Walk To Italy – Virtual Fundraiser
Join SMSI in the Walk to Chiaravalle, Italy! A fundraising activity inspired by the birthplace of Maria Montessori. Join in with members, parents, faculty staff and students as we walk virtually from Dun Laoghaire to Chiaravalle, ‘passing through’ some well-known (and not so well-known) corners of Europe.
At each ‘stop’ you will receive an update on the top ten places to visit, a fun recipe to make with the family, a children’s activity and a Montessori fact! Let your mind relax and explore on this virtual holiday while we take you to far away and exotic places.
To join is easy, we ask you to commit to the following steps:
- Like our SMSI Facebook page to receive updates.
- Join the fundraising event on Facebook.
- Make a donation or encourage others to donate to SMSI Fundraising where we will continue to use this support to promote our 2025 strategic goals.
- Order a pedometer or track your steps on an app!
- Get a group or go at it alone!
- Count/Log your steps for the day.
- Post your weekly goal on social media with the hashtag #smsiwalktoitaly
From start to finish this trip is over 4,392 kilometres (that is 7,000,000 steps)! On this trip, we will journey from Dun Laoghaire all the way to Chiaravalle, Italy, passing through the following destinations:
Dun Laoghaire, Waterford, Oxford, London, Amsterdam, Noordwijk aan Zee, Brussels, Paris, St Foy de la Grande, Barcelona, Nice, Florence, Rome, Cita de Castello, Chiaravalle.
In each location, we will learn about the destination, places to visit, see beautiful photos, learn a fact or two about the city and Montessori, as well as having a fun family-friendly recipe or activity to do altogether,
We, St. Nicholas Montessori Society are committed to raising money to support Montessori Education in Ireland and throughout the world. Join us in this exciting event to bring your family together in a happy and healthy way!
Read MoreMood Re-Boot, a Free Wellness Webinar Series
St Nicholas Montessori Society is hosting the free wellness webinar on Resilience, Mental Health and Wellbeing virtually, “Mood Re-Boot” to give us a kick start on refreshing our mindsets and hearts after a long year.
This free wellness webinar series is available to the general public. Should you wish to make a donation to SMSI, or learn more about our charitable status and vision, please see our Charity page here.
- “A Child Psychologist’s View on Children’s Wellbeing in the Tims of COVID-19” with Catherine Hallessy
SMSI held its first webinar with Catherine Hallessy, a Child Psychologist, who spoke to St Nicholas Montessori School Parents on “Children’s Wellbeing in the times of COVID-19”. To view this, please visit our Youtube Page here.
2. “Perseverance Parenting: Parenting When Your Child Needs Extra Support” with Keith Duffy
Our second webinar is hosted by Emma Corrigan, SMSI Board of Trustees member. With a special introduction by St Nicholas Montessori College’s Special Education lecturer, Tash O’Donnell, Keith Duffy of Boyzone will then speak on his personal experiences as a Parent.
To learn more about the event or get your free ticket, visit the Eventbrite page now!
*Update 25 March 2021: This event has been unexpectedly cancelled.
3. “Purpose in the Pain” with Naomi Kumar
Our third webinar is hosted by Mackenzie Young, SMSI Marketing & Admissions Director. We are proud to welcome Naomi Kumar, founder of Naomi Kumar Yoga, instructor, chronic pain public speaker, poet and yoga instructor is our third speaker in the Mood Re-Boot Webinar Series. On Thursday the 15th of April at 19:30, Kumar will be speaking on “Purpose in the Pain”: her journey with her own chronic pain, seeking purpose in suffering and her life lessons learned.
For more information on Naomi Kumar, please visit her website: https://www.naomikumar.com/
Read More5 Tips to Homeschool Like a Montessori Teacher
Written by Mackenzie Young West with personal tips and anecdotes as “Siobhan Says” from St Nicholas Montessori Education B.Ed Montessori Education Programme Director, Siobhan O’Reilly.
