MUMS INFO MORNING 2023

NON READINESS - 17 FEB, 9am until 10:30am

1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION OF TEACHERS - PRINCIPAL
Assalamu Alaykum, and a warm welcome. We thank you for making the time to attend and we are really happy to
meet with you.
The aim of the mum’s information morning today is
 firstly, to build a relationship with you based on trust and understanding
 to give you an overview of our methodology, our approach and what is done at school each day
 to create a platform of open communication and working together so that the home and the school can
meet the needs of the child in the most holistic manner Inshaa Allah

2. INTRODUCTION TO MONTESSORI AND OVERVIEW OF THE FIRST 3 LEARNING AREAS – NADIA MA’AM

Montessori is a child-centred method of education based on the teachings of Italian physician, Dr. Maria
Montessori, who was an educator and innovator, acclaimed for her educational method that builds on the way
child learn naturally. Marias early medical practise focused on psychiatry. She later developed an interest in
education and immersed herself in educational theory. Her studies led her to observed, and call into question, the
method of teaching children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She was appointed at a training
institute for special education teachers. Dr. Maria approached the task scientifically, carefully observing which
teaching methods worked best. Many of the children made unexpected gains, and the program was proclaimed a
success.

The core of the Montessori method is that children are to be respected for their uniqueness. It’s based on the fact
that there never has been and there never will be another child exactly like yours, and so your child won’t learn in
exactly the same way and the same pace as other children. The Montessori Method is designed to unlock the
potential in each child so that they can grow cognitively, emotionally, socially, physically and psychologically, with
the least amount of interference but the adult.

Children need a learning environment that allows them to progress in their own way and in their own time. The
Montessori Method provides the freedom to learn and by avoiding restrictions and criticism, it instils in children a
life-long love of learning.

Maria’s values had always been about human respect and the right of children. Her pedagogy centred on
providing children with child sized materials that appeals to their senses. Each child should also be allowed to move
and act freely, and use their creativity and problem-solving skills.

Teachers/adults took the role of guides supporting the children without coercion or control and as little adult
interference as possible.

There are 5 learning areas in the Montessori environment. They are practical life, sensorial, culture, language and
maths. Today I will give you an overview of the first 3 areas.

OVERVIEW OF PRACTICAL LIFE:

In a Montessori environment, the practical life area is considered to be one of the most vital areas. In this area the
child is introduced to life skills such as getting dressed, wiping their placemats after lunch and sweeping up their
crumbs, they are also introduced to social graces like greeting, answering a phone and asking for assistance.

Through real life practical tasks, children are able to develop their gross and fine motor skills. These activities also
develop their concentration, reasoning and other important skills needed in many academic areas.

Grace and courtesy, which forms a part of practical life, help orient a child with the world around them. It assists
them in integrating socially, which their peers and others in their environment and introduces them to social norms.
Vocabulary and language skills are also built upon in the practical life areas as children are introduced to new words
and phrases.
The practical life shelf is filled with activities that stimulate children both mentally and physically, it encourages
independence, and collaboration as children of different ages are taught in the same class.

OVERVIEW ON SENSORIAL:

As the name indicates, sensorial is closely linked to the development of the child’s senses.
The sensorial materials are designed to be didactic, this means self-correcting. Children are able to engage with
these activities without needing to be constantly corrected by an adult, therefore developing their self-esteem and
confidence.

In the sensorial area the child is exposed to many different learning concepts such as colours, shapes, sounds, taste,
weight, height and geometry.

OVERVIEW OF CULTURE:

Cultural topics in the Montessori classrooms introduce children to the world. They learn about themselves, who they
are, where they fit in, what is their purpose and why Allah created them. It gives children exposure to the many
areas that they will encounter throughout their life, enabling them to develop an early interest in learning about the
world. Areas like science, geography, history and art are included in this. Establishing cultural awareness in young
children fosters their ability to care for others and enables the child to create connections between themselves and
the world around them. This creates in the child a deeper appreciation for the gift of Imaan and the creation of the
almighty Allah.

The child experiences an explosion of vocabulary and general knowledge as topics related to plants, oceans, zoology,
botany, religions, cultures, art and creativity is explored.

3. OVERVIEW OF THE LANGUAGE AREA – KURAISHA MA’AM

As-Salaamu Alaikum Respected mothers, I will be doing an overview of the language area.

