Oct 21 2008
Fancy dress is fun, and although not every family has time or talent to make costumes which will be worn once only, some Pooh characters can be very simply made. Christopher Robin, for example, needs little more than shorts, a shirt and sandals, plus a soft hat. Or when guests arrive you could give them all ears and a tail to show which of the Pooh book characters they are. Continue Reading »
Oct 17 2008
Lucy simply refuses to carry on with games if other children make suggestions which do not match her own. If Lucy’s rules are not adhered to, she finds it impossible to carry on with the game. Lucy often ends up in tears of frustration when she cannot get her own way and takes some time to recover her composure. Lucy has great difficulty accepting that she cannot always be first in line or the one who has done the ‘best’ painting. Continue Reading »
Jul 29 2008
Like other Protestant denominations, Presbyterianism sees the Bible as the ultimate source of authority, guidance, and inspiration. Presbyterianism teaches that God employs chosen men to reveal divine intentions, but no man should intercede between God and the individual. In contrast to Catholics, Presbyterians offer their confessions directly to God rather than to a minister.
The Presbyterian religion has few symbols or ornate icons. In fact, most Presbyterian churches display only an empty cross. Presbyterians believe that Christ’s Resurrection, not his Crucifixion, should be the center of mankind’s attention. I would recommend that you mention this to your child and then inquire: “What do you think about when you see the cross in church?” Continue Reading »
Jul 29 2008
If you’re Protestant you are probably well aware of a religious tradition that includes the earliest settlers of our country, and you may have passed that on to your child.
Awareness of Protestant history can help a child better understand the common qualities Protestant denominations share.
Perhaps with the aid of a story or picture book, explain to your child that Protestantism is the name for several religious groups which were formed during the Great Reformation of the early sixteenth century. Continue Reading »
Jun 09 2008
Before attempting to encourage your child to learn to read, be sure that you are giving him lots of enriching language experiences. Talk to him as much as possible, involve him in conversation, teach him new words, and tell and read stories to him. Show him that reading is an enjoyable experience so that he learns to love books. While sitting on your lap looking at the pictures of a story he will eventually begin to notice the words and may recognize some of them. Involve him in the story by encouraging him to ask questions and tell you what is coming next. Children like the same story repeated over and over again.
By being actively involved children understand the meaning of words, and sentence constructions are enhanced. Songs, too, often introduce children to new words and help them to hear the sounds in words more easily. Continue Reading »
Apr 01 2008
Start with the globes. There are two Montessori globes. The first is the land and water globe which has the continents covered with sandpaper and the sea painted blue, so that initially the child learns two things — the shape of the world, which is a sphere, and that it is made up of land and water. The second globe has the continents painted in different colours — Europe is red, Asia is yellow, Africa is green, Australasia is brown, North America is orange, South America is pink and Antarctica is white — and the child learns the names of the continents and oceans. (If your child goes to a Montessori school she will most likely be introduced to these globes there, but if she doesn’t you can still help her to learn the same ideas from an ordinary globe.)
The Montessori world puzzle map is made up of two hemispheres, each with the continents removable as whole puzzle pieces. The colours are the same as those on the globe. It is easier for a young child to see how the world is represented on a flat map if she can take out the pieces and compare them with the same continents on the globe — the shape, colour and size will match. (This piece of apparatus can be easily made at home by tracing round the continents in an atlas, then cutting them out in coloured paper and sticking them on to cardboard.) Continue Reading »
