The boys and girls are able to work on their maps whenever they wish during our Montessori work period. Creating a map is a multi-step process that not only focus on geography, but also fine-motor skill development.
At the time of year, the Geography area of the classroom becomes very popular! Once a student finishes his/her map, the other students in class are very motivated to work on their maps as well. Once a child finishes his/her continent map, they are able to begin work on the North America map and the U.S.A. map. How many Pre-K students do you know that can name and identify the seven continents?
The boys and girls in Pre-K work so hard all day long. At this age, children need to be able to move throughout their day so they are able to focus when it is time to sit down and work. The Montessori program allows for movement throughout the work period. We also provide other opportunities for the children to move during the school day. We often use a website called "GoNoodle" for these activities. There are videos to do yoga, practice mindfulness, work on sensory and motor skills, perform guided dances, meditate, stretch, and so much more! One of our favorite songs to sing along and dance to is "Saved by the Bell."
A few minutes of movement is a great motivator for the children to return to work and continue their lessons!
Some reminders:
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| First, the students match the puzzle piece to the correct continent on the globe. |
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| Next, it's time to trace the continent on the matching colored paper. |
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| Then, the students punch out the continent that they traced. This is a very challenging step in the process, but is a wonderful way to strengthen their fine motor skills. |
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| Once the children trace and punch out all the continents (and can name them), they are ready to begin putting together their maps. They paint circles to represent the oceans. Then, they glue each continent onto the correct place. |
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| Next, the students write the names of each continent onto a label, which they will then glue onto the continent itself on the map. |
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| After a long process that can take weeks or even months, the map is finished! The students present their maps to the classmates and name all the seven continents! |
At the time of year, the Geography area of the classroom becomes very popular! Once a student finishes his/her map, the other students in class are very motivated to work on their maps as well. Once a child finishes his/her continent map, they are able to begin work on the North America map and the U.S.A. map. How many Pre-K students do you know that can name and identify the seven continents?
The boys and girls in Pre-K work so hard all day long. At this age, children need to be able to move throughout their day so they are able to focus when it is time to sit down and work. The Montessori program allows for movement throughout the work period. We also provide other opportunities for the children to move during the school day. We often use a website called "GoNoodle" for these activities. There are videos to do yoga, practice mindfulness, work on sensory and motor skills, perform guided dances, meditate, stretch, and so much more! One of our favorite songs to sing along and dance to is "Saved by the Bell."
A few minutes of movement is a great motivator for the children to return to work and continue their lessons!
Some reminders:
- Show and tell on Friday, February 1, will be something that starts with /a/.
- Students may bring in valentines for their classmates. Please refer to the email for details.
- There is no school for the students on Friday, February 15, and Monday, February 18, for Presidents' Day weekend.
- The HCA Auction is Saturday, February 23. It is a wonderful night celebrating and raising funds for the HCA community that we love!
Have a great weekend! Hope to see you at Family Fun Night tonight from 6:00-9:00 pm!
