Toddler Peek at the Week 04.07.25

Our classroom is buzzing with excitement about spring and all the things growing and blooming. 

Toddlers are fascinated by growing things. They love to get their hands dirty, wet, and messy as they explore all the sensory experiences that the earth has to offer. One of the things we try to teach our toddlers is to leave growing things to keep growing. When we see them trying to pick leaves off a tree, growing grapes off a vine, or petals off a flower we remind them that plants are also living things that belong to the earth and need to be respected and taken care of. We explain that we can explore the leaves and petals that have fallen on the ground, but to let the living things continue to grow. The children help to water and wash the leaves of our indoor plants as an everyday example of caring for living things. You can reinforce this idea at home by allowing your child to help you care for plants around your house and garden. Another way is to grow herbs in the window and show them how we can incorporate them in our cooking!

As a way to incorporate spring and respect for living things in the classroom we have flower arranging. Glass vases with doilies and a small pitcher with a funnel. The children have demonstrated such patience, fine-tuned fine motor work, and appreciation for the flowers once they are set at each table. It’s incredible to watch them treasure their classroom the way they do!

Your children have also been hard at work on their Passover crafts while also learning songs and reading about Pesach. You may hear a lot about frogs on King Pharoah’s head in the coming days! With this short week (no school Friday), we are wishing everyone a beautiful Passover holiday and time with family.

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Warmly,

Morahs K, Megan, and Sarah

Toddler Peek at the Week 03.31.25

Dear Toddler Families,

Hope everyone enjoyed all the Purim celebrations!! Now that Purim is behind us we are already looking forward to the next Holiday Passover. 

In our classroom, we are deeply committed to fostering an environment that encourages independence, concentration, and development of the whole child. One aspect of this environment that might not always get the spotlight, but plays a crucial role in a child’s growth, is heavy work.

What is Heavy Work?

Heavy work refers to activities that involve pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, or other physical tasks that require strength and effort. These activities might seem simple at first glance, but they offer incredible benefits for children’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development.

Heavy work aligns with Dr. Maria Montessori’s belief in the importance of physical activity as part of the child’s overall education. By engaging in these tasks, children not only strengthen their muscles but also build vital sensory and motor skills that are essential for their growth.

The Benefits of Heavy Work

1. Sensory Integration
   Heavy work activities stimulate the proprioceptive system, which helps children understand where their body is in space and how it moves. This contributes to better body awareness and spatial orientation.

2. Regulation of Energy
   Heavy work can be particularly helpful in supporting children who may have difficulty focusing. These activities help release excess energy, allowing children to calm down and focus more effectively on other tasks.

3. Strengthening Motor Skills
   Lifting, pushing, and carrying activities help develop both fine and gross motor skills. Over time, this improves coordination, balance, and body control, which are essential for many activities, including writing and playing.

4. Emotional Regulation
   Completing heavy work tasks often requires determination and focus, which can lead to a sense of accomplishment. It also helps children learn how to self-regulate, providing them with emotional resilience.

5. Promoting Independence
   When children engage in heavy work, they develop confidence in their abilities. These tasks often have a clear beginning and end, offering children a sense of accomplishment as they complete them independently.

Exampes of Heavy Work in our Environment:

• Carrying trays and buckets: Moving items from one place to another, whether it's carrying water or other objects, offers a perfect opportunity for heavy work.

• Sweeping and mopping: Using a broom, mop, or dustpan involves pushing and pulling, which provides sensory input.

• Gardening: Digging, planting, and carrying soil or small gardening tools are great physical tasks for children.

• Building and organizing: Arranging furniture, stacking blocks, or moving classroom materials all contribute to the child’s sense of effort and achievement.

• Stacking and unstacking: Tasks like stacking chairs, books, or containers are effective for muscle strengthening.

• Pushing the tunnels on the playground: Our children love to roll and push the giant tunnels out on the playground, the added bonus is the ride that the friends on the INSIDE get to have!

• Climbing: The pulling and pushing that children have to do when climbing playground equipment or on to trees and rocks provide great heavy work experiences. 

In our classroom, we believe in offering children freedom of choice, allowing them to engage in these tasks naturally. Whether it’s sweeping the floor or helping set up for lunch, the act of performing purposeful physical work is deeply integrated into our daily activities. Encouraging children to help with classroom chores or take part in more challenging tasks can offer both physical and emotional benefits.

Heavy work is more than just physical labor—it’s a vital part of a Montessori education that supports children’s sensory development, motor coordination, emotional regulation, and sense of independence. By providing opportunities for these activities, we’re helping children develop not just their bodies, but also their confidence and self-awareness.

Thank you for continuing to support the children in their journey of discovery and growth.

