// Curriculum Update: Week of Jan. 14 //

  This week in the Circle Room, some new Movement activities were introduced. A child-sized yoga mat is now available for the practice of some basic yoga poses and for a peaceful candlelit meditation activity.  A core principle of the Montessori philosophy is peace education. The yoga and mediation activities are designed to bring awareness to the process of breathing and to perform slow deliberate body movements which can impart feelings of physical and emotional well-being.

        On some recent cold days, the students have enjoyed running around on the tennis court at Hamilton Park. They particularly enjoyed pretending to go on a bear hunt, while singing the popular song.    

In our Math area, students are learning to count objects carefully and are encouraged to explore the Red and Blue Number Rods which help to reinforce the concept of the quantities from one to ten. They can see and feel how much bigger the fixed quantity of ten is compared to the quantity of “one”.

        The Sandpaper Numerals are being employed to introduce the numeric symbols for one through nine. Once the student displays mastery of the Sandpaper Numerals, they can assign individual number cards to the Red and Blue Number Rods.  In general, the winter months are typically a time of strong academic growth as the students are accustomed to being at school, understand the way we work in a Montessori environment, and have developed the ability to concentrate for some length of time. It is an exciting time in the classroom!