Tip 1: Sensory Play is Important
Sensory Play is an important part in Montessori education. This is a type of learning for the child that uses the senses: touch, smell, see, hear, taste. This type of play is exciting and fun for the child, while also useful in gaining knowledge on how materials work together and promoting dexterity.
Siobhan says: Parents can easily create fun learning activities, such as making Moonsand or the Colour Game. For easy sensory activities, simply see what you have around the house and consider whether it would be educational for teaching senses. This can be specific montessori activities (see our blog on Sensory Play Activities here) or help in the garden!
Tip 2: Baking and Cooking Has a Role!
Don’t ever underestimate the educational benefits of baking. Children can form maths skills in weighing and measuring. Not only can the child learn useful maths skills, but language development, life skills, independence, and most importantly, it is a fun and engaging family activity.
Siobhan Says: The other day I had my boys help to make banana bread. I am baking and cooking a lot with food I feel may go to waste otherwise: Over ripe bananas for banana bread and pancakes, Egg yolks for homemade custard or carbonara or for binding homemade burgers, over ripe fruit can be also used for smoothies and vegetables can make a soup. These activities help teach the children cooperation, planning, dexterity and sustainable practices!
Tip 3: Do not Fear Screens, Use them Effectively!
Most parents consider screens to be the enemy, but in such a technologically savvy world, screens are an important part of everyday life. Children are able to use screens to learn and play, in a Montessori way!
Siobhan says: Movie making is an excellent way to allow a child to use a screen for educational purposes but still have a lot of fun. Movie Maker on windows or iMovie on the iPad or Mac are very easy to use. Stop-motion animation aids the development of problem solving skills, supports collaboration and cooperation, and allows children to build literacy skills and become critical thinkers.
Tip 4: Self Directed Work Is Possible!
What sets Montessori children apart is that they are used to self-directed work and managing their time and workload. Primary children are used to adhering to strict timetables and a daily routine of workbooks and homework, but in Montessori, the Directress creates a prepared environment in which the child is able to direct their own work over time.
Siobhan says: Work with your children to make up their own daily schedule so they have ownership of when and how they will work throughout the day or week. Be sure to try to prepare the environment as best as possible and allow the child to direct their own studies.
Tip 5: Choice is Key!
Maintaining the idea of choice is integral in Montessori philosophy. The child has the ability and proficiency to choose the topic or activity to complete, thus allowing for independence and authority.
Siobhan says: The idea of choice coincides closely with the idea of self-directed study. The child performs best when given the independence and freedom to choose their activities and direct their own workload. When teaching at home, parents can use this idea of choice by arranging several educational activities for the child, and asking the child what they would like to do.
For more blogs on specific activities to do at home with your children or the activity videos for specific activities for children ages 0-12, please see our Blog page on our website.
All photos, applications, websites and other external ideas are not owned by St Nicholas Montessori Society. All rights and credits reserved for the companies and photographers mentioned.
Read More4 Sensorial Activities to do at Home
What are Sensorial Activities?
Sensorial activities are integral in Montessori education. Maria Montessori herself was a firm believer in including the senses in education, because it helps the child become more logical, perceptive and aware. Of course there are so many sensory activities that are done in the Montessori classroom, but we have comprised a short, simple list of sensory activities that anyone can do with their child at home! The purpose and aim of Sensorial work is to allow the child to explore and learn by interacting with their environment through the senses. The child will acquire clear conscious information through this exploration. The below activities are best catered towards the child aged 3-6.
1. The Colour Game
Aim:
- Refinement of the sense of colour
- To develop awareness of colour in the environment
- Preparation for future art work
Description:
This activity aids the development of sensorial and oral language skills.
Lay out all the different colored items. Say the name of each item with the child. Ask the child if they would like to play the colour game (this promotes the Montessori philosophy of choice, as outlined in our blog here).
