This weekend I had the opportunity to attend an AMI training session
for Assistants with sessions on movement and transitions in the
classroom. Denise Merkel, the Montessori directress (A to I), who
presented on transitions compared leading transitions with toddlers to
"trying to herd cats: it's just not possible."
The presenter reminded us that the transitions we deal with do not involve choice, which is the antithesis of the rest of the children's experience in the Montessori environment. Whether the children need to transition from outdoor play to lunch or from nap to dismissal, we ask them to control themselves which is challenging since they have not fully developed the inhibitory pathways in the brain.
The presenter said it's the child rolling on the floor or using his jacket as Superman's cape who needs us most. We must lend our calmness and ability to make choices to this child. We must exaggerate our calmness, as we do our careful and deliberate movements in the classroom, not in a phony way but in empathy. As with adults, difficulty during transitions can have other causes, such as a poor night of sleep or coming down with a cold. Whatever the root of the disturbance, the child deserves our respect and aid. The following are some of the helpful ideas the presenter provided:
Brief Instructions. Young children do not follow reason train instructions: "Zip your jackets because it's cold outside and when it's cold you're more likely to get sick because your body has to work harder to stay warm..." Instead of listening to nagging words, young children pick up on the frenzy in your voice. As such, it's important to modulate your volume and tone and give brief, clear instructions: "Walk." "Chair." "Water on the floor." Let the children think independently; they know what they're supposed to do. If there's water on the floor, it doesn't really matter which of the children cleans it. Additionally, do not ask 'yes' or 'no' questions unless you're prepared to accept 'no.' Use "go to the bathroom" instead of "do you have to go to the bathroom?" etc.
Mittens and Gloves as Material. If mittens and gloves are a challenging part of the coat room transition, place a basket of mittens and gloves in the classroom as a Practical Life material. Children will practice and repeat putting them on and taking them off.
Model. If you want the children to zip their jackets, zip yours first. If you want the children to wear a hat, be sure to have one for yourself.
Affirmation of Feelings. A child cried each day when she arrived in the classroom, saying she wanted her mother, she wanted to go home. Each day, the teachers tried to console her with statements like "school is fun" or "your mom will be here later," but the child continued to cry. One day Denise, knelt by the child and looked in her eyes and said in a compassionate tone, "You really miss your mother, don't you." The child looked at her surprised, nodded her head, and went to choose work. She never again had a problem coming to school.
Provide Sense of Control. Another child spent the morning saying he wanted to go home. One of the teachers took him aside and said, "Let's make a deal, you can go home at 12:00 (his normal dismissal time)." The child agreed with satisfaction and went about his work. He told his mother proudly that he was dismissed at 12:00.
Dawdlers First. If one child takes a particularly long time to transition from a nap, wake this child first. If one child becomes distracted and distracting when transitioning to work after outdoor play, have this child enter the classroom before the other children.
Helpful Older Children. If a younger child has trouble choosing work, have him take a walk around the classroom with a free older child. Unless an older child has "already punched his ticket" for advancing to the next level and has become a classroom micro-manager, he will be an excellent mentor to the young child. The young child will learn that children can give help, and that one day he too will serve that role.
Hands on Your Knees. Children fling their arms in a line waiting to go outside because small children are not made to wait in line. Alfie Kohn made the comparison in Unconditional Parenting that if you're going to face famine in adulthood, do you need to practice? Instead of nagging children to control them in line, draw them from the frenzy of the wait: "Put your hands on your knees, put your hands on your elbows, put your hands on your..." Children are programmed to move.
Make a Rainstorm."We're going to make a rainstorm. When I look in your eyes, repeat after me." Begin snapping. Walk around the group briskly, making eye contact with each person, while snapping. When you come to the first person again, stop snapping and start rubbing yours hands together. Repeat with stomping feet, rubbing hands a second time, and snapping a second time.
Finger Plays.
1. Hold your palm flat and with your other hand's pointer finger, touch each fingertip and say "We are little pussy casts walking round and round. We have cushions on our feet and never make a sound."
2. "These are mother's knives and forks (tented hand). This is mother's table (flipped over tent). This is mother's looking glass (entwined hands, pointers together and up). And this is baby's cradle (cradle with arms)
3. "Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people (or where are all the people)."
Pocket Power. The most important and enticing thing you can provide during transitions is language enrichment since the child's absorbent mind continues to hone the ability to communicate. One way to provide language enrichment is to perfect the art of storytelling; which among other things, means that your story should be short and include a beginning, middle, and end. Studies show that children who listen to stories are better able to express themselves verbally and through writing; you will see this as children in your class begin to structure the stories they tell you.
Begin your transformation into a storyteller by wearing clothes with pockets and putting random trinkets in them. They don't have to be profound. When a coat room has devolved into potty songs and swirling Supermans, pull a nail out of your pocket in surprise and begin: "This must be from when I hung a picture in my dining room last week. I decided to use a nail that was bigger than this. Now I need to put this nail back in my tool box." Continue to discuss the object for as long as necessary: "This is called the head of the nail. The nail has a pointy end. Do any of you have nails in your house?..."
I Spy. You can also draw inspiration from things in your immediate environment or out a window. "Did you see that bird? It flew from the top of the swing-set to that tree. There it goes to the house and now to the car! That bird has a lot of energy today... What do you think the bird is doing?"
Talk about Clothes. Discuss clothing in a non-judgmental way: "I see you have fur on your coat. May I touch it? Look at your shoes. Who has velcro shoes? I see you have green lace shoes. Rebecca, go see what kind of shoes Ms. Rachel has on. Walk and come back to report. What colors are your socks?"
Songs. Introduce songs that parents haven't sung at home. Introduce songs in another language to share part of another culture.
Above all, whatever the transition is, remember not to rush. Children have generally become accustomed to their routines and know what to do, so try not to to be too directive. For those who have finished getting ready and are flailing in the wait, redirect and refocus them with something positive. The tools above are ones that I am processing and will begin to put to use during the many transitions I facilitate each day:
The presenter reminded us that the transitions we deal with do not involve choice, which is the antithesis of the rest of the children's experience in the Montessori environment. Whether the children need to transition from outdoor play to lunch or from nap to dismissal, we ask them to control themselves which is challenging since they have not fully developed the inhibitory pathways in the brain.
The presenter said it's the child rolling on the floor or using his jacket as Superman's cape who needs us most. We must lend our calmness and ability to make choices to this child. We must exaggerate our calmness, as we do our careful and deliberate movements in the classroom, not in a phony way but in empathy. As with adults, difficulty during transitions can have other causes, such as a poor night of sleep or coming down with a cold. Whatever the root of the disturbance, the child deserves our respect and aid. The following are some of the helpful ideas the presenter provided:
Recognizing Needs
Brief Instructions. Young children do not follow reason train instructions: "Zip your jackets because it's cold outside and when it's cold you're more likely to get sick because your body has to work harder to stay warm..." Instead of listening to nagging words, young children pick up on the frenzy in your voice. As such, it's important to modulate your volume and tone and give brief, clear instructions: "Walk." "Chair." "Water on the floor." Let the children think independently; they know what they're supposed to do. If there's water on the floor, it doesn't really matter which of the children cleans it. Additionally, do not ask 'yes' or 'no' questions unless you're prepared to accept 'no.' Use "go to the bathroom" instead of "do you have to go to the bathroom?" etc.
Mittens and Gloves as Material. If mittens and gloves are a challenging part of the coat room transition, place a basket of mittens and gloves in the classroom as a Practical Life material. Children will practice and repeat putting them on and taking them off.
Model. If you want the children to zip their jackets, zip yours first. If you want the children to wear a hat, be sure to have one for yourself.
Affirmation of Feelings. A child cried each day when she arrived in the classroom, saying she wanted her mother, she wanted to go home. Each day, the teachers tried to console her with statements like "school is fun" or "your mom will be here later," but the child continued to cry. One day Denise, knelt by the child and looked in her eyes and said in a compassionate tone, "You really miss your mother, don't you." The child looked at her surprised, nodded her head, and went to choose work. She never again had a problem coming to school.
Provide Sense of Control. Another child spent the morning saying he wanted to go home. One of the teachers took him aside and said, "Let's make a deal, you can go home at 12:00 (his normal dismissal time)." The child agreed with satisfaction and went about his work. He told his mother proudly that he was dismissed at 12:00.
Logistical
Dawdlers First. If one child takes a particularly long time to transition from a nap, wake this child first. If one child becomes distracted and distracting when transitioning to work after outdoor play, have this child enter the classroom before the other children.
Helpful Older Children. If a younger child has trouble choosing work, have him take a walk around the classroom with a free older child. Unless an older child has "already punched his ticket" for advancing to the next level and has become a classroom micro-manager, he will be an excellent mentor to the young child. The young child will learn that children can give help, and that one day he too will serve that role.
Movement
Hands on Your Knees. Children fling their arms in a line waiting to go outside because small children are not made to wait in line. Alfie Kohn made the comparison in Unconditional Parenting that if you're going to face famine in adulthood, do you need to practice? Instead of nagging children to control them in line, draw them from the frenzy of the wait: "Put your hands on your knees, put your hands on your elbows, put your hands on your..." Children are programmed to move.
Make a Rainstorm."We're going to make a rainstorm. When I look in your eyes, repeat after me." Begin snapping. Walk around the group briskly, making eye contact with each person, while snapping. When you come to the first person again, stop snapping and start rubbing yours hands together. Repeat with stomping feet, rubbing hands a second time, and snapping a second time.
Finger Plays.
1. Hold your palm flat and with your other hand's pointer finger, touch each fingertip and say "We are little pussy casts walking round and round. We have cushions on our feet and never make a sound."
2. "These are mother's knives and forks (tented hand). This is mother's table (flipped over tent). This is mother's looking glass (entwined hands, pointers together and up). And this is baby's cradle (cradle with arms)
3. "Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people (or where are all the people)."
Language Enrichment
Pocket Power. The most important and enticing thing you can provide during transitions is language enrichment since the child's absorbent mind continues to hone the ability to communicate. One way to provide language enrichment is to perfect the art of storytelling; which among other things, means that your story should be short and include a beginning, middle, and end. Studies show that children who listen to stories are better able to express themselves verbally and through writing; you will see this as children in your class begin to structure the stories they tell you.
Begin your transformation into a storyteller by wearing clothes with pockets and putting random trinkets in them. They don't have to be profound. When a coat room has devolved into potty songs and swirling Supermans, pull a nail out of your pocket in surprise and begin: "This must be from when I hung a picture in my dining room last week. I decided to use a nail that was bigger than this. Now I need to put this nail back in my tool box." Continue to discuss the object for as long as necessary: "This is called the head of the nail. The nail has a pointy end. Do any of you have nails in your house?..."
I Spy. You can also draw inspiration from things in your immediate environment or out a window. "Did you see that bird? It flew from the top of the swing-set to that tree. There it goes to the house and now to the car! That bird has a lot of energy today... What do you think the bird is doing?"
Talk about Clothes. Discuss clothing in a non-judgmental way: "I see you have fur on your coat. May I touch it? Look at your shoes. Who has velcro shoes? I see you have green lace shoes. Rebecca, go see what kind of shoes Ms. Rachel has on. Walk and come back to report. What colors are your socks?"
Songs. Introduce songs that parents haven't sung at home. Introduce songs in another language to share part of another culture.
Above all, whatever the transition is, remember not to rush. Children have generally become accustomed to their routines and know what to do, so try not to to be too directive. For those who have finished getting ready and are flailing in the wait, redirect and refocus them with something positive. The tools above are ones that I am processing and will begin to put to use during the many transitions I facilitate each day:
Recommended Reading
- Unconditional Parenting: Moving From Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason By Alfie Kohn
- Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier and More Secure Kids By Kim John Payne and Lisa Ross
- What's Going on in there? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life By Lise Eliot
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