My Budding Artiste

Javen and Teacher Leroy performing during one of our circle time ... details will be posted later!

TO REWARD OR NOT TO REWARD?

I've implemented a new reward system in Little Beans. Basically, the mechanic is simple. Based on a set of criteria such as:

1. following the 5 golden rules
2. doing schoolwork or homework on time
3. respecting friends and teachers in school,

the children will be given ink stamps in his/her Good Behaviour Chart card. Upon accumulation of stamps, they can redeem for many interesting things from the school. The minimum stamps are 10, can can be as high as 100. Number of stamps depends on the value of the gift. This redemption happens once a month.

The main objective is to reward good behaviour and positive traits. This forms as a strong motivation for the children to remember, especially the 5 golden rules which are:

• eyes on teacher
• hands to self
• walking feet
• indoor voice
• care for materials

So far, it has worked well for the majority of the children. The stamps or even lack of them helped teachers to remind the children of their responsibilities in school. But, it can be demotivating for those who somehow cannot collect enough stamps.

There must be a fine balance as it can be subjective at times. How do you define good behaviour? What about the child who tried very hard, and yet did not get full marks in her spelling? I would still give her the stamp if she has done her very best!

As teachers, we must always look for positive reinforcement, and try to reward the children whenever possible. Let them feel good about themselves, then they will be motivated to do even better.

The first round of redemption happened on April 1, and only a handful of children had the chance to redeem because the programme was only 2 weeks old then. They were excited about their gifts, but at the same time, it was rather heart-wrenching to see some trying to control their tears when they couldn't get anything. But the redemption on May 2 should be better- after all it will be based on a period of one month, which gives the children more time to collect the stamps ... teachers too are more lenient with the stamps plus the fact that the minimum requirement is just 10 stamps!

I hope to see more happy faces in May ... and eventually, I hope that I can do away with this system so that the children are intrinsically motivated, and not because of the gifts, no matter how exciting!

MY COMMUNITY THEME

We are now doing the theme on My Community. Below is our theme board. Here, we depicted a normal neighbourhood scene with shops, people as well as the mode of transportation.


This is a very interesting theme because most of the children are familiar with the buildings. We talked about the buildings around Bandar Sri Damansara (where Little Beans is) and of course MacDonald's, Grand Union, Berry's Bakery and even Klinik Kanak-Kanak London are familiar landmarks to them.


Of course, we talked about 7-11, and some are puzzled that it can be open for 24 hours. A five-year old boy wondered why the people working inside 7-11 need not sleep. Teacher explained that they worked in shifts, and they take turns to sleep.

I would also like to take this opportunity to talk to them about traffic rules, road safety as well as paying for parking. Parents, are you guilty of not feeding the meter when you park your car? I know many are ... the children told me that "My daddy never put coins into the parking meter", or "Mummy says not need to pay...." Aha....children are observant, aren't they?

The theme board is a very useful tool to convey positive messages. Looking at the theme board, we see many people in the midst of daily activities. There are people of different races to reflect the diversity of Malaysia. Also, good habits such as recycling or helping the elderly are incorporated into the board as a gentle reminder to the children.

Buildings in and around my neighbourhood.

Reuse, reduce and recycle

Helping grandma as she walks.


Little boy playing outside his school.

Policeman helping to control the traffic.

Man running after a taxi.

The fire station.

The bakery - incidentally, we will be taking the children to a bakery soon to have a hands-on experience of baking and decorating their own cupcakes and pastry.

More pictures on Facebook.

I've downloaded more pictures into Little Beans Montessori facebook which are mainly activities in 2010. Do visit it when you have the time!

A Hive of Activities - March 15 to March 19, 2010

MAKING BREAD PUDDING

Spread some butter onto the bread.

Crack four eggs into a bowl.

Whisk the eggs quickly until well-beaten.

Put in bread, cut apples, chopped strawberries into egg mixture.

Mix well and transfer into a greased pan.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

GOING TO THE CHIDLREN'S THEATER - GIRRAFES CAN'T DANCE!

Waiting to go into the theater.

Inside the theater, waiting for the show to begin.

Hello!

The main charaters- Gerald the Giraffe and the Cheeky Chimpanzees.

Giraffes Can't Dance, is a special musical play for children, all the way from UK. We truly enjoyed ourselves and I feel very proud that our children could participate and understand the play, despite it being spoken in native English.

VISIT BY DENTAL NURSES

This is the correct way to brush your teeth, up and down, in and out...

Let me check your teeth...

Good, you have healthy, strong teeth!


ENJOYING MEALS TOGETHER

Having a hearty meal with friends ... yummy!

WATER PLAY

Brrrrr..... it's cold!

It's a little crowded - never mind, we take turns and share.

Sweet and demure ...

Nothing beats basking in the sun with my best friend!


PLAY DOUGH

Look, teacher ... my happy face

Roll it, pat it and mark it with a B.

The last week has been a whirlwind of activities... We thought that we can take a break during the school holidays, but ended up with many things to keep the children occupied!

Firstly, many children came back despite the break. As there was no specific theme - because of the short break- we decided to have a potpourri games and activities instead.

Monday was relatively quiet, with all the children in their own classrooms. Tuesday was interesting as the children and teachers baked bread pudding - was delicious! Wednesday was another interesting day - we took the 5 and 6 year olds to watch a special Theatre for Children - Giraffes Can't Dance. It was truly an entertaining, enthralling and engrossing experience for the children and I. Cant's wait for next year as they will bring in Elmer the Elephant.

On Thursday, we had a surprise visit from the Klinik Pergigian dental nurses. They came and taught us how to take care of our teeth. They also checked each child's teeth. Overall, the children all had good teeth - perhaps thanks to our daily morning of brushing teeth.

Friday was another fun, wet day as we had our water play. Lots of water, squeals of laughter and of course beautiful, colourful swimwear! Who says holidays are relaxing? For us teachers, it was hectic, tiring yet enjoyable.

Now, back to Monday blues tomorrow!!!!

CHINESE NEW YEAR THEME BOARD

This Chinese New Year, I've decided to focus on the Chinese Reunion Dinner. Previously, we decorated the theme board with lion dances or the Chinese zodiac. However, I feel that family is a very important aspect of the celebration and I took the opportunity to reinforce the importance of the dinner - a celebration of family togetherness and unity. A time of sharing and caring, and catching up with each other as well as to practice filial piety. Phew - sounds heavy for the children, but I believe that we can make this a very natural learning process. We just have discuss and involve the children in sharing their knowledge. Believe me, they are very knowledgeable - if only we listen to them more often!


We talked about the Nian monster story, the Chinese zodiac as well as the festive decoration and all things associated with the colour red. We also discussed angpow and taught the children how to greet and have good manners during the festival.


Back to the theme board. As I've mentioned, the focus is on the dinner. We tried to recreate a a scene showing love and happiness amongst the family members. We also decorated it with some of the elements associated with the festival, ie. fire crackers, lanterns, spring blossoms and the food on the table.

Boy holding an angpow in his hand. "Say thank you when you receive an angpow. Don't open and see the contents. Let Mummy or Daddy keep the angpow safely for you. Keep the money in a bank for your future education."

A closely-knit family, sharing a meal together.

Grandpa and Grandma holding hands during the meal -
indirectly, I'm trying to convey the message that grandparents can be loving too.

Wouldn't it be great if we could upkeep this loving gesture for many more years to come?

CNY 2010 celebration

Our family is getting bigger - and we had a joyous, noisy and fun-filled Chinese New Year celebration on February 25, 2010.

We celebrated the Year of the Tiger, a girl's 6th birthday as well as a colouring competition organised by Luna, Staedler.

Soya Beans and Green Beans (3 & 4 year-olds angels)

Red Beans (5-year olds angels)

Navy Beans (6 year-olds)

Waiting for the game to begin....

The best of friends!

Quick, pass the orange!

Why isn't it my turn yet?

Auntie Audrey telling us the way to colour.

Peace! We are working on our masterpiece!

Hard at work!

Ah ... it's more comfortable this way.

Hello! Look at my picture.

Deep concentration!

Now - celebrate with the goodies!

Yummy, yummy!

Thanks for the sweet memories, children. I love you all!