Bruno Toddler Classroom Blog

Over the many months of attending school, the children have blossomed into their own person, each with their own individual personalities, interests, and attributes. Still, they have grown into a community of learners who love working, socializing, eating, playing, and napping together! We have become our own wonderful community where we feel safe, nurtured, and loved by one another! Instead of hitting, pushing, and screaming, we work on using our ‘Kind Words’ and ‘Helping Hands’. We especially love the time of day when we come together to sing, “I Think You’re Wonderful”, “March for Peace”, and our “Thankful Song”. Speaking of community, I hope everyone who could attend, had a wonderful time at the Spring Festival!

Happy Birthday to Lucille. We enjoyed celebrating Lucille turning three with chocolate chip muffins and cantaloupe!

” I have seen that children can do much for the community. In the child is much knowledge, much wisdom. If we do not profit from it, it is only because of neglect on our part to become humble and to see the wonder of this soul and learn what the children can teach.” Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori also said, ” Education is a partnership. It takes well-trained instructors, Inspirational leaders, participatory family members, and engaged communities to work alongside one another in support of the children.

Whether cloudy with rain or bright shiny sun, it’s a great day to go out and play! Toddlers have a need to move their bodies. Gross motor skills are important for physical development, posture, balance, and coordination. The children obtain gross motor skills by running, chasing, throwing, catching a ball, sliding down the slide, climbing, and riding trikes. However, now that Spring is here, they seem to have the most fun picking flowers and collecting mulch in their buckets. They love to scoop and dig with shovels and rakes. They often work together to make mulch castles. This is a great way for them to socialize in play. We love to put on our boots and walk in the puddles without splashing our friends. It is fun to explore the great outdoors!

Water Break!

Our lizard friend coming to say, “Hello”

Nature is beautiful!

“There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony, and the beauty in nature.” Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori emphasized the importance of a prepared environment and, to develop the children’s concentration, materials must be placed on the shelves that will greatly attract the children’s attention. Toddlers love to explore their world by using their senses of touch, taste, smell, and sight. Repetition of the task further develops concentration and new skills. This week the children have been exploring vegetables and fruits, insects and spiders, puzzles, and new practical life jobs.

Concentrating on cutting cauliflower.

Discriminating the different sizes of the carrots from smallest to biggest.

Creepy Crawlies!

Concentrating on cutting some purple playdough.

Transferring the colored balls from one bowl to another with focus!

Concentrating on washing the baby and getting her all clean!

Concentrating on putting my job neatly away.

Matching fruits and vegetables.

Working with the farm!

We love animal jobs!

Concentration!

Concentrating on color matching!

Concentrating and building fine motor skills.

Working on getting my hands clean!

Matching the animal to the correct animal name card.

Experiencing hands-on farm work!

Focusing on fine motor skills.

Concentration!

Creating with imagination!

One-to-one correspondence. Eye-hand coordination. Concentration.

Have fun building with Legos!

Movement and Music!

German with Ms. Carmen and Cocoa!

” We can only be guided by facts. In the case of the small child, we find that no child can concentrate on one object for a long time unless the object itself spontaneously attracts the child’s attention. ” Maria Montessori

On Monday the toddlers participated in Saint Jude’s Trik A Thon. The toddlers had so much fun riding their trikes or walking on the tennis courts while raising money for cancer patients! On Friday the toddlers participated in an Easter egg hunt. They searched for colorful eggs on our playground and collected them in decorated bags. We also celebrated two birthdays this week and frosted sugar cookies for a special snack to celebrate that spring is here!

Happy Saint Jude’s Trike A Thon Day!

Happy Birthday, Evan!

Happy Birthday, M’Liss!

The children enjoyed frosting their sugar cookies but eating it was the real treat!

Our rainbow puzzle!

Dinosaurs to match, play, roar!

Hands-on dinosaur work!

“A child’s work is based on doing things for their own sake. There is an end towards which his work is taking him: through his work, he is building the man he is to become. But the child doesn’t know this; he only knows that he takes delight in doing certain things. This is his work.” Our part is to give help when we are asked. If we are careful not to interfere with a child’s activities and interests as long as they are not harmful, nature will see to his development.” Maria Montessori

Spring is upon us and the toddlers are taking advantage of the warmer weather by spending more time outdoors. We celebrated Pi Day by taking a nature walk and looking for circles around campus. The children spotted circular windows, flowers, and rocks. They had a “ball’ running and chasing balls on the tennis courts. Mr. Dana made a surprise visit and the children loved it! We found a spot in the shade to have some water and a special snack, a vanilla cookie. It was ROUND like a circle! We got to see several reptiles up close and even pet one! Mr. Brendan came on Friday to read a few books on Dinosaurs. Mr. Brendan invited us to let out a “Big Dinosaur Roar!”

Spreading sun butter on a bagel. Focused on her job!

Concentrating on a lesson. Stringing dinosaurs.

Our favorite new job!!

Pouring birdseed from pitcher to pinch bowls.

How do animals travel? By walking, swimming. or flying? A toddler favorite!

Sandbox fun!

Ms. Carmen and Coco are teaching us the song, “If You’re Happy and You Know It” in German.

