Infants Peek at the Week 11.02.26

In our Infant Montessori classroom, even the smallest hands can begin to participate in meaningful traditions. A tzedakah box (charity box) offers a beautiful way to connect our Montessori work with an important Jewish value: giving to others.

As our infants practice placing objects into a container, they are developing fine motor skills and refining their pincer grasp. Our oldest infants are demonstrating a more refined pincer grasp, while our younger babies are still working toward this important milestone. These small movements lay the foundation for future skills, including self-feeding and early pre-writing movements.

One of the most delightful parts of this activity is the sound! Babies listen as each object hits the bottom of the container, discovering auditory cause and effect. They may repeat the process again and again, dropping an object in, listening for the sound, and then dumping everything out to begin anew. Through repetition, they build coordination, concentration, and an understanding of how their actions create results.

While our youngest learners may not yet understand the meaning of charity, they are beginning to participate in a tradition that will grow with them. In Judaism, giving tzedakah is more than an act of generosity; it is a mitzvah and an opportunity to help others. By introducing this tradition early, we plant the seeds of compassion, responsibility, and community.

Warmly, 

Morahs Rachael, Nina, Mary

Infants Peek at the Week 10.19.26

Dear Parents, 

Everyday learning begins in an infant’s hands as they reach, grasp, explore, and discover how the world works. Our infants are making wonderful discoveries each day as they learn what their hands can do! One exciting milestone is the development of the pincer grasp, when they begin using their thumb and index finger to pick up small objects. As they practice placing objects into openings, they are also strengthening hand-eye coordination, refining their grip, and learning to release an object with intention. Although these actions may look simple, they require focus, practice, and persistence.

In our Montessori infant classroom, materials such as the object permanence box with a ball, posting boxes, and object-to-container activities offer engaging opportunities to support these emerging skills. We model movements, provide gentle guidance when appropriate, and allow plenty of time for independent exploration. By following each child’s cues and readiness, we give them the freedom to grasp, adjust, and try again at their own pace. Through repetition and practice, their little hands gradually become more coordinated, capable, and confident.

Families can support these skills at home by offering safe, age-appropriate objects to grasp and place into a wide container, such as large wooden rings or soft blocks, while closely supervising and avoiding small items that may pose a choking hazard.

Thank you for your continued support and allowing us to share in this amazing journey!

-Morahs Rachael, Nina, and Mary 

Infants Peek at the Week 10.05.26

Dear Families,

We hope you all had a wonderful Sukkot holiday! We are still reveling in the spirit of the harvest season; our infants have been busy collecting pinecones, acorns, and colorful autumn leaves from our school grounds. We are utilizing these natural treasures in our sensory bins. Touching and feeling the rough and smooth textures stimulates our neural pathways. We have also been using these items as natural stamps and rollers, creating paintings on paper and interesting patterns in playdoh to celebrate the season.

We are learning the sign for “tree” (place the elbow of one arm in the palm of the other hand, and rotate the wrist of the upright arm back-and-forth to simulate leaves on a tall tree). We enjoyed our time spent in the sukkah, under the natural canopy, last week. We will spend more time under the canopy of colorful  trees in the coming weeks!

Warmly,

Morahs Rachael, Mary, and Nina

Infants Peek at the Week 09.28.26

Dear Families,

Chag Sameach! As we approach the autumn season and celebrate the holiday of Sukkot, our infant room is filled with joy, growth, and wonderful transitions. This week, we are highlighting a cornerstone of our Montessori environment that beautifully bridges our indoor learning with our outdoor holiday celebrations: the weaning table.

In our classroom, the children eat solid foods at a child-sized table with heavy wooden chairs rather than traditional high chairs. This intentional setup provides immense benefits for your infant's physical and cognitive development:

• Physical Grounding: Small chairs allow your child’s feet to rest flat on the floor, stabilizing their pelvis. This allows them to sit upright with far less effort, freeing up their upper-body strength to focus entirely on reaching, grasping, and self-feeding.

• Cognitive Independence: Sitting at a real table sends a powerful signal that they are active, capable participants in their community, fostering deep concentration, hand-eye coordination, confidence.

There is a beautiful, natural bridge between this Montessori philosophy of dining and the mitzvah of dwelling in the Sukkah. Sukkot calls us out of our permanent homes and into a temporary, nature-bound shelter. Just as our heavy wooden chairs ground our infants' bodies indoors so they can confidently feed themselves, the Sukkah grounds our spirits in nature outdoors.

This week, our infants will bring these experiences together by going outside to eat their snacks in our school Sukkah—extending our classroom practice of mindful dining into the fresh air and the natural world. Our little ones will get to experience holding an etrog and shaking the lulav while Morahs say the blessing. 

