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A Handbook for Cycle 1

Parents

Cycle 1

LEARNING AT HOME

This handbook is not intended to create a contract. Not between you, and our

expectations of you, not between us and your child. It is our best attempt to provide

support, in any way we can, to our community at this troubling time.

And in these circumstances, trying our best is all any of us can do.

Plenty Valley International Montessori School has a proud history of Montessori

education. The Montessori method provides us all with huge advantages in the

coming months, in our ability to follow the child, to observe and to provide an

environment which serves our fundamental human needs. We are here to support

you in any way we know how to allow you, and your children, the freedom to learn

freely, independently and follow their passions.

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Table of Contents 3 A Montessori Perspective for Troubled Times

4 Learning at Home Guidelines

5 Preparing Yourself

6 Preparing the Environment

7 Creating a Daily Rhythm Responsibility and Contribution to Community

8 Example Daily Rhythm

9 Responsibility and Contribution to Community (Practical Life)

11 Introducing Activities

12 Ideas to Get You Started

15 Frequently Asked Questions

Many Thanks to the Montessori School of Tokyo for

their support in the creation of this school resource.

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A Montessori Perspective for Troubled Times

Maria Montessori was no stranger to adversity. Born in 1870, Montessori lived through two world wars.

Her life, like ours now, was turned upside down on multiple occasions. Perennially curious, she studied

hard and was accepted into university where she elected to study medicine – much to the horror of the

faculty. At this time, it was considered inappropriate for women and men to be in the same room before

a naked body, so Montessori was excluded from her anatomy lessons and forced to catch up by studying

at night, alone in the morgue. During World War II, Dr. Montessori saw all her life’s work in Italy

destroyed by the Fascists. Twice she had to escape for her life and spent the remainder of the war

training teachers in India.

At one point, she reportedly became so disheartened and on the verge of giving up her studies, but an

encounter with an impoverished child in the street stirred her curiosity and she resolved to go on.

The child, who had no shoes, was playing with a simple piece of paper – totally engrossed in its

movement. What confounded the young Maria Montessori was how a child with so little, could be

completely focused on the paper when his circumstances were so miserable. This simple scene is

thought to be the seed from which sprang her life’s work. As part of her mission she traveled all over

the world speaking on behalf of the developmental needs of children. Her example can help us

remember that even though all of us will face difficulties and obstacles ahead, we always have choices

available to us. And just as in her own darkest moments, the child now becomes our own inspiration, as

Montessori parents and teachers, as we begin our own journey learning together as we go.

Learning at Home Guidelines

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PROGRAM-SPECIFIC NEEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Children aged 3 to 6 thrive in environments that promote repetition, routine and the

mastery of purposeful movement.

• Allow your child to choose activities and give them space to play without interruptions.

• The key to a successful learning environment is: order, access to tactile resources, space

to explore and meaningful activity. For the 3-6 child, work and play should be

interchangeable—a natural, fun and exciting part of life.

CHILDREN ARE EXPECTED TO:

• Enjoy family life, meals and planned activities together.

• Engage in independent exploration for sustained periods each day.

• Support their family with developmentally appropriate contributions to the

running of the household.

PARENTS ARE INVITED TO:

• Remain mindful about your child’s stress or worries during this time of change.

• Monitor communication about your child from your teachers.

• Initiate communication with teachers about questions, ideas, concerns, or feedback.

• Support your child’s independence in daily life activities.

• Be mindful of and allow children to continue periods of concentration.

• Establish daily routines and expectations.

• Limit screen time.

• Provide opportunities for daily physical activity.

CYCLE 1 TEACHERS WILL:

• Give guidance in setting up a daily routine, your home environment and offer support

with engaging activities and how to include your child in household duties.

• Provide general weekly emails with suggestions for activities around the home.

• Provide opportunities to connect with the classroom community via video conferencing.

• Be prompt in replying to your emails if you need additional guidance and support.

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Preparing Yourself

Nothing about this situation is planned. You will likely feel completely unprepared for what lays ahead. But in the coming weeks, practicing self-care will become essential in helping you to become as prepared as possible to handle the daily challenges of learning at home. Understanding ourselves, managing our own emotions and needs is essential in order to guide children effectively, which is why the first part of creating a learning environment at home involves taking care of yourself. With self-care, we aren’t talking about naps, candles and bubble bath (although there is a place for those too) but looking at your actual needs and attempting to meet the most vital of these needs before ever even thinking of what you need to teach the children. You really do have to “put on your own oxygen mask first” before assisting others. kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

• Eat well, get some rest, exercise, and don’t forget to breathe.

