The Alpha Monthly

October and November, 2014Volume 1, Issue 4

Of the four areas in the Montessori Classroom, the sensorial area contains some of the most varied, interesting and interactive materials.

This area allows for refinement of the senses in a way that provides the child with an ordered idea of an object based upon all of its individual attributes as it relates to his senses.

In this way, a child is able to go out into the world with a more refined sense of individual colors, scents, textures, tastes, shapes, etc. in one individual object allowing the child to appreciate and understand the beauty and harmony of the world around him.

The materials Maria Montessori developed for this area are developed using a precise scientific approach to best help the child become interested in and grasp a sense easily.

A Sensorial Approach to the World

Inside this issue:

Halloween!

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A Sensorial Approach—Pg.1

Halloween—Pg. 1

Upcoming events—Pg. 2

Parent Teacher conferences—Pg. 2

October and November birthdays—Pg. 2

Our Halloween celebration was a rousing success!

The children came dressed in their best costumes and trick or treated while celebrating each other’s creativity.

Thank you to all the parents and teachers for help making this celebration possible

The materials isolate one sense at a time so as to aid the child in the perception of a quality within that sense. For example, the material for the perception of color—the color tablets—all look the exact same save of the color. They move from matching sets of primary colors, then secondary and tertiary colors, followed by a gradation of the same color from dark to light.

The rest of the materials of the visual sense, tactile sense, gustatory and olfactory sense follow the same simple to complex progression all while isolating one quality at a time.

Eventually the child will play games with the materials by matching the qualities to real objects in their environment. For example, associating a globe with the geometric solid of the sphere.

The goal is to have the child generalize these senses into the environment around him, picking out individual shapes, sounds, smells, colors, textures, etc.

The materials also serve as an indirect preparation for mathematical concepts in that they are all precise in their measurements. For example the Pink Tower is composed of ten cubes each decreasing in size using an approximate measurement allowing the smallest cube to move along the sides of each cube perfectly when built.

The mathematical design allows the child to perceive these concepts without being told outright so that when concepts of measurement shows up in later math, it will be better understood.

Maria Montessori believed that a sensorial approach to education would make the child a more refined being. The child would have a brighter understanding and appreciation for everything around him becoming a perpetual discoverer.

New Big Sister!One of our toddler students, Ellie, had a baby sister last week Congratualations to the Mahipala Family!

Alpha Montessori House4505 Hedgecoxe Rd.

4815 Rasor Blvd.Plano, Texas 75024

Phone: 214-782-9778Email: info@alphamontessoridfw.com

Website: www.alphamontessoridfw.comTwitter: montessoridfw.com

Here are some up coming events to look out for this month.

11/7 Crazy Hair11/10-14 parent observation11/21 Thanksgiving Feast

11/26-28 CLOSED

Please be on the look out for notes and announcements pertaining to these events!

AMS Upcoming events

October and November Birthdays

Please be sure to note that Parent Teacher conferences are scheduled for November 25th. Your child’s education and progress is important to both you and your child’s teacher so please take the time out to come discuss your child’s progress.

Be sure to sign up for them at the offices.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Happy Birthday to all our students!!

Hari--10/12Anvika--10/12Matteo-11/6Aurelia--11/11Avery--11/13Nisarg--10/11Erin/Aden--10/26Abrihim 10/17Venkataraama--10/17PranavKollu--11/12Aditi--10/24Neev--11/23Gabby--10/16Ayaan--10/7Nathan--11/6SahanaSivukumar--11/17Avani--11/5Srivatsa--10/15Saahas--10/16Tejas--11/9Siddhant Nadathur- 10/30Afraaz- 10/30Riley- 10/10Rhea -11/8Elianna- 11/8Ashrit -10/8Ashira -11/20Aadish -11/21Samaya- 10/7Siddhant Mereddy- 11/28Om Mukund 10/2Nidhi- 11/16Mina- 11/14

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Aarav- 10/26Shreya- 11/27Ayaan- 10/28Smithika- 10/28Sachin-10/31Garvit-11/30Aarish- 11/22