Janet’s Montessori at Westlake

"Should I teach my child the ABCs?"
There are many ways to teach your child to read, but I suggest to start by identifying the first SOUNDS of words. Ask your child, "Can you tell me what sound the word "ball" starts with? How about "elephant", or "rose"?
What you are looking for is your child's response, "b" /buh, not bee/, "eh", "rrr" /not "arr"/.
Make it into a game, and praise your child's effort.

Now, there is no harm in learning the ABCs, but if you do, teach your child that each English letter has a name and a sound. Just like each person has a name, "ei", "bee", "see", "dee" (a,b,c,d) are the letter's names.
In our classroom, the children look at the poster of ABCs while singing the ABCs song. Then we sing the song again, using sounds only.
To keep this bite-sized, we will discuss the proper sounds for letters next time.
Don't rush and don't worry! Just keep playing, identifying whole words around you, sound out the first letters, and your child will start reading soon.

Do you have other questions? Let me know.

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This one is for my parents. I appreciate your hard work and your trust!
I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend filled with special moments with your loved ones.
I will see you next week.
Love, Janet
https://www.facebook.com/reel/3734911183503616

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Is your child right-handed to left-handed? How could you find out?
It's simple! Choose several toys that can fit into one of your child's little hands, and place them before him or her. Watch which hand reaches out to grab a toy. That is most likely the dominant hand.
There are several don'ts, however:
* Don't rush into conclusions -- repeat the experiment a couple of times;
* Don't be surprised if your child uses both hands -- you may be lucky, and your kid is ambi-dextrous (in this case, your child will settle on the dominant hand soon);
* Don't worry about making a mistake! Children know what they need -- they will let you know (right? :)).

Please note, if your child draws with both hands, do not discourage this! Drawing with both hands at the same time is excellent for brain development!
And, as always, if you have any questions, write me! I'll do my best to address any of your concerns.

How can I prepare my child for writing? (Part 2)
Tracing! There are many tracing workbooks that you can purchase online, or you can even make your own.
Start simple in order to keep the activity enjoyable.
Have your child trace vertical lines, starting on the top and going down. Proceed to place two dots on the page, one below the other, for your child to connect, then add more dots, if you like. When drawing or tracing vertical lines, always move from top to bottom. Soon enough, your child will develop great motor control. This is also very helpful for anyone (not just children) who wants to learn to draw, so it's a win-win!

You are welcome to ask me any questions related to your preschooler's education!

How do I prepare my child's hand for writing?

Children will often make a fist around the spoon (like in the second photo) -- it feels more natural and "secure" to them.
This is absolutely fine. Over time, gently guide them to hold the spoon between the thumb and index finger (like in the first photo). This will become a default way in which they hold a pencil as well, and will make the transition to writing (and drawing!) much easier.

Do you have other questions about your child's education?
Please write us! We will do our best to address them.

Looking for something to do with your kids this weekend? Why not take them for a fun family photoshoot under the cherry trees at the Golden Gate Park while the blossoms last!

Janet’s Montessori pre-school is committed to traditional Montessori education. We are here to nurture your child and to help you with the important work of guiding his or her intellectual, emotional, and physical development.

Our Director, Janet, has Masters in Science. She has earned an Early Childhood Montessori credential, and boasts 25 years of experience in a Montessori classroom. She acts as a Mentor Teacher to other Montessori professionals.

Children at Janet’s Montessori are encouraged to explore, investigate, and fulfill their natural curiosity about the world around them. Under our careful guidance, children develop at their own pace and learn that school can be an unending adventure—one that inspires a lifetime of discovery.