Springtime Books For Preschoolers

It is the first day of Spring and we are expecting a BIG Snowstorm. 😞 A great way to remedy this situation?

We can dream of warmer days.

Orrrrrrrr...How about a few book ideas that you can read with your child? 😉

Here is a list for you to enjoy.

1 ~ Planting a Rainbow

Young children will enjoy learning about colors and flowers with this new edition of one of Lois Ehlert's most popular titles in a brand-new format.

2 ~ The Snail and the Whale

When a tiny snail meets a humpback whale, the two travel together to far-off lands. It's a dream come true for the snail, who has never left home before. But when the whale swims too close to shore, will the snail be able to save her new friend?

3 ~ It's Spring! 

A beautifully illustrated rhyming story about spring.

The robin told the rabbit...
The rabbit told the deer...
The deer told the duck...
Then all the birds began to sing
To tell the bears, "Wake up, it's spring!"

4 ~ Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo

Little things can have a big impact, as in this funny Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss (writing under the name Rosetta Stone) and Michael Frith. When a little bug sneezes, he unknowingly sets off a hilarious chain reaction that wreaks havoc clear across town. From a toppled turtle to a sinking ship to a disrupted circus parade, Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! takes a hysterical look at consequences in a way that only Dr. Seuss can.

5 ~ The Little Gardener

Discover what it takes to become a little gardener with this interactive board book that's perfect for spring and summertime reading. 

It takes more than just seeds and water. Lift the flaps in this bright board book and find out all you need to know in order to create and care for your very own garden!

Shovel.
Pail.
Rake.
Ho.
Tiny seeds in a row.

Compost water.
Rain.
Sun.
Seeds sprout, one by one.

6 ~ And Then It's Spring 

Following a snow-filled winter, a young boy and his dog decide that they've had enough of all that brown and resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be on its way.

7 ~ Spring is Here (Bear and Mole Stories)

Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Spring is in the air. Mole can smell it. But Bear is still asleep after his long winter nap. How will Mole wake up Bear so they can celebrate together? When a knock, knock, knock and toot, toot, toot can't get Bear out of bed, Mole cooks up a special treat.

Spring fever is catching in this vibrant story of friendship.

8 ~ The Tiny Seed (The World of Eric Carle)

Eric Carle’s classic story of the life cycle of

a flower is told through the adventures of a tiny

seed. This mini-book includes a piece of

detachable seed-embedded paper housed on the

inside front cover. Readers can plant the entire

piece of paper and watch as their very own tiny

seeds grow into beautiful wildflowers.

9 ~ Bear Wants More 

When springtime comes,

in his warm winter den

a bear wakes up

very hungry and thin!..."

Bear finds some roots to eat, but that's not enough. He wants more! With his friends' help, he finds some berries, clover, and fish to eat, but that's not enough. Bear wants more!

10 ~ Terry Treetop and the Lost Egg

Terry joins his family for a camping excursion. A lost egg sends him on an adventure in nature, where he meets different animal moms and learns about their eggs, their life cycle and their habitat. Terry manages to help someone in need, while gaining beautiful friendships along the way.

Top 10 Halloween Children's Books of 2017

It's that time of year again. You know the one. When all of the little ghosts, goblins, and princesses come out in droves in search for tricks or treats. With that comes a fun Halloween themed reading list that you can bond over with your children.  

All can be found on Amazon.com 

Enjoy 😃📚🕮

1 ~ 

The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin

This gently spooky twist on “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” makes a favorite nursery rhyme just perfect for Halloween!

The itsy bitsy pumpkin
rolled down the spooky street.
He passed a ghoulish ghost
and some stinky goblin’s feet.

A little pumpkin is trying to find his way back home! And with a little help from a friendly witch, he is soon safe and sound, back on his porch—where there are no spiders to be seen! Little ones will love this fresh fall spin on a classic nursery rhyme!

2 ~ 

Room on the Broom

The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch's hat, then her bow, and then her wand!  Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom.  But is there room on the broom for so many friends?  And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

3 ~ 

The Spooky Wheels on the Bus

A haunted Halloween bus ride that will have children singing with excitement.