Warm Regards,

Morahs K, Megan, and Sarah

Toddler Peek at the Week 03.25.25

Dear Toddler Parents, 

Today, we’re excited to explore the role morahs play in a Montessori toddler classroom. The Montessori approach emphasizes independence, self-motivation, and respect for the child’s natural development. But what exactly does the morah do in this child-centered environment?

The Morah as a Guide and Observer

In the toddler classroom, the morah is not the traditional “instructor.” Instead, they serve as a guide and observer, supporting each child’s journey of discovery. At the toddler age, this role becomes especially important as children are really beginning to explore the world around them.

·  Observation: The toddler morahs spend time each week observing the classroom in different ways and taking note of their observations.  This helps us to be able to cater the materials and activities to the children’s specific abilities and interests.  As those things change, so does the classroom.

·  Preparation of the Environment: From our observations, we take very good care to prepare the environment with each child in mind.  We are sure that the materials are appropriate for them in all ways.  This ensures that the classroom belongs to the children, and we are only there as guides to help them use the materials provided.

One of the cornerstones of Montessori education is fostering independence. In a toddler classroom, morahs encourage children to take responsibility for their own learning. This might look like:

·  Modeling: We give the children a lesson on the work by simply showing them, using no or very little language.  Then we sit back and allow them to explore the work. 

·  Respecting the Child’s Pace: We allow each child to move at their own pace. For instance, if a child is not able to use the tongs in a transfer work, we allow them to use their hands until they begin to build the strength to use the tongs. 

A Montessori toddler classroom is also a community where children learn to collaborate, care for each other, and contribute to the group. The teacher plays a key role in:

·  Encouraging Group Activities: We love to allow our children to help with classroom chores such as putting up and down chairs at the start and end of day, or helping a friend with opening a tough snack container.  This gives them ownership of their space and pride in being able to help prepare the environment or assist a friend. 

In our toddler classroom, the morah’s role is one of deep observation, thoughtful preparation, and patient guidance. By creating a space where children are free to explore and make choices the teacher nurtures the child's innate desire to learn. The impact of this approach is profound, as it encourages a lifelong love of learning, self-confidence, and respect for others.

We hope this insight into the teacher’s role in the Montessori toddler classroom has been helpful. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Warm Regards,

Morahs K, Megan, and Sarah

Toddler Peek at the Week 03.17.25

Dear Toddler Families,

Hope everyone enjoyed all the Purim celebrations!! Now that Purim is behind us we are already looking forward to the next Holiday Passover. 

In our classroom, we are deeply committed to fostering an environment that encourages independence, concentration, and development of the whole child. One aspect of this environment that might not always get the spotlight, but plays a crucial role in a child’s growth, is heavy work.

What is Heavy Work?

Heavy work refers to activities that involve pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, or other physical tasks that require strength and effort. These activities might seem simple at first glance, but they offer incredible benefits for children’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development.

Heavy work aligns with Dr. Maria Montessori’s belief in the importance of physical activity as part of the child’s overall education. By engaging in these tasks, children not only strengthen their muscles but also build vital sensory and motor skills that are essential for their growth.

The Benefits of Heavy Work

1. Sensory Integration
   Heavy work activities stimulate the proprioceptive system, which helps children understand where their body is in space and how it moves. This contributes to better body awareness and spatial orientation.

2. Regulation of Energy
   Heavy work can be particularly helpful in supporting children who may have difficulty focusing. These activities help release excess energy, allowing children to calm down and focus more effectively on other tasks.

3. Strengthening Motor Skills
   Lifting, pushing, and carrying activities help develop both fine and gross motor skills. Over time, this improves coordination, balance, and body control, which are essential for many activities, including writing and playing.

4. Emotional Regulation
   Completing heavy work tasks often requires determination and focus, which can lead to a sense of accomplishment. It also helps children learn how to self-regulate, providing them with emotional resilience.

5. Promoting Independence
   When children engage in heavy work, they develop confidence in their abilities. These tasks often have a clear beginning and end, offering children a sense of accomplishment as they complete them independently.

Exampes of Heavy Work in our Environment:

• Carrying trays and buckets: Moving items from one place to another, whether it's carrying water or other objects, offers a perfect opportunity for heavy work.

• Sweeping and mopping: Using a broom, mop, or dustpan involves pushing and pulling, which provides sensory input.

• Gardening: Digging, planting, and carrying soil or small gardening tools are great physical tasks for children.

• Building and organizing: Arranging furniture, stacking blocks, or moving classroom materials all contribute to the child’s sense of effort and achievement.

• Stacking and unstacking: Tasks like stacking chairs, books, or containers are effective for muscle strengthening.

• Pushing the tunnels on the playground: Our children love to roll and push the giant tunnels out on the playground, the added bonus is the ride that the friends on the INSIDE get to have!

• Climbing: The pulling and pushing that children have to do when climbing playground equipment or on to trees and rocks provide great heavy work experiences. 

