Autumn in the classroom

A student in Ms. Kathy’s Primary class works on a fish pin punch activity.

The first several weeks were filled with lots of exciting opportunities for learning many new things, as well as sharing with friends and giving thanks for our time together. While the beginning of school was more focused on getting acquainted, the coming of autumn has become a time for challenging ourselves, self-discovery, and expanded opportunities for refining our hand control and sensorial exploration.

The inclusion of art has been an important part of the handwork in our classroom. Crayons, pushpins, scissors, glue, and needle and thread are all necessary tools for encouraging the development of the children’s small muscles and enabling greater perfection of hand control.

This fall, specific activities, such as pin punching pumpkins shapes, gluing leaf shapes on trees, or cutting orange and yellow shapes, have all played an important role in aiding the children’s fine-motor skills, while making learning engaging and fun.

Pin punch activities work on students’ small muscles and hand control.

In addition to the children’s work involving fine-motor control, engaging the senses has been also a significant part of our classroom’s everyday activities. Beside the basic lessons in sensory discrimination and the refinement of the sense (ex. pink tower, geometric cabinet, color boxes, etc.), cultural lessons also were presented to encourage further engagement from the child.

For example, for the past two months, the children have been studying the countries of Canada and England. As a way to incorporate extended sensory education, lessons were given to show the child how life is lived in each country using pictures, objects, and books, allowing for them else of all three senses: visual, tactile, and auditory.

By using this type of multi sensory approach, Dr. Montessori realized that the child’s learning experience could be maximized and his success in the acquisition of the skill assured. That is because “the child’s intellect does not work in isolation, but is everywhere and always intimately bound up with his body.” (Montessori)

December will bring the study of a new country, lots of holiday songs, and many diverse art activities. In addition, our traditional Holiday Party is just a few weeks away. It is always so much fun and usually a very memorable event. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!