Introduction
Language is an integral part of our everyday lives and is in an area that a child is exposed to on a daily basis, children
model whatever they see and hear therefore it is of utmost importance to build a solid and proper language
foundation. Language in a Montessori environment covers speaking, reading and writing. To do so, it is necessary to
develop the child’s ability to classify and categorise, and the ability to express themselves by building clear
vocabulary.
We start by having conversations, we play simple games like the question game, listening game, poems, stories, etc.
to develop the child’s language.
We are going to play the listening game which is one of the many fun ways we help children to practice listening. I
will whisper a phrase into the ear of the first person and you will whisper to the person next to you and so on. The
person at the end will say the phrase out loud.

Play the listening game: Alice anxiously ate eight apples.

Overview of the listening game

Was the game easy or challenging?
 Now think about how important it is for a young child to be exposed to an environment rich in language so
they can develop good listening skills.
 Listening skills are developed through conversations
- The child has to listen carefully to the speaking in order to know how to respond
- The adults in the child’s life have to be good listeners by modelling listening the child will develop these
skills
 Asking the child to repeat the instruction to you also develops good listening. For example, if you ask your
child to go to brush his teeth, repeat the instructions by asking him “What did I ask you to do?” and he
would say “To go brush my teeth”.
Other preliminary language activities are daily conversations on topics of interest to the child.

News time - children or the directress brings in a newspaper article to discuss in class.

An essential preliminary activity in the language area is the I Spy game/activity.

This game teaches the child the phonetic alphabet sounds and they learn that words are made up of sounds.
I Spy lays the foundation for word building, blending, reading and writing. It is essential that only phonetic sounds
are used for teaching sounds and alphabets.

Please pay close attention while I show you how the I Spy activity is done in a Montessori environment introducing
the last sounds.

4. PRESENTATION OF THE I SPY ACTIVITY – KURAISHA MA’AM

• Place 3 objects on the mat.

• “I Spy with my little eye something on the mat that starts with ‘p’ and ends with ‘g’”
• The child says “p-e-g”
• “Yes, the first sound is ‘p’ and the last sound is ‘g’”

Once the child has a solid understanding of the first and last sounds we then identify the middle sounds in the 3
letter phonetic words which consist of vowels a-e-i-o-u and the child will have prior knowledge with working with
vowels which we practise daily in school.

The I Spy activity requires a lot of practice and may take weeks or months for a child to even grasp the concept of
the beginning, end and middle sounds.

All subsequent activities will be laid out and I will discuss each.

Metal Inset - is before the I Spy activity

- This activity develops fine motor,
directionality and creativity.

Sandpaper alphabets - is a sensorial

impression of the
alphabet which helps
the child to
recognise both the
sound and shape
of the alphabet.

A child who is able to recognise most of the alphabets will then be introduced to word building using the Large
Movable Alphabet - is the connection between the spoken and written word. Thereafter the Pink, Blue, Green series
and sight words which progresses in difficulty and complexity are just a few of the many activities the child will be
introduced to.

5. OVERVIEW OF MATHEMATICS – KURAISHA MA’AM

Today I’m doing an overview of the mathematical area.

 The human mind is by nature mathematical therefore maths can be found in all the Montessori learning
areas.
 The independence & self confidence that the child gains from working from the practical life activities is vital
for dealing with the maths curriculum.
 The didactic element of the sensorial area prepares the child for the complexities of the maths materials.
They learn to find their own mistakes and rectify it without adult intervention.
  The montessori maths curriculum is one of the best examples of the unique beauty of the montessori
materials.
 Dr. Montessori designed concrete materials to represent all levels of quantities & concepts.
 A mathematical mind estimates, quantifies, identifies similarities & differences to make order and to
sequence.
 Example:
* estimating - by determining how many drops of water it takes to fill a glass.
* precision and exactness – this is done by learning to measure out drops of food colouring.

 The most important skills in maths are careful analysis & clear thinking.
 These skills help us solve some of the deepest puzzles that we may face.
 How do we in a montessori environment develop & foster this ability to analyse and think clearly.