Model taking proper care of your physical and mental health. It’s the greatest gift you can give your children and yourself.

• Be aware of habits that create worry and stress. The current health crisis has stirred up a lot of fear and anxiety in our community. While it is important to stay informed and connected, it’s also healthy to limit your exposure to news coverage and social media in order to be present in your immediate life. Avoid having adult conversations that might be upsetting to your children in their presence.

• Finding the new work/life balance…. This is the million-dollar question!!! How do I work full-time AND parent full-time? Plan ahead. If there is more than one care-giver at home, coordinate who will be unavailable and at what times, and communicate this to your child AHEAD of time. E.g. at breakfast, say “Now remember, mum can’t help you this morning because she has an important call.” If you are by yourself, know what really engages your child. What types of activities really helps them focus and work independently. Try and carve out alone time for you by setting them up with something that you know will sustain their attention to allow you to keep up with your own work-related tasks. Finally, be upfront with your employer when there are simply too many expectations placed on.

• Step away when you start to lose it. Children are wonderful but managing their big emotions all day (especially ones prompted by a major change in their routine) can be the source of stress. Instead of reacting in anger, know that it’s okay to step away and regain your composure when needed. My mother’s favourite place to go before she said something she would regret later was the washing line. Usually she would come back in 20 minutes or so and either apologise or she had already moved on! Klllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

• Do one thing every day that is just for pleasure. Make your happiness a priority too, even (ESPECIALLY) when you feel overwhelmed.

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Preparing the Environment

“A place for everything and everything in its place” is one of the critical principles of

preparing an environment.

External order gives us all important and much needed internal order and sense of security.

An ordered environment also has fewer distractions, allowing children to focus on the task at hand.

Having a place for everything means that children know where to find what they need, and have a place

to put things when they’re done.

Most families have a “child-safe zone” where their kids spend most of the time within the home. It could

be their bedroom, a playroom, or the living room. The important part is that the children can play in this

space for extended periods of time without a parent monitoring their every move: all hazards and fragile

items have been removed. This may help towards carving out time where you get some space to work

uninterrupted to complete your necessary tasks.

Ensuring that your child takes responsibility for their own area (bedroom, playroom, living room) and

maintaining this for the whole family is likely the most essential tool in starting a Montessori learning

journey from home.

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Creating a Daily Rhythm

Part of creating a prepared environment is forming a plan as to how the day will unfold. Even as adults, changes to our routine can make us feel lost, overwhelmed, and irritable. Children are no different. They desperately need structure and derive calm from knowing what to expect. To create a daily rhythm for your children:

• List the predictable, recurring moments of your child’s day and what time they typically occur. (ex: meals, bathing, bedtime, etc.)

• Be aware of your child’s current school routine. Ask your child’s lead teacher for a copy of their daily schedule. This could provide some ideas around when to structure certain activities.

• Consider your own needs and responsibilities. You will need to actively protect your own concentration by working with your partner to timetable your own conference calls and work periods. Try and contain most of their indoor play to one area of the house, and if you are interrupted, reaffirm your own space: “I am concentrating on my work now. After lunch I will help you.” Try not to let yourself answer their questions as this means that you have been interrupted. Just patiently re-state what you are doing (working) and when they can ask for help (when I come out of the office/after lunch/when we go for a walk). WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND NO SCREEN TIME PRIOR TO LUNCH. Save activities they can do solo, and screen time, for the moments throughout the day when you will have to attend to work. Have faith in your child’s growing independence and resilience by not stepping in and solving all their problems for them. Be firm and consistent in your expectations around respecting your time.

• Observe and respect your child’s unique interests and energy levels. Some children, for example, may need more time outdoors for gross motor movement while others will prefer longer periods of quiet, concentrated activities. Follow your child! Watch their behaviour for cues as to what their needs are.

• Stick to a consistent bedtime. It can be tempting, with no external timetable and nowhere to be, to let bedtime routines slip back later and later. Ensuring you maintain your and your child’s established circadian rhythm will ensure their brains begin to secrete the sleep hormone melatonin at the same time each day, meaning that when it comes to tuck them in, their brains are primed and ready to sleep.

