Hello Spruce Families!

I can’t believe the second month of school has already come and gone! And oh my, what a busy month it was. Your children have been spending their days making new friends (and welcoming a new student!), getting reacquainted with old friends, and diving into so many, many, many works in the classroom. We also had our first birthday celebration and now have a 6 year old in our class! The Kindergartners have started their classroom pet research project, conducted their first applesauce science experiment, and are learning digraphs, puzzle words (more on that at conferences) and beginning grammar work with definite and indefinite articles. We’ve got some busy bees here, it’s hard to keep up with them all!

I wanted to take a moment to talk about concentration, mainly how to recognize and how important it is to foster. In Montessori, we acknowledge and honor concentration from birth and believe that if we give time and space for concentration to develop, your child will benefit their entire lives. We are taught to look for children exhibiting signs of concentration, which might vary child to child but usually look like head down, intently focused, maybe sometimes looking up and around but not at anything in particular. We honor this concentration by allowing the child to keep working for as long as their focus continues, but only if their work is not damaging anything or destructive in any way. At home, your child might be focusing on different things: putting on their shoes, coloring a page, building with blocks/legos, etc. You can honor your child’s concentration by waiting until you see their focus break to tell them something unimportant. Or, if you need their attention sooner, gently break their concentration by placing a hand on their shoulder or saying their name. They might need a few moments to switch their attention over, so wait until they look at your eyes to continue your message. Giving your child time and space to build their concentration will aid them throughout their schooling journey, in whatever profession they end up, and even in navigating their day to day lives. For extra credit, here is a quick read that goes into a lot more detail: https://www.montessori.org/supporting-the-development-of-concentration/

Hope you all are enjoying the beautiful sunshine and stunning Autumn weather!

Amy Glen
Spruce Guide
971-237-3347

“Within the child lies the fate of the future.” – Maria Montessori