education topics: 2010-11 academic year

As part of our unfolding mission to promote accessibility to and awareness of authentic Montessori practice, the Open Montessori Initiative is pleased to sponsor two series:
Our West coast and East Coast speakers offer the following

East Coast: Elizabeth Hale

Three Saturdays: July 17, August 14, August 21 10 am – 12 pm
Explore the home environment using Montessori principles to show the importance of its organization and potential for easing conflict and increasing joy!

The Bedroom   July 17, 10 am - 12 pm
The bedroom can be a powerful point of orientation for your child’s day. It can serve as a haven for rest and security, and a place for work and play.

The Kitchen     August 14, 10 am – 12 pm
Often the heart of the home, a well-prepared kitchen is a place for gathering and to experience belonging even for the youngest members of the family. It is a great arena for setting limits and supporting your child’s developing will and independence.

Communal Rooms: Living/Family Rooms and Bathrooms   August 21, 10 am – 12 pm
Shared spaces can deepen your child’s sense of belonging as well as provide space for independent and interdependent family activities, collaboration and family intimacy, art and music appreciation. The bathroom can be prepared to foster independence, dignity and self-confidence in young children.

Presented by Elizabeth Hale, Association Montessori Internationale trained children’s house and elementary teacher with 13 years experience serving children and their families (from infancy through adolescence).

Location: 674 Hillsdale Drive, Charlottesville / Montessori School of Charlottesville, JABA

Cost:
Seminar Series -- $75.00 Individual; $115.00 Co-parents
Per Session -- $35.00 Individual; $45.00 Co-parents (please specify dates)
Contact: Please call 434-589-2961 to register or email eghale9@gmail.com


West Coast: Venus Zaron

Dates for the following topics are subject to your school’s calendar and current Parent Education plan. Please email or call for scheduling.

OMI pays this speaker’s fees and is grateful for the space you provide and announcements you make to your parent community.

Toilet-Learning: Training Mind & Body (a two-part workshop)

The target groups for this talk are parents of 6 month olds and up. Years of practical guidance and answers to specific situations will all be explored in this necessary and timely two morning workshop. With at least a two week separation between discussions, parents will have an opportunity to implement new routines and changes at home then return for the second half with ideas, success stories, and deeper questions.

Holiday Harmony

Best arranged in early October, this talk enables families planning their events and commitments for the Harvest and Winter Holiday season with their children’s interests and needs in mind. Information and ideas to support maintaining your children’s routines during this busy season are presented with clarity, understanding, and humorous personal anecdotes. Gracious host and guest skills can be deeply ingrained before the family sits down to supper at Great Aunt Madeline's house! Learn ways to build and practice and perfect The Essence of Timing, for years to come.

The Path to Math at Home

Discover new and creative ways to weave numbers and operations into daily activities The Path to Math seminar will share and discuss great activities for children to do with you, with friends, and for older siblings to lead younger siblings through. Beginning with a refreshing overview of the mathematical mind, suggestions for using calculations and estimation within framework of your family’s life will be shared and enjoyed.

Choosing Activities for Your Child at Home

Delivered several times in the past, Ms. Zaron discusses the range of activities optimal at all times for the child’s total involvement and joyful experience at home. Some topics addressed are: increasing gross & fine motor development & awareness, ‘creating’ opportunities for creative expression, and rotating activities in the home. In addition, how to select quality psycho-sensory motor and language materials, talking about the essence of an ‘activity’, recognizing points of interest in different materials, corrections for misuse of toys/materials, increasing challenges in open-ended directions, recognizing what is too challenging or not enough. Included are handouts for different age categories.

Smooth Mornings: Clean Clothes, Clean Faces, Clean Conscience

How important is the morning routine for every child’s joy throughout the day? Strategies for planning and organizing the morning transition are clearly presented including choosing clothes, including children in quick balanced breakfasts, and preparing him/her to take on appropriate and increasing levels of independence. Add hair brushing detailed personal care to the routine and the morning rush becomes a dance instead of a struggle. A must for all parents!

Raising Montessori Siblings & Friends

Your family has taken careful, deliberate steps to create a developmentally appropriate environment and activities for your child. Now you’re ready to find ways to do that for additional children of different ages coming to the family. Whether you are preparing to welcome a new baby or find there are a lot more 2, 3, 4, or 5-year olds around, your household is making a transition from sharing time with an only child in the family to needing to learn to wait patiently and give or receive attention and support often. If you live the Montessori philosophy, your child will have lots of different types of work/activity that need to be protected and nurtured, along with special objects and routines. Get some practical advice on how to continue to foster independence while providing for an infant's, toddler's, or friend’s exploration through the home.

 

Open Montessori Initiative

 

PO Box 88

Molalla, Oregon 97038 USA

   

E-mail: admin@montessori-omi.org

www.montessori-omi.org

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