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EXAMPLE DAILY RYHTYM

Early Morning Set up and clean up breakfast, load dishwasher.

Basic chores: collect dirty clothes, sort laundry, help load washing

machine; clean/tidy one area of the house;

Mid-Morning Uninterrupted independent work period. Children should engage in activities to practice skills for practical life (e.g. cutting, digging, and activities that develop fine-motor skills), sensorial games (sorting objects, creating patterns, constructing, etc.) and free explorative play.

Lunch Prepare, set up, clean up.

Afternoon Afternoon work time/Quiet time.

Afternoons should have a more relaxed energy than the morning. This may include a nap or time to lay on the floor reading books, engaging in art, painting, reflective time. It may involve a walk and then watching a documentary or gathering/preparing materials for the next morning’s activities. This allows you both know what is coming when you wake up the next day.

Things to remember:

• Be consistent. If a daily rhythm is to be successful, you have to do it every day! The more consistent you are, the quicker your children will adapt and everyone will feel the difference.

• Be flexible. Being consistent doesn’t mean you have to force punctuality. This provides a general structure, but be open to following your child’s lead. If they’re engaged but it’s time for lunch, extend their uninterrupted play time. The daily rhythm is meant to create a predictable flow, not a deadline.

• Observe. Adjust your schedule, if needed. After a few days, if you notice something that isn’t working, change the schedule. Consistency is important, but sometimes small shifts can make such a positive difference.

• Use cues to facilitate peaceful transitions. Give your children a gentle “heads up” before it’s time to move on to the next part of the day. Tell them when they have five/three/one-minute left to finish up. kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

• Expect an adjustment period. Especially if your children are not accustomed to having a formal schedule in place at home. This article may be be helpful if you struggle with your child’s resistance to this change.

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Responsibility and Contribution to Community

Establishing a routine that works for your family is an essential first step to creating a successful

learning environment at home. The next step is being clear in your expectations around how you are

all going to spend this time living together in respectful way and how you will each contribute to help

to take care of the health, wellbeing and happiness of the whole family unit.

Being in a Montessori school is often described by students as being part of a big family. In our

classrooms, the children learn that belonging to a community, means that each of us has a

responsibility to ourselves, others and the environment. Explain to your child that this is a time when

everyone in the family needs to pull together, to help care for your home and each other.

Practical Life

Practical life is the foundation of every Montessori classroom and can easily be mirrored at home. The

first practical task on many people’s calendars at the commencement of learning at home may be a

good old-fashioned clean out! Spend a morning, a day, or even two days together as family to clean

up, clear out and prepare an organised space together that will help everyone maintain their sanity.

OWNERSHIP OF TASKS

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Housework can be performed together until you see that your child can do most of the activity on their

own. Then ask them to do it on their own and observe to see any areas they may still need help with

(remember, done is better than perfect). If you are feeling unsure about starting housework with your

child at home, you need to read this.

You could organise a job chart or list of family projects to help guide your child’s interests. Or perhaps

integrate some mathematics into your day by starting a simple tally on a prominent wall titled “Things I

Have Done to Help our Family”. Every time your child does something that supports your home, they

can add another line to the tally. This then becomes a visual reference point for the many real

contributions they have made and provides a daily source of gratitude for the whole family.

You should highlight these contributions with genuine, sincere thanks, being sure to acknowledge both

the task that has been performed and the subsequent benefit, for example: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllll

“Thank you for setting the table Ava, now we can all sit down to a lovely meal together.”

“Thank you for putting all your clean clothes away Jason, now you have a wardrobe full of

beautiful things to choose to wear tomorrow.”

“Thank you Tamayan, for sweeping the floor. Look at how beautiful you have made our home!”

Examples of routine practical life activities might include:

• setting and clearing the table

• loading/unloading dishwasher

• tidying and organizing rooms

• planning an outing

• taking care of pets

• preparing a snack/meal

• making their bed

• sweeping/vacuuming

• sorting dirty clothes

• hanging out washing

• putting clean clothes away

• watering indoor plants

• weeding the garden

UNINTERRUPTED WORK

Ensuring you have an expectation that part of taking care of the family’s mental health also involves

your child knowing that some of the time, they will need to give everyone their own space.

