Language Curriculum and Sound of the Week

Overview of the Language Curriculum

At Juncos and Junipers we follow the Montessori Language curriculum and each child progresses at their own pace.

The first step in the curriculum is teaching phonemic awareness and one way we do this is by playing "I Spy" with sounds.  We have a bag of tiny objects and either individually or in small groups, we identify objects by their beginning sound.  If a child is new to "I Spy" we begin with just one object.  We hold up a cat and say, "I spy with my little eye something that begins with c".  The child says, "cat," and then they get to hold the object for the remainder of the game.  As the child gains more experience with the activity, we add multiple objects and the child must find the one that begins with the requested sound.  Once they have mastered recognizing beginning sounds, we move on to ending and then middle sounds.  This is a great way to introduce the concept that words are made of sounds. 

After the children gain confidence with "I Spy", we introduce the shape of the letters using the Sandpaper Letters.  When the children know a majority of the sounds and their associated letters, we then introduce them to the Moveable Alphabet (basically a fancy wooden version of alphabet refrigerator magnets) where they explore spelling out words.  Again, we use objects to grab the children's attention.  We put out a cat and ask the child to tell the sounds they hear in the word "cat".  Then they find the letters and write the word.

After some time with the Moveable Alphabet the children are ready to read!  We start off reading simple words and then move on to short books.  It is such a joy to witness the pride children feel when they begin to read.  We do not expect that all children will be reading by the end of their time at Juncos and Junipers, as each child will develop at their own pace.

For Sound of the Week and beginning phonemic awareness we teach the short sound of each letter.  In the list below you can find an example of each sound (pay special attention to the vowels and c, g, x and y).

Sound List

a - apple

b- banana

c - cat

d - dog

e - elephant

f - fox

g - girl

h - hat

i - iguana

j - jump

k - koala

l - lamp

m - monkey

n - nose

o - octopus

p - pumpkin

qu - quilt

r - red

s - star

t - turtle

u - umbrella

v - violin

w - wig

x - end of fox

y - yellow

z - zebra

“Sound of the Week” 

As a small part of our language curriculum at Juncos and Junipers, we will be focusing on one letter sound each week.  Identifying the sound a letter makes is an important first step in learning to read and having a “Sound of the Week” is an exciting and fun way to involve the children in sound recognition.

We will announce the “Sound of the Week” on the bulletin board.  During the week we will engage in several activities that help us practice our sound, such as acting out different animals that begin with the sound or writing the letter in sand.  We will introduce the sound to the children on Mondays at grouptime, focusing on the sound the letter makes and not the letter name (see the list below).  We will introduce the letter shape on Tuesdays.

The children can bring a “Sound of the Week” sharing to school any day.  Parents can help their children find one small object from home that begins with the sound of the week.  For example, for the sound of the week “s”: snake, salt, or sand.  The children can bring their sharing to school and leave it on the Language shelf for the day or for the week.

The goal of this activity is exploration and we hope that the children will come away thinking that letter sounds are fun and that they feel inspired to further explore letters and the sounds they make!

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A bit about Sarah...

Sarah:

     I have been working with children my whole adult life. In high school I did work studies at a small elementary school that also had preschool and kindergarten. I spent most of my time working with the preschool and kindergarten children. I also helped teach art classes to the upper grades. I went to Western Oregon University and earned my teaching license as an undergrad. I spent hours volunteering in many classrooms and had a great year of student teaching in a first grade classroom in rural Oregon. I taught Nature Day camp at the Portland Arboretum for three summers during university, this was one of the most fun and rewarding jobs. I loved being out of doors with the children all day and I loved that a love of nature and place was being fostered in these young beings.        For a few years in my mid 20's I traveled abroad and did some odd jobs but always worked part time in an elementary school teaching nature studies and art (two of my great passions). I then went back to school at Portland State University and got my masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I then taught preschool, kindergarten, first grade and upper elementary nature studies at a small school on a farm for several years. Followed by two years working for the YMCA doing before and after school care. Before taking time off to have my children I taught for two years at a small one room preschool here in Klamath Falls.

I am interested in Waldorf, Montessori and Reggio Emilia educational philosophies and believe deeply in educating the whole child, head, heart and hands (so to speak). I also believe that children need to run free and be able to express themselves creatively. So with the creation of Juncos and Junipers, a dream and plan a long time in the works, I will be able to help provide an environment where young children can grow up free and true to themselves as beautiful, creative and harmonious human beings. I am very excited to start this venture with Amy. I am looking forward to learning and growing as a teacher and a parent. I have so many ideas and dreams that I am excited to share with our students! Let the fun begin!!!!!

Amy's Education and Experience (the short and the long of it)

Amy (the short story):

I have been working with preschool and kindergarten age children in a school setting for 20 years, with half of this experience in Montessori, mixed-age classrooms.  I have a BS in Elementary and Kindergarten Education, a MA in Environment and Community, and my Teaching Certificate in Montessori Early Childhood Education (preschool and Kinder).