Ask child to try to find something blue. Now something orange, Now green, Now yellow, Now red, Now pink. Now ask the child, “What are the names of the objects that you found?”
Be sure to have the child group the items in like colours.
2. Moonsand
Aim:
- Aids in dexterity development
- Helps the child learn maths skills when measuring
- Promotes creativity and imagination
- Teaches problem solving skills
Description:
Moonsand is a great and fun activity that the child can not only play with, but help the parent make! All that is needed to create the moonsand is 8 cups of flour and 1 cup of oil. Be sure to mix the flour and oil well, until the product is well incorporated. Now it’s ready to be molded and conformed to the child’s desire!
Pro-tip: Use baby oil instead of vegetable or olive oil.
3. Walk the Line
Aim:
- Aids the development of balance
- Helps the development of concentration
Description:
Walking on the line is a key Montessori activity. Ideally, the shape to create would be an ellipse as it allows for continuous movement without the need to stop at angles; however, in this image, the parent chose a square as it is easier to make in a home.
The child simply walks on the line with one foot in front of the other and tries to stay on the line. You can then give the child different items to hold such as a glass with a small amount of liquid in it or a bell. A bell is a very good one as they need to try and walk all the way around without ringing it. You can add music as the child walks however when adding music it should not have any marked rhythm.
Pro-Tip: Insulating tape works best as it does not mark the floor.
4. Mystery Bag
Aim:
- Promotes memory
- Aids fine motor skills
Description:
This is a great way to challenge the child’s sense of touch! Allow you and your child to find some small objects from your house or garden. Have a look at them. Feel them. No doubt they all feel very different! Next, put the objects into the bag. When you are ready, have the child reach into the bag and search for an object. Feel the object. Now ask the child, “Can you tell me what the object is, just by touching it?”
For more ideas and activities to do at home with your children, check out our blog page at www.smsi.ie.
Read More6 Practical Life Activities for Homeschooling
What is Practice Life?
We find ourselves in a strange time and for those of us who are not trained in teaching and learning, this season may be difficult. How do we think of activities that are achievable for our child, and yet educational? What can we use around the house without having to pay an arm and a leg for a specialised material, only to have it shipped several weeks from when we actually need it? Montessori can help with that.
Montessori education comes from the wonderful and insightful, Maria Montessori, who sought to put the child at the centre of their own education. The result is an independent and inquisitive child that excels in the academic and real world. A lot of Montessori activities are aimed for the education of the child to continue at home, especially the activities of Practical Life.
Considering this, we’ve asked St Nicholas Montessori School Teacher Sarah Fitzpatrick to share with us six practical life activities that parents can do at home with their children.
1. Matching and Folding Socks
A helpful task as well as educational one! Definitely available for everyone to do at home.
Instructions:
Gather up all clean socks and their pairs. Mix up the pairs and allow the child to match up each sock with their counterpart.
Skills developed:
- Fine motor skill development
- Eye hand co-ordination
- Matching like objects
- Ability to differentiate different colours and patterns
- Caring for self
- Sense of order
2. Folding Clothes
Another helpful yet educational task!
Instructions:
Once dried, gather all items of clean laundry and fold yours slowly, allowing for the child to watch and learn then fold their own clothes.
Skills developed:
- Fine motor skill development
- Gross motor skill development
- Eye hand co-ordination
- Develop folding skills
- Caring for self
- Sense of order
3. Opening and Closing
A simple task with everyday items.
Instructions:
Gather any items that have a lid. Take off the lids and allow the child to trial each lid with all the containers.
Pro-tip: Mix and match small and large containers of all kinds!
Skills developed:
- Fine motor skill development
- Eye hand co-ordination
- Strengthening of pincer grip
- Caring for self
- Caring for environment
- Sense of order
4. Spooning Rice
This task can easily be done at home, perhaps even before you decide to make some rice for dinner!
