Hunter Mill Montessori South Campus

Children love water play! When unsure what to do with your toddler, take it outside! Give than a bucket or a bin, containers and watch the fun and the learning begin!

We wish you all a phenomenal summer!!

Math in Montessori starts with the senses. So much happen before a child picks up a pencil. First, a child will "feel" what 2 means; she will hold 2 sticks or 2 stones. Then the child will feel what the number 2 look like when represented in a writing format. In this picture, you see a material designed by Maria Montessori, the sandpaper numbers. The child will gently slide their fingers over the number to practice the motions. Only after the full comprehension of that number the child will pick up a pencil to write on paper.

Parents are often wondering what activities they can do at home to support their child's development. There is no need to go crazy trying to create Instagram-perfect activities. Toddlers love to be with their parents and do what their parents are doing. Just involve them in your everyday chores!

Nothing better than an outdoor yoga session!!

Flower arrangement is a toddler's favorite Montessori lesson. The child is provided with small pitchers, vases, doilies, and flower stems that are already cut to fit the small vase.

This is an example of a practical life lesson with several steps; they need to first put on an apron, go fill the pitcher with water, bring the pitcher to the table, use a funnel to pour water into a small vase, remove the funnel, make the arrangement, choose a doily and a place in the classroom to place their vase. Now is clean up; they go back to the table, use a sponge to dry the spills, mop in case there is water on the floor, and take off their apron. Uff tired yet?! 😊 It's something that looks so simple, yet it takes a lot for a child to be able to complete this work from beginning to end. This work builds concentration, balance, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and logical sequencing. For the child, is just a beautiful and fun activity that brings them joy and a feeling of accomplishment!

The toddler is always "working". They work so hard on simple things that go unnoticed by the adult every day. When a child is climbing, she is learning about the laws of physics, their body abilities, and developing spatial awareness. They are dealing with feelings such as fear, excitement, and, finally, achievement. When you see a child trying to walk on the line of a sidewalk or balance on a ledge, take the time to observe that child's focus, how meaningful that is for that child, and how much they are learning at that moment. Once you see toddlerhood with those eyes, so much will make sense. It might even become your favorite stage of development!

One activity you will always see in a Montessori classroom is transferring with a spoon. The purpose of spooning is to develop and strengthen the hands, wrists, fine motor coordination, and equilibrium.

The child practice spooning when they serve themselves snack but the activity on the shelf gives them the chance to revisit this activity several times a day if they wish.

A child is always seeking mastering of an activity, and toddlers love repetition. Transferring provides them the chance to repeat again and again the same hand movement until they can finally feel confident that they did it! They finally learned how to fully control that motion! Once that activity is mastered, you can start using different spoons and smaller transferring objects. Just like that, the transferring work is once again challenging.

Maria Montessori observed that children learn best from manipulating objects, as she used to say "What the hands does, the mind remembers". All the manipulative materials in the classroom are carefully selected to foster each child's developmental need. By doing, puzzles, stacking blocks, inserting on dowels, the child is developing a sense of orde. They are working on size differentiation, strengthening of the hands, learnignhow to focus, and so much more. All that will prepare the child to in the future, read, write and do math.

The toddler concentration looks a bit different than what we perceive as "concentration". The toddler can be washing dishes and looking at a child across the room. He is indeed "concentrating" on both things, the dishes and the other child's work. When we say we foster concentration in the classroom, what we mean is that we let the child work without interruption. The "concentration" goal is that the child is able to finish a task without any adult redirection. If the child looks away for a minute but is able to get back to their task and complete it, then the toddler has achieved "concentration".

In the classroom, we foster this concentration by allowing the child to work independently with minimal adult direction. The child will receive a lesson on how to do work, and the teacher will step away and let that child work on it independently. You can foster concentration at home by allowing your child to finish what they are playing with before asking her to do something else. Try to step back and watch your child do a task independently, and if they need help, wait for them to ask you instead of just taking over.

The Boy with Big, Big Feelings is a great book for children experiencing anxiety, big emotions, or children who are more sensitive and in tune with their feelings. Since toddlers are always navigating their big feelings, this book will help them better understand what is happening with their emotions and learn how to manage their big feelings. Beautifully illustrated and written in rhyming verse, children and adults explore the whole spectrum of feelings, and readers navigate the emotional challenges they face throughout the day.

Day two of Teacher's Appreciation Week. Our families treated our teachers to beautiful flowers! We feel very loved! THANK YOU!

Happy Teacher's Appreciation Week!
We kicked off the week with a lovely breakfast for our lovely teachers!
Thank you parents for the treat!

Care of the environment is a Montessori Practical life activity based on natural consequences. If we all occupy this space, we are all responsible for keeping it clean and tidy. If I spill, I will dry it. If I see dust on the shelf, I will wipe it. Other than creating empathy and self-awareness, it also helps the child gain confidence, support independence, and develop motor skills.

It is very simple to implement at home. Have a mop, a broom, a duster that are their sizes accessible to your child. Engage your child in the cleaning activities you are doing. Toddlers love to load the dishwasher, load the washing machine, fold clothes, and set the table. Once you start inviting your child to join you, they will feel like a contributing member of your community. Toddlers absolutely love to do what their parents are doing! Happy child, happy parents!

What makes a material "Montessori friendly"? Part I
Maria Montessori designed materials that are self-correcting. Self-correcting materials foster self-confidence and intrinsic problem-solving skills. The child will be able to easily recognize that the pieces are not fitting properly and work on figuring out on their own instead of needing an adult intervention. In this picture, you see the knobbed cylinders, this material was designed by Maria Montessori. The child will work on size differentiation, sorting, and hand/eye coordination. The cylinders are precisely 1 inch smaller than the others and will only fit in their specific hole. A child can focus for a very long time on this activity learning by trial and error and problem-solving. Stay tuned to learn more about what toys you can buy to support your child's development at home!😉

Happy Earth day!!!

We celebrated Earth Day by prepping a flower bed and planting flowers! Our toddlers will be caring for these plants and watching them grow!

Welcoming Ms. Ingrid to our Hunter Mill family!

Ms. Ingrid has a Law degree and an undergraduate degree in education from Brazil. After years of being a lawyer and managing a wedding planning business, Ms. Ingrid is excited to finally fulfill her dream job of teaching! Ms. Ingrid loves traveling, especially going to the beach (after all, she is Brazilian from Rio!). She also loves movies, books, and the outdoors!

Meet our Teachers!

Ms. Caroline has been teaching toddlers for 21 years! Her mother was a Montessori teacher, and she absolutely loved Montessori and knew this was her calling. Ms. Caroline has a bachelor's degree in Early Education and a Montessori certification from North Carolina Center for Montessori Education. Ms. Caroline loves trips to the beach, watching her children's sports games, and playing with her 3 dogs!

Meet our Teachers!

Ms. Gisele has been working with preschool-aged children for over a decade, She has a master's Degree in Event Planning but found her true passion when she moved to the U.S. and started working with children. Ms. Gisele loves playing soccer, dancing, and spending time with her children and her dog Ginger!

We are enjoying every single second of this beautiful weather in February!

Our toddlers had a lovely Valentines day with heart shaped snacks and and art projects! What a fun holiday to celebrate ❤️

We are enrolling children from 16 months to 3 years old!

Photos from Hunter Mill Montessori South Campus's post