Whenever I say this, there is spark in the environment and children try their best to finish their work and settle down in the circle to listen to the new story.
This is one of my favorite tasks - to pick the 'right' book for the day. The good thing about Montessori teaching is that it is based on your observations and following the child. Simple as it is ! So, I do that and see if the classroom is quiet or loud. Ah !! those days are hard to control. Talk about testing your patience or adding more anxiety. It's a whole new blog. Well, next time. Either ways, quiet or loud. Hm, did I say 'quiet'. Well, no, children are not mostly quiet, their mind is always working. Yes, they mellow down a little bit. Oh ! let me not divert from what I was saying. Ok, so picking the book is the most interesting thing depending on the mood of the children. If they are calm and have been concentrating well then I would pick a book like 'We all Sing with the Same Voice - by Philip Miller'. Circle time converts into singing time. Love it. The songs are great, have a good message and go well with the environment:) So beautiful !
Pick your book thinking of your child and not what you want him to do or follow. Most of the time we expect lots of things from our children and those thoughts become like a pair sunglasses on our mind. The real child would not reflect your thoughts so strongly. You will be thinking to choose the 'right' book rather than thinking about where the child is emotionally and what he needs at that time. May be he does not want to listen to a dinosaur book or some funny book. May be he wants to know something and he is curious. And for what I know - children are always always curious, (ok, there are exceptions to it) but most of the time they want to take charge. Yes, they want to talk to you like adults. They see you talking to your friend or family and in their mind - the absorption is happening and the curiosity is popping. It is very important that you follow your child. Observe him while he is around you, for example - how he is moving his head, did he look at that shelf or did he look at the t.v. What did he look at ? What is he wondering ? Wait for sometime. May be he will say something. Usually, children find their way soon. But not always, so now, this is your moment. You enter here nicely, gently. Your senses are connected with your child. Offer him activities, for example- how about reading a book ? How about we do some thing together ? And then follow his reaction looking at the books you offer. If your observations are correct, he will pick your choice right away. The getting your observations right comes with time. Some people are natural while others need to try hard. It works. And life becomes so beautiful suddenly. Nobody knows what is the trick to observe and follow the child. As for me, I simply try to connect with the child. Try doing it, it works well. Keep your tone as low as possible, come close to his ear and speak like a friend ! See you made a new friend :)
This is one of my favorite tasks - to pick the 'right' book for the day. The good thing about Montessori teaching is that it is based on your observations and following the child. Simple as it is ! So, I do that and see if the classroom is quiet or loud. Ah !! those days are hard to control. Talk about testing your patience or adding more anxiety. It's a whole new blog. Well, next time. Either ways, quiet or loud. Hm, did I say 'quiet'. Well, no, children are not mostly quiet, their mind is always working. Yes, they mellow down a little bit. Oh ! let me not divert from what I was saying. Ok, so picking the book is the most interesting thing depending on the mood of the children. If they are calm and have been concentrating well then I would pick a book like 'We all Sing with the Same Voice - by Philip Miller'. Circle time converts into singing time. Love it. The songs are great, have a good message and go well with the environment:) So beautiful !
Pick your book thinking of your child and not what you want him to do or follow. Most of the time we expect lots of things from our children and those thoughts become like a pair sunglasses on our mind. The real child would not reflect your thoughts so strongly. You will be thinking to choose the 'right' book rather than thinking about where the child is emotionally and what he needs at that time. May be he does not want to listen to a dinosaur book or some funny book. May be he wants to know something and he is curious. And for what I know - children are always always curious, (ok, there are exceptions to it) but most of the time they want to take charge. Yes, they want to talk to you like adults. They see you talking to your friend or family and in their mind - the absorption is happening and the curiosity is popping. It is very important that you follow your child. Observe him while he is around you, for example - how he is moving his head, did he look at that shelf or did he look at the t.v. What did he look at ? What is he wondering ? Wait for sometime. May be he will say something. Usually, children find their way soon. But not always, so now, this is your moment. You enter here nicely, gently. Your senses are connected with your child. Offer him activities, for example- how about reading a book ? How about we do some thing together ? And then follow his reaction looking at the books you offer. If your observations are correct, he will pick your choice right away. The getting your observations right comes with time. Some people are natural while others need to try hard. It works. And life becomes so beautiful suddenly. Nobody knows what is the trick to observe and follow the child. As for me, I simply try to connect with the child. Try doing it, it works well. Keep your tone as low as possible, come close to his ear and speak like a friend ! See you made a new friend :)
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