Walking Field trips

Something I have learned, in my years of teaching five years olds, is that they love novelty, especially in the Spring! We have been leaning into that with our recent Thursday walking field trip excursions. Our first walk was bird watching and playground fun at Ohlone park.

On our journey there, the children enjoyed learning names of flowers and trees while smelling the aromatic ones. We even passed a garage with the Monarch butterfly life cycle on it which was very exciting for them! Last week we walked to Totland and tomorrow we are off to the Bakery to buy mini cupcakes. I will continue scheduling new places for us to explore around town and may reach out for volunteers if any involve driving or longer walks.

Learning About Birds

In zoology we are learning about birds, their nesting habits, sounds, beaks, habitats, and more. We are focusing primarily on Northern California birds especially ones we see on campus and in our neighborhoods. Some of our projects included parts of the bird book-making, art with California Poppies and Finches, bird kites, and lots of dramatic play around birds. The Mariposa children applied their skilled fine motor abilities while sewing birds last week. There is a lot of enthusiasm around this new theme so we will continue our learning journey focused on birds.

Traveling Scholars

Sticking to the theme of novelty, every Spring we do something on campus called Traveling Scholars. Each Thursday morning, two children from Live Oak come to our classroom and two Mariposa children go to Live Oak. It is especially valuable for the Mariposa Children to host younger friends. It is an opportunity for them to mentor, which is a big part of the Montessori philosophy. It builds self-confidence and enhances learning when they are teaching others a skill.