A Day in the Life of a Montessori Community School Toddler
Now accepting Toddler (18 months – 3 years) Applications. Please call to set up a tour of the school, (801) 355 – 1555, or request a tour via www.mcsslc.com.
Tag: Private school
Montessori Community School Teacher Finishes Marathon
“The teacher, when she begins work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal himself through work.”– Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
Ms. Kay Burgoyne, our new Early Childhood Teacher, ran the Utah Valley Marathon on June 14th. This was her first full marathon, finishing in 5 hours 39 minutes and 13 seconds. Kay ran 26.2 miles. When asked about the expereince, Kay told us, “I was so happy to accomplish a lifetime goal that I thought I never would be able to do!”.
“The teacher, when she begins work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal himself through work.”– Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
Ms. Kay Burgoyne, our new Early Childhood Teacher, ran the Utah Valley Marathon on June 14th. This was her first full marathon, finishing in 5 hours 39 minutes and 13 seconds. Kay ran 26.2 miles. When asked about the expereince, Kay told us, “I was so happy to accomplish a lifetime goal that I thought I never would be able to do!”.
“A teacher, therefore, who would think that he could prepare himself for his mission through study alone would be mistaken. The first thing required of a teacher is that he be rightly disposed for his task.” – Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood
Many of you already know Ms. Kay as one of our Toddler Teacher Assistants. This coming school year Ms. Kay will step back into an Early Childhood classroom. Kay discovered Montessori in 1983 while living in Princeton, New Jersey when a friend observed her way of raising children and suggested working in a Montessori school. She observed a school, agreed completely and has been working in Montessori schools ever since. She began as a Toddler Assistant in a school in Princeton. In 1995 she finally was able to take her Montessori training in London, England at the Maria Montessori Training Organization (AMI) for ages 2 ½ – 6 year olds. She completed her BA degree at Chaminade University in Honolulu in Early Childhood education. We are so happy to have Kay with us and to be able to celebrate this accomplishment in her life. She is such a true example of implementing Montessori Philosophy, not only in the classroom, but in her life.
Toddler Montessori…What are the benefits?
Many working parents are looking for a safe and healthy environment for their very young children. Options for child care are limitless and varied in what they have to offer a young child. However, current research shows us that the most crucial part of a child’s development happens in the unconcscious absorbent mind, from 0-3 years old. That being said, why wouldn’t any nurturing parent want the most prepared and beneficial environment for their child? This article, Montessori Infant-Toddler Programs; The Best Beginning, from The Montessori Way will help you determine if a Montessori Toddler program is the best fit for your child.
“This is a time of great sensitivity to language, spatial relationships, music, art, social graces and so much more. If, during this time, the mind is stimulated by the child’s exposure to a rich environment, the brain will literally develop a much stronger and lasting ability to learn and accomplish.” Read more...
Montessori Early Childhood Programs Offer Exceptional Opportunities
The most beautiful thing about this video is that while Jackson might be an exceptional child, his documented experience (shown below) is not the exception….it is a true example of what happens in a Montessori Early Childhood classroom! As you watch, take note of his independence and self-direction. Pay close attention to his interaction with teachers and peers and opportunities for collaboration balanced with independent work time (and don’t forget about his community contributions.) Watch him choose a variety of activities in a variety of areas of the classroom and notice how he cleans up every piece of material before choosing a new activity!
These are all life skills that a child in an Early Childhood Montessori Classroom has the opportunity to experience simply by being in a prepared environment with a loving guide.
MCS is still accepting applications for the 2014 – 2015 Academic Year. Schedule a tour today!
Now Enrolling Toddlers 18 months to 3 years. Read Below Why Early Education is so Beneficial!
Toddler students from MCS practice Yoga.
