MVS is now COMPOSTING!
As a part of our commitment to sustainability, MVS is now composting! We are talking with the children about composting, and guiding the older students through separating out food scraps at snack and meal times. You may have already noticed the large composting buckets in each of the classrooms.
We'd like to send a huge shout out to MVS parent Micah Greene, who is aiding in the effort by collecting our school's scraps and adding them to the compost pile at Stowe Elementary School. Micah and his students were recently featured in The Stowe Reporter for their work on recycling and compost initiatives. Read the full article here.
Intentional Environments: Atmosphere, Materials and Aesthetic in the Early Childhood Classroom
Keeping on our "art" theme from last week, we dive into another closely related topic: beauty and design in the classroom environment.
To the untrained eye, early ed classrooms might strike folks as all the same: tables for eating, a craft area, space for blocks, an ABC chart on the wall, and brightly colored art hung about. But in reality, teachers carefully consider every aspect of the classroom space, and with good reason. Children learn and grow through their interactions with the world around them. The classroom environment plays a significant role in a child's early development, so intentional design of the space and thoughtful selection of just what to put in it are paramount.
For instance, take a look at the furniture arrangement in your child's classroom. Why is it set up the way it is? While furniture holds the primary purpose of functionality, i.e. a place to sit, or an area to store things, it also has a secondary use for sectioning off different parts of a room to develop zones for play. Providing children with an area for boisterous dramatic play needs to be separated from the comfortable, quiet regions of the room where kids can have a moment of privacy with a solo puzzle, or read a book. At the same time, the hope is that the play spaces are also large enough to accommodate several children without feeling too crowded, or limiting access to supplies. Furniture also can provide impediments to fast movers who enjoy cruising through the room at top speed; a few safe and expected obstacles help slow the pace. In a nutshell, the arrangement of the furniture alone can really contribute to the classroom's overall vibe and energy level, and that's without even mentioning other elements such as lighting, paint color and textiles, all of which impact the environment.
When it comes to what's actually contained in the classroom, the materials selected for the children are done so purposefully and with a focus on aesthetic. The goal is not to have a classroom full of plastic "toys" that all look like they came from the shelves of the same box store. Instead, a wide ranging collection of stimuli are presented in thoughtful and creative ways. Ever notice the abundance of wicker baskets at school? How about glass containers? The presentation of play kitchen utensils in a sturdy, wicker basket with leather handles provides for more engagement with the materials; in addition to the utensils being something to investigate, the container itself is of interest with a number of textures and uses. How materials are presented can also invite learners, or turn them off to an experience. Think for example, of your own collection of tools at home. Digging through a giant bag of tools to find the crescent wrench is not only a pain, but can actually be a deterrent to completing your project. How different when the wrench hangs effortlessly from a pegboard within easy reach? Just the same, a child does not want to sift through an endless bucket of colored pencils to find the right one, when instead, it can be in sight, accessible, and in and of itself, displayed beautifully.
In the book, Infant and Toddlers at Work by Ann Lewin-Benham, the emphasis is on using high quality, aesthetic materials with children. In doing so, we "foster a child's appreciation for beauty" and increase their developing skills through exposure to a variety of stimuli (20). This does not mean spending an arm and a leg to have the newest set of handcrafted artisan pull toys, but it does mean being on the lookout for materials that have value, interest, beauty, or can be repurposed...something we've become rather skilled at here at MVS!
As teachers, it's our job to carefully observe the children to understand how they are interacting with their environment, and make changes accordingly. If the children are spending an increasing amount of time in housekeeping, we provide cooking magazines or recipe cards. If they're excited about trucks, we make road building equipment available. Adding additional open ended materials serves another purpose: to allow children to invent and create. Watching and reflecting is how we develop our responsiveness.
Given the tremendous growth that occurs in the zero to three years of life, "interactions with people, objects, materials and environments have enormous implications for subsequent cognitive, emotional, and physical growth" (Lewin-Benham, 2). In constructing your child's classroom environment with this in mind, it is our hope to support that development in our every deliberation.
Ready, Set, Potty?
Is my child ready for the potty? All too often, this question can be accompanied by feelings of worry, confusion, or "pressure" to get everything just right, but we're here to tell you, it certainly does not have to be that way! There is no one way or right way start the process of potty training your child, but here are a few tips that have proved helpful and are worth some consideration:
Most of all, avoid the pressure, and approach training with support and patience.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: After a quiet week, the class has come back together and is becoming readjusted to the day-to-day routines. The teachers are working closely with Sarah to have the children develop healthy sleep habits. Mainly, this means helping the children to feel safe and ready to put themselves to sleep. The teachers are spending time observing the children's sleep patterns and trends to support their independence. For example, if a child usually needs considerable rocking to get to sleep, a goal would be to gradually rock the child less and less so they can achieve sleep more autonomously. Aside from the "sleep study," a few adjustments have been made to the classroom to provide more floor space, which is allowing for greater mobility and interactions. Another highlight this week was time spent outside as a whole class.