THE SPOOKY WHEELS ON THE BUS is a humorous Halloween-themed version of the classic song THE WHEELS ON THE BUS...with a few ghoulish tricks and treats up its sleeves! 

Count from One Spooky Bus up to Ten Goofy Ghosts as this Halloween ride races through town picking up a few unsuspecting passengers along the way.

4 ~ 

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything 

Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard...clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap.

And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life! With bouncy refrains and classic art, this timeless Halloween story is perfect for reading aloud.

5 ~ 

Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins

Pete the Cat takes on the classic favorite children's song "Five Little Pumpkins" in New York Times bestselling author James Dean's Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins.

Join Pete as he rocks out to this cool adaptation of the classic Halloween song!

A perfect way to share the Halloween spirit with young children.

6 ~ 

Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete

Pete loves Halloween and candy but not so much scary surprises. Follow Pete as he goes trick-or-treating from house to house and discover what is waiting behind each door.

With over ten flaps that open to reveal fun spooky surprises, this book is spooktacular!

7 ~

Little Blue Truck's Halloween

8 ~ 

Eek! Halloween! 

Boynton celebrates Halloween!

A new addition to the Boynton on Board series, with over 21 million copies sold, Eek! Halloween! is all treat and no tricks, a journey with Boynton and her nutty characters through the tradition of Halloween.

It starts with an uh-oh—the chickens are nervous! Strange things are happening. One chicken saw a pumpkin with flickering eyes, another spied a mouse of enormous size. They all saw a wizard and a witch, and a spooky robot. “WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN? / Relax, silly chickens! It’s HALLOWEEN!”

9 ~ 

It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! 

Join Mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie as he decorates all the pumpkins in the patch in this sweet board book from Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.

Mouse is excited for fall because that means it is time to decorate pumpkins! But one is missing. Where could it have gone?

This is the perfect Halloween book for the very youngest reader, and is just the right book to get kids and budding artists inspired to work on their own Halloween crafts.

10 ~ 

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Peanuts)

Spooky tricks and hilarious treats abound in this retelling of the beloved Halloween special that comes with holographic foil and embossing on the cover!

Celebrate Halloween with Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang!

It’s Halloween night, which means costumes, trick-or-treating, bobbing for apples…and waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Linus is certain that the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch to bring toys to all the children of the world. Could this be the year that it finally happens? 

Find out!

Top 9 Valentine's Day Books To Read With Your Children

Reading time is a great bonding experience between you and your child. A few minutes before bedtime can create memories that your child will cherish for many years to come.

How many of you remember stories from your childhood?

I went around the school asking our Teachers for their absolute favorite Valentine's Day stories and these were the results. 


1 - Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff


Join Mouse of If You Give A Mouse A Cookie as he celebrates Valentine's Day with all the friends he loves.

2 - Love From The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

3 - Pete The Cat. Valentine's Day Is Cool by James Dean

4 - Llama Llama I Love You by Anna Dewdney

5 - The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll

6 - Happy Valentine's Day Curious George by N. Di Angelo

7 - Fancy Nancy Heart To Heart

8 - The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond

9 - My Fuzzy Valentine by Naomi Kleinberg

A Virtual Tour of The Montessori School of Herndon

Come in and visit one of the happiest schools in Herndon, Virginia. A place where children are excited to return every morning.

When you first enter the Montessori School of Herndon from Dranesville and Old Hunt Way, you will notice our beautiful landscaping.

But, be careful. Students and Teachers at Play :)

The field offers plenty of room for our annual Fun Fair where you'll see it transformed into a carnival full of rides and games.  Isn't our PTA the best?

When you take that trip through the parking lot, you will notice our playground where we spend a lot of time running, sliding, and kicking the ball around.

At the top of the hill, is where you can park and enter the office.

Once you make it inside, we will answer any and all of your questions while showing you around the school. You'll get to meet the teachers and see our students in action. We know how important it is to find a school that fits your child's needs, and where you can feel comfortable knowing that they are safe and loved.