 We start by introducing children to numbers through:

1) Number songs/ rhymes, puzzles, stories & counting (preliminary activities)

- This supports the teaching of counting, addition & subtraction.
- Number songs teach many elements of maths & also develop language, concentration & sequencing.
- Children enjoy singing because it’s fun. Learning is unconsciously done through singing & actions.
- Songs/rhymes help children memorise the order of numbers forwards and backwards.
- This supports young children practise early maths skills.
- The child will work extensively with these activities before moving on to the next activity.

 Number songs

- We all may have come across number songs in our life. Maybe in our own childhood or now as a
parent.
- I would like you mum’s to please join me as we do a simple number song together.
- Let’s tap into our inner child.
- Mum’s can join in by singing and doing the action to the song.

* 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 once i caught a fish alive (rote counting till 10)

 This assist in rote counting and number sequence.

 Conversational, asking a questin and receiving a reply.
 Identifying left & right/the little finger.

*5 little ducks (supports subtraction)

 This assists in subtraction and also counting backwards.

 The concept of zero is also done, which is zero is nothing & nothing is zero.
 Repetition/ language.

Then we move on to:

2) Number rods (3-5 years)

- This activity is introduced as soon as the child has completed the red rods & is able to count in
sequence from 1- 10.
- increase in length & weight as the number increases giving the child a concrete impression of how
numbers get bigger.

3) Sandpaper numbers (4-5 years)

- This is a sensorial/tactile impression of each number.
 4) Number rods and cards
- Combining activities to consolidate the numbers rods and symbols.
- Multiple presentations are done.

Throughout your child’s 2 – 3 years in the environment your child will be introduced to

 Counting loose quantities.  Subtraction

 Odd and even.  Addition & subtraction
 Bonds  Decimal system
 Addition

1) Presentation – Cards & Counters (4-5 Years)

- Activity layed out.

- After 8 activities, your child will move on to cards & counters.

 Aim:
 To match the correct number of counters to the corresponding number cards.
 The child learns to sequence & build with loose numbers.
 This develops the fine motor, spatial arrangement, order & sequence.

Presentation

 You worked so well with laying the cards and counters, now we are going to learn about odd and even
numbers.
 Do you know what odd numbers are? An odd number does not have a partner.
 Do you know what even numbers are? An even number has a partner,
 Let’s play a game and I’ll show you what odd & even numbers are.
 So the counters that does not have a partner is an odd number
 Counters that have a partner is an even number.
 We want the ones with partners to stay on top- they are called even numbers.
 Are you ready….
 Counter 1…. counter 2…. counter 3…. counter 4…. you can have a try now.
 Continue till the 10.
 Once that is done, focus on the numbers that are on the top.
 These numbers are even numbers because they have partners.
 Allow the child to count.
 Thank you for working with me, tomorrow we will work with odd numbers.

*NB: this activity takes a while to master as the child will have to develop many skills like order, sequencing & spatial
arrangement.

We come to the end of the section in early maths.

6. OVERVIEW OF ISLAMIYAAT – MUALLIMA MA’AM

As Muslims, laying the foundation of our Deen begins pre-natal. Infact the Ulema say it is from the inception of the
child. It is a very deep topic. However, the most important thing is that every single one of us want the best for our
children. As believers we understand that this will depend on the effort we make on their Deeni knowledge and
Tarbiyyah.
If we take into consideration that 80 percent of a child’s lifelong learning is established by the age of 6 then it
becomes even clearer why we have to pay so much of attention to these early years of a child’s upbringing. And why
if we miss the opportunity, many qualities will not develop later on in their lives.
At Al-Atfaal we look at every child as the future mother, father, son daughter, Ulema, Hufaaz, doctors, professionals
and every other individual that will benefit or harm for that matter- the community in some way or another.
Islam is a way of life and in these challenging times if we make the correct effort on our children inshallah it will
safeguard them from the fitnah surrounding us.
So we try and create that Islamic environment not only in the Madrasah lessons but throughout the day. Bringing the
greatness of Allah (swt) into our lessons, building good character and concern for others, eating the Sunnah way,
toilet Sunnah way, washing hands, reciting masnoon duas at appropriate times like eating toilet etc.
Always modelling the behaviors for them, being good role models- With the intention that this way of life is
established in the child and will continue to adulthood with them eventually making effort on the next generation. It
is our way of preserving our Deen and protecting the Imaan of our children and in a very
small way keeping the noble effort of our beloved Nabi saw continuous Insha

7. ROLE PLAY SCENE 1 FOLLOWED BY A REFLECTION

SCENE ONE- NEGATIVE BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS A CHILD

The scene opens where the mother is rushing to set the table for the visitors that will be arriving later.