Children should not be expected to look to you as their continual source of activity, inspiration and

entertainment. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that it is actually very beneficial for children to

get bored, and for children to struggle and even fail with tasks. See here and here for some more

insights into how ‘getting out of their way’ and letting them ‘get on with learning’ promotes your child

independence, problem-solving and creativity. This is the framework that fosters child-centered (as

opposed to teacher or parent-directed) learning.

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Introducing Activities

You will be receiving regular communications from your child’s classroom teacher in the coming weeks.

We encourage parents to follow teacher suggestions and guidance when attempting activities at home

and to actively enjoy exploring this time learning together with your child.

DEMONSTRATE

Firstly, demonstrate the task yourself. Note the energy you are bringing to the experience. Are you

excited? Nervous? Worried it might not turn out ‘how it should?’. Remember that you should be

focused entirely on the process – and on spending time with your child – NOT THE END PRODUCT.

PRACTICE

Invite your child to have a turn. Do not speak, do not move. Stepping in to help will break their

concentration, stop them from learning on their own and serves to create a dependence on you.

If they struggle and struggle and still can’t figure it out, maybe they need another demonstration.

Alternatively, if you can see they have almost got it, try giving them just one pointer that will get them

over the line:

- “Try putting your top hand over there so the paper doesn’t move so much.”

- “Slow down and think about what to do next.”

- “Use two hands and place it carefully on the table.”

PACK UP

Show your child how to put everything away and let them know that now they can do this activity

anytime they want to.

* Remember, children will not show mastery of new skills or routines after just a couple of days. Persist

with patient reminders while they are practicing, remember to show them something again the next

day if they had difficulty with it to give them more opportunities to repeat and refine their skills.

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Ideas to Get You Started

PRACTICAL LIFE

Ages 3 to 4:

• Meal or snack preparation: slicing vegetables, fruit, cheese, etc.*

• Baking: measuring and mixing ingredients.

• Kitchen care: loading and unloading the dishwasher, washing dishes by hand,

sweeping floors.

• Pet care: walking, playing with, and grooming.

• Outdoor care: washing the car, picking up leaf litter, emptying compost.

• Walking on the Line: make a masking tape line throughout the house and walk

carefully on the line. Balance a book or pillow on your head, carry a glass of

water without spilling a drop!

• Nature walks in the yard or about the neighborhood with a list of things to find.

• Art: coloring, painting, collage, sidewalk chalk.

• Making bubbles (hours of fun here!)

• Cutting and gluing - for example find and cut all of the plants in a magazine;

glue into a collage.

• Sewing shapes/pictures onto napkins, hand/kitchen towels, etc.

Ages 5 to 6 — Any of the above plus:

• Cutting (advance searches: mammals, birds, amphibians, etc.)

• Baking: reading, measuring and mixing simple recipes.

• Handwork: crocheting, finger knitting, or sewing words, initials, or pictures on

napkins, hand towels, etc.

• Origami

*One clever parent mentioned that they have been packing their children’s lunchboxes together with

them at home for each day. Come lunch time, their children can take care of their needs themselves:

serve, eat and then pack up. Lunch time done – with no parent involvement!

This could also provide a clear marker to help children distinguish between weekdays and weekends.

If they pack their lunchbox in the evening (for the next day) or the morning (before 9am) then that

signals that it will be a weekday. Weekends you might like to leave mealtimes more open and have

the whole family sit down together.

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SENSORIAL

Ages 3 to 4:

• Find as many 2-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, circles, etc.) as you

can and put them in a line on the coffee table.

• Find as many 2-dimensional shapes (spheres, cylinders, cones, cubes, prisms)

as you can and put them in a line on the coffee table.

• Explore the home for textures that are rough or smooth.

• Exploring sound by tapping on different objects (pot, glass, wooden cutting

board, etc.) with different objects as well (tap with a metal spoon, then a wooden

spoon).

• Engage in movement activities: feeling a steady beat, action songs and rhymes

• Encourage expression and family bonding by putting on mum or dad’s favourite

music and having a dance party!

• Explore texture, light/dark and imagination using sheets and pillow to turn the

kitchen table or the sofa into a house/cave/pirate ship. Anything!