In our classroom, we believe in offering children freedom of choice, allowing them to engage in these tasks naturally. Whether it’s sweeping the floor or helping set up for lunch, the act of performing purposeful physical work is deeply integrated into our daily activities. Encouraging children to help with classroom chores or take part in more challenging tasks can offer both physical and emotional benefits.

Heavy work is more than just physical labor—it’s a vital part of a Montessori education that supports children’s sensory development, motor coordination, emotional regulation, and sense of independence. By providing opportunities for these activities, we’re helping children develop not just their bodies, but also their confidence and self-awareness.

Thank you for continuing to support the children in their journey of discovery and growth.

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Warm Regards,

Morahs K, Megan, and Sarah

Toddler Peek at the Week 03.10.25

Hello, Toddler Families

As the weather starts to take a drastic turn upward and we welcome brighter evenings, it's a great time to explore nature and outside time with your toddlers! At school we strive to be outside every day and you all know we embrace play in mud, water, and even snow.  Our rain suits and boots have already been put to great use and as the rainy season enters, they'll allow us to be outside even more. 

On the playground we constantly see the children in collaborative play creating ice cream shops, car repair, theater productions, and we are offered daily a mix of mulch and rock "soup"! It's an incredible time for gross motor effort, perfecting skills such as balance, climbing, jumping, and sharing.  Being outdoors also allows us to encourage the toddlers to trust their own bodies and allow them to climb/maneuver only in ways that they can get themselves into as well as out of.  It's an incredible lesson in patience (for us) and perseverance (for them).  There's such an importance in standing back, even when there is whining or crying for help, and gently encouraging them to trust themselves.  The pride and excitement we see when they work through the situation is incredible.  

With this being the week of Purim, we are telling stories about the strength and perseverance of the Jewish people while incorporating art and even more imaginative play.  Creative and imaginative play has its own place in the Montessori curriculum and Purim presents a perfect time for dress up and storytelling.  This Friday 3/14 we hope to see all of our toddlers in costumes for our Purim celebration as the playground imagination and exploration transfers into our celebration.   

As always, thank you for your constant collaboration and support throughout the year.  We hope you can enjoy a bike ride or a hike this weekend with your toddlers in the sunshine!

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Warmest Regards,

Morahs Megan, K, Sarah

Toddler Peek at the Week 03.03.25

Hello Wonderful Toddler Families!

With the weather warming up, we are spending more time outside on the playground and enjoying the fresh air! Please be sure to send in weather appropriate clothing and shoes.

This week will be discussing Purim. Chaya will read the story of Purim, sing songs, and begin crafts in preparation for celebrations next week.

One of the most magical parts of early childhood is preparing our little ones for the joy of reading. The foundation for literacy begins long before they can read words on a page. It’s all about creating an environment that nurtures curiosity, language, and a love of books and reading.

Here are a few simple ways to support your child’s reading journey at home:

1. Create a Cozy Reading Nook
   Make a special space where your child can explore books independently. Keep a variety of age-appropriate books accessible, ensuring they can easily choose their favorites.

2. Talk, Talk, Talk
   Engage your child in rich conversations. Ask open-ended questions and encourage them to express their thoughts. This builds their vocabulary and understanding of how language works.

3. Storytelling and Rhymes
   Share stories and sing songs with rhymes. Rhyming games help develop phonemic awareness, an essential skill for learning to read. Don’t be afraid to get silly with your voices—it makes it fun!

4. Letters and Sounds
   Introduce letters in a playful way. Use sandpaper letters or simple puzzles. Don’t rush into formal reading instruction—allow the natural progression of letter recognition and sound understanding to unfold at your child’s pace.

5. Model Reading
   Children love to imitate! Let them see you reading regularly, whether it’s books, magazines, or even recipe cards. Your enthusiasm will be contagious and inspire them to mimic your love for reading.

By creating an environment where books are cherished, language is nurtured, and stories are shared, you're laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of reading. Take your time, enjoy the process, and let the magic of words unfold!

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Warmest Regards,

Morahs Megan, K, Sarah

Toddler Peek at the Week 02.17.25

Hello Wonderful Toddler Families!

We hope you’re enjoying this winter season! In the classroom, we’ve been focusing on a key area of development: Fine Motor Skills. Fine motor skills are essential for young children as they lay the foundation for later writing and drawing abilities. By strengthening hand and finger muscles, children improve their coordination, control, and ability to use tools like pencils, crayons, and scissors. 

We switched works this week after noticing both an interest in cutting and scribble work. This will help us work on hand strength, pincer grasp and wrist strength.

A couple of favorites so far are the dry rice transfer work, the tooth pick drop, and the heart one to one correspondence work.

We encourage you to reinforce these skills at home! Here are a few fun ideas:

• Draw and Color Together: Use large paper and crayons or markers to help your child trace shapes and letters. Focus on using a proper grip!