We take pride in our 32 years of success in educating the youth in Fairfax County.  Our program is ability based and all materials have a built in control of error to encourage self-correction which in turn establishes a true sense of accomplishment.

They will make friends.
They will be challenged.
They will learn new life skills.
They will speak new languages.
They will participate in extracurricular activities.
They will use their imagination for play.
Chess anyone?  Yes, we learn that here too!



So schedule your tour today.  We would love to have your family become a part of ours. Visit www.montessori-va.com and click on the Visit tab, or call us at 703-437-8229

Develop longer focus and attention through Practical Life activities

Do you get tired of seeing your child always gravitating to the Practical Life (PL) area?  Well, I'm here to tell you, that it is not necessarily a bad thing for them.  Did you know that activities such as transferring, spooning, scooping, and washing dishes are beneficial to their learning process? <---Yes! I said washing dishes.

Practical Life.  The area of the classroom that not many understand.

This isn't about "playing" as so many would like to think.  PL offers many interesting ways for children to develop necessary skills like hand-eye coordination, longer focus, and attention span.

WHAAAAAAT???  "They do all of that?"

Why yes. They do, actually. Every activity in PL has an important function.  Tweezers?  Excellent for pincer grip, which inevitably aids in proper handling of a pencil. Table washing? Focus, focus, focus! (Sorry, I didn't mean to shout) You know that child in the classroom that spends fifteen minutes a day washing the table? When have you ever seen a 3 and 4 year old focus on ANYTHING for that long?

"Whoa!  I never thought of it that way."

That's OK.  Not many do.  PL is the foundation of the Montessori classroom.  These exercises provide a host of other valuable assets to the child.  Besides improving focus, attention span, and hand-eye coordination, they help in developing control, independence, care for self and environment, as well as order.

Activities are also developed to work left to right. Orderly thought patterns, perhaps?  Maybe.

You too, can do these activities at home with your child. Let them help you in the kitchen.  Hand them a broom. Guess what?  They can even assist in setting the table.  Children want to imitate what we adults can do.  Allow for extra time in the morning and let them dress themselves.  You will be surprised what your little one can accomplish.

Make and Take One Hundred Chain

That is what we call it in our classroom.  This is a number sequencing work that the children love mainly for the fact that they get to take it home and share with their families.

There are a few layers to this activity which include different areas of curriculum in a Primary Montessori classroom.  We're talking Practical Life, Art, and Math, all wrapped into one beautiful package. Let us not forget hand/eye coordination and an activity that encourages focus.

I mix the numbers for them so that when cutting them out they have to think about number placement as opposed  to simply cutting and gluing.  Here is a link to the pattern I use, http://www.math.kent.edu/~white/graphpaper/one-bold.pdf

Next, we bring out the glue!  Aren't you glad I didn't say glitter?  :) To reduce the mess level from Def Con 20 to more of a 5 we put glue in these cute little plastic jars (tiny bubble bottles that you find as Birthday party gifts in goodie bags) and supply them with Q-tips. I have experienced a less sticky classroom.

I make strips for the children to glue their squares in numerical order.  Eventually, each child will have ten strips with ten numbers up to one hundred. What?  Yes, counting by tens! I don't know about you, but growing up, counting by tens was the BEST.
Each set of ten numbers is in a different color.

This is an on-going project that I discovered online years ago, and it has been a hit ever since. Before I send the children home with their new One Hundred chain, I decorate our windows with them for a couple of weeks.  This allows for them to admire their hard work when entering the classroom.

Ideas for using this chain at home are a wonderful added extension.

You can give your child a marker.  This is where I encourage parents to keep it fun and interesting. Make your markers creative such as M&M's, Goldfish, Cheerios, or other snacks that they love to eat. Have them place the marker on the number you say between 1 - 100.

How about some addition and subtraction?  For example, ask them to cover numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 with markers. Add three more markers, which will put them at 7. Now, eat two. How many do you have left?  Show them that their marker rests on the answer after they count the remains.

How cool is that?  Have fun with your children and be supportive during their educational journey.  It is one of the most important things you can do for them as they grow.

Enjoy!