A Bearded Dragon.

This is a tortoise.

“Nature is a source of inspiration for the soul and the mind.” Maria Montessori

Do Dinosaurs ROAR? They roar loud and they roar true! That’s what toddler dinosaurs do! This month the children are exploring the world of dinosaurs through puzzles, patterning, sorting, lacing, different types of dinosaurs, dinosaur magnets, and how dinosaurs travel, by land, air, or water. Both children and teachers are having so much fun exploring the world of dinosaurs!

It was a pretty day so we walked to the tennis courts. Everybody got one soft tennis ball to play with. We were careful not to touch or climb over or under the tennis net. Instead, we practiced throwing our ball over the net. Then we chased after our ball. Toddlers have lots of energy!

“Free the child’s potential and you will transform him into the world.” Maria Montessori

In memory of Maria Montessori, we celebrated Montessori Week with our toddlers. On Community Day, we had a visit from the yellow fire truck. The Firemen showed us their special uniform and gear. The children got to hear the siren go off. It was loud but cool! We had visits from a doctor, a nurse practitioner, and a dentist. The children were so helpful in cleaning the classroom environment. We sang our special song, March for Peace, and had a special snack. Ms Naomi gave a special cultural lesson on what part of the world each child’s family was from. We learned how to take care of ourselves and each other. Parent’s night was so much fun as excited children gave lessons to their parents/grandparents on classroom materials.

Thank you for coming to our school big yellow firetruck!

Thank you to our parents and students for making Parent’s Night such a wonderful success!

Thank you for sharing your wonderful talents with our children!

“It is interesting to notice that where life is simple and natural and where the children participate in the adult’s life, they are calm and happy.” Maria Montessori

“There is a great sense of community within the Montessori classroom, where children of differing ages work together in an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competitiveness. There is respect for the environment and for the individuals within it, which comes through experience of freedom within the community.” Maria Montessori observed this atmosphere of cooperation working with disadvantaged children in her very first school, the “Children’s House.” Somewhat unruly at first, the children, when introduced to simple hands-on materials, became very interested and engaged, even helping to prepare meals and clean the environment. This, in turn, created a calmness within the children as they concentrated and worked together to get a job done. We have witnessed the same in our toddler classroom where the teacher is sweeping and several children will go get a crumber to help us or get a towel to help us wipe up a spill. We are a community of learning, caring, and helping one another!

Both teachers and toddlers enjoyed the visit from Jones’s parents. They talked to us about being a Doctor and Nurse Practitioner. We got to touch and try out their cool doctor tools like a stethoscope, eye chart, otoscope, and blood pressure monitor.

Ms. Rachel read us a special book about being a doctor.

Happy Birthday to Jones as he turns 2. Thank you to Jones’s mom and dad for sharing cute pictures of Jones and bringing the yummy cupcakes!

Ms. Lana found this Hercules beetle hiding in our green bucket. The children thought he was super cool but we practiced hands off! We released him in the grassy area on the other side of the fence.

” We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” Maria Montessori

At home, in the classroom, no matter where we are, adults are showing their children acts of kindness and how to care for one another. No act of kindness is too small. It comes from the heart and evokes feelings of happiness in the giver and the receiver. In our classroom, we have created an atmosphere of love and empathy by showing our students and each other compassion, respect, and empathy. Our hands are ‘Helping Hands’ so what can you do to help your friend? We teach the children to use their kind words and ask, “Do you need a hug? How can I help you? On Valentine’s Day, we show one another how much we care by giving out Valentine’s cards, flowers, and chocolate. The children had so much fun handing out their Valentines to their friends and teachers! Kindness and respect were at the very core of Maria Montessori’s philosophy. She said, “Let us treat them, therefore, with all the kindness which we would wish to help to develop in them”

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Happy Birthday to Camden who turned 2 on Valentine’s Day. Thank you Mom and Dad for sharing pictures of your sweet boy and bringing yummy cupcakes for us to eat!

We watched the Dragon Dance for the Chinese New Year!

“Of all things, love is the most potent” Maria Montessori

“In the Montessori philosophy, learning is aimed squarely at achieving independence which in turn leads to self-esteem. Happiness is a fortunate byproduct., but true self-esteem comes from working and doing, not from external rewards.” Maria Montessori’s philosophy on independence can be applied to the classroom and home environment. As patient adults, we can allow our children the time to try simple tasks on their own and refrain from rushing in and taking over! When planning your schedule, add extra time for getting dressed, putting on shoes, brushing your teeth, and walking to the car. There’s nothing more rewarding than hearing a child say, “I did it!” With our help, children become active participants in their own learning and develop the confidence to try new and more challenging tasks. “I can’t” becomes “I can.”

Sharing a musical instrument with the group.

Taking responsibility for my own water bottle and backpack!

Children having fun sponge painting a Valentine bag.

Having the patience to watch the timer so I can ‘Ring The Bell!’

This is the way we brush our teeth!

We had a lesson on ‘eggshell crushing.’ This has become everyone’s favorite job!

We used our hands and fresh oranges to make our own orange juice!

“If teaching is to be effective with young children, it must assist them to advance on the way to independence.” Maria Montessori

Just chilling with the trees!