• Do NOT underestimate the deep exploration and sensorial qualities of a simple

pile of mud or dirt. Put on those old play clothes and let them loose.

Ages 5 to 6 — Any of the above plus:

• Exploring spices and attempting to recognize them by scent.

• Comparing the various shapes of leaves found amongst the house plants.

• Drawing a picture that includes certain shapes i.e., 1 circle and 3 rectangles, or

1 square and 4 triangles).

LANGUAGE

Ages 3 to 4:

• Sound Games/I-spy: Something that begins with the sound /s/.

• Question Game: Have a conversation using who/what/when/where/why lllll

questions.

• Singing new songs together.

• Rhyming, category games “How many things can we name that are red?”

• Tracing shapes, letters in flour (pour flour in a cookie sheet).

Ages 5 to 6 — Any of the above plus:

• Write a letter to a friend or family member to mail.

• Assist in writing list of things to do for a day or a week.

• Write a story or a play and read aloud or act out when finished.

• Make a storyboard of the major events in your favourite movie/last movie

you watched.

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MATHEMATICS

Ages 3 to 4:

• Scavenger hunt/counting objects collected.

• Measuring objects (length, equivalence (same number of beans, to coins, etc.)

• Develop an awareness of time: What day is it? Perhaps create a weekly

calendar for your family.

• Begin to recognize specific times on the clock for regular routines (e.g. 8pm, the

small hand is on the eight and the long hand is on the 12, that means it is 8

o’clock and that means it is…. BEDTIME!)

• Sorting laundry, sorting cutlery, sorting toys – sorting ANYTHING!

• Creating patterns with objects (using colour, shape, size) any kind of repetition

of a pattern – particularly with sticks and stones and leaves – really helps foster

mathematical thinking.

Ages 5 to 6 — Any of the above plus:

• Hopscotch math—all operations can be done, just make your hopscotch go

higher than 10.

• Math facts with dice.

CULTURE

Ages 3 to 4:

• Learning to observe nature – taking time together to really look at insects,

birds and animals.

• Describe their body parts, the way they move.

• Look up any answers to questions your child has that you cannot answer – we

often do this in the classroom because it models research, curiosity and a

willingness to admit you don’t know something!)

• Engage with the First Steps in Music materials shared by Sue.

• Re-enact favourite storylines from books or movies, improvise dress ups.

Ages 5 to 6 — Any of the above plus:

• Holiday memories – find a souvenir or photo from holidays you have visited and

look it up on a map.

• Dream together of places you would like to go once quarantine is over!

• Create a ‘show’ for teddies or parents. Perform your favourite songs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When and how can I reach my child’s teacher?

Teachers will be available during normal school

hours (8:30am-4:30pm).

During this time, teachers will be consulting

with families, delivering online content to

Foundation students, and sometimes, working

on site in the classroom with the kindergarten

children.

Email remains the best way to contact a

teacher. In most cases, you can expect a

response to emails within 24 hours, excluding

weekends.

If you wish to speak to a teacher, please use

email to set up a time for a call.

How do I meet up with my student’s teacher

online?

Click on the Jitsi link below for your classroom

to meet with your teacher when you have

arranged a time together.

How much communication can I expect?

In addition to the ideas suggested in this

handbook, each Monday there will be a

document of general activities and ideas

uploaded to the school website.

Weekly suggestions will be provided from

classroom teachers, as well as the kindergarten

music and mandarin programs. If you need

additional support your child’s teacher will be

available to consult with you and provide

additional suggestions, however, please note

that classroom teachers will not be generating

individual learning plans for kindergarten

children staying home at this time.

How much technology will be used?

We will aim to reduce the amount of exposure

to technology in our planning to ensure children

are not over-exposed to the hypnotic effects of

screens. Teachers may utilize online video

conferencing in certain circumstances where

appropriate and the level of use of technology

will vary depending on what is age and

developmentally appropriate. K

Friday socials will be held for your child’s classroom

weekly at 9:30am using the same link:

Amy – https://meet.jit.si/Cycle1Amy

Taia – https://meet.jit.si/Cycle1Taia

Lone – https://meet.jit.si/Cycle1Lone

Shelly – https://meet.jit.si/Cycle1Shelly

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT

Your dedicated Cycle 1 Teachers,

Shelly, Lone, Taia, Amy.

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