Current research and various studies support Maria Montessori’s approach to Early Education. She discovered that children 0-6 years old were in an absorbent mind, where children absorb information from their environment with little to no effort. Montessori wrote and spoke about “Sensitive Periods”, which are periods in a person’s development when they are more responsive to certain stimuli and quicker to learn particular skills. She also taught us that when these crucial stages are missed (which she referred to as “dropped stitches”, learning becomes a more difficult process. For example, children who are exposed to a second language in their first six years have an advantage over people who learn a second language later in life, when the sensistive period for language development has passed.
Simply put, a child’s early years lay the foundation for all that is to come. In recent years, researchers have learned that the human brain develops the vast majority of its neurons, and is at its most receptive to learning, between birth and three years of age. In fact, the intake of new information is critical to the formation of active neural pathways (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).
MCS Toddlers do scrubbing work.
The Toddler Montessori environment is carefully designed to meet the children’s needs in this critical stage of development. Exploration of their environment through the five senses coupled with a rich socially prepared environment with children of different ages and abilities allows Toddlers the opportunity to develop the following:
- meaningful relationships, mutual understanding, and approprite social skills
- values and ethics
- motor skills
- creativity & imagination
- self correction and overcoming fear of making mistakes
- self expression through arts, music, dance, building and exploration of materials
- ability to process emotions and life events in a safe and loving environment
- cooperation
- development of language
- independence
- control of body
- sense of order
Montessori Community School is currently accepting applications for our Toddler program. Toddler enrollment is limited to the beginning of the academic school year, August, and January. Contact us for a tour now!
Resources:
SUPERWOMAN WAS ALREADY HERE….Is Montessori right for your child? Probably!
In all my years as a Montessorian, I have never met a parent who did not want the absolute best for their child. Just as adults want to go to work in a place where they feel satisfied doing something they love, many parents are searching for the same educational experience for their children. Most parents are searching for a system that actually works (as in, educates the child) while nurturing the genuine spirit of each child individually! The great news is…it really does exist!
The video below will show you how Montessori schools, including Montessori Community School – a private Montessori school in the Salt Lake Valley, gives children the motivation and interest to learn, allows for a productive and meaningful learning experience, and creates a peaceful learning environment.
If you think the Montessori approach might be right for your child, please contact us for a tour. We are currently accepting applications for the 2014-2015 Academic Year.
Special Thanks to Daniel C. Petter-Lipstein, creator of “Superwoman Was Already Here.”
Cheers!
MCS Energy Production Report…More Great News This Month!
With the addition of solar panels to the roof of our building we are generating more energy than we are consuming; which means all the excess power gets fed back into the grid as green energy. This is one way Montessori Community School is helping reduce emissions in our valley. If you are interested in joining us to make an immediate difference please visit Rocky Mountain Power’s – Blue Sky Renewable Energy page.
By purchasing Blue Sky Energy from Rocky Mountain Power you will help facilitate other schools, offices, and residents installing their own solar panels.
May 2014 Total: 9.29 MWh
Previous Month Total: 7.76MWh
Year to Date: 30.6MWh
Your Cabon Offset for this month is 6.42 tons
You have offset the equivalent of: 165 Trees
What Are Your Summer Plans? Becoming Media Savvy Families
MCS School Psychologist Melissa DeVries, Ph.D.
With the end of the school year fast approaching we are all likely finalizing plans for how our children will spend their summer days, whether it be a day camp, travel or time at home with a parent or other caregiver. Whatever your family’s summer plans may be, it seems that the majority of us loosen up a bit during these summer months. The rush of the typical school morning is long forgotten, bed times creep later into the evening and a sense of relaxation sets in. With our children having more free time, it can be easy to reduce the amount of time spent in organized activity in lieu of more free-choice. Oftentimes, however, free choice can result in increased access to technology. Youth may spend more time watching TV, YouTube and movies, playing on game apps, browsing the Internet and social networking. While these activities can be fun for children, it’s important as parents to maintain an awareness of our children’s media and the impact of that access.
How much media content does the average child in America view?
