Movement and Exploration

Your baby was born with reflexive movement and has been strengthening his muscles and nervous system in order to develop purposeful movement.  This intentional movement takes time, practice, and coordination.  Montessori education creates opportunities for children to solve real problems, as the adults provide support as needed, but are restrained in helping to solve the problem.  This can be difficult as a parent.  It is hard to watch your child struggle, especially when you see how close a solution is.  However, this is an important factor in his development and growth.  As he struggles and then feels the sense of accomplishment as he moves through the frustration and into a solution, he builds a strong sense of “I can do it”.

At Studio June we offer a Studio that is designed for your child to challenge his movement and learn to coordinate his body with materials that are appropriately sized and intellectually challenging.  In our Movement and Exploration class children challenge themselves to move over, through, and around obstacles.  Some of the materials we offer include:

The Bridge: this iconic Montessori Material allows each child to pull themselves to a standing position and balance themselves as they walk up three steps and then cross the bridge.  The confidence and joy we see on their faces is indescribable.  They feel their efforts and often celebrate by giving a speech at the top of the bridge.

 

The Kiosks and Bar: This materials is designed to engage your child’s need to challenge himself physically and intellectually.  The bar creates an opportunity for your child to pull himself into a standing position, all with his own strength and effort.  The kiosks serve as cabinets of curiosity; the contents in the drawers and behind the doors changes regularly and keeps your child’s interest piqued.  Your child will be challenged to use his developing pincer grasp to open the doors and discover what is inside.

Mirrors: We have mirrors placed in several places in the environment for your child to explore. One favorite mirror is located in the mirror pyramid.  Here a child can see himself from many angles as well as other points of interest around the environment.  Other mirrors mounted on the walls allow your child to see his body movements. 

 This visual feedback allows him to explore how his body moves and see his full body in motion.  As he starts to become aware that the person he sees in the mirror is himself, he begins to see that he is a separate person and has his own thoughts and ideas.  He blossoms into the beginnings of self-awareness and starts to declare his autonomy (usually this is marked by using the word “no”).

All of these activities and more are offered weekly in our Studio.  This is the perfect class for children learning to move, working on their coordination, and parents looking for guidance during the new and exciting time of development.

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