YOUNG INFANTS:

Greetings from the Infants’ Room. Happy first birthday to our Ezra R. We are winding down our school year with lots of fun. The weather has been lovely on most days, so we are enjoying the outdoors.

Children are getting ready for Mothers Day, May 11, by creating crafts and cards for our beloved Moms.

It has been a year of tremendous growth. Your children have been developing fine motor (e.g., self-feeding, coloring) and gross motor (e.g. crawling, standing and walking) skills at a fast pace.

From one day to the next the children have new abilities. They have been gaining vocabulary as well. Their attention spans are longer, so they can listen to short books.

Thank you for sharing your lovely children with us.

Morahs Sara, Marla and Leslie


OLDER INFANTS:

Dear Parents,

Thank you for celebrating our creative endeavors last week at the Art Show. We really enjoyed watching families view and admire all the beautiful pieces.

Back in the classroom, we are sticking to routine as much as possible, as well as getting out to enjoy the outdoors. Whether we are inside or out, we employ the Montessori philosophy of "follow the child.” This means we follow each child’s development, interests, needs, and abilities. Though we follow the child in many regards, we are ultimately their guide and not the other way around. Rather than give young children free rein, we give them freedom within limits.

Offering freedom within limits provides a comfortable balance between an overly structured environment and a chaotic one. What does freedom within limits mean? It means setting clear expectations and ground rules ahead of time, and following through. It means making and sticking to (flexible) routines. It means a secure, loving, and trusting relationship between child and adult. It also means providing age-appropriate choices and opportunities for self-mastery and independence. 

Choices for our children in our older infant community include: 

  • Limited, and carefully selected materials on the shelf

  • A low countertop so water bottles are within reach 

    • A lunch plate with several foods, but no alternatives after the fact

    • Option to choose which adult to help them with toileting or completing a task

    • Option to clean up a mess independently or together

    • At home, you could incorporate the option to choose a sequence of events rather than the event itself (e.g., brush teeth before or after bath, but both are happening either way

Setting clear expectations is a key component of “freedom within limits.” We focus on safety. We try to phrase things in the positive, and focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t. For example:

  • - Water stays in the sink or the cup. We can splash in the water table (in the bathtub at home).

  • - We work (or sit) at the table. The Pikler triangle is for climbing.

  • - We keep our plate on the table when we are eating. We can carry our plate to the counter when we are done.

  • - Books are handled with care. If we want to throw, we can throw bean bags or balls.

  • - We are kind to our friends. We can give hugs.

What happens when expectations are not met? Natural consequences. Once a rule has been broken, we usually give one “try again” opportunity and then follow through with a natural consequence. For example, if someone dumps water on the floor, we remind, “Water stays in the sink.” If it happens for the second time, “All done at the sink,” and we remove the water source for the time being. If someone pushes another child, we first check on whoever was pushed, and invite the pusher to do the same. We remind, “Gentle hands” and provide an alternative, “If you want to push, you can push this cart.” If pushing continues, we create separation and help the child to move his/ her body away.

We often use the words “I can’t let you _______. I need to keep you safe. We can _______ instead.” For example, “I see you want to climb on the table. I can’t let you climb there. I need to keep you safe. Let’s climb on the Pikler triangle instead.” If the child doesn’t respond or change his/ her behavior, then we have to physically help. We acknowledge the child’s frustration and desire, but don’t budge on the rules. We don’t have a lot of rules to begin with, but the ones we have are set up for everyone’s safety, and we make sure we follow through on those. 

We hope this gives you a glimpse into our behavioral management philosophy of “freedom within limits,” and possible ways in which you can incorporate in your own home. 

“To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control is to betray the idea of freedom.” — Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Wishing you a melodic and peaceful week!

Morahs Rachael, Kathy, Pallavi