A 2010 study noted that children aged 8 to 18 years watch an average of 4 hours of television and spend 1.5 hours playing video or computer games per day. Children will see an average of 2 gun-related violent acts for every hour of television they watch. As of a decade ago, 40% of the top grossing non-animated G- and PG-rated movies featured at least one character with a firearm and an average of 4.5 armed characters per film. Even current animated films and television often contain some intense scenes with aggressive, if not violent, acts among characters. Often pitched as slapstick humor and “jokes for adults that simply go over a child’s head,” children are exposed to violence, aggression and adult innuendos in animated features as well. Approximately two-thirds of E-rated video games contain intentional physical aggression.
In younger age groups it appears that 66% of children aged 6 months to 6 years watch television every day, averaging 2 hours per day. In children under the age of 2 years, an astounding 83% use some form of screen media on a typical day.
What do we know about the cognitive and behavioral impact of media on child development?
It is difficult for research to keep pace with the advancements in technology; however, years of research on children’s television viewing have produced impactful findings. According the existing research, consumption of violent media predicts increased aggressive behavior among youth because children imitate the scripts they see modeled by others. They can also become desensitized and condoning of violence, believe that the world is hostile, and lose empathy for victims. Longitudinal studies have revealed that 1st and 3rd graders who were heavy viewers of violent television content were three times more likely to be convicted of a violent crime by the time they were in their twenties. Admittedly, violent media is not the only culprit for future behavioral problems, but it does represent a substantial risk factor. Even mass media preys upon our survival instincts by stressing elements that trigger rapid, irrational fear responses through fast paced content, sales pitches that demand immediate response, and by presenting rare violent events as far more commonplace. While younger children may be more frightened by fantasy material, older children are often more disturbed by such realistic content, including the news.
Violent content aside, even heavily sanitized media access can have unforeseen consequences. Research has argued that having non-stop access to media content through handheld devices and personal computers produces a high number of irrelevant distractions and demands to attempt to multitask. This creates too much to pay attention to and in turn, can degrade our memory for important information. For example, reading is an activity that offers few distractions. It requires intense focus for sustained periods of time, imagination and memory. In contrast, TV and other media content, often demand little imagination, and require fragmented attention and frequent, rapid task switching. Distraction is the norm, thus inhibiting memory and development of sustained attention. Children who watch more “pure entertainment” media (i.e., no educational value) demonstrate lower academic performance, even after controlling for other factors. Television viewing at young ages (under 2 years) can prohibit language development because young children, including preschoolers, need responsive, engaging, stimulating interaction with their surroundings including exposure to language and sounds. They learn through interactions with adults who respond to their actions in real-time, and free and creative play. They need to explore the world and manipulate objects around them, accompanied by guidance, structure, support, praise, attention and positive feedback from adults and peers. Children younger than 5 years old who watch TV spend less time in creative play and less time interacting with parents and siblings, which extends beyond the time they are in front of the screen. TV viewing among children younger than 3 years has been correlated with irregular sleep schedules.
Pre-teens who use social media have been found to value fame more than kindness and community involvement. Video game play late at night reduces the quality of sleep. Periods of downtime (i.e., without the constant demands of Tweets, texts, and Facebook status updates) are necessary for consolidation of learning, which is virtually impossible for youth who have 24-hour access to their smart phones. Other risks of technology use may include reduced empathy and increased stress. Studies have even shown abnormalities in portions of white matter responsible for decision making in brains of adolescents who were “preoccupied” by internet usage (defined as those adolescents who had repeatedly attempted to control their use without success, resulting in restlessness, moodiness, irritability and depression). Overall, studies have shown that youth who spend more than 2 hours per day watching TV or using computers are at increased risk of psychological difficulties.