Infant II: Continuing along on the theme of independence, the class is working on taking ownership for their day by washing their own hands, bringing their dirty dishes to the sink, and respecting themselves, their peers and their space. A focus has been on kind interactions with one another as well as keeping shared spaces tidy. Projects this week included work on fine motor skills, mainly a focus on putting little objects into bigger containers and trying to squeeze big objects into small containers.
Toddler I: As winter plods along, the children are becoming more and more seasoned when it comes to getting dressed and undressed from all their winter layers. One area the class is working on, is having all children remove all their gear independently. This week, the sleds appeared on the playground, and the kids really loved pulling each other as well as going for rides. On Wednesday, the class did some blue monochromatic painting. The children enjoyed watching all the different blue shades come together. And the book of the week was More More More Said the Baby.
Toddler II: As was the case with their younger friends, the children of Toddler II also really enjoyed playing with the sleds. On the colder mornings, and on Friday, the class still kept very active indoors, spending time on the steps and in the hallway. The group has been talking quite a bit about the potty, especially in regards to "Pull-Ups" and how they are like practice underwear-not to be used for pee or poop. Another area of focus is on nap time, where they are trying to stay calm and quite without many reminders.
Pre-K: You've likely noticed a new classroom set up which has allowed for a couple different benefits: the block and dramatic play areas now merge together more seamlessly, there is a larger space for freer movement, and with "less crowding" we're happy to report far less drama and much kinder and more considerate behavior. The Pre-K kids are working on clean up independence. Jen is crafting labels and "area maps" as visual cues for the students. This way, instead of just piling materials up on the shelves, they end up in their proper place. Music appreciation this week included the CD version of Zin Zin Violin, and on Friday, the class enjoyed some fresh squeezed OJ...thanks for the oranges!
As Seen at MVS
(A shorter week makes for a few less pictures, we'll have more to share in the next newsletter!)
Thanks for Reading
See you on the playground! -Sam
As a part of our commitment to sustainability, MVS is now composting! We are talking with the children about composting, and guiding the older students through separating out food scraps at snack and meal times. You may have already noticed the large composting buckets in each of the classrooms.
We'd like to send a huge shout out to MVS parent Micah Greene, who is aiding in the effort by collecting our school's scraps and adding them to the compost pile at Stowe Elementary School. Micah and his students were recently featured in The Stowe Reporter for their work on recycling and compost initiatives. Read the full article here.
Intentional Environments: Atmosphere, Materials and Aesthetic in the Early Childhood Classroom
Keeping on our "art" theme from last week, we dive into another closely related topic: beauty and design in the classroom environment.
To the untrained eye, early ed classrooms might strike folks as all the same: tables for eating, a craft area, space for blocks, an ABC chart on the wall, and brightly colored art hung about. But in reality, teachers carefully consider every aspect of the classroom space, and with good reason. Children learn and grow through their interactions with the world around them. The classroom environment plays a significant role in a child's early development, so intentional design of the space and thoughtful selection of just what to put in it are paramount.
For instance, take a look at the furniture arrangement in your child's classroom. Why is it set up the way it is? While furniture holds the primary purpose of functionality, i.e. a place to sit, or an area to store things, it also has a secondary use for sectioning off different parts of a room to develop zones for play. Providing children with an area for boisterous dramatic play needs to be separated from the comfortable, quiet regions of the room where kids can have a moment of privacy with a solo puzzle, or read a book. At the same time, the hope is that the play spaces are also large enough to accommodate several children without feeling too crowded, or limiting access to supplies. Furniture also can provide impediments to fast movers who enjoy cruising through the room at top speed; a few safe and expected obstacles help slow the pace. In a nutshell, the arrangement of the furniture alone can really contribute to the classroom's overall vibe and energy level, and that's without even mentioning other elements such as lighting, paint color and textiles, all of which impact the environment.
When it comes to what's actually contained in the classroom, the materials selected for the children are done so purposefully and with a focus on aesthetic. The goal is not to have a classroom full of plastic "toys" that all look like they came from the shelves of the same box store. Instead, a wide ranging collection of stimuli are presented in thoughtful and creative ways. Ever notice the abundance of wicker baskets at school? How about glass containers? The presentation of play kitchen utensils in a sturdy, wicker basket with leather handles provides for more engagement with the materials; in addition to the utensils being something to investigate, the container itself is of interest with a number of textures and uses. How materials are presented can also invite learners, or turn them off to an experience. Think for example, of your own collection of tools at home. Digging through a giant bag of tools to find the crescent wrench is not only a pain, but can actually be a deterrent to completing your project. How different when the wrench hangs effortlessly from a pegboard within easy reach? Just the same, a child does not want to sift through an endless bucket of colored pencils to find the right one, when instead, it can be in sight, accessible, and in and of itself, displayed beautifully.