My Education and Experience (the long version):

I started working with young children as a nanny, when I was 18.  Realizing that I loved spending my days with children, I pursued a degree in education, receiving my BS in Elementary and Kindergarten Education from Pennsylvania State University in May of 1997. While at Penn State I began working at the campus preschool and upon finishing my degree, I decided that though I enjoyed teaching in the public schools, I truly treasured the connection and relationship that can be built working with preschoolers. 

The summer after graduating I spent a few months working as a full time substitute at a small preschool co-owned by four women.  The school had been running since the 1960s and these women were amazingly gifted teachers.  When one of the women retired that fall, I was offered a partnership share of the business and spent several years working as co-owner, co-director and co-teacher in the school. 

Upon turning 25 I decided that though I loved my little school, I wanted to explore more of the world and continue my personal education.  I moved to Boulder, Colorado where I worked in my first Montessori school and fell in love with the philosophy.  In that school, six trained teachers worked together to create curriculum based on the children’s interests and needs.

In 2003, I followed my heart and my future hubby farther west still to California.  I spent a summer as director of an outdoor summer camp for children ages 6 – 10 on a 1600 acre organic farm and wilderness preserve.  After the summer position ended I moved north to Humboldt County to begin my Masters degree in a program called Environment and Community.  While at Humboldt I continued working with children at the campus preschool.  After graduating with my MS and spending six months doing some natural resources consulting and research in Humboldt and Jamaica with my husband, I began working at Mistwood Montessori school in Eureka, CA.  Again I had the experience of working with gifted and talented teachers.  At Mistwood, I also began to study Compassionate and Non-violent Communication.

In 2008, we moved south to Tucson, AZ where my husband did his PhD.  I immediately started working at a Montessori School that enrolled students from birth through middle school and during the summer of 2009 I received my Montessori Teaching Credential in Early Childhood Education from the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies.  For the five years we lived in Tucson I taught in a classroom of 26 pre-school and Kindergartners.  My Kinders were part of the public charter school that was transitioning to the Common Core Standards, so I am very familiar with what is expected of a Kindergarten curriculum these days.

After finishing his PhD my husband got a joint position here, in Klamath Falls, teaching at Oregon Tech and Crater Lake National Park Science and Learning Center.  I took a position as the lead teacher at Pelican Gathering Preschool.

Starting Juncos and Junipers:

I am so excited to be starting a school with Sarah!  Our backgrounds and strengths differ and are highly complementary. We share core beliefs about children and a similar vision for our school and our community. 

What I love about Montessori are the materials and the natural sequence of the curriculum.  We plan to have these materials throughout the classroom.  Though my background is Montessori, I embrace the common aspects of multiple educational philosophies. The thread that unites Montessori with Waldorf and Reggio Emilia is that they all believe in respecting the ability of the child.  Each philosophy values the independent nature of the individual child and understands that every child develops at his or her own pace.  The teacher is a guide, helping the child grow that deep curiosity they exhibit from birth.  This is why I embrace how Waldorf and Reggio foster other types of creative energy than Montessori and emphasize time for free and dramatic play when children process and explore the world around them. All three philosophies recognize the importance of out-door time to the child’s developing mind.  Sarah and I both have a deep understanding of the need for fresh air and sunshine!

It has been a wonderful and exciting journey that has led me to this time and this place.  This is where my husband and I choose to settle and put down roots.  Our dream has always been for me to start my own school.  To have found Sarah, who shares that dream, is a true gift.  I know that together with all of you, we will make Juncos and Junipers an incredible, joyful, creative space for children to grow and flourish.

What is happening at Juncos and Junipers?

Originally posted March 18, 2015 

Sarah and Amy have been busy, busy, busy getting ready for our first year at Juncos and Junipers. We have been gathering materials, designing curriculum and garnering community support for Juncos and Junipers.  Our goal is to create a joyful environment for young children and already we have a long list of friends, parents, community members and local businesses willing to contribute to our mission. 

We have been working with the Small Business Development Center, the South Central Oregon Economic Development Division and other Klamath Fall small business owners to develop the nitty-gritty details of our business plan. We met with the Oregon Department of Education several times to discuss preschool regulations.  Additionally, we have had many meetings with city and county planning and building divisions to help us figure out just how to permit our new school.

In the next few weeks we will kick it into high(er) gear so that by summer we can focus primarily on preparing the indoor and outdoor spaces of the school.

 What to look for in the coming weeks...

  - our new Facebook page

  - our crowdsourcing platform

  - our brochure and enrollment information

What you can do...

  - email us from our contact page if you are interested in enrollment information

  - if you are or know a business in town that would be willing to donate materials to our school, please contact us

  - spread the word!