Finally, we want to wish a very happy first birthday to Raeleigh! We enjoy her warm smiles, her determined toddling around the classroom, and the friendly way she waves hello to everyone she sees.

Wishing your family a joyful Sukkot holiday!

Morahs Rachael, Nina, and Mary 

Infants Peek at the Week 08.31.26

Hello Families!

Rosh Hashanah is just two weeks away, and our classroom is buzzing with sweet excitement as we prepare for the holiday! Our infants are exploring the sights, sounds, and textures of Rosh Hashanah through their five senses. This week, we are bringing apples into our daily activities by slicing them up for a delicious tasting experience and floating them in our water bins for some delightful, splashing sensory play.

We are also filling our classroom with joy by listening and clapping along to cheerful Rosh Hashanah songs (“Dip the apple in the Honey”). To round out our festive preparations, the children are working hard on a special holiday craft using paint and wooden apples. It is wonderful to watch them connect our Jewish traditions through hands-on learning and play.

Throughout the day, we use sign language with the children: helpful communication signs such as eat, more, milk, and all done, along with some of their favorite food signs like cheese. Using sign language is a fantastic way to help young children express their needs before they can fully speak, which greatly reduces frustration and builds early communication skills. We encourage you to practice these same simple signs during meals and snack times at home to help reinforce what they are learning!

Thank you for partnering with us!

Shana Tova! 

Morahs Rachael, Mary, and Nina

Infants Peek at the Week 08.17.26

Dear Parents, 

This month, we are highlighting the intentional design of our infant environment. 

Unlike a traditional nursery, you won't find playpens, bouncers, or restrictive baby gear here. Instead, our space features open floor spaces and low shelves designed to build deep, early trust.

Freedom on the Floor

Traditional baby gear keeps infants passive and contained. By leaving our floor wide open, we invite infants to stretch, roll, and crawl freely. Navigating a safe, open room helps them build physical strength, spatial awareness, and a profound trust in their own physical capabilities.

Clarity on Low Shelves

Our shelves are intentionally built low to the ground, keeping curated materials directly at eye level. We place only one item per shelf space. This intentional layout prevents visual clutter, helps an infant focus on a single object, and allows them to make clear, independent choices. They learn to trust their environment as a predictable, orderly place.

Incorporating Montessori at Home

You can easily recreate this peaceful, trust-building environment at home:

*   Ditch containers: Swap swings or playpens for a large, comfortable floor mat.

*   Simplify shelves: Display just 3 to 4 toys on a low shelf, giving each object its own dedicated space.

*   Clear the clutter: Keep the rest of the toys out of sight and rotate them weekly.

By stripping away the containers, we create a sanctuary that honors your infant's natural drive to explore. Thank you for partnering with us in these beautiful early years!

Warmly, 

Morahs Rachael, Nina, and Mary

Infants Peek at the Week 08.14.26

Dear Families, 

We are so happy to welcome you to our Infant Room. This year is filled with growth, discovery, and warm connections. We are thrilled to introduce the Morahs who will be guiding your little ones.

• Morah Rachael: Entering her eighth year at Chai Tots, Morah Rachael is thrilled to be back with our infants after originally starting in the infant room and then spending a couple of years with young toddlers. She deeply cherishes the daily bonding moments and warm baby snuggles. Guided by the Montessori philosophy, she focuses on strengthening each child’s sense of self by fostering early independence, and she looks forward to building deep, meaningful connections with all the babies and fellow Morahs in the Alef Room.

• Morah Mary: Celebrating her fifth year at our school, Morah Mary brings valuable experience from working in both our infant and toddler environments. She loves creating a serene, peaceful atmosphere for our youngest learners by playing classical music softly in the background. This soothing environment beautifully supports the babies as they confidently explore, move, and discover the room around them.

• Morah Nina: Bringing seven years of valuable teaching experience, Morah Nina is thrilled to begin her very first year with us at Chai Tots! She is excited to bring her background in education, in both the Philippines and the US, to our infant team and looks forward to partnering with our families to give the babies a warm, supportive start.

Our classroom is designed to support independent exploration through low wooden shelves and safe floor spaces where babies freely choose their own developmental materials. Our Morahs work together closely to create a cohesive, loving community that honors each child's unique biological rhythm for sleeping, feeding, and playing. We also treasure our daily outdoor time, taking the babies out in strollers for fresh air, nature walks, and sensory stimulation (when it's not storming)!

To help us stay organized, please send a dedicated backpack or tote bag with your child each day. This bag will house their daily bottles, snacks, and lunch. This will help us contain all of their personal items and safely transport everything back and forth between home and the classroom.

We are off to a great start!

Morahs Rachael, Mary, and Nina