In the book, Infant and Toddlers at Work by Ann Lewin-Benham, the emphasis is on using high quality, aesthetic materials with children. In doing so, we "foster a child's appreciation for beauty" and increase their developing skills through exposure to a variety of stimuli (20). This does not mean spending an arm and a leg to have the newest set of handcrafted artisan pull toys, but it does mean being on the lookout for materials that have value, interest, beauty, or can be repurposed...something we've become rather skilled at here at MVS!
As teachers, it's our job to carefully observe the children to understand how they are interacting with their environment, and make changes accordingly. If the children are spending an increasing amount of time in housekeeping, we provide cooking magazines or recipe cards. If they're excited about trucks, we make road building equipment available. Adding additional open ended materials serves another purpose: to allow children to invent and create. Watching and reflecting is how we develop our responsiveness.
Given the tremendous growth that occurs in the zero to three years of life, "interactions with people, objects, materials and environments have enormous implications for subsequent cognitive, emotional, and physical growth" (Lewin-Benham, 2). In constructing your child's classroom environment with this in mind, it is our hope to support that development in our every deliberation.
Ready, Set, Potty?
Is my child ready for the potty? All too often, this question can be accompanied by feelings of worry, confusion, or "pressure" to get everything just right, but we're here to tell you, it certainly does not have to be that way! There is no one way or right way start the process of potty training your child, but here are a few tips that have proved helpful and are worth some consideration:
- Understand that there is no specific age or time that is the perfect answer to potty training. While some families start as young as 3 or 4 months, others wait until 3 or 4 years. Different theories/philosophies on potty training, as well as cultural differences and the attributes of the child will all play a part in when the process starts, but ultimately it just depends on your family and your child. Most importantly, decide what is right for you and your child, then make a plan and follow through.
- Reinforce positively, but not in a manner that is "over the top."
- Understand your child's rhythms, just like you put them to bed when they are tired and feed them when they are hungry, show them what to do when they need to use the bathroom- you don't need to wait for them to tell you it's time, observe your child and start to recognize their habits.
- Talk about using the toilet, and explain the expectations and what it's like. Involve them in them process by going over each step. "Now you'll take your pants down and I'll help you sit on the potty."
- Control the fluids: 2 hours before nap or bedtime stop giving fluids.
- Try no diaper days at home. Be prepared to clean up without frustration, and understand it's to be expected.
- Little steps go a long way, and the first can be to encourage participation and awareness during diaper changes, never distract your child while being changed, instead, discuss the whole process with them- they should know what's happening and why.
- Take pride in their accomplishments and progress and let them take pride too!
Most of all, avoid the pressure, and approach training with support and patience.
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: After a quiet week, the class has come back together and is becoming readjusted to the day-to-day routines. The teachers are working closely with Sarah to have the children develop healthy sleep habits. Mainly, this means helping the children to feel safe and ready to put themselves to sleep. The teachers are spending time observing the children's sleep patterns and trends to support their independence. For example, if a child usually needs considerable rocking to get to sleep, a goal would be to gradually rock the child less and less so they can achieve sleep more autonomously. Aside from the "sleep study," a few adjustments have been made to the classroom to provide more floor space, which is allowing for greater mobility and interactions. Another highlight this week was time spent outside as a whole class.
Infant II: Continuing along on the theme of independence, the class is working on taking ownership for their day by washing their own hands, bringing their dirty dishes to the sink, and respecting themselves, their peers and their space. A focus has been on kind interactions with one another as well as keeping shared spaces tidy. Projects this week included work on fine motor skills, mainly a focus on putting little objects into bigger containers and trying to squeeze big objects into small containers.
Toddler I: As winter plods along, the children are becoming more and more seasoned when it comes to getting dressed and undressed from all their winter layers. One area the class is working on, is having all children remove all their gear independently. This week, the sleds appeared on the playground, and the kids really loved pulling each other as well as going for rides. On Wednesday, the class did some blue monochromatic painting. The children enjoyed watching all the different blue shades come together. And the book of the week was More More More Said the Baby.
Toddler II: As was the case with their younger friends, the children of Toddler II also really enjoyed playing with the sleds. On the colder mornings, and on Friday, the class still kept very active indoors, spending time on the steps and in the hallway. The group has been talking quite a bit about the potty, especially in regards to "Pull-Ups" and how they are like practice underwear-not to be used for pee or poop. Another area of focus is on nap time, where they are trying to stay calm and quite without many reminders.
Pre-K: You've likely noticed a new classroom set up which has allowed for a couple different benefits: the block and dramatic play areas now merge together more seamlessly, there is a larger space for freer movement, and with "less crowding" we're happy to report far less drama and much kinder and more considerate behavior. The Pre-K kids are working on clean up independence. Jen is crafting labels and "area maps" as visual cues for the students. This way, instead of just piling materials up on the shelves, they end up in their proper place. Music appreciation this week included the CD version of Zin Zin Violin, and on Friday, the class enjoyed some fresh squeezed OJ...thanks for the oranges!
As Seen at MVS
(A shorter week makes for a few less pictures, we'll have more to share in the next newsletter!)
See you on the playground! -Sam