Montessori Primary Distance Learning Plant Study Pt3 Parts of Flower Olive Branch School Portland OR

Thank you for joining us for our third installment of Montessori Primary distance learning. This video is part three about plants and their life cycles, it focuses on The Parts of a Flower. Children in Montessori environments have a literal hand in gardening, planting seeds, exploring parts of a flower and more. We offer this lesson each year for ages 2-6 and the full enjoy learning about the parts of a flower, exploring the parts with their own hands and taking that information out into the world and extending it to what they see.

During the end of March and April 2020 we have closed due to a "stay at home" order and for the safety of families during the spread of COVID19. For Montessorians and children in Montessori environments this created an opportunity to practice what we have long held Montessorians to be, adaptable and self-guided learners.

We have taken to offering private Zoom Meetings for families, separate story-times with provocations for activities afterwards and bi-weekly lessons that build on what we typically explore in the classroom. These are in no way a substitute for the experience of being present in a high quality Montessori environment which includes trained adults, multi-aged children, Montessori materials and a plethora of space to assert independence in movement and choice. We know this is not ideal, and we also know that success in later learning (through elementary school and on) and developing executive functions is predicated on consistent, reliable and caring relationships with early childhood educators (source: Mind in the Making).

During this time of Crisis Schooling (and from birth) parents are educators. Parents model social skills, interactions, loving relationships and set the basis of what is acceptable for a child's behavior in the world, whether or not children will enjoy learning and seek out adventure or healthy risk as they grow. We are providing these videos as a means of provocations for things to explore they - and no other video or blog post you see during this time- are by any means necessary for your child's success. This hiatus from brick and mortar schools is a short time in what is already a short time for young children. There is no need to push academics on 0-6 year olds - they have the rest of their lives to sit in conventional schools and "be taught". Allow yourself and your child the freedom to just be. Use these and other videos as a way to connect, or a way to provide safe content for your child while you take a moment to care for your needs, work and others in your life.

Happiness in contagious - spread it around a lot!