• Play with Puzzles and Toys with Small Pieces: Anything that requires picking up small items or fitting them together can work wonders.

• Bead Stringing or Pasta Necklace Projects: These activities are both fun and build important hand-eye coordination.

Thank you for your continued support in your child's learning journey. If you have any questions or want more tips on how to enhance fine motor skills at home, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Warmest Regards,

Morahs Megan, K, Sarah

Toddler Peek at the Week 02.03.25

Hello Wonderful Toddler Families!

We are having a wonderful week! With the warmer temperatures, we are hoping to go outside. Thank you, in advance, for sending weather appropriate clothing and footwear for your child.  After a long, cold January, they are so happy for more outdoor adventures!  

Sleep has become a topic of discussion in our classroom. WHY are naps important? Because "sleep begets sleep!”  When your toddler sleeps well during the day, they are more likely to sleep well at night and vice versa. For your child’s internal clock and circadian rhythm to work well together, they need to have quality sleep in a 24-hour period (not just for naps OR nights – but ideally both).

When a child is not getting enough sleep, adrenaline and cortisol increase causing a hyper-alert state and irritability. Cortisol counteracts and suppresses melatonin (the sleep hormone) which in turn, makes it difficult to fall asleep. That’s why daytime sleep begets nighttime sleep in young kids. (Cortisol also prevents your child from sinking into a deeper sleep. Even if your child falls asleep, they will wake up more frequently throughout the night.)

HOW are naps best implemented? Establish a routine! In our classroom, we clean up after lunch, then do toileting / diapering, and then we read books for 5-10 minutes. During this time, we also darken the room, and have soft music playing. Afterwards, everyone goes to sleep. 

We realize that each child has different sleep needs. Some need more sleep than others. For those that have a shorter sleep cycle, we encourage them to sleep or play quietly. About halfway through, we assess the room. Those who are awake go to the Big Room or outside for gross motor play.

If you have questions or concerns, please call or come in right away. Keep us informed if something is going on with your child or family at home. We will do the same regarding progress and behavior at school. If they have a good, or less than ideal, sleep cycle the night before, let us know.

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Have a wonderful week!

Warmest Regards,

Morahs Megan, K, Sarah

Toddler Peek at the Week 1.13.25

Hello Wonderful Toddler Families!

First, we want to thank all of you that took the time to come to our Parent Ed Night. We focused on the topic of the sensitive periods of toddler development with an emphasis on toilet learning.  For those of you that couldn’t make it, you missed an awesome night full of information and pro tips! If you haven't seen it already, we sent a packet of info home in your child's backpack.  Please reach out if you have any questions!  We're excited to be on the toilet learning journey with you and your children!

This week's peek is going to focus on our daily schedule.  We try to stick to a routine versus a schedule, doing the same activities in a certain order at relatively the same time, allowing for flexibility for “life” circumstances. This is a simple version of our daily routine and the approximate times we do each activity. Below, we have some further explanation about transitions, snack windows, etc.

Toddler Daily Routine

8:00-9:00-Arrival (Hang up coats and backpacks, put on slippers, place lunch, water and snack on shelves)

9:00-10:15-Work Cycle (Morning snack open from 9:15-10:00)

10:15-10:30-Judaic Circle

10:30-11:15-Gross Motor on Playground or in Big Room

11:15-12:00-Lunch

12:00-2:00-Nap

1:30-3:30-Transition from nap to Playground or Big Room, snack and work cycle

3:30-School Day Dismissal

3:30-5:30-After Care

It’s so important for your children to be at school no later than 9am, in order to transition successfully into the classroom, have time for a morning snack as well as a chance to complete a work cycle or two before Circle time.

Children go down for a nap at about 12:00, and as they wake, starting at 1:30 they transition to gross motor play on the playground or in the Big Room. Once several children are awake, they take turns, 4 at a time at the snack table. The children at the snack table have about 10 minutes to eat. If the snack table is full, they must practice waiting patiently for a friend to finish. This process helps teach time management as well as task initiation and inhibition.

After 3:30 pick up, we spend time in the classroom doing work cycles, art projects, and group collaboration. Then we transition to spend time in the Big Room or our playground for free play and gross motor movement.

I hope this is helpful for you to see a little more clearly into your child’s day in our classroom. If you have any questions about this or are wondering how you can adapt this to your routine at home, just ask! Thank you so much for trusting your beautiful children with us every day. It’s so delightful to watch them grow and change.

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We are so excited to have the Whatsapp platform for us to communicate and share photos with you!  I think we've been able to connect everyone that wanted access but let us know if we missed anyone.

Finally, check out the Chai Tots Instagram page for some fun new Montessori content we've been sharing and will continue to share.    

Have a wonderful week!

Warmest Regards,

Morahs Megan, K, Sarah