Instructions:
Gather two bowls, a cup of rice, a tray and spoon. Have the child pour the rice into one bowl, then take the spoon and transfer the rice to the second bowl.
Skills developed:
- Fine motor skill development
- Eye hand co-ordination
- Strengthening of pincer grip
- Caring for self
- Caring for environment
- Sense of order
- Control of movement
5. Threading
Enhance children’s fine motor skills with this easy task. This could be done with many items around the house!
Instructions:
Gather some beads, rubber bands or any type of circular item and a piece of string, a shoe lace or a ribbon and allow the child to string the bead onto the string. This promotes fine motor development and eye hand co-ordination!
Skills developed:
- Fine motor skill development
- Eye hand co-ordination
- Strengthening of pincer grip
- Caring for environment
- Sense of order
- Develops concentration skills
- Control of movement
6. Pouring Liquids
Enhance children’s pouring skills, eye-hand co-ordination and independence with this simple activity. All that is needed are two jugs (plastic or glass) and water.
Instructions:
Place two jugs/jars on the table in front of the child (on the tray if applicable). Fill the one on the left with water.
Invite the child to grasp the handle of the full jug with one hand and support the spout with the tree fingers of the other hand. Empty the water into the second jug. If you are using jars simply encourage the child to empty water from one jar into another. The child can repeat this in the opposite direction.
Pro-tip: Place a kitchen cloth beside the child so they can wipe any spillages.
Skills developed:
- Fine motor skill development
- Eye hand co-ordination
- Develops concentration skills
- Control of movement
For more ideas and activities to do at home with your children, check out our blog page at www.smsi.ie.
Read MoreA Math Activity For Home!
Number Cards and Counters
What you need:
Paper, marker, anything that can be counted (i.e. pasta, dry beans)
Instructions:
On a piece of paper write down the numerals 1-10 and cut them out.
Lay them out in a disarray on the table.
Lay out card with numeral 1 in front of the child and invite the child to count “how many pastas/beans will we put under this number?”. If the child is familiar with numeral 1-10, the child can lay out next number. Encourage the child to count and lay down pasta/beans in pairs of two. When the number is uneven place the pasta/bean in the middle of the next row. Continue this step until number 10.
Aim:
- The child builds the numbers in sequence
- The child makes an association between the quantity and the symbol for the numbers 1 to 10
- The child gains a visual impression of odd and even
For more activities and ideas on Montessori education at home, check out our blog page here on our website, www.smsi.ie.
Read MoreSimple Language Activity for Home!
Sand Paper Letters
In Montessori classroom we use sandpaper letters to teach the sound that letter make.
Though in the classroom we use a specific Montessori material, this activity can be done at home with flour and a tray.
What You Need:
A tray, flour, paper and marker
Instructions:
You can write the letter on the piece of paper. Place the letter and the tray in front of the child. Use the first two fingers of the dominant hand to trace the letter on the card and than in the tray. Sound the letter out. Encourage the child to do the same and to sound out the letter. You can also encourage the child to find an object at home that starts with the letter or think about as many words, which they know that start with the letter.
Aim:
- Help provide a sensorial impression of letter shape
- Preparation for writing
For more activities and ideas on Montessori education at home, check out our blog page here on our website, www.smsi.ie.
Read MoreA Day Of Montessori
Struggling for ideas when homeschooling your children, or maybe you are looking for some new activities to do as a family? We’ve listed four activities to do with your child that inhabit the key Montessori activities: Sensorial, Mathematics, Language and Practical Life. These activities will allow the child to learn in a fun and educational way, as well as inhabiting all the key elements of a complete day in a Montessori setting.
Sensorial Activity: The Colour Game
What you need:
tems of the blue, orange, green, yellow, red and pink colours.
Aim:
- Refinement of the sense of colour
- To develop awareness of colour in the environment
- Preparation for future art work
- Development of sensorial and oral language skills
Instructions:
Lay out all the different coloured items. Say the name of each item with the child. Ask the child if they would like to play the colour game (this promotes the Montessori philosophy of choice, as outlined in our blog here).
Ask child to try to find something blue. Now something orange, Now green, Now yellow, Now red, Now pink. Now ask the child, “What are the names of the objects that you found?”
Be sure to have the child group the items in like colours.
Maths Activity: Number Cards + Counters
What you need:
Paper, marker, anything that can be counted (i.e. pasta, dry beans)
Aim:
- The child builds the numbers in sequence
- The child makes an association between the quantity and the symbol for the numbers 1 to 10
- The child gains a visual impression of odd and even
Instructions:
On a piece of paper write down the numerals 1-10 and cut them out.
Lay them out in a disarray on the table.
Lay out card with numeral 1 in front of the child and invite the child to count “how many pastas/beans will we put under this number?”. If the child is familiar with numeral 1-10, the child can lay out next number. Encourage the child to count and lay down pasta/beans in pairs of two. When the number is uneven place the pasta/bean in the middle of the next row. Continue this step until number 10.
Language Activity: Sand Paper Letters
In Montessori classroom we use sandpaper letters to teach the sound that letter make. Though in the classroom we use a specific Montessori material, this activity can be done at home with flour and a tray.
What You Need:
A tray, flour, paper and marker
Aim:
- Help provide a sensorial impression of letter shape
- Preparation for writing
Instructions:
You can write the letter on the piece of paper. Place the letter and the tray in front of the child. Use the first two fingers of the dominant hand to trace the letter on the card and than in the tray. Sound the letter out. Encourage the child to do the same and to sound out the letter. You can also encourage the child to find an object at home that starts with the letter or think about as many words, which they know that start with the letter.
Practical Life Activity: Pouring Liquids
Enhance children’s pouring skills, eye-hand co-ordination and independence with this simple activity.
What you need:
Two jugs (plastic or glass) and water
Aim:
- Fine motor skill development
- Eye hand co-ordination
- Develops concentration skills
- Control of movement
Instructions:
Place two jugs/jars on the table in front of the child (on the tray if applicable). Fill the one on the left with water.
Invite the child to grasp the handle of the full jug with one hand and support the spout with the tree fingers of the other hand. Empty the water into the second jug. If you are using jars simply encourage the child to empty water from one jar into another. The child can repeat this in the opposite direction.
Pro-tip: Place a kitchen cloth beside the child so they can wipe any spillages.
For more ideas and activities, see our blog page on our website at www.smsi.ie
Read MoreHomeschooling Help: Irish Language
“Haon focail, dó focail, trí focail eile and I not knowing no focail at all!”
By Sadhbh Breathneach
Homeschooling is no mean task especially when we find ourselves out of depth to the point that we are no use to our struggling children. Apart from Math being taught in a very different way to “the way I learned” at school, the word on the street is that Irish homeschool work can leave parents scratching their heads.
As a lecturer in St.Nicholas Montessori College in Irish, I thought that perhaps I could share some of the resources that I use along with tips on how to use them. Those of you who have tried to look for help online will realise that it is a minefield so my aim is to point you towards a few really useful and user friendly resources that should cover you across the board.
Dictionaries:
First of all you need to have a really good dictionary at hand and depending on the age of your child I would recommend you spend time teaching them how to look up words themselves. Luckily there is no need to go out buying big heavy dictionaries as there has been huge work put into some fantastic free resources online by Foras na Gaeilge.
TIP: The trick to using these resources is to choose to read them in English which you can do by clicking on that option up on the top right hand corner of the homepage on each one.
- Focail.ie aims “allow users to find every contemporary Irish word on one site, together with information about the sources in which those words may be found”. If you click on “About this site” it gives a detailed account on how to use the site and the related sites you can find more detail on the word in question. You can search those links directly from this site too which is really handy.
- Teanglann.ie is a vast database aimed at providing “users of the language with free, easy-to-use access to dictionaries and to grammatical and pronunciation information relating to words in the Irish Language”. It is brilliant for looking up verbs in all the tenses, finding words in their different forms and it has a phonetic database that allows you to listen to key words in the three main dialects which is a life saver when you are stumped by unfamiliar spelling! It contains a “grammar wizard” which is nothing short of magic when trying to find an adjective and how it might change after a noun. This site for me is my go-to one for finding new words and checking spelling and grammar.
Websites:
The acquisition of sounds is a hugely important step in language learning and what better way than through music, song and rhyme.
- www.songsinirish.com is a wonderful resource with both old and new Irish songs including a range of well known pop songs featured. Each song comes with a video and the lyrics in both Irish and English. If the grammar homework is getting too much just leave it aside and sing a song together instead!
- https://www.altram.org/amhr%C3%A1in-agus-rannta – This resource is great for younger children. There are a range of simple songs to help with sentence structure and target language in a natural way.
- www.seideansi.ie – computer games are a great way to entice children to engage with language learning and this is a free resource with categories for all Primary School Aged children containing matching games, sentence construction activities and lots of other games along with regular opportunities to repeat the words and sentences as they go.
- www.dinolingo.com is a child’s version of the very successful duolingo APP. Unlike duolingo though it is not free and requires a subscription. You can try it out for free to decide for yourself but certainly if you are finding it hard to get your child to engage with the work being sent home it might be worth the investment.
- https://www.gaelchultur.com/en/phrase_of_the_day.aspx – Finally, the best thing you can do to help your child with their Irish is to use as much or as little as you can yourself with them throughout the day. Try these phrases below out for a start or get the “Frása an lae” App (Phrase of the day) on your phone to build up your own language skills:
- Dún an doras – close the door
- Bí ciúin – be quiet
- An bhfuil ocras/tart ort? – are you hungry/thirsty?
- An maith leat bainne? – Do you like milk?
- Ar mhaith leat cupán tae? – Would you like a cup of tea?
- Maidin mhaith – good morning
- Oíche mhaith – good evening
Also please post below any other resources that you have found useful. Let’s help each other out in these trying times! #fansabhaile #stayathome
For more help with homeschooling, please see our blogs here.
All images are found on Unsplash and not our own.
Read MorePatronage: A Vision of Excellence for Montessori Primary Schools
A while back we were in the running for School Patronage in the Blackrock area.
This is a campaign that is run by the State in order to increase the diversity of schools for today’s youth. Throughout this campaign, the State chooses an area (Blackrock, for instance) in which the locals are asked to vote for a Patron of the new Primary school. Each potential Patron is then meant to advertise and campaign to the public in order to win the vote.
In April 2019, Peter Maguire, a journalist of The Irish Times, wrote an article on the subject of Patronage. Though Patronage in his article seems a ‘hot topic’, he features St Nicholas Montessori Society’s CEO, Dr Nicholas Breakwell, when discussing the ‘smaller patrons’ that have campaigned for the Patronage of the new school:
One of the most significant of these smaller patron bodies is the St Nicholas Montessori Society which, as well as running the Montessori teacher training college, is patron of a private, fee-paying primary school in Dún Laoghaire.
Peter Maguire
What’s different about them? “Children are bunched into three rough age brackets: three-six, six-nine and nine to 12,” explains Nick Breakwell, chief executive of the society.
“We don’t use terms like junior infants, third class or sixth class. The curriculum is similar but the environment is prepared for the age group, with materials specific to each environment.”
Nick Breakwell
To read Maguire’s article in full, please visit The Irish Times here.
Though St Nicholas Montessori Society did not win the Patronage in Blackrock in the end, it has opened up a new idea within the Society to found new Montessori Primary schools within the local areas. This, we hope, will lead to the awareness of the Montessori Method and its groundbreaking educational pedagogies in the 21st Century today.
Read More