Make an Informed Decision
Technology is so pervasive in our day-to-day lives that it may be difficult, or even unnecessary to go totally “screen-free” for the summer. Many sources argue about the immense benefits of raising tech-savvy children in that they can keep up as adults in the modern world. Thus, I frequently encourage parents to consider technology like a dessert, “okay in moderation.” While some media access is acceptable, if not beneficial, the most powerful protective factor against all the potentially negative effects is parental monitoring. Let’s pay attention to what our children access, how much time is spent with media and encourage them to have a balanced diet of activities for the summer (and beyond).
Helpful Resources to Monitor Your Children’s Access to Media Content
www.imdb.com (database that contains a detailed parent guide for content of movies, television series and video games. Each instance of sex/nudity, violence/gore, profanity, alcohol/drugs/smoking, and frightening/intense scenes is identified).
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/internet-safety-tips-for-elementary-school-kids
http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/ http://internetsafety.trendmicro.com/
Consider adopting a media diet:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-sue-swanson-md-mbe-faap/tv-for-preschoolers_b_2704097.html
References:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/media-and-violence-an-analysis-of-current-research
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/23/opinion/gazzaley-mobile-brain/ http://www.i-a-e.org/articles/46-feature-articles/48-the-effects-of-electronic-media-on-a-developing-brain.html http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1074
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/18/social-media-kids_n_3111259.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/technology/21brain.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/technology/25brain.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brainside.html
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/children-teens-and-entertainment-media-the-view-from-the-classroom http://kff.org/other/event/generation-m2-media-in-the-lives-of/
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/2/214.abstract
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/10/11/peds.2010-1154.abstract
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-to-eight-childrens-media-use-in-america
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/10/12/peds.2011-1753.full.pdf+html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201212/how-technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus
What Are Your Summer Plans? Becoming Media Savvy Families
What Are Your Summer Plans?
Becoming Media Savvy Families
Melissa DeVries, Ph.D.
With the end of the school year fast approaching we are all likely finalizing plans for how our children will spend their summer days, whether it be a day camp, travel or time at home with a parent or other caregiver. Whatever your family’s summer plans may be, it seems that the majority of us loosen up a bit during these summer months. The rush of the typical school morning is long forgotten, bed times creep later into the evening and a sense of relaxation sets in. With our children having more free time, it can be easy to reduce the amount of time spent in organized activity in lieu of more free-choice. Oftentimes, however, free choice can result in increased access to technology. Youth may spend more time watching TV, YouTube and movies, playing on game apps, browsing the Internet and social networking. While these activities can be fun for children, it’s important as parents to maintain an awareness of our children’s media and the impact of that access.
How much media content does the average child in America view?
A 2010 study noted that children aged 8 to 18 years watch an average of 4 hours of television and spend 1.5 hours playing video or computer games per day. Children will see an average of 2 gun-related violent acts for every hour of television they watch. As of a decade ago, 40% of the top grossing non-animated G- and PG-rated movies featured at least one character with a firearm and an average of 4.5 armed characters per film. Even current animated films and television often contain some intense scenes with aggressive, if not violent, acts among characters. Often pitched as slapstick humor and “jokes for adults that simply go over a child’s head,” children are exposed to violence, aggression and adult innuendos in animated features as well. Approximately two-thirds of E-rated video games contain intentional physical aggression.
In younger age groups it appears that 66% of children aged 6 months to 6 years watch television every day, averaging 2 hours per day. In children under the age of 2 years, an astounding 83% use some form of screen media on a typical day.
What do we know about the cognitive and behavioral impact of media on child development?
It is difficult for research to keep pace with the advancements in technology; however, years of research on children’s television viewing have produced impactful findings. According the existing research, consumption of violent media predicts increased aggressive behavior among youth because children imitate the scripts they see modeled by others. They can also become desensitized and condoning of violence, believe that the world is hostile, and lose empathy for victims. Longitudinal studies have revealed that 1st and 3rd graders who were heavy viewers of violent television content were three times more likely to be convicted of a violent crime by the time they were in their twenties. Admittedly, violent media is not the only culprit for future behavioral problems, but it does represent a substantial risk factor. Even mass media preys upon our survival instincts by stressing elements that trigger rapid, irrational fear responses through fast paced content, sales pitches that demand immediate response, and by presenting rare violent events as far more commonplace. While younger children may be more frightened by fantasy material, older children are often more disturbed by such realistic content, including the news.
Violent content aside, even heavily sanitized media access can have unforeseen consequences. Research has argued that having non-stop access to media content through handheld devices and personal computers produces a high number of irrelevant distractions and demands to attempt to multitask. This creates too much to pay attention to and in turn, can degrade our memory for important information. For example, reading is an activity that offers few distractions. It requires intense focus for sustained periods of time, imagination and memory. In contrast, TV and other media content, often demand little imagination, and require fragmented attention and frequent, rapid task switching. Distraction is the norm, thus inhibiting memory and development of sustained attention. Children who watch more “pure entertainment” media (i.e., no educational value) demonstrate lower academic performance, even after controlling for other factors. Television viewing at young ages (under 2 years) can prohibit language development because young children, including preschoolers, need responsive, engaging, stimulating interaction with their surroundings including exposure to language and sounds. They learn through interactions with adults who respond to their actions in real-time, and free and creative play. They need to explore the world and manipulate objects around them, accompanied by guidance, structure, support, praise, attention and positive feedback from adults and peers. Children younger than 5 years old who watch TV spend less time in creative play and less time interacting with parents and siblings, which extends beyond the time they are in front of the screen. TV viewing among children younger than 3 years has been correlated with irregular sleep schedules.
Pre-teens who use social media have been found to value fame more than kindness and community involvement. Video game play late at night reduces the quality of sleep. Periods of downtime (i.e., without the constant demands of Tweets, texts, and Facebook status updates) are necessary for consolidation of learning, which is virtually impossible for youth who have 24-hour access to their smart phones. Other risks of technology use may include reduced empathy and increased stress. Studies have even shown abnormalities in portions of white matter responsible for decision making in brains of adolescents who were “preoccupied” by internet usage (defined as those adolescents who had repeatedly attempted to control their use without success, resulting in restlessness, moodiness, irritability and depression). Overall, studies have shown that youth who spend more than 2 hours per day watching TV or using computers are at increased risk of psychological difficulties.
Make an Informed Decision
Technology is so pervasive in our day-to-day lives that it may be difficult, or even unnecessary to go totally “screen-free” for the summer. Many sources argue about the immense benefits of raising tech-savvy children in that they can keep up as adults in the modern world. Thus, I frequently encourage parents to consider technology like a dessert, “okay in moderation.” While some media access is acceptable, if not beneficial, the most powerful protective factor against all the potentially negative effects is parental monitoring. Let’s pay attention to what our children access, how much time is spent with media and encourage them to have a balanced diet of activities for the summer (and beyond).
Helpful Resources to Monitor Your Children’s Access to Media Content
www.imdb.com (database that contains a detailed parent guide for content of movies, television series and video games. Each instance of sex/nudity, violence/gore, profanity, alcohol/drugs/smoking, and frightening/intense scenes is identified).
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/internet-safety-tips-for-elementary-school-kids
http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/
http://internetsafety.trendmicro.com/
Consider adopting a media diet:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-sue-swanson-md-mbe-faap/tv-for-preschoolers_b_2704097.html
Screen Time Article References:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/media-and-violence-an-analysis-of-current-research
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/23/opinion/gazzaley-mobile-brain/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1074
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/18/social-media-kids_n_3111259.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/technology/21brain.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/technology/25brain.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brainside.html
http://kff.org/other/event/generation-m2-media-in-the-lives-of/
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/2/214.abstract
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/10/11/peds.2010-1154.abstract
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-to-eight-childrens-media-use-in-america
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/10/12/peds.2011-1753.full.pdf+html