In the Classroom

The oldest children are progressing in reading, grammar, and math! The play bank and its big calculations are sparking a deep passion, just like the chains of 100 and 1000, as well as the geography puzzles. The middle group are perfecting letter recognition and their handwriting. They are reading and writing their first words with enthusiasm. The older and middle groups have brought out the sewing activities again to create true masterpieces! The youngest children are enriching their vocabulary around spring flowers, animals, etc. They are practicing their first classifications: living/non-living, sweet/salty foods, animal or plant origins.

The 7th Art at Children’s Level

This month, our young explorers continued their discovery of the magic of cinema through fun and creative activities. They made a thaumatrope, manipulated a zootrope, and learned about the lives of the Lumière Brothers. After watching their first films (“Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory” and “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station”), we explored different film genres using posters. To beautifully conclude this theme, we watched excerpts from Charlie Chaplin… with popcorn, of course!

Our Big Nature Outing: A Day of Discoveries!

Land Art Workshop
Our artists created magnificent ephemeral compositions with natural materials (leaves, flowers, pebbles, branches). This activity awakened their aesthetic sensitivity while raising their awareness of respect for the environment. We photographed their works before letting nature take its course again – a beautiful lesson on ephemeral beauty.

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation in Nature
Sitting in a circle in hoops, the children closed their eyes to listen to nature, feel the breeze, and breathe deeply. These mindfulness exercises develop their attention, regulate their emotions, and cultivate inner calm. Even the most restless enjoyed this moment and expressed their feelings with sensitivity.

Free Play in Nature… It’s Essential!
Do you remember your childhood escapades? Today, our little ones are more often indoors than outdoors! Between our tendency to overprotect and our overloaded schedules, free play is fading away – even though it should be a priority. When a child chooses their games, their partners, and their rules, they develop: Their brain, language, thinking, and motor skills (more than with 50 educational worksheets!) Their confidence and self-knowledge (without a personal coach!) Their autonomy and ability to solve problems (and the “I’m bored” moments decrease) Their creativity and imagination; a piece of wood becomes a sword, telephone, or magic wand in turn) Their essential social skills. During our outing, what a joy it was to observe their smiles and spontaneous collaborations! Our only intervention was to remind them of the boundaries of the play area. Offer children the forest, the beach, the park… They blossom, and you gain moments of calm upon their return. Free play = a win-win for the whole family!

The Garden

What a joy to see all our flowers blooming and the insects reappearing! The children continue to take care of their garden; this month, they painted pebbles and then placed them around the sensory path.

Sport

The arrival of good weather has allowed us to have several outdoor motor skill sessions. We also went to the climbing gym, with the older and middle group children. They participated in 4 fun workshops led by instructors. This climbing session allowed them to practice on routes and boulders suitable for children and to try climbing with a harness. A great success!

A Subject That Concerns Us

We have recently observed a resurgence of violent games inspired by superheroes during recess. After observing and discussing with the children, we want to share some supported and informed reflections from our exchanges following a post on this subject with the Instagram page of @montessorisansfrontière.

No, children do not become stronger by imitating Spider-Man – they mainly become more confused. Before the age of 6, the brain does not clearly distinguish between reality and fiction. A child who sees a superhero believes they too can fly or fight without danger. They integrate these behaviors as models and try to reproduce them, sometimes frightening their classmates. The younger children are exposed to these images, the more likely they are to become agitated, confused, or clumsy in their relationships. Before the age of 6, children need real and accessible heroes: a tinkering mom, a comforting dad, an attentive educator, a kind neighbor. These models healthily nourish their mental development. The problem is not Spider-Man in itself, but exposure that is “too early, too strong, too frequent.” Researchers like Linda Pagani and Michel Desmurget confirm:

Too much violent fiction at a young age = more confusion, stress, and agitation. It is only after 6-7 years that the brain begins to distinguish between real and imaginary. Before that, superheroes can cause stress and repetitive violent behaviors. What values do we want to transmit? To defend the weakest, do we want heroes who strike without thinking? A child does not need to be a fan of Spider-Man at 3 or 4 years old. Let’s offer them human, calm, and benevolent role models instead.

Thank you for your support.

Warmly,

The Teaching Team