MUM: Look at the time, I am so late, I still have so much of things to do.

CHILD: Mum let me help you set the table (helps to set the table)

MUM: (horrified) Fiona what are you doing these are my expensive crystal glasses please just give it to me before
you break it.

CHILD: But mummy I have learnt how to carry glass at school.

MUM: This is not school, please just leave it and go play with your sister, you are making more work for me.

MUM: I don’t know why they are teaching my child to use glass at school it’s so dangerous. Gori will come just now
and roll her eyes behind my back if everything is not up to her standard.

CHILD: Mummy, mummy, Nadia does not want to give me the toy. I want the toy; she is taking so long to play with it.

MUM: Nadia just give her the toy please she is smaller than you, I don’t have time for this.

CHILD: It’s not fair, I had it first!

MUM: Aay! (Grabs the toy and gives Fiona)

REFLECTING ON SCENE ONE- Negative Aspects of the Roleplay.

1. Disrespect to the child.

2. Impatience
3. Hindering the self-confidence of the child by not allowing her to carry glass.
4. Mother is giving preference to the younger sibling. did not take the time to explain fairness. Taken for
granted that older sibling must just give in. not healthy for younger children this is how they learn to become
demanding and unreasonable and not willing to compromise.
5. Mother is not giving the child the opportunity to solve her own problem.
6. Indoor/Outdoor voice.
8. ROLE PLAY SCENE 2 FOLLOWED BY A REFLECTION

SCENE TWO- POSITIVE BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THE CHILD.

The scene opens with the mother setting the table, even though she is late she is very calm.

MUM: ooh Allah Look at the time, I am so late, I still have so much of work to do. Allah put barakah in my time
Insha.

CHILD: Mummy can I help you? My mam has taught me how to use glass at school.

MUM: Mmmm ok why not my darling (mums allows but shows that nervousness as she observes child walking with
glass)

MUM: (shocked expression) Alhumdullillah you are so confident with the glass. Are you using glass at school daily?

CHILD: yes mummy, we practice how to carry glass items with care, we hold firmly and walk slowly, and we use both
our hands, our teacher explained to us that glass is fragile and if breaks it can be dangerous, if we are not careful we
could get cut, so we practice safety. And if the glass does break we don’t panic at school all the children practice
safety, take a step back and we learn how to clean up.

Child then sets the table

MUM: Fiona where did you learn how to set the table?

CHILD- we learnt how to set a table at school.

MUM: Wow you are learning such great skills at school, you can help set the table every day for us at home.

CHILD: yes, mum that will be so fun!

MUM: Fiona, I am going to start making the salad, would you like to help?.

CHILD: Yes mummy, I would like to help. I even learned how to grate carrots, slice cucumbers and we learnt about
knife safety

MUM: I didn’t realise that You can do so many skills all on your own. Thank you so much for helping my darling.
Please can you go and get ready before our guests arrive so you can greet & welcome Them.

REFLECTING ON SCENE TWO- Positive Aspects of the Roleplay.

1. Mother is very calm and allows the child to speak,

2. Mother shows excitement for the skills that the child has learnt.
3. Mother has confidence in the child and allows her to carry the glass.
4. Independence. Strong sense of Self-esteem is created
5. Social skills/ preparing child to interact with guests
6. Conflict resolution skills.
7. Continuous praising is not necessary. Child must find self- satisfaction in their achievements and not look
for praise and acknowledgment from others.

9. PICK A TOPIC – MUMS

10. CONCLUSION
“Unstructured Time” – Providing children with unstructured time where they are allowed to get on with their own
work and activities without too much interference from an adult, leads to greater independence and self-direction.
Children learn to self-manage. It has been scientifically proven that children who learn in a Montessori environment
have Better literacy, numeracy and storytelling skills.
IMPORTANCE OF THE MESSAGE BOOK NOTICES
- Next Mini Workshop will be on …..

To keep ready: attendance record register, mums committee volunteer form, program for mums box for
questions/suggestions and topics for future work shills, WATER BOT