beautifully for a child with special needs, whether with learning differences or physical disabilities. The special educational demands can be daunting, but it is gratifying teachers and parents see the miraculous results of the joy of learning and see advances in the child’s cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development.

How Grades Are Divided

Montessori schools normally divide children by age: 0-3 (toddler), 3-6 (preschool and kindergarten), 6-9 (lower elementary) and 9-12 (upper elementary). During ages 0-6, the learning is mostly child-directed based on the child’s choices and needs. The teacher’s goal is to “follow the child”, observe what the child is interested in, what the strengths and weaknesses are, and then presenting the proper materials. .

Some Classrooms are Multi-Aged

This gives that special child a chance to learn from older children and gives no feelings of being “held back” if it is found necessary to repeat a grade. Such children will often flourish when they can use their own individual speed and have the freedom to progress with their reading, writing, and research in a direction that they can handle.

Using the Materials and Making Friends

The enticing materials are hands-on, therapeutic, and engage all the senses. Since they slowly and lovingly teach one skill at a time, children with special needs are very encouraged to explore and learn at their own pace without the stress of grades, test scores, teasing, and competition from the other students. The children are encouraged to befriend and accept the special needs child.

Communication is Important

The teachers and the parents may meet more frequently than usual for conferences and to discuss how the child is progressing, what skills he or she has mastered, which ones are being worked on, and which ones still need to be learned. The parents may also want to come in and observe the child at different times to reassure themselves that the child is having a happy and educating experience.

Will Montessori Work?

Each child is different, and it all depends on the school’s curriculum, the teachers, the child, and the other children. If your child is benefiting in important ways, and especially if he or she loves to go there, it is worth trying to continue to make it work even if there are occasional setbacks. We invite you to come in and tour our Pleasanton Montessori School and see if the Montessori environment is right for you.

How to Teach Self-Care

A Montessori education will help your child reach his or her potential and provide them with a life-long love of learning.

Their unique learning materials in an environment created attractively and orderly; will provide your child a special view of their world. In this environment your child will be guided and encouraged to develop independence and creativity at their own pace as the Montessori Method of teaching observes your child and individualizes the lessons according to needs.

Teaching Self-Care

One of the most important areas of a Montessori education for your child will be the lessons in Practical Life. These will teach your child how important it is to think and act independently and with this are the lessons in self-care.

Self-care is an area you will be able to reinforce at home as your child learns how to:

• Wipe their nose,
• Brush their teeth properly,
• How to dress by using zippers, buttons, snaps and other closures,
• Putting clothing away by placing on hooks or hangers,
• Personal hygiene process such as combing hair, washing, and other daily maintenance; and,
• Many other basic daily living tasks

When these activities are presented with enthusiasm and are broken down into simple steps, your child will feel encouraged as they begin to practice them independently. An important thing to remember when your child is learning self-care is that they are growing and working at becoming the adult they will one day be. You as an adult, work to get a task done quickly and move onto the next one. A child will want to master a task and will work repeatedly to perfect the job and then move on to another.

Allow the child to practice self-care

Your child will be given time to practice self-care skills which is a great way for them to feel capable of mastering them. It will also help your child increase their self-esteem and give them the desire to learn and grow more. Self-care will provide the opportunity for your child to feel in charge of their own body.  The Montessori Method allows your child to explore these skills and to possibly fail so that they can learn by mistakes and try again. It is amazing what children can learn when given the freedom to do things by themselves.

Self-care through independent play

In the Montessori classroom independent play is supervised, but without interference as this is an important self-care skill. Your child can make amazing discoveries through independent play as they are allowed to choose play activities and repeat them as often as they like.

The foundation of Dr. Montessori’s teaching method is based on the belief that the child is born into this world full of potential. The unique method she developed was designed to harness this natural potential and allow the child to take responsibility of his/her education.  Part of that foundation, is our communication with Montessori Parents. To learn more about our Montessori Pleasanton program, contact us to schedule a tour.

Technology for the Preschool Classroom

With how prevalent technology has become, many parents are concerned about how much preschool technology plays a role in their kids’ classrooms, and for good reason. Parents are being advised to limit their kids’ screen time, but what about the technology kids are exposed to in a preschool classroom?

A controlled amount of preschool technology can be useful when employed in conjunction with the Montessori method. When used judiciously, technology can teach kids important skills that will transfer into their daily lives, now and as they grow.

Some of the skills that preschool technology can teach are as follows.

• Computer skills: The Montessori method includes Practical Life education, which teaches kids skills they will use in their lives outside the classroom. Since computer skills such as typing, navigating the Internet, and using apps will be used throughout a kid’s life, these skills are important for kids to learn, making preschool technology a valuable inclusion when used in moderation inside the classroom.
• Research: The Montessori method also encourages kids to seek answers and information on subjects that interest them. Computers and the Internet should therefore be viewed as resources for kids who are pursuing a topic of interest, just as much as books, adults, and other, more traditional resources.
• Memorization: Some apps and other forms of preschool technology test the kids’ knowledge about a subject or help them to memorize facts or practice certain skills. A good example is a math game that challenges the child’s math skills, helping them to practice and memorize.  Such games can be addictive, though, and should be used with caution.

Do you have questions about what goes on in the Montessori classroom, including what preschool technology is used? To see our programs up close and get answers to your questions about preschool including technology aspects, contact us today to schedule a tour of our Pleasanton school.

Preschool Learning Objectives

What happens in preschool establishes the educational foundation for your child. If you teach them that learning is fun from an early age, they’ll develop a natural curiosity that will remain with them into adulthood. The Montessori method capitalizes on the innate desires of children and creates a learning environment where children flourish.

Preschool children learn a number of important educational and life lessons in this specialized setting, including:

• Curiosity–Children are allowed to explore concepts and ideas at their own pace. Through self-guided activities your children are able to follow threads of inquiry that arise as they learn, and the adults encourage their questions.
• Confidence–A Montessori school instills confidence because students control the speed of their education. They have the time they need to understand new material fully, which eliminates feelings of failure or inadequacy.
• Concentration–The learning materials are designed to keep children engaged and interested in learning. When they spend long periods of time on the materials, their attention span grows, as does their ability to concentrate.
• Social Skills–Montessori schools encourage collaboration between students, and it’s not uncommon for two or three children to work together on a project. Upon completion of the program your children’s social and leadership skills will be highly advanced.
• Positive Attitudes–The end result of all of the learning objectives is to foster a positive attitude towards learning and education. Your children will leave the school believing they can accomplish any task to which they set their minds, and with the ability to work through a complicated problem, find a solution and implement it.

Montessori schools offer a radically different take on preschool education than public institutions and other private schools. For over a century the Montessori method has been used to build the future leaders of America, and we would love the opportunity to bring out the best in your children at Montessori School of Pleasanton. Contact us today to discuss our methods or philosophies, and to schedule a campus tour of our programs that include toddler care, preschool and